Kamloops ( ) is a city in south-central

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

, Canada, at the confluence of the South flowing North Thompson River and the West flowing Thompson River, east of Kamloops Lake. It is located in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, whose district offices are based here. The surrounding region is sometimes referred to as the Thompson Country. The city was incorporated in 1893 with about 500 residents. The Canadian Pacific Railroad was completed through downtown in 1886, and the Canadian National arrived in 1912, making Kamloops an important transportation hub. With a 2021 population of 97,902, it is the twelfth largest municipality in the province. The Kamloops census agglomeration is ranked 36th among census metropolitan areas and agglomerations in Canada with a 2021 population of 114,142. Kamloops is promoted as the ''Tournament Capital of Canada''. It hosts more than 100 sporting tournaments each year (hockey, baseball, curling, etc) at world-class sports facilities such as the Tournament Capital Centre, Kamloops Bike Ranch, and Tournament Capital Ranch. Logging, Beef Cattle, Vegetable farming, Transportation, Viticulture, Health care, tourism, and education are major contributing industries to the regional economy and have grown in recent years. Thompson Rivers University (~25,000 students) was established as Cariboo College in 1970.

History

The first European explorers arrived in 1811. David Stuart, a trader sent from Fort Astoria, then still a Pacific Fur Company post, spent a winter with the Secwépemc people. In May of the following year, trader Alexander Ross established a post, which was known as "Fort Cumcloups". The rival North West Company established Fort Shuswap nearby in the same year. The two businesses merged in 1813 when the North West Company bought the operations of the Pacific Fur Company. In 1821, the Hudson's Bay Company took over the North West Company, and the post became known commonly as Thompson's River Post, or Fort Thompson. Later it was known as Fort Kamloops. The post's Chief Traders kept journals, which document a series of inter-Indian wars and personalities for the period, in addition to the daily business of the fur companies and their personnel along the entire

Pacific Slope The Pacific Slope describes geographic regions in North American, Central American, and South American countries that are west of the continental divide and slope down to the Pacific Ocean. In North America, the Rocky Mountains mark the eastern bo ...

. Soon after the forts were founded, Kwa'lila, chief of the main local village of the Secwépemc, moved his people closer to the

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...

, so they could control access and gain in prestige and security. After Kwa'lila died, his nephew and foster son Nicola became chief. He later led an alliance of Syilx (Okanagan) and Nlaka'pamux peoples in the plateau country to the south around Stump, Nicola and Douglas lakes. Relations between Nicola and the fur traders were often tense, but Chief Nicola was recognized for his aid to colonizers during the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush of 1858. He did try to control those who had been in parties waging violence and looting on the

Okanagan Trail The Okanagan Trail was an inland route to the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush from the Lower Columbia region of the Washington and Oregon Territories in 1858–1859. The route was essentially the same as that used by the Hudson's Bay Company fur bri ...

, which led from American territory to the Fraser goldfields. Throughout, Kamloops was an important way station on the route of the Hudson's Bay Brigade Trail, which connected Fort Astoria with Fort Alexandria and the other forts in New Caledonia to the north (today's Omineca Country, roughly). It was integral during the onset of the Cariboo Gold Rush as the main route to the new goldfields around what was to become Barkerville. The 1862 Pacific Northwest smallpox epidemic swept through the Kamloops area during the summer of that year, decimating the Secwepemc, Nlaka'pamux, and other indigenous peoples. They had no acquired immunity. The epidemic had started in Victoria and quickly spread throughout British Columbia, especially among First Nations. In June 1862, indigenous people went to Fort Kamloops seeking smallpox vaccine, William Manson, chief clerk at the fort, vaccinated numerous persons, but fatalities were extremely high. In late September he reported "smallpox still raging amongst the Indians". In October a newspaper in Victoria reported an eyewitness account from Fort Kamloops, saying

"The Indians have been nearly exterminated at amloops only sixteen have escaped out of a large settlement. Their bodies are strewing the ground in all directions."

About two-thirds of the Secwepemc died during the epidemic. In the aftermath, colonists took over traditional lands of the Secwepemc and many other indigenous groups throughout British Columbia. The gold rush of the 1860s and the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which reached Kamloops from the West in 1885, brought further growth. The City of Kamloops was incorporated in 1893 with a population of about 500. In 1908 due to the

Tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in w ...

Pandemic a sanatorium was opened west of the city named King Edward Memorial Sanatorium, the sanatorium was later acquired by the provincial government in 1921, being renamed to Tranquille Sanatorium, it later closed in 1958. The Tranquille Institution reopened in 1959 to treat people with mental problems it later closed in 1983. In 1967, Kamloops amalgamated with the Town of North Kamloops. The logging industry of the 1970s attracted many Indo-Canadian workers to the Kamloops area. They had come mostly from the Punjab region of

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

. In 1973, Kamloops amalgamated with the Districts of Brocklehurst, Dufferin, the Town of Valleyview, and the Kamloops Indian Band, and the communities of Dallas, Campbell Creek, Barnhart Vale, Heffley Creek, Rayleigh, Westsyde and Knutsford. In 1976, the Kamloops Indian Band split from the City of Kamloops. In May 2021, an anthropologist announced she had used ground-penetrating radar to find "probable" graves containing the remains of 215 children found at a former Kamloops Indian residential school, part of the Canadian Indian residential school system. The story was reported around the world, and five

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

churches in Western Canada were burned down in the weeks following, since the school was operated by a Catholic order. However, this story cannot be completely confirmed until bodies are exhumed.

