A rendering of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Plaque. (Image Credit: Urban Appeal)

By Victor Kaisar

Memorial Plaque

Kamloops, Tk’emlups to unveil revitalized plaque commemorating 1910 meeting between chiefs, Prime Minister

May 15, 2025 | 10:28 AM

KAMLOOPS — The City of Kamloops, in partnership with Tk’emlups te Secwépemc and the Kamloops Museum and Archives, will unveil a revitalized memorial plaque to former Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier on Thursday (May 22) next week.

It says the plaque – in the 100-block of Victoria Street downtown – commemorates the Aug. 25, 1910 meeting of a delegation of Chiefs representing the Secwépemc, Sylix, and Nlaka’pamux Nations and Canada’s seventh prime minister in Kamloops.

At that meeting, the Chiefs presented the Prime Minister with a document that outlined their grievances against the Governments of British Columbia and Canada. They asserted their sovereignty and petitioned the Government of Canada 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.

Stephen Karpuk, the Deputy Mayor for the month of May, added the City is honoured and proud to collaborate on the project with Tk’emlups te Secwépemc and the Secwépemc Nation.

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“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 Secwépemc,” he said.

“We are honoured to share in this moment in time together with care and gratitude.”

The unveiling ceremony, which is open to everyone, is scheduled to take place between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 22. There will be some seating available for attendees.

The City says the plaque will feature a QR code that links directly to photos and “comprehensive information” about the history of this event.

“A part of a larger historic political movement, the memorial also tells the story of the settler and Indigenous relations that resulted in the loss of the Indigenous Peoples’ homelands and livelihoods,” the City said, in a statement.

“This plaque and the joint ceremony are steps in ongoing reconciliation between the City of Kamloops and Tk’emlups te Secwépemc that promise a better future for all in the region.”

For more information about the memorial, you can visit this website or pick up a guide from the Kamloops Museum and Archives.