Wednesday, September 16, 2026

☕ Good Morning

Kamloops Digest is looking for its next owner. This would be a full transfer of the newsletter, website, events directory, audience and the systems behind it, with a proper handover. If you might be interested, or know someone who would be a good fit, the details are here. You can also reply directly to this email.

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📰 News

A TRU student who lost five relatives in flash floods in Nepal is raising money for the family members left behind. Yangdol Tamang lost her mother, grandmother, uncle and two aunts in late August. Her fundraiser will help her younger siblings and cousins with food, housing, medicine, funeral costs and education. (KamloopsBCNow)

Māori scholar Graham Hingangaroa Smith will receive an honorary Doctor of Letters from TRU. Smith is being recognized for more than four decades of work in Indigenous education, scholarship and self-determination. He will receive the university’s highest honour during Fall Convocation on October 9. (TRU)

Housing, homelessness, public safety and the use of AI are among the questions Kamloops residents want election candidates to answer. The Wren collected reader submissions ahead of the October 17 vote and published the most frequently raised issues as a guide to its election coverage. (The Wren)

More than 3,000 athletes competed in the 2026 55+ BC Games in Kamloops. Organizers said the five-day event made strong use of local sports facilities and drew athletes across hockey, pickleball, soccer, golf, swimming and other events. Its full economic impact is expected to take about a month to calculate. (Castanet)

A free webinar will give a behind-the-scenes look at the restoration of St. Andrew’s on the Square. The September 21 session will cover the work behind the $1.1-million restoration of Kamloops’ oldest public building after its 2024 fire. Advance registration through Heritage BC is required. (Castanet)

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🏛️ What Changed

Westsyde Home Hardware will close permanently on December 31. A hardware store has operated at the Westsyde Road location for decades. The company says its Halston Avenue store will remain open, with details about the closing sale, gift cards and customer accounts still to come. (Castanet)

The main elevator in the TNRD Civic Building is out of service from September 16 through October 30. The six-week closure is needed to replace 25-year-old operating components. Visitors who need accessible entry should check the TNRD notice before heading downtown. (TNRD)

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🚨 Safety

Police are investigating three vehicle fires in Kamloops, including two involving stolen vehicles. The fires happened near Summit Drive and McGill Road, on Crestline Street and behind a business on Tranquille Road over the weekend. No injuries or arrests were reported, and RCMP are asking anyone with relevant dashcam footage to call 250-828-3000. (Castanet)

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📅 Events

The Kamloops Events directory has the full week ahead. Here are five options from Wednesday through Friday that were not in Tuesday’s picks.

Studio Chill runs Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Kamloops Art Gallery. The free drop-in gives people ages 15 to 25 space and materials to work on their art. (Kamloops Art Gallery)

TRUSU’s Clubs Day and Community Fair begins Thursday at 10 a.m. in Campus Court. Students can meet campus clubs and local organizations and learn how to get involved. (TRU)

Writers Circle meets Thursday at the downtown Kamloops Library. This adults-only session focuses on writing song lyrics, with participants invited to bring a favourite lyric or their own early ideas. (TNRL)

The 88th Kamloops Provincial Winter Fair begins Friday and runs through Monday. The annual agricultural fair returns with livestock competitions and community programming. (Tourism Kamloops)

Culture Days begins Friday and continues through October 4. The citywide celebration features arts, culture and heritage activities at venues around Kamloops. (City of Kamloops)

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🛣️ Roads & Weather

☀️ Wednesday should be sunny with a high near 24°C. Thursday and Friday are also expected to stay sunny, with highs near 26°C. The latest AQHI reading was 2.1, in the low-risk range.

Falling rock was reported along Highway 1 between Des Fosses Road and Monte Creek Junction. DriveBC listed the event as active Tuesday evening. Drivers should watch for debris and changing conditions through the corridor.

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🎮 Daily Game

Dialed: match colours from memory across five quick rounds.