Etymology

"Kamloops" is the anglicized version of the Shuswap word ''"Tk'əmlúps"'', meaning "meeting of the waters". Shuswap is still spoken in the area by members of the Tk'emlúps Indian Band.Tk'emlúps Indian Band
Tk'emlúps History
2011. Accessed 1 June 2011. An alternate origin sometimes given for the name may have come from the native name's accidental similarity to the French ''"Camp des loups"'', meaning "Camp of Wolves"; many early fur traders were ethnic French. There are folk stories about an attack on a traders' camp by a pack of wolves. Other legendary versions recount a huge white wolf, or a pack of wolves and other animals, that were moving overland from the Nicola Country and were repelled by a single shot by John Tod, then Chief Trader. This prevented the wolves from attacking the fort and earned Tod a great degree of respect locally.

Geography

Kamloops is in the Thompson Valley and the

Montane Cordillera The Montane Cordillera Ecozone, as defined by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), is an ecozone in south-central British Columbia and southwestern Alberta, Canada (an ecozone is equivalent to a Level I ecoregion in the United S ...

Ecozone. The city's centre is in the valley near the confluence of the Thompson River's north and south branches. Suburbs stretch for more than a dozen kilometres along the north and south branches, as well as to the steep hillsides along the south portion of the city and lower northeast hillsides. Robert W. Service in 1904 described Kamloops as his delightful life and wrote "Life was pleasant, and the work was light. At four o'clock we were on our horses, riding over the rolling ridges, or into spectral gulches that rose to ghostlier mountains. It was like the scenery of Mexico, weirdly desolate and aridly morose. A discouraging land, forbidding in its weariness and resigned to ruin." Kamloops Indian Band areas begin just to the northeast of the downtown core but are not within the city limits. As a result of this placement, it is necessary to leave Kamloops' city limits and pass through the band lands before re-entering the city limits to access the northernmost communities of

Rayleigh Rayleigh may refer to: Science *Rayleigh scattering *Rayleigh–Jeans law *Rayleigh waves *Rayleigh (unit), a unit of photon flux named after the 4th Baron Rayleigh *Rayl, rayl or Rayleigh, two units of specific acoustic impedance and characte ...

and

Heffley Creek Heffley Creek is a neighbourhood of Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada along Highway 5 (the Yellowhead Highway). The city's northernmost community, it is bordered by the North Thompson River to the west, Sun Peaks to the east, Rayleigh to ...

. Kamloops is surrounded by the smaller communities of Cherry Creek, Pritchard, Savona, Scotch Creek, Adams Lake, Chase, Paul Lake,

Pinantan Pinantan Lake is a small community located about 20 minutes out of Kamloops, BC. It is home to a general store, a resort, a small school and about 500 residents. The lake itself is actually two parts, usually referred to as Big Pinantan and ...

and various others.

Neighbourhoods

Officially recognized neighbourhoods within the city of Kamloops. Informally recognized sub-areas are listed beneath the neighbourhoods to which they belong: *

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), ...

**Pacific Way *

Barnhartvale Barnhartvale, originally Barnhart Vale, is located at the southeast end of Kamloops, south of Dallas in British Columbia, Canada. The area includes riding stables, farms, and ranches. There is a local Esso gas station, and a local elementary schoo ...

* Batchelor Heights **Batchelor Hills **Lac Du Bois * Brocklehurst **Airport Entry Corridor **Brock Centre **North Kamloops West **Ord Road * Campbell Creek *

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

* Downtown **Columbia Precinct **Downtown Core **East End **East Entry Corridor **Waterfront District **West Entry Corridor * Dufferin *

* Iron Mask **Lac Le Jeune *

Juniper Ridge Juniper Ridge is a community located in the city of Kamloops, British Columbia. It is situated at the south-east end of the city on a hillside south of the South Thompson River. There is a convenience store at the entrance to the community, and the ...

* Knutsford * Lower Sahali * Mission Flats * Noble Creek * North Kamloops **8th St Corridor **Halston Corridor **John Tod **McDonald Park **North Kamloops West **North Shore Town Centre **Schubert Drive **Tranquille Market **Tranquille South * Pineview *

* Rose Hill * Sagebrush * Southgate *

Thompson Rivers University Thompson Rivers University (commonly referred to as TRU) is a public teaching and research university offering undergraduate and graduate degrees and vocational training. Its main campus is in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, and its na ...

(TRU) * Tranquille * Upper Sahali * Valleyview **Orchard's Walk *

West End West End most commonly refers to: * West End of London, an area of central London, England * West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England West End may also refer to: Pl ...

**College Heights **Guerin Creek **Hudson's Ridge **McIntosh Heights **Powers Addition * Westsyde ** Westmount ** Oak Hills

Climate

The climate of Kamloops is semi-arid (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

'' BSk'') due to its rain shadow location. Because of milder winters and aridity, the area west of Kamloops in the lower Thompson River valley falls within a desert (

'' BWk'') climate. Kamloops gets short cold snaps where temperatures can drop to around when Arctic air manages to cross the Rockies and Columbia Mountains into the

Interior Interior may refer to: Arts and media * ''Interior'' (Degas) (also known as ''The Rape''), painting by Edgar Degas * ''Interior'' (play), 1895 play by Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck * ''The Interior'' (novel), by Lisa See * Interior de ...

Kamloops has the third mildest winter of any non-coastal city in Canada, after Penticton and Kelowna. The January mean temperature is . That average sharply increases with an average maximum temperature of in February. Between November and January the area experiences abundant cloud cover reducing the annual sunshine output, despite very sunny summers. The average number of days where temperatures drop below per year is 19.9 as recorded by Environment Canada. Although Kamloops is above 50° north latitude, summers are warmer than in many places at lower latitudes, with prevailing dry and sunny weather. Daytime humidity sometimes drops below 20% during dry periods, which allows for substantial nighttime cooling. Occasional summer thunderstorms can create dry-lightning conditions, sometimes igniting forest fires which the area is prone to. Kamloops lies in the rain shadow leeward of the Coast Mountains and is biogeographically connected to similar semi-desert areas in the Okanagan region, and a much larger area covering the central/eastern portions of Washington,

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...

and intermontane areas of

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

and

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and W ...

in the US. These areas of relatively similar climate have many distinctive native plants and animals in common, such as ponderosa pine (''Pinus ponderosa''), big sagebrush (''Artemisia tridentata''), prickly pear cactus ('' Opuntia fragilis'' in this case), rattlesnakes, black widow spiders and Lewis's woodpecker. The highest temperature ever recorded in Kamloops was on 29 June 2021, which was the fourth-highest reading ever recorded in Canada, during the notorious 2021 Western North America heat wave. The lowest temperature ever recorded was on 16 and 18 January 1950.

