Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Silvia Senna

CIVIC OPERATIONS OPEN HOUSE

Open house participants learn about boots-on-the-ground City of Kamloops Civic Operations Department

May 27, 2024 | 2:29 PM

KAMLOOPS — Every two years, the City of Kamloops holds an interactive open house where residents can learn more about the Civic Operations Department. On Saturday, more than 300 people attended this year’s event.

“We don’t usually get to be out in the public, sort of front-facing, very often. We sort of stay in the background and do all of the work and people don’t really know we’re there. But this is an opportunity to really say, ‘Hi, here’s what we do. We are Civic Operations and we’re really proud of the work that we provide the community,'” explained Jen Fretz, Civic Operations Director.

Fifteen stations showcased the hundreds of services provided by the department. From water treatment to street crews and environmental services, attendees got to experience first hand how it all works.

“I get to drive the garbage truck! Never done that before,” said one child when asked what he was most excited to see.

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By the end of the event, they had all learned something new.

“The biggest learning curve for me it is that, despite coming from a different country, being here for six years, there’s a lot of things that look similar but at the same time are significantly different,” said one participant. “I think the biggest change that I’ve had to see in the way that civics is done is through organic recycling, the depot, the garbage collection. […] We don’t have it in my country, like as operational as it is here.”

“Learning a little bit more about bears and bear awareness and how to keep bears safe and how we can live in in common with them,” said another attendee.

“I was looking at the different, the air things and how the water works. And I was like, I really want to adopt a road,” noted another participant.