News

City to host information session to share plans for Arena Multiplex

11 September 2025

A major milestone for recreation is on the horizon for Kamloops! Join the Arena Multiplex project team for Meet, Greet, and Multiplex, an information session on site at Kenna Cartwright Nature Park (main trailhead at the Hillside Drive entrance), 10:00 am–12:00 pm on Saturday, September 20. Ask questions, explore the plans, and discover what’s ahead for this state-of-the-art Build Kamloops project.

Why an arena multiplex? Why now? The City currently has six indoor ice facilities:

  • McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre (two sheets, plus a new mini rink opening in October 2025)
  • Sandman Centre
  • Valleyview Arena
  • Memorial Arena
  • Brock Arena

Peak-time use of all ice and dry floor is approaching 100% during the primary ice season. Demand for ice time exceeds capacity, and our current facilities are aging, with the last one built in 2005 (McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre) as part of the Tournament Capital build. The last addition to Kamloops’ ice inventory was Sandman Centre, built in 1992.

The city has gained over 30,000 residents since then, and the Recreation Master Plan indicates the need for additional ice sheets to meet demand.

The construction of the Arena Multiplex will add four rinks to meet the needs of multiple ice sports, allowing more capacity for local clubs and improving our event hosting capabilities. It will be built on City-owned land, which reduces the overall project cost and builds on our history of repurposing otherwise unusable land and co-locating indoor and outdoor recreation facilities.

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The facility will feature seating for approximately 1,500 spectators between all ice sheets, modern change rooms and sports amenities, space for the Thompson Nicola Regional Library, a fitness facility, multi-purpose rooms, and roughly 700 parking spaces.

The construction of the Arena Multiplex will also improve the City’s ability to respond as a host community by using other City facilities during emergency events without disrupting recreation and community events that can be accommodated in the new facility.

Beyond the Arena Multiplex itself, the project will deliver improvements to intersections, roadways, and transit in the Dufferin area as well as upgrades to Kenna Cartwright Park amenities.

The project is moving forward with several key milestones ahead. A validation period is planned for winter 2025 through spring 2026, followed by the start of site earthworks in late 2026. Building construction and roadwork improvements are expected to begin in 2027.

A short survey is available for residents to provide feedback on how the Arena Multiplex can enhance their experience within Kenna Cartwright Nature Park. The survey closes at 3:00 pm on Friday, October 17. Paper surveys will be available at City Hall (7 Victoria Street West) or at the Civic Operations Centre (955 Concordia Way).

To learn more about the project and share your feedback through the survey, visit LetsTalk.Kamloops.ca/ArenaMultiplex.