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by Statistics Canada, Kamloops had a population of 97,902 living in 39,914 of its 41,619 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 90,280. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. At the census metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Kamloops CMA had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

Religious groups

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Kamloops included: *

Irreligion Irreligion or nonreligion is the absence or rejection of religion, or indifference to it. Irreligion takes many forms, ranging from the casual and unaware to full-fledged philosophies such as atheism and agnosticism, secular humanism and an ...

(57,245 persons or 60.5%) *

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...

(31,790 persons or 33.6%) * Sikhism (2,005 persons or 2.1%) *

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or ''dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global po ...

(995 persons or 1.1%) * Islam (890 persons or 0.9%) *

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

(440 persons or 0.5%) * Indigenous Spirituality (190 persons or 0.2%) *

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...

(85 persons or 0.1%)

Ethnicity

*Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses.

Chinese Canadians

Kamloops historically had a Chinatown on Victoria Street where most ethnic Chinese lived. John Stewart of the Kamloops Museum and Archives stated it was not a "true Chinatown". It was established by Chinese immigrants by 1887, and by 1890 the community had up to 400 Chinese. Stewart said this was an "amazingly large" population for the rural area. By the 1890s, about 33% of Kamloops were ethnic Chinese; they worked primarily on construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway.Hewlett, Jason.
Chinese museum would right historical wrongs, Kamloops group says

Archive
. '' Times Colonist''. 31 October 2013. Retrieved on 26 January 2015. Economic changes in Kamloops resulted in many Chinese seeking work elsewhere. In addition, there were two fires in 1892 and 1893, and a 1911–1914 demolition that dismantled the Chinatown. Peter Wing, the first ethnic Chinese mayor in North America, was elected in 1966 and served three terms as the Mayor of Kamloops. In the 1880s the

Kamloops' Chinese Cemetery Kamloops Chinese Cemetery is a burial ground for Chinese living in or near Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. It opened in the 1880s. The cemetery was created as the town's cemeteries would not accept Asians for burial. While the cemetery is sti ...

was founded in Kamloops, the only one in the province dedicated to Chinese pioneers, It is one of the largest cemeteries in the province, but the last interment was made there in the 1960s. In 2013 the provincial government announced it would begin a consultation process to discuss wording of a formal apology to Chinese in B.C. for past wrongs. Joe Leong, president of the Kamloops Chinese Cultural Association, said he believed that the province should build a museum to honour Chinese history in the province, as a way to recognize the contributions of the people. As Kamloops had the only cemetery dedicated to the Chinese pioneers, he felt this city would be an appropriate site for the museum.

Economy

Kamloops' economy includes healthcare, tourism, education, transportation, and natural resource extraction industries. The

Royal Inland Hospital Royal Inland Hospital is a medical facility located in Kamloops, British Columbia serving a catchment area of 225,000 km2. About Interior Health Authority is responsible for the operations of the hospital. It is the publicly funded healthca ...

(RIH) is the city's largest employer. RIH is the region's acute care and health facility and is one of two tertiary referral hospitals in the Southern Interior with 239 acute beds and an additional 20 more beds upon completion of the expansion in 2016.

(TRU) serves a student body of 25,754 including a diverse international contingent mainly from Asian countries. Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning (TRU-OL) is the biggest distance education provider in British Columbia and one of the biggest in Canada. Heavy industries in the Kamloops area include primary resource processing such as Domtar Kamloops Pulp Mill, Tolko-Heffley Creek Plywood and Veneer, New Gold Inc - New Afton Mine, and Highland Valley Copper Mine (in Logan Lake). Four major highways join in Kamloops, the BC Highway 1 (

Trans-Canada Highway The Trans-Canada Highway (French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the Atlantic Ocean on ...

), the Coquihalla Highway ( BC highway 5 south of the city), the Yellowhead Highway (BC Highway 5 north of the city) and BC Highway 97, making it a transportation hub and a place which attracts business. There are over 50 trucking and transport companies located in Kamloops that ship across Canada and into the United States. Both the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian National Railway service Kamloops with both lines running through the city.

Tourism

Kamloops welcomed 1.8 million visitors in 2017, a 9% increase from 2015 (1.64 million). Tourism's economic ROI is immense. A$1.8 million destination marketing budget returned $449 million in economic benefit in 2017.The annual Direct Visitor Expenditure is estimated at $270 million, a 19% increase from 2015 ($227 million). Further, the total estimated tourism economic impact was $449 million in 2017, a 32.4% increase from 2015 ($339 million). Tourism generates many types of income for the region, including business income, wage earnings, share earnings, rates and levies. Conservation springs from industry-wide support for management, research and education initiatives that benefit everyone through

responsible tourism Sustainable tourism is a concept that covers the complete tourism experience, including concern for economic, social and environmental issues as well as attention to improving tourists' experiences and addressing the needs of host communities. Su ...

management. Kamloops has over 50 accommodation choices from major hotels to bed and breakfasts. Accommodation occupancy rates were 61.5% in 2017, up 2.6% from 2016.

