The Recreation Master Plan, which incorporated extensive public engagement and was adopted by Council in 2019, identified gaps in our infrastructure to meet current and future needs and reconfirmed the value of the Tournament Capital brand.

Based on that plan, the Build Kamloops Select Committee identified five facilities to explore as part of the Build Kamloops program, starting with the Kamloops Centre for the Arts, followed by an arena multiplex, a curling and racquet sport facility, an indoor field facility, and an aquatics centre, as well as a seniors centre or community space in conjunction with one of these.

Progress has already been made with the announcement that the City will open the Kamloops Seniors Community Centre at 730 Cottonwood Avenue this fall.

In 2024, Council will seek electorate approval to borrow up to $275 million to construct the Kamloops Centre for the Arts and the Arena Multiplex.

Our quality of life is directly connected to how we play, and recreation centres are community hubs for all generations to come together and build connections.

Kamloops has built and earned the title of Canada’s Tournament Capital through the tireless efforts of community volunteers and community leaders over decades of hosting first-class regional and national sporting events. But we’ve gained 40,000 residents since we took on this title a built the facilities like the Sandman Centre and the Canada Games Aquatic Centre to prove it.

Our current infrastructure is fantastic, but it cannot keep up with the community’s growth. As Canada’s 3rd fastest growing city, we are expecting to surpass 120,000 residents by 2035. That means in the next 10 years, we’re going to grow twice as fast as we did in the last 10 years. That also means that demand on our recreation facilities continues to grow. And the demand from sport organizations for tournament host communities continues to grow too, looking for non-competition spaces to enhance the event experience. Build Kamloops is about catching up and keeping up with growth.

Population Growth

The build dates and comparative populations for major Kamloops facilities are:

Population statistics according to the Government of BC's Municipal Census Population Statistics.

The Build Kamloops priorities were informed through extensive community engagement for the Recreation Master Plan and prioritized based on project readiness, land availability, impact on other facilities, financial implications, and partnership and grant opportunities.

Locations are decided based on land availability, zoning, servicing, access, and several other factors that impact the potential for development of the site for each specific purpose.

Referendums are one way municipalities can receive approval of the electors to take on long-term borrowing, as outlined in the Local Government Act. The public is asked whether or not they support the borrowing to support a project, not whether the project is required.

The need for an arts centre has been long-established in strategic plans dating back to the 2003 Cultural Strategic Plan. This need was reconfirmed through community engagement for the 2019 Recreation Master Plan, where it emerged as the highest priority need in the community.

In 2015, the borrowing to construct a Performing Arts Centre and Parkade was defeated, with 53.7% of voters opposed to the borrowing. In 2020, residents were getting ready to vote on a new proposal to fund the construction of the Kamloops Centre of the Arts when the Province cancelled the referendum due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since 2020, over 17,500 new residents have moved to Kamloops, the need for an arts centre has grown, and the design has been advanced. On February 7, Council authorized funding to advance the preliminary design through validation and detailed design, which will provide cost certainty and construction-ready drawings. Once that is complete and a financial plan is developed, Council will determine how to seek approval from the electorate.

Build Kamloops is not a finite project with a set cost. Instead, it is about creating and achieving a vision for Kamloops that will see continuous building to keep up with the needs ofour growing community. As each project and phase is realized, a financial strategy for that phase will be developed to balance the financial requirements with other City and resident priorities.

The first phase of borrowing will seek to borrow $275 million to put towards the construction of the Kamloops Centre for the Arts, design and construction of the Arena Multiplex, and planning and design for the Curling and Racquet Sports Facility. This will be funded through a 1% tax increase per year for five years. For the average household in Kamloops (valued at $800,000), this equates to an additional $25 per household, per year.

An AAP enables local governments to directly engage citizens about a proposed bylaw intended to undertake long-term borrowing, a boundary extension, establish a new regional district service or other matter requiring elector approval.

Eligible electors have at least 30 days from the publication of a second notice to submit elector response forms to the local government Corporate Officer during an AAP. When 10% or more of the eligible electors sign and submit response forms, the local government cannot proceed with the matter proposed in the bylaw without first holding assent voting (referendum).

More information on the AAP process is available here. Details on what's coming next for the Build Kamloops AAP can be found here.

The City is committing to four funding pillars.

1. Fundraising: Community-based, including philanthropic donations, corporate sponsorships and fundraising.
2. Grants: Investigate and apply to provincial and federal grant programs for various project components.
3. Existing Budgets: This includes reserves, operating budgets, and non-competitive grant streams/programs such as the Community Works Fund.
4. Capital Funding: This would include multiple funding sources, including debt financing.

Long-term debt financing requires a Loan Authorization Bylaw. At the June 25, 2024 Council meeting, Council introduced this bylaw which outlines the City’s intent to borrow $275 million: $140 million to fund the construction of the Centre for the Arts; and $135 million for the planning and construction of the Arena Multiplex and planning and design for the Curling and Racquet Sports Complex. Council announced its intent to seek electorate authorization via the Alternative Approval Process (AAP). More information on this process is available here.

At the June 25, 2024 Regular Council meeting, Council introduced Loan Authorization Bylaws No 57-1 and 57-2 for a first, second and third reading, and it will now be sent to the province for approval. Council announced its intent to seek electorate authorization via the Alternative Approval Process (AAP). Once approved by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, residents will then have a minimum of 30 days to indicate whether they are against the borrowing proposal. If 10% or more of the eligible electors submit elector response forms, the City will not be able to proceed with the borrowing unless it obtains approval via a referendum. Further details on the AAP are available here.

As part of the engagement on this page earlier this year (summary of the Visioning tool is viewable below), we identified three over-arching themes that were important to residents:

• Multi-use: facilities should not be created to serve a single purpose.
• Community-oriented: facilities should consider the broader community needs.
• Accessible: facilities should be physically and economically accessible for people of all ages and abilities.

Council has determined that all facility concepts need to consider:

• Accommodations (housing and hotels)
• Community space
• Child play spaces
• Childcare services
• Fitness facilities
• Food and beverage services
• Medical services
• And office spaces for user groups and city operations.