Three large housing projects carry Kamloops building sector in October

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops building sector didn’t need grand institutional permits to have another prosperous month amid a record-breaking 2026.

New numbers released by the City of Kamloops Building Inspection Division show $86.4 million in activity was recorded over 92 permits for October 2026, nearly three times greater than the $30.8 million recorded over 121 permits from the same month last year.

Three multi-family – three or more units – residential permits worth a combined $74.9 million carried the Kamloops building sector in October. According to the city’s property information search portal, the permits are for the BC Builds rental housing project on the Columbia Precinct Lands ($43 million), the Propolis Cooperative Housing Society project on Tranquille Road ($17.4 million) and an 80-unit apartment building at 1649-1653 Aberdeen Dr. ($14.5 million).

Elsewhere, two institutional permits worth a combined $4.8 million were issued. The portal says they’re for renovations at Royal Inland Hospital.

Year-to-date, more than $595 million in activity has been recorded over 862 permits in Kamloops. Nearly $327 million was recorded over 903 permits as of October 2025. The city’s second busiest year on record was 2022 with $415 million in permit activity.

However, the city’s chief building official noted in August that the record set in 2026 doesn’t reflect the current state of the construction industry in Kamloops.

Elsewhere, permits for 267 new housing units were issued in October 2026, down from 68 during the same month last year. Year-to-date, Kamloops’ new housing unit total of 825 in 2026 is up from 713 as of October 2025.

The full building permit report for October 2026 can be viewed here.