Band, city set to unveil revitalized memorial commemorating historic 1910 meeting between local chiefs, prime minister

New life for Laurier plaque

Photo: City of Kamloops

This rendering from Urban Appeal shows what a revitalized Memorial to Sir Wilfred Laurier Plaque will look like when it is unveiled later this month in the 100-block of Victoria Street.

The City of Kamloops and Tk’emlups te Secwepemc plan to unveil a revitalized memorial plaque later this month commemorating a historic meeting held in Kamloops more than a century ago.

The Memorial to Sir Wilfrid Laurier Plaque marks the Aug. 25, 1910, meeting between Canada’s seventh prime minister and a delegation of chiefs from the Secwepemc, Syilx and Nlaka’pamux nations.

At the meeting, the chiefs presented Laurier with a document outlining the history of their grievances against the governments of B.C. and Canada. They asserted their sovereignty and urged the government to confirm their land title and rights.

“The joint unveiling of the Memorial to Sir Wilfrid Laurier Plaque represents a significant and symbolic milestone and one that reflects our shared commitment to advancing the vision set forth by our ancestors in 1910,” Tk’emlups Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir said in a news release.

Kamloops Coun. Stephen Karpuk, deputy mayor for May, said the city is proud to collaborate with Tk’emlups on the memorial project.

“As part of our commitment to sharing the ’truth’ of truth and reconciliation, the City of Kamloops will continue to support the public sharing of local Indigenous history and continue to collaborate and enhance the relationship with Tk’emlups te Secwepemc," he said.

All are welcome to the unveiling ceremony, which is scheduled for the 100-block of Victoria Street at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 22.