Thursday, May 28, 2026

📰 News

Downtown just lost one of its most troubled storefronts, and nobody knows what comes next. The Seymour Street and Sixth Avenue 7-Eleven closed on Tuesday, May 26, and Radio NL reports downtown business leaders are already worried about what happens if the property sits boarded up for months. Early conversations with the City have included ideas like fencing the lot while 7-Eleven decides whether to sell or find a local operator. (Radio NL)

Westsyde is about to join Kamloops’ Japanese beetle quarantine map. Castanet reports the Canadian Food Inspection Agency found 769 Japanese beetles in Kamloops in 2025, with most of them outside the original regulated area downtown. A new regulated zone is expected in Westsyde, and monitoring and trapping are set to run from June to October 2026. (Castanet)

NorthPaws baseball returns on Friday, May 29. Castanet reports Kamloops opens its fifth West Coast League season at Norbrock Stadium against the Corvallis Knights, with head coach Riley Jepson back and six returning players on the early roster. After three straight seasons without a playoff berth, continuity is the local selling point. (Castanet)

Kamloops has new money for FireSmart work ahead of wildfire season. CFJC Today reports the City is receiving nearly $400,000 through the Community Resiliency Investment Program, split between 2026 and 2027. The funding is meant to expand staffing, public education, emergency-preparedness work and green-space management tied to FireSmart efforts. (CFJC Today)

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🏛️ City Hall

Kenna Village is back in a smaller form. Council voted 7-1 on Tuesday, May 26 to send the revised proposal beside Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre to public hearing. Castanet reports the new version trims the project to up to 900 homes, cuts more than 400 units from the earlier concept and expands the light-industrial component. (Castanet)

Bus fares are moving up a year sooner than planned. CFJC Today reports council voted 5-4 on Tuesday, May 26 to shift the next Kamloops Transit increase from September 2027 to September 2026 and the following increase from September 2029 to September 2028. A regular adult fare is set to rise from $2.25 to $2.50 in September 2026, then to $3 in September 2028. (CFJC Today)

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🚨 Safety

RCMP are asking for witnesses after a fatal North Shore motorcycle crash. Police say an officer came across the collision at Tranquille Road and 12th Street at about 10:50 p.m. on Monday, May 25. Castanet reports the 29-year-old motorcycle rider from Kamloops died at the scene, the pickup driver stayed on site and no charges had been laid as of Tuesday, May 26. (Castanet)

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📅 Events

Back in Play is collecting sports gear on Friday, May 29. The trade-in and donation event is aimed at getting usable equipment back into circulation for families who need it. (Castanet)

Fragments is on Saturday, May 30 at Kelson Hall. Bass-baritone Micah Schroeder and pianist Frances Armstrong perform at 7:30 p.m. in a Kamloops Symphony-presented recital built around opera and art song. (Castanet)

Kidney Walk Kamloops is on Sunday, June 7 at McDonald Park. Registration starts at 10 a.m. and the walk starts at 11 a.m., supporting kidney-health programs, advocacy and research. (Castanet)

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🛣️ Roads & Weather

🚧 Highway 1 bridge work between Pacific Way and Summit Drive remains the main in-town traffic watch. DriveBC says the project continues until Monday, June 15, with westbound traffic reduced to one lane each way, a 50 km/h speed limit and overnight detours from 10 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. (DriveBC)

🚧 Highway 1 west of Chase still has daytime maintenance zones on Thursday, May 28. DriveBC lists work between Chief Neskonlith Drive and Shuswap Chase Creek Road through Friday, May 29, plus work between Willow Road and Old Highway through Thursday, May 28. Expect delays in both areas. (DriveBC)