Friday, August 14, 2026

📰 News

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds made a quiet Kamloops stop that may have been their last here in the current Tutor jets. The squadron landed at YKA to refuel Thursday and performed a brief, unannounced pass before continuing to Moose Jaw. The CT-114 aircraft are retiring after the 2026 season as the team prepares to move to new CT-157 Siskin II aircraft. (Radio NL)

A Kamloops Blazers athletic therapist won gold with Canada’s under-18 men’s hockey team. Vanessa Cochrane joined the national team for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Alberta, where Canada defeated Sweden in the final. Cochrane, who has worked with the Blazers since 2024, says she hopes to continue gaining national-team experience. (CFJC Today)

B.C. ranchers expect wildfire losses to reach millions of dollars. The BC Cattlemen’s Association says hundreds of animals may have been lost, along with homes, barns, machinery, hay and other infrastructure. The Pear Lake and Ainslie Creek fires are among the major incidents affecting ranch country, and some producers are already drawing down winter feed. (Castanet)

A Kamloops wildfire scientist says active fire summers should now be expected most years. TRU’s Mike Flannigan points to four consecutive active seasons and says fast-moving fires, overnight activity, fire-generated thunderstorms and longer seasons are becoming more common. Provincial officials say this year’s response will be reviewed for lessons in forest management, community design and emergency planning. (Castanet)

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🏛️ What Changed

The McArthur Island boat launch is closed for the rest of the 2026 season. The city says historically low Thompson River levels have made launching there impractical. Other Kamloops boat launches remain usable, and the McArthur Island facility is expected to reopen in spring 2027. (CFJC Today)

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🚨 Safety

Merritt is close to being placed under evacuation alert as the Ainslie Creek fire advances from two directions. Mayor Mike Goetz says the city has not crossed its alert trigger, but nearby areas around Lindley Creek Road and Lower Nicola are already under alert. Residents are being urged to prepare while crews continue work west of the city near Nooaitch and south near Coldwater. (Castanet · CFJC Today)

Clinton-area evacuees are being told to prepare for a return home, though orders remain in place. The Village of Clinton and about 449 addressed TNRD properties were still under evacuation order Thursday. An online re-entry session begins at 3 p.m. Friday with updates on the Pear Lake fire, infrastructure, remaining hazards, cleanup and waste disposal. (TNRD · CFJC Today)

A small fire at the Tk’emlúps waste facility took about 90 minutes and 10,000 gallons of water to extinguish. Kamloops Fire Rescue contained the roughly 50-square-foot blaze to a garbage pile at the Stswékstem facility on Strawberry Hill Lane. No one was injured, and the cause had not been determined. (Castanet)

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📅 Events

The Kamloops Events directory was refreshed with 426 current listings from 24 sources. Here are four options for Friday.

Park Play Days visits Valleyview Centennial Park from 10 a.m. to noon. The free family drop-in at 2288 Park Drive includes games and activities led by the city’s recreation team. (City of Kamloops)

Fibre Fun welcomes adults working on knitting, crochet and other fibre projects. Bring a project to the North Kamloops Library to exchange patterns and ideas or simply work alongside others. (TNRL)

The Eh Team plays free Canadian rock at 7 p.m. Music in the Park continues at the Riverside Park Rotary Bandshell. (City of Kamloops)

The Kamloops Film Society screens Escape from New York at 7:30 p.m. John Carpenter’s 1981 science-fiction action film plays at the Paramount Theatre. (Kamloops Film Society)

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🛣️ Roads & Weather

🌦️ A chance of showers and a high near 30°C are forecast Friday. The latest AQHI reading was 3, in the moderate-risk range, and a yellow air-quality warning remains active. Saturday is expected to be sunny near 31°C, followed by a mix of sun and cloud Sunday near 30°C.

Weather around active fires remains changeable. Clearer air and gusty winds can increase fire behaviour even as local smoke improves, so check official evacuation notices and highway conditions before regional travel. (Environment Canada)

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🎮 Daily Game

Canuckle: solve a Canadian word or phrase with familiar Wordle-style clues.