Centre for the Arts project on time, under budget by $5M: City of Kamloops

Sep 1, 2026 | 5:44 PM

KAMLOOPS — City of Kamloops officials say efforts to keep procurement close to home have helped tariff-proof the Kamloops Centre for the Arts project.

Staff updated council on the ongoing build Tuesday (Sept. 1) – saying construction on the facility at Fourth Avenue and Seymour Street is on time and about $5-million under budget. Total budget for the project is $211-million.

Corporate Services Director David Hallinan says many of the project’s sub-contractors are locally based and materials are largely coming from within the country.

“Tariffs only impact us when we start to impact goods out of the U.S.,” said Hallinan. “Canada has a very robust and very strong manufacturing industry – whether it’s steel, metals, aluminum – those types of products that can be procured here in the format we may require.”

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Infrastructure Delivery Manager Matt Kachel notes work has advanced beyond the riskiest part of excavation, meaning costs should stay close to projections from here on out.

“We’re moving past the highest risk part, which is the shoring and excavation piece,” said Kachel. “We’re not quite done yet – I think there are about two rows of anchors left – but we’re well below hitting any utilities or foundations or anything. We’re down into the paleontology layers now, so we’re probably not going to find anything.”

Projected opening for the centre remains on track for 2029.

CFJC Today will have more on this story Wednesday.

by James Peters

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Centre for the Arts project on time, under budget by $5M: City of Kamloops

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