Arts and culture

Kamloops culture has grown in recent years to celebrate local talent that includes: culinary arts, sports, live entertainment, and fine art. Kamloops hosts a range of cultural events year-round including: *Kamloops Wine Festival: This annual festival is a fundraiser for the Kamloops Art Gallery. *Kamloops Film Festival: Since 1997, this festival has grown to celebrate international films at Paramount Theatre for ten days in March. *River Beaver Classic: This annual, mountain biking festival hosts four events over one weekend in April with all money raised going to local trail maintenance. *Brewloops Brewloops is a non-profit, beer, food, and bike festival that celebrates Kamloops culture with block parties on The Shore and Downtown throughout the year. *Kamloops International Buskers Festival: This four-day festival takes place throughout Riverside Park and showcases professional buskers from around the globe. *Hot Nite in the City Show 'n' Shine: This weekend-long event takes place every August downtown and showcases Street Rods, Customs, American Muscle, Sport-compact, Electric Vehicles and more. *Kamloops Rotary Ribfest: Western Canada's largest rib festival, Ribfest takes place every August at Riverside Park. By 2018, Kamloops Rotary had raised over $500,000 for local charities. *Salute to the Sockeye Festival: This festival celebrates the return of sockeye salmon to the Adams River at Tsútswecw Provincial Park from the end of September through mid-October each year. *Interior Wellness Festival: Since 2008, this event has promoted healthy living in BC including workshops with yogis, authors, and business experts. *Kamloops Comedy Fest: Canadian comedians take over the microphone for a weekend each October during Kamloops Comedy Fest. *Words Alive Kamloops: Formerly the Kamloops Writers Festival, this annual event features Canadian authors showcasing their work through public readings and events, as well as conducting workshops on a variety of topics.

Performing and fine arts

Kamloops is home to many galleries including nationally recognized Kamloops Art Gallery, Secwepemc Museum and Heritage Park; the Kamloops Museum and Archives, the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, and Western Canada Theatre. There are 29 outdoor murals – the Back Alley Art Gallery- throughout downtown Kamloops that the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association has spearheaded since the 2000s. Artists that have contributed to this project include: Zack Abney; Kyleen Cachelin; Evan Christina; Kelly Wright; Ken Wells; Alex Moir-Porteus; Robin Hodgson; Jack Morris; Janice Gurney, and Marianna Abutalipova. Project X Theatre, an outdoor theatre festival located in Kamloops. The company creates a summer outdoor theatre festival in Prince Charles Park, just east of Downtown Kamloops. Established in 2006, Project X Theatre originally produced productions of Shakespeare, however, recently the company has shifted over to more family friendly shows. Randi Edmundson is the current Artistic Director. Previous artistic directors include Samantha Mcdonanld, Derek Rein, Heather Cant, Melissa purcha, and Dušan Magdolen. The Western Canada Theatre is a professional theatre company located in Kamloops. The company manages and performs in two spaces: the 706 seat Sagebrush Theatre and the 150-seat Pavilion Theatre. James MacDonald is the current artistic director of the theatre company. Previous artistic directors include Tom Kerr (founder), Frank Glassen, David Ross, Michael Dobbin, John Cooper, Jeremy Tow, and Daryl Cloran.

Attractions

Popular attractions include: the Adams River Sockeye Salmon Run; Kamloops Bike Ranch;

BC Wildlife Park The British Columbia Wildlife Park is a zoo located in Kamloops, British Columbia. The British Columbia Wildlife Park is an accredited member of the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA). History The proposal In 1965, the Kamloo ...

; Kamloops Heritage Railway; Kamloops Wine Trail; Secwepemc Museum, and Tranquille Sanatorium Since 2012, four wineries have been established in the Thompson Valley wine region including: Sagewood Winery; Harper's Trail Winery; Monte Creek Ranch Winery, and Privato Vineyard and Winery. Since 2010, five micro-breweries have opened up in Kamloops including: Noble Pig Brewhouse; Red Collar Brewing, Alchemy Brewing, Bright Eye Brewing and Iron Road Brewing. Since 2020, some craft distilleries have opened up in Kamloops including: Route 1 Distillery

Food and drink

Since 2007, Chefs in the City has been established as a "celebration of culinary arts, fine wine and beer from Kamloops and the surrounding region." In 2018, 21 local restaurants will have participated, as well as 10 local wineries and breweries. This annual event is presented by the Rotary Club of Kamloops and has raised over $325,000 since 2007. Kamloops is emerging as an award-winning wine region with a climate perfect for growing grapes. It is home to four award-winning wineries: Harper's Trail,

Monte Creek Monte Creek is a rural locality on the South Thompson River east of Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, approximately equidistant from Kamloops and the village of Chase, British Columbia. It is a major highway junction where British Columbia Highwa ...

Ranch, Privato and Sagewood. Kamloops has over 120 acres under vine. The top grapes planted by local wineries are Riesling, Chardonnay, pinot gris, pinot noir, Cabernet Franc,

Marechal Foch Ferdinand Foch ( , ; 2 October 1851 – 20 March 1929) was a French general and military theorist who served as the Supreme Allied Commander during the First World War. An aggressive, even reckless commander at the First Marne, Flanders and ...

and Marquette. Since 1998, the Kamloops Wine Festival has taken place in the spring as a fundraiser to support the Kamloops Art Gallery. The Kamloops Wine Festival had raised over $200,000 by 2018. In 2014, Brewloops Beer Festival was established as a non-profit organization that promotes Kamloops culture across the city throughout the year. Brewloops celebrates BC craft beer, music, and entertainment with the wider Kamloops community and had donated $27,000 to community groups by 2018. Bands that have performed at Brewloops include:

Delhi 2 Dublin Delhi 2 Dublin (sometimes abbreviated D2D) is a Canadian world music group formed in 2006 in Vancouver who play a fusion of Bhangra, electronic, funk, dub, reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. T ...

, Yukon Blonde, and at Mission Dolores.

