Clare Warner (image credit - CFJC Today)
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION

East Kamloops BIA names executive director; running survey to better understand local challenges and opportunities

Jun 26, 2025 | 4:37 PM

KAMLOOPS — A third business improvement association (BIA) is now operating within the city of Kamloops. The East Kamloops BIA is joining the north shore and downtown associations, helping advocate for local business owners from a unified voice. The new East Kamloops BIA includes the areas of Valleyview, Dallas and Campbell Creek. The association has selected their inaugural executive director and are looking to hit the ground running this summer.

The role of business improvement associations has changed over the past several years, expanding well beyond simple marketing and promotion.

“We are now looking at community safety initiatives, we are looking at advocacy at the government level, and we are looking at economic development and social development as well as infrastructure improvements,” said Clare Warner, East Kamloops BIA Executive Director. “So BIA’s really across the board are facing a variety of different challenges and none of those are exclusive.”

Warner is set to lead the charge in East Kamloops, with the BIA holding a launch event next month, while also running a survey to get a better understanding of the issues in the area.

“We are excited to start getting that feedback and we have just launched a survey that business in East Kamloops can go and fill out to tell us what challenges they are facing. As well as what opportunities they are seeing,” said Warner. “And these businesses are the best to give us that information, they are the boots on the ground, they are the ones doing the work and seeing what change is needed,”

That information will help guide the policies, initiatives and programs the BIA implements over the next few years. Allowing the association to speak as a unified voice of local business in an area set for change.

“We are the crux of a lot of change for East Kamloops, we have really complex issues but we also have some great opportunities and being that voice on behalf of businesses will really help direct the initiatives in a positive direction,” Warner told CFJC News.

Anybody looking for more information on the new BIA can visit their website here.