New facilities will help make Kamloops a can’t-miss destination

Photo: Contributed

Kamloops needs to become a can't-miss spot for touring artists and other visitors.

The rock bands Collective Soul and Our Lady Peace are always on the concert bucket list for banker husband and me.

You know, those bands that sound like the best, most formative memories of your life—getting your driver’s license, going on your first date, the day your baby was born.

Sadly, though, the last time we caught one of them on stage, I was pregnant with our second child, who’s now about to turn 19. Much like I felt at that concert, we were long overdue and vowed the next time one of the groups came close we wouldn’t miss them.

On Saturday night we enjoyed a great meal, met up with friends for drinks, enjoyed every second of the Collective Soul and Our Lady Peace concert, stayed in a hotel, had breakfast the next morning and drove home—to Kamloops from Kelowna.

While I had a great time, like any good girl from the 'Loops, it burned me. Heck, as your representative on the Tourism Kamloops board, it hurt my soul.

And we weren’t the only ones. Not only did we see lots of familiar Kamloops faces in the restaurants, at the hotel and at the concert, a “Let’s Go Blazers!” chant even broke out in the guys’ bathroom during the show.

They weren’t necessarily wealthy people. None were dressed in black ties and all wore plaid shirts. They were just average Kamloopsians who, while happy to support any Canadian economy, would rather have spent those dollars at home — but couldn’t.

Like too many other awesome artists who must physically travel through Kamloops on their way to concert destinations, Collective Soul and Our Lady Peace didn’t perform here.

The other day, someone who has vocally opposed any healthy growth in Kamloops told me they are opposed to the performing arts centre. And then, almost in the same breath, asked, “How does council plan to generate revenue?”

I’m not sure if they understood the irony of that juxtaposition, but I hope you do— the PAC, and the rest of Build Kamloops, is part of council’s plan for revenue generation.

You want new revenue streams to offset property taxes, but you don’t support the investment required to make that happen but you have no alternative solutions?That makes things tricky, especially because, although they are irrefutably the minority, the negative voices who don’t believe we should have the things we need to thrive in Kamloops have dominated the direction of our city for so long, we’ve neglected to build anything substantial in decades.

This council was elected to do things differently because people are sick of the status quo—so that’s what we’re doing.

While it’s important to acknowledge there’s a lot of uncertainty in the world right now and we must proceed with caution while finding cost savings elsewhere in the budget, we also cannot allow Kamloops to continue falling behind our peers and competitors because some people are angry with life and visionless for our city.

It’s not an option. Kamloops deserves better.

Last week, the Alternative Approval Process was confirmed through the B.C. Supreme Court to have been both legal and democratic.Council and the city either followed, or went beyond, every single step required by the legislation. Additionally, it’s noteworthy that all elected council members supported these projects in our 2022 campaigns and unanimously voted to accomplish them through the AAP process following considerable community engagement and participation—as well as fundraising efforts, grant pursuits, a dedicated select committee, significant advertising et cetera.

It’s important to say we have also received the feedback provided about the AAP. While I stand by our decision to employ the AAP for this specific borrowing, I’ve heard you loud and clear. I respect your opinions and will learn from this experience.

But now it’s time to step off individual soapboxes and get in the community trenches. It’s time to put down the things that divide us and pick up shovels so we can build this city together.

There’s a lot of work to do and little time to spare. We have facilities to build, quirks to resolve (ie. subpar promotions, a reputation for poor concert attendance and then complaining there are no concerts, habitual last-minute ticket purchasing, etc), an American “wannabe dictator” to oppose and the brand of Canada’s Tournament Capital to uphold.

We need artists like those of our youth to know that Kamloops isn’t just a place you pass through, it’s a place that you can’t miss.

Coun. Katie Neustaeter, Kamloops deputy mayor for February.