Recreation

Kamloops is an outdoor mecca for activities like hiking and mountain biking with an extensive trail network for year-round adventure. Multiple nearby lakes offer paddling, kayaking and fishing. Known as the ''Tournament Capital of Canada,'' Kamloops has hosted many tournaments and is home to a range of professional athletes from many sports. Kamloops has the Kamloops Sports Hall of Fame, which includes 2008 Summer Olympics bronze medallist Dylan Armstrong and the National Finalist Roma's soccer team.

Fishing

With 100 lakes within an hour's drive, Kamloops has some of the best freshwater fishing in North America. Every year, the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC stocks lakes in the Thompson-Nicola region with roughly 1,000,000 fish including rainbow trout, brook trout, and kokanee salmon. Kamloops is known for its professional anglers including Brian Chan, Jordan Oelrich, and Brennan Lund. Fishing guides in the Kamloops area include: DNA Fly Fishing; Interior Fly Fishing; Maricle Fly Fishing; Riseform Flyfishing; and Fast Action Fishing Adventures.

Mountain biking

Kamloops' extensive trail network and desert-like climate creates world-class conditions for year-round mountain biking across the city. Popular parks include the Kamloops Bike Ranch, Pineview Valley;

Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area is a protected area located north of Kamloops in British Columbia, Canada. The protected area was established by BC Parks on 30 April 1996 to protect a unique mixed forest-grassland ecosystem overlooking the ...

, and

Kenna Cartwright Park Kenna Cartwright Park is a municipal park located in Kamloops, British Columbia. The park was created to preserve one of Kamloops' natural landscapes and views. It is named after the former mayor, Kenna Cartwright. It features over of hiking trai ...

. Two time

UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships – Women's cross-country The women's cross-country is an event at the annual UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships. It has been held since the inaugural championships in 1990. As of 2009, Gunn-Rita Dahle of Norway is the most successful rider with four gold medals ...

( 2011 and

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

), gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2016 Summer Olympics bronze medallist

Catharine Pendrel Catharine Pendrel (born September 30, 1980) is a Canadian cross-country mountain biker from Harvey Station, New Brunswick. A member of the Canadian National team since 2004, Pendrel was the world champion in cross-country mountain biking in 201 ...

lives and trains in Kamloops. Kamloops is home to world-famous mountain bikers such as freeride pioneers and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame members

Wade Simmons Wade Simmons (born 20 September 1973) is a mountain biker from Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada who has won the Red Bull Rampage The Red Bull Rampage is an invitation-only freeride mountain bike competition held near Zion National Park in Vi ...

, Brett Tippie, (also a former Canadian National Team member for snowboard cross and giant slalom), and Richie Schley. Freeriders Matt Hunter, and

Graham Agassiz Graham Agassiz (born 8 January 1990) is a Canadian freeride mountain biker from Kamloops, British Columbia. Agassiz travels internationally, and has participated in mountain bike films and competitions. He is a bronze medalist from 2015 Red Bu ...

also live in Kamloops. Kamloops was featured in the first mountain bike film by Greg Stump, ''Pulp Traction'', and later the first three ''

Kranked Kranked is a series of extreme freeride mountain-biking films. Since 1997, Bjørn Enga producer/director for Radical Films has specialized in extreme mountain bike cinematography. His work is well regarded within the freeride mountain bike co ...

'' films, which starred the original Fro Riders, Tippie, Simmons and Schley. Ongoing trail maintenance has been spearheaded by local organizations such as the Kamloops Bike Riders Association, Kamloops Performance Cycling Centre, and Dirt Chix Kamloops.

Golf

Kamloops has highest number of golf courses (13) per capita in Canada and boasts one of Canada's most diverse golf landscapes. Golfers enjoy three seasons of golf due to the dry and hot climate of the area. Several of the local golf courses have been designed by famous golf architects such as Robert Trent Jones, Graham Cooke, and Tom McBroom. The 13 courses include: Tobiano Golf Course; The Dunes, Talking Rock Golf Course; Pineridge Golf Course; Rivershore Estates; Big Horn Golf & Country Club; Kamloops Golf & Country Club; Sun Peaks Golf; Eagle Point Golf Course; Mount Paul Golf Course, and Chinook Cove Golf.

Skiing

Sun Peaks Resort Sun Peaks Resort is an alpine ski resort located in Sun Peaks, British Columbia, Canada, northeast of Kamloops. The summit of the ski area is at an elevation of , with an vertical rise from the base of the peak. The resort has of skiable te ...

is a nearby ski and snowboard hill. Olympic medallist skier

Nancy Greene Raine Nancy Catherine Greene Raine (born May 11, 1943) is a former Senate of Canada, Canadian Senator for British Columbia and an Olympian Alpine skiing, alpine skier voted as Canada's Athletes of the 20th Century, Canada's Female Athlete of the 20 ...

is director of skiing at Sun Peaks and the former chancellor of Thompson Rivers University. The Overlander Ski Club runs the Stake Lake cross country ski area with of trails. Lacrosse teams include the

Thompson Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League The Thompson Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League (TOJLL) is one of two Junior B Tier 1 box lacrosse leagues sanctioned by the British Columbia Lacrosse Association in British Columbia, Canada. The league champion competes for the British Columbia J ...

's Kamloops Junior B Venom, as well as the junior ice hockey team the Kamloops Storm. Also calling Kamloops home is the Canadian Junior Football League's Kamloops Broncos, and Pacific Coast Soccer League's

Kamloops Excel Kamloops Excel is a Canadian soccer team based in Kamloops, British Columbia. Founded in 2007, the team plays in the Pacific Coast Soccer League (PCSL), an amateur league which features teams from British Columbia. They now play in the reserve ...

, both of whom play at Hillside Stadium.

Other recreation

The Kamloops Rotary Skatepark at McArthur Island Park is one of Canada's largest skateboard parks. Also located at McArthur Island Park is NorBrock Stadium, the McArthur Island Sports and Events Centre and the McArthur Island Curling Club. The city boasts 82 parks which are great for hiking, including Kenna Cartwright Park, the largest municipal park in British Columbia.

