Heritage group ‘shocked’ at suggestion new RCMP headquarters could replace Stuart Wood building

The motion was put forward by Councillor Margot Middleton, and it passed 5-4 at the Sept. 22 council meeting, with councillors Dale Bass, Nancy Bepple, Stephen Karpuk and Katie Neustaeter opposed.

While RCMP senior brass have long said the force has outgrown its current location, at 560 Battle Street, plans for a replacement were first floated in 2023, and a funding request first came in January 2025.

The city has already spent about $4.75 million on preliminary design work for the new buiding.

Middleton told CFJC Today her motion was tabled following concerns around demolishing the current RCMP detachment on Battle Street.

“I think the community has spoken to us that that is not really a great option,” Middleton said. “Anytime when you’re looking for locations and opportunities, they can arise and disappear quickly, so I didn’t want to just leave it sitting.”

“[This current council], we’re the ones who have been working on this for the past couple of years. I don’t think coming into a new council, this should be the first thing that’s on their plate.”

While the motion asked city staff to look at other potentially available publicly or privately owned land that could house the new RCMP headquarters, Middleton said it named the Stuart Wood site as a possible location as the current building is falling into disrepair.

“I believe the conversation needs to be had. We know something is going to [have to] happen with Stuart Wood and probably not in the too distant future,” Middleton said. “There will have to be multiple dollars spent to try and save or keep the building in its current form.”

“Keeping it as it is may not be an option. We need to look at what other things could or could not happen to that building. There is also the optics of, is it the whole building itself or is it just the facade that needs to be preserved? Is there a way to repurpose the property and save the facade that keeps the history of Stuart Wood there, but perhaps with a building behind it that is more serviceable?”

Whether that’s an option for the city is yet to be seen as both Tkemlúps te Secwépemc and the province of B.C., as the owner of the building, get to have a say on Stuart Wood.

“I don’t think the city can make a move in that direction but this motion has been put forward and therefore it’s threatening the state of this building,” Yarmie said, when asked if he felt the city would be able to pick the Stuart Wood site as the location for the new RCMP headquarters.

(Image Credit: Kent Simmonds/CFJC Today)

Built in 1907, Stuart Wood was used as a school until 2016 and has sat vacant ever since its closure, save for the gym, which has been used as a temporary shelter. It has also been the longstanding home for community events like the farmers market on Saturdays.

Yarmie told CFJC Today there are plans for a rally to save Stuart Wood, which he noted may need to be turned back into a school as the population of Kamloops rises with developments like City Gardens. He also noted the current RCMP detachment was built on the site where the Allan Matthews School stood.

“It seems bad timing to be putting something like that,” Yarmie said. “I think it’s unpopular and people won’t support the demolition of a school as it’s still a major heritage site within Kamloops as important as St. Andrews Church and the Old Courthouse.”

“There’s lot of heritage buildings being lost to new development and what we want to do it is stop it here.”

by Victor Kaisar

Heritage group ‘shocked’ at suggestion new RCMP headquarters could replace Stuart Wood building

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