Wednesday, April 29, 2026

📰 News

City of Kamloops officials say they have found no evidence homeless residents are being sent from Vancouver ahead of this summer’s FIFA World Cup. Coun. Katie Neustaeter raised the rumour at Monday’s Safety and Security Committee meeting, citing similar reports from other TNRD mayors and councillors. City community and culture director Carmin Mazzotta said staff have heard the rumour anecdotally but the question has been flagged through to Ministry of Housing staff, who have not seen any trend line backing it up. The city has also requested data from B.C.’s Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. (Castanet)

The North Shore BIA has issued a fire safety notice to businesses after a string of recent fires in the area. North Shore BIA executive director Jeremy Heighton has requested owners remove pallets, boxes, and other combustible material from around their buildings, and secure their bins, ahead of what’s expected to be an extremely hot, dry summer. Drago’s Auto Pro reported a fire behind its building on April 23. The owner of Save Big On Tires on Larkspur Street separately told CFJC he noticed heavy smoke and fire and worries about safety in the neighbourhood. (CFJC Today)

FreshCo opens its second Kamloops store Thursday, April 30 in Valleyview. The discount grocer is taking over the former Peavey Mart space at 2121 E. Trans-Canada Hwy. and will run 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. FreshCo is owned by Empire, the same parent company as Canada Safeway. (Castanet)

Council has approved a single 4-cm snowfall trigger for the entire transportation network. The new policy puts roads, sidewalks, multi-use pathways, parking lots and transit stops under one definition of a “snow event,” replacing a patchwork of different thresholds. Staff said the change is meant to make response times more consistent and easier for residents to understand. (Radio NL)

SD73 has reversed its plan to repurpose the elementary art studio at Kamloops School of the Arts. The district had intended to repurpose the studio space to expand the school’s existing District Resource Room program — which supports students with disabilities or complex needs — but parents pushed back. SD73 says it has found an alternative classroom setting at KSA further from the elementary art room than the originally proposed space, with the exact location to be communicated to parents directly. (CFJC Today)

The City is expanding its FireSmart program as resident demand outpaces capacity. Fire Chief Ken Uzeloc and FireSmart Liaison Kathleen Cahoon told the Safety and Security Select Committee that public uptake of the rebate program has been overwhelming. Prescribed burns are facing project-specific delays, but vegetation management remains central to the city’s wildfire mitigation plan. (Radio NL)

---

🏛️ City Hall

Council recognized 11 residents with Exemplary Service Awards on April 22. Honourees include educators, search-and-rescue leaders, RCMP constables, health-care advocates, and longtime volunteers — recognized for outstanding contributions to community life across Kamloops. (City of Kamloops)

---

🚨 Safety

A new comparative policing report shows Kamloops above the provincial average on crime rates and officer workload, though both have eased year-over-year. The report, presented to the Safety and Security Select Committee, reformats provincial Police Resources data to make RCMP and municipally policed communities easier to compare side-by-side. (Radio NL)

A 47-year-old Kamloops man has been charged with criminal harassment after allegedly phoning his ex more than 600 times in a single day. Police were called Sunday to a Pemberton Terrace address for a report of a breach of release conditions. (Castanet)

---

📅 Events

Royal Canadian Circus 2026 — May 14–18 at Aberdeen Mall. The Royal Canadian Circus returns to Kamloops as part of its 12-city Canadian tour, celebrating its 52nd season. (BCNow)

Friends of the Gardens Annual Plant Sale — Saturday, May 2 at TRU, 9 a.m. A wide variety of plants available including annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, and succulents. (Castanet)

---

🛣️ Roads & Weather

Sun is back. Mainly sunny Wednesday with a high near 24°C, climbing to 27°C and full sun on Thursday before clouds roll in Friday. A near-perfect stretch for the plant sale weekend.

🚧 Highway 5 (Battle St to Shuswap Rd, 1.0 km, Kamloops): Pavement patching in both directions with lane closure. Until Saturday, May 2. (DriveBC)

🚧 Highway 5 / Coquihalla North (Inks Lake Rd to Walloper Interchange, 9.8 km, southbound): Right lane closed for maintenance Wednesday and Thursday, April 29–30, 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM. (DriveBC)

---

🎮 Daily Game

Wordle — guess the five-letter word in six tries. The classic.