A rendering of the arena multiplex in Dufferin. (Image Credit: City of Kamloops)

By Victor Kaisar

Build Kamloops

City of Kamloops unveils team of contractors behind Dufferin Multiplex project

Mar 15, 2026 | 11:35 AM

KAMLOOPS — With preliminary earthworks on the Dufferin Multiplex anticipated to begin as early as June, the City of Kamloops has announced the team of 13 contractors behind the $140-million project.

The city says the facility – at 2070 Hillside Drive – is being developed using an integrated project delivery model similar to the Kamloops Centre for the Arts project downtown, which is currently under construction.

“This collaborative approach brings together all project partners early to plan, design and construct a facility that meets community needs, while staying within clearly defined conditions of satisfaction,” the City of Kamloops said in a statement.

According to the city, the project team consists of an architect, general contractor, key engineers, subcontractors and city staff who have been working for months to validate a work plan and budget for the project, which will rise on a municipally-owned site next to Kenna Cartwright Park.

In a statement, the city said the project team includes Group2 Architecture, Bird Construction, WSP, AME Group, JS Refrigeration, Kerr Interior Systems, Wescana Electrical, Interior Plumbing and Heating, Yeti Refrigeration, Collins Steel, McElhanney, WEFT Strategies and EXP.

Week In Review

Week In Review: Week of March 9

Mar 14, 2026

Seedy Saturday

Kamloops 'Seedy Saturday' supports local gardeners and growers

Mar 14, 2026

Two & Out

PETERS: Pathways shouldn't be a wedge between people who want the same thing

Mar 13, 2026

“The purpose-built project delivery team [has] been working to collectively for months to validate a work plan and associated budget, with the goal to deliver a one-of-a-kind sport and recreation facility unlike any other in western Canada,” the city statement said.

The city previously said that the validation phase of the project began in December last year after the project team was assembled. That validation report is expected this spring, and the city says it will provide “a thorough understanding of the investment required to build the facility.”

“The project will then proceed into detailed design and implementation, during which time subsequent subcontractor opportunities will be made available,” the city statement added.

The arena multiplex is expected to feature four NHL-sized ice rinks, one mini rink similar to the one at McArthur Island, change rooms and other sports amenities, multi-purpose rooms, a new library, and roughly 700 parking spaces.

Staff also envision having year-round ice at the new multiplex, with arenas at McArthur Island, Valleyview, and Brocklehurst being made available for dry-floor use and non-ice activities.

The City will be also addressing concerns raised by area residents regarding increased traffic associated with the project and other nearby development. They say it’ll mean safety and other traffic improvements along the Hillside Drive corridor to handle the anticipated influx in traffic.

Kamloops council has already approved the borrowing of up $135 million going towards the multiplex as well as future Build Kamloops initiatives. An updated – or final – price tag for the project has not yet been made public, though the city has previously said that the project’s price tag does not include the planned improvements to the frontage road.

Construction on the arena multiplex is expected to begin next year, and be done by late 2029 or early 2030. Once open, the city expects to turn its attention to the newly announced curling and racquet sports facility on Victoria Street downtown.

That project will involved the demolition of Memorial Arena and the existing Kamloops Curling Club, and it already has the blessing of the veterans groups like the Kamloops Legion.

The latest information about the Dufferin arena multiplex can be found here.