Sports

Hockey

Kamloops is home to the Western Hockey League's Kamloops Blazers who play at the Sandman Centre. Alumni of the Kamloops Blazers include Mark Recchi, Jarome Iginla,

Darryl Sydor Darryl Marion Sydor (born May 13, 1972) is a Canadian-American former professional ice hockey defenceman. He won two Stanley Cups during his career: with the Dallas Stars in 1999, and with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. He also reached the S ...

Nolan Baumgartner Nolan Baumgartner (born March 23, 1976) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He was formerly an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Baumgartner was selected by the Washington Capita ...

, Shane Doan, Scott Niedermayer,

Rudy Poeschek Rudolph Leopold "Pot Pie" Poeschek (born September 29, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Rangers, Winnipeg Jets, Tampa Bay Lightning, and St. Louis Blues. He ...

and Darcy Tucker (Recchi, Doan, Iginla, and Sydor are now part-owners of the club). Two-time champion coach

Ken Hitchcock Kenneth S. Hitchcock (born December 17, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey coach. Hitchcock coached the Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League ( ...

would later win the Stanley Cup with the

Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and were founde ...

. Kamloops is also the hometown of 2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Champion and current defenceman for the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

Joe Hicketts Joseph Hicketts (born May 4, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). ...

. On 6 February 2016, Kamloops hosted '' Hockey Day in Canada'' with Ron MacLean and Don Cherry.

Sports tournaments

Kamloops hosted the 1993 Canada Summer Games. It co-hosted (with

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...

and Kelowna) the IIHF World Junior Championship from 26 December 2005 to 5 January 2006. It hosted the 2006 BC Summer Games and 2018 BC Winter Games. In the summer of 2008, Kamloops, and its modern facility the Tournament Capital Centre played host to the U15 boys and girls Basketball National Championship. Kamloops hosted the World Masters Indoor Championships in March 2010. Kamloops hosted the 2011 Western Canada Summer Games. Kamloops hosted the 2014 Tim Hortons Brier (The Canadian Men's Curling Championships). Kamloops hosted the

edition of the 4 Nations Cup.

Government

Elections into the municipality in Kamloops are held with the rest of the province every four years. Provincially, Kamloops is considered to be bellwether, having voted for the governing party in every provincial election since the introduction of parties to British Columbian elections, until 2017. By contrast, Kamloops has regularly voted against the party in power federally until the 2006 Federal election. Kamloops is represented in two provincial ridings – Kamloops-South Thompson and Kamloops-North Thompson – and one federal riding – Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. * Mayor – Reid Hamer-Jackson, 2022 * Members of the Legislative Assembly: ** Todd Stone, Kamloops-South Thompson ** Peter Milobar, Kamloops-North Thompson Federal members of parliament: *

Cathy McLeod Cathy McLeod (born 12 June 1957) is a former Canadian politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo from 2008 to 2021. She served as a member of the Conservative Party. Biography McLeod ...

(2008–present)

Conservative Party of Canada The Conservative Party of Canada (french: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a federal political party in Canada. It was formed in 2003 by the merger of the two main right-leaning parties, the Progressive Con ...

Betty Hinton Betty Zane Hinton (born February 22, 1950) is a Canadian politician, previously representing the constituency of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo in the federal parliament. Born in Trail, British Columbia, Hinton has served as mayor of Logan Lake ...

(2000–2008) Canadian Alliance and Conservative Party of Canada * Nelson Riis (1980–2000) New Democratic Party * Don Cameron (1979–1980)

Progressive Conservative Party of Canada The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (PC; french: Parti progressiste-conservateur du Canada) was a centre-right federal political party in Canada that existed from 1942 to 2003. From Canadian Confederation in 1867 until 1942, the ...

* Leonard Marchand (1968–1979)

Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (french: Parti libéral du Canada, region=CA) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia' ...

Infrastructure

Transportation

Kamloops is located at the crossroads of the Coquihalla Highway, Yellowhead Highway, and

and is a transportation hub in the region. The Canadian Pacific (CPR) and Canadian National (CNR) mainline routes connect

in the west with Kamloops. The two railways diverge to the north and east where they connect with the rest of Canada.

Kamloops North station Kamloops North station is a railway station in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. It is on the Canadian National Railway mainline and is located at the Canadian National Railway Yards. The station is served by Via Rail's ''Canadian'' train. '' ...

is served three times per week (in each direction) by Via Rail's ''

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

''. The Rocky Mountaineer and the Kamloops Heritage Railway both use the

Kamloops station Kamloops station is a railway station in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the overnight stopover point for the Rocky Mountaineer train service to Jasper, Banff and Calgary from Vancouver. The station was originally built for Can ...

. Kamloops is home to Kamloops Airport (YKA). Airlines flying to Kamloops include: Air Canada Express, WestJet Encore, Canadian North, and

Central Mountain Air Central Mountain Air Ltd. is a Canadian regional airline based in Smithers, British Columbia. It operates scheduled, charter, and transborder services. Its main base is Smithers Airport, with other bases at Calgary International Airport and Van ...

, as well as three cargo airlines. Vancouver and Calgary are primary routes for passenger service to this regional airport. In 2018, Air Canada Rouge launched non-stop seasonal service from Kamloops to Toronto. Greyhound Canada previously connected Kamloops with Vancouver,

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anc ...

and

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...

, with service ending at the end of October 2018. After Greyhound's departure, several companies stepped in and commenced intercity service.

