File photo (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

DOWNTOWN PARKING CHANGES

Council highlights concerns with downtown Kamloops parking plan at Committee of the Whole

Aug 19, 2025 | 4:09 PM

KAMLOOPS — A new parking management plan for downtown Kamloops has taken a step forward after receiving approval from council’s Committee of the Whole on Tuesday (Aug. 19) morning.

However, it didn’t proceed without council bring forth a number of potential ideas and concerns over the recommended price increases for both on-street parking and event parking.

Parking for three hours along Victoria Street could soon cost $8 but concerns from council were plentiful, including the need to support local shops.

“(Businesses are) struggling over the last bit and if we are going to be increasing parking and stuff like that, I’m just afraid that’s going to push more people away from downtown,” said Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson.

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Council also looked at added infrastructure at the under-utilized parkades in the downtown core of Kamloops.

“We are talking about incentivizing those particular parkades. As an individual who drives and parks downtown, if I see those signs illuminating on the outside of the parkade saying there are 50 stalls available, there is a good chance I am going to go in there,” said Councillor Kelly Hall.

Also on the table are increased ticket costs for violations, a step that will need to be accompanied by improved enforcement, with the city currently looking at collections through adjudication.

“Through that process, you have a certain time period to appeal and if you don’t appeal in that time period, you are considered guilty,” outlined Ken Uzeloc, the city’s director of protective services. “And because it’s through an adjudication process, it then allows us to work to collect the money that we have struggled to collect in the past.”

Another concern put forward by both Councillors Margot Middleton and Mike O’Reilly was the 500 per cent increase to event parking, going from $4 to $20, and the potential negative impacts on events like Blazers hockey.

“I just want to really reiterate on that Blazers piece, is we get money from the ticket sales from that, so are we robbing Peter to pay Paul? Really, we want the arena as full as possible and we don’t want that to detract families from being able to go there,” said O’Reilly.

Middleton suggested dropping the price to $10 would be more palatable.

While the proposal moved through committee, it will still need to be returned to city council for potential changes and final adoption.