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By Victor Kaisar

Vandalism Rebate

Kamloops wants small business rebate for vandalism repairs, prevention measures to return

May 4, 2025 | 10:04 AM

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops City Council is calling for the restoration of a provincial rebate program that helped small businesses recover costs incurred due to crime and vandalism.

Council voted unanimously to support a motion from Dale Bass, which said the City should reach out to Jobs Minister Diana Gibson and ask her to bring back the Securing Small Business Rebate program, which was in place in 2023 and 2024.

“The damage to small businesses continues and it would be nice to see that $2,000 grant still available to small businesses in some manner,” Bass said.

Business owners were able to apply for up to $2,000 a year for repairs and up to $1,000 a year for preventative measures like security cameras or gates. A total of $10.5 million was made available as part of the rebate program, which was administered by the BC Chamber of Commerce.

In her motion, which was adopted at the April 15 meeting, Bass said the closure of the rebate program at the end of 2024 has “removed a much-needed support” for small businesses.

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“The motion came though my job as the liaison to the North Shore Business Improvement Association (NSBIA),” Bass told CFJC Today. “I thought this makes perfect sense to bring up because the issue continues.”

“Hopefully other municipalities will send letters to the minister and maybe the Province will do the right thing and bring the program back.”

The City of Kamloops and the Kamloops and District Chamber of Commerce also had a similar Vandalism Cleanup Support Grant in place to help businesses cover the cost of cleanup and repair. Businesses were eligible for a maximum of $500 per incident for up to two incidents though the Kamloops program, which had a $50,000 budget.

Launched in 2021, a city document says a total of $23,907 was distributed to 52 local businesses in 2022. Another $8,237.19 was distributed to 18 applicants in 2023, according to a Chamber of Commerce report.

The City document also stated that in 2023, the Kamloops and District Chamber of Commerce was going to review the program to try and make it more proactive instead of reactive, and that the move could include more of a focus on crime prevention.

It’s not clear if the City program is still being offered, though an online application form still appears to be active as of publishing.

Vandalism remains an issue for businesses

A 2024 survey of Kamloops businesses revealed that they had reported nearly $1-million in losses due to crime and vandalism, up from about $752,000 in 2023.

Over half of the respondents to that survey (52 per cent) said they had experienced a significant increase in social issues or criminality over the past year, while another 31 per cent experienced some increase.

Vandalism was also one of the top issues reported by survey participants. It was also one of most common issues that business owners did not report to the RCMP citing a long response time, ‘questionable’ prosecution, or a feeling that things are rarely resolved.

“Our local businesses are the backbone of the Kamloops economy, and they need real solutions to the crime and social disruption that threaten their livelihoods,” North Shore BIA Executive Director Jeremy Heighton said last September.

“This report clearly shows that immediate action is needed to protect not only the business community but also the safety and well-being of all Kamloops residents.”