Ebus Ebus, EBUS, or E-bus may refer to: * Ebus, an intercity bus service in Canada owned by Pacific Western Transportation * EBUS (serial buses), a data-bus communication interface * Electric bus, several types of buses which uses electric power ** B ...

and Rider Express both provide service to Vancouver and in between cities and towns, with Ebus connecting to other Interior cities like Kelowna and Vernon, and Rider Express continuing east to Calgary. Local bus service is provided by

Kamloops Transit System Kamloops Transit operates the public bus transit system in the City of Kamloops in south central British Columbia, Canada. The system consists of 18 regularly scheduled routes, one Sunday route, several school specials and handyDART customized serv ...

and funded through BC Transit with 14 routes across the Kamloops area that are operated by contractor First Student Canada. In 2018, the City of Kamloops partnered with the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc to expand its services on Tk'emlups te Secwepemc land for Route 18: Mount Paul.

Education

Residential School

The Kamloops Indian Residential School, part of the Canadian Indian residential school system opened in 1893 and ran until 1977. In May 2021, the possible remains of 200 children were detected in the graveyard soil by ground penetrating radar at the site of the school. The remains were located with the assistance of ground-penetrating radar, and work was underway to determine if related records about the identities of the dead are held at the Royal British Columbia Museum. In a statement released by the

First Nations Health Authority The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) is a health service delivery organization responsible for administering a variety of health programs and service for First Nations people living in BC. Overview The FNHA is part of a First Nations Healt ...

, CEO Richard Jock said: "That this situation exists is sadly not a surprise and illustrates the damaging and lasting impacts that the residential school system continues to have on First Nations people, their families and communities."

K-12

Public schools in Kamloops and adjacent communities are run by

School District 73 Kamloops/Thompson School District 73 Kamloops/Thompson a school district based in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. The school board serves the city of Kamloops and the communities of Chase, Barriere, Clearwater, Logan Lake, Blue River, Brennan Creek, H ...

. Private schools include Kamloops Christian School, Our Lady of Perpetual Help School (Catholic), and St. Ann's Academy (Catholic). The Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique operates école Collines-d’or, a Francophone primary school.

Post-secondary

offers a range of undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as certificate and diploma programs. It has satellite campuses in: * Clearwater * Barriere * Chase * Williams Lake * 100 Mile House * Cache Creek * Ashcroft * Lillooet Thompson Rivers University also has an open-learning division. Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning (TRU-OL) is the biggest distance and online education provider in British Columbia and one of the biggest in Canada. The

Thompson Rivers University WolfPack The TRU WolfPack are the athletic teams that represent Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. They were known as the UCC Sun Demons prior to the creation of the university in 2005. Teams WolfPack Varsity Clubs: * Bask ...

are the athletic teams that represent Thompson Rivers University. Thompson Career College and Sprott Shaw College are private post-secondary institutions with campuses in Kamloops.

Media

The city's main daily newspaper was ''

The Kamloops Daily News ''The Kamloops Daily News'', also known as simply ''The Daily News'' was a local daily newspaper in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. It was owned by Glacier Media. The paper was founded in 1931 as the ''Kamloops Shopper'' by George Duncan Bro ...

'' which ceased publication in 2014. The city is also home to ''

Kamloops This Week ''Kamloops This Week'' is a local newspaper in Kamloops, British Columbia, founded in 1988. The newspaper has won numerous awards. Published Wednesdays only due to COVID-19. See also *List of newspapers in Canada This list of newspapers in Ca ...

'', a free newspaper which publishes three times a week.

Notable people

Below is a list of people who are from Kamloops, or who lived there for an extended period.

Historical figures

Edward Bellew Edward Donald Bellew, (28 October 1882 – 1 February 1961, Kamloops, British Columbia), Captain of the 7th Bn British Columbia Regiment, CEF was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in ...

, recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

. * Jim Chamberlin, aerodynamicist, who contributed to the design of the Canadian Avro Arrow;

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedi ...

's Project Mercury, Project Gemini and the Apollo program. *

Kanao Inouye Kanao Inouye (May 24, 1916 – August 27, 1947) was a Canadian citizen of Japanese descent, convicted of high treason and war crimes for his actions during World War II. Known as the "Kamloops Kid", he served as an interpreter and prison camp gu ...

, the notorious "Kamloops Kid", the first of the two Canadians ever convicted of war crimes. * Allan McLean, son of Donald McLean and leader of the outlaw gang known as the Wild McLean Boys. * Donald McLean, former Chief Trader of Fort Kamloops and one of the casualties of the Chilcotin War. *

Frank Robert Miller Air Chief Marshal Frank Robert Miller (April 30, 1908 – October 20, 1997) was a Canadian airman, the last Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (Canada), Chiefs of Staff Committee in 1964, the first Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada), chi ...

, former deputy minister of the National Defence. * Chief Nicola, conjoint chief of the Nicolas and the Kamloops Secwepemc during the fur trade and gold rush eras. * Johnny Ussher, settler, provincial magistrate and gold commissioner (killed by Allan McLean). * Mark Sweeten Wade, medical doctor, newspaperman and historian.

Politicians

* Jack Davis, politician who was elected to both the Parliament of Canada and Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. * Jodie Emery – marijuana activist and politician. * John L. Frazer, politician: member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1993 to 1997. * Davie Fulton, politician: member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1945 to 1963, and 1965 to 1968. Son of Frederick John Fulton. * Frederick John Fulton, British born politician and lawyer, father of Davie Fulton. * Phil Gaglardi, aka Flying Phil, former Provincial Minister of Highways and Mayor of the city. * Leonard Marchand, QPC, CM, the first person of First Nations ethnicity to serve in the federal cabinet and the first Status Indian to serve as a member of parliament. * Nelson Riis, former Kamloops Teacher, Professor, alderman and Director of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, longtime federal MP for Kamloops. * Peter Wing, North America's first elected mayor of Chinese descent, elected in 1966 and served three terms in Kamloops.

Athletes

, freeride mountain biker, bronze medal at Red Bull Rampage 2015. * Dylan Armstrong, Olympic shot putter who finished 4th in the 2008 Olympics but subsequently was awarded the bronze medal in 2015 after the 3rd place putter Andrei Mikhnevich from Belarus tested positive for drugs post 2008 Olympics. * Don Ashby, former

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...

(NHL) ice hockey player. * Murray Baron, former NHL ice hockey player. * Mitch Berger, former

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...

(NFL) player. * Rick Boh, former NHL ice hockey player. * Corryn Brown, Canadian curler, skip of the 2013 Canadian Junior Curling Championships winning rink, 2012 Winter Youth Olympics bronze medallist. * Jim Cotter, Canadian curler, 2013 Olympic Trials runner up, 2014 Tim Hortons Brier silver medallist. * Craig Endean, former NHL ice hockey player. *

Todd Esselmont Todd Esselmont (born November 5, 1971) is a Canadian professional hockey player, who played both ice and roller hockey professionally. His position is a centre. Career Esselmont's junior hockey career started in the 1988–1989 season, toiling ...

, ice and roller hockey player. *

Erin Gammel Erin Gammel (born March 13, 1980) is a competition swimmer from Canada, who competed for her native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the ...

, is a swimmer who competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics. *

Stu Grimson Stuart Grimson (born May 20, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Grimson played in the National Hockey League from 1989 to 2002. During this time, he played for the Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Mighty Ducks of Anahe ...

, former NHL ice hockey player. *

Don Hay Don Hay (born February 13, 1954) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and National Hockey League head coach. As a player, Hay played shortly in the International Hockey League before becoming a three-time Memorial Cup-winning ...

, former NHL head coach. *

Jessica Hewitt Jessica Hewitt (born October 9, 1986) is a Canadian short track speed skater. In February 2013, she qualified to participate in the 2014 Sochi Olympics, representing Canada in the short track speed skating. Career Jessica Hewitt started train ...

, short track speed skater, silver medallist at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. *

, 2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Champion, Detroit Red Wings defenceman. *

Murray Kennett Murray Kennett (born June 28, 1952 in Kamloops, British Columbia) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the World Hockey Association (WHA). He played for the Indianapolis Racers and Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oi ...

, is a former World Hockey Association (WHA) ice hockey player. * Doug Lidster, former NHL ice hockey player. *

John Ludvig John Ludvig (August 2, 2000) is a Czech-Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently playing with the Charlotte Checkers in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL ...

, professional ice hockey player * Bert Marshall, former NHL ice hockey player. *

Spencer McLennan Spencer McLennan (born October 10, 1966 in Kelowna, British Columbia) is a former Canadian football player in the Canadian Football League for ten years. McLennan played safety and slotback for the three teams, the British Columbia Lions, Montreal ...

, Former

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ...

(CFL) player. * Don Moen, Former CFL football player. *

Josie Morrison Josie Morrison (born February 2, 1994) is a Canadian speed skater Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track s ...

, Canadian speedskater, 2018 Winter Olympian. * Bob Mowat, former WHA ice hockey player. *

Brendon Nash Brendon Gregory Nash (born March 31, 1987) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He last played for the Graz 99ers of the Austrian Hockey League (EBEL). Brendon is the brother of Riley Nash. Playing career After completing his co ...

, former NHL ice hockey player * Riley Nash,

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Divi ...

NHL hockey player *

Shane Niemi Shane Niemi (born June 2, 1978, in Kamloops, British Columbia is a retired Canadian sprints athlete. As a 17 year old he took the bronze medal in the 400 metres at the 1995 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships behind Obea Moore's then W ...

, is a Canadian sprinter. * Kelly Olynyk, Miami Heat and Canada international basketball player. * Paul Osbaldiston, former CFL football player. *

, cross country mountain biker, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, 2011 and 2014 World Champion *

, former

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

player. * Kevin Powell, former CFL football player. *

, named Canada's Athlete of the Century in 1999, Olympic skier who won gold for Canada in 1968, and 13 World Cups (the Canadian record) for a total of 17 Canadian Title Championships. * Mark Recchi, former NHL ice hockey player, three time Stanley Cup champion (1991, 2006, 2011), and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame *

Justin Ring Justin Ring (born July 4, 1973) is a former Canadian football linebacker who played seven seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Edmonton Eskimos. He was drafted by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the first round o ...

, former CFL football player *

Peter Soberlak Peter Soberlak (born May 12, 1969, in Trail, British Columbia) is a former professional ice hockey left winger. He was drafted in the first round, 21st overall, by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft. He never played in the National H ...

, former American Hockey League (AHL) professional ice hockey player. *

Dave Vankoughnett Dave Vankoughnett (born April 1, 1966) is a former professional Canadian football offensive lineman who played eleven seasons in the Canadian Football League. References Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Fame Biography.
1966 births Living peo ...

, former CFL football player. * Tim Watters, former NHL ice hockey player.

Arts, culture and media

* Benjamin Ayres, actor, born in Kamloops. * Dan Bremnes, Christian musician, born in Kamloops. *

Steven Galloway Steven Galloway (born July 13, 1975)
''Sydney Morning Herald'', Andrew Riemer, r ...

, novelist, was raised in Kamloops. * Elise Gatien, actress. * Boris Karloff, actor, joined the Jeanne Russell theatre company in Kamloops in September 1911. * Chris Masuak, punk rock singer-songwriter, inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, born in Kamloops – lived in Brocklehurst (North Kamloops) in the 1960s. Now resides in Spain. *

John Pozer John Pozer is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, producer and editor. He has had two independent features selected to the Cannes International Film Festival and directed a slate of episodic television, both live action and animation. Biogra ...

, award-winning filmmaker. * Robert W. Service, poet and writer known for his ballads depicting the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897, he worked at Kamloops branch of the Canadian Bank of Commerce from July to December 1904 before being transferred to Whitehorse.Sam Holloway,
Robert Service and Destiny
" ''The Yukoner Magazine''. Web, Accessed 2008.11.19. * Michael Shanks, actor, born in Vancouver, but grew up in Kamloops. *

Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun is a Cowichan/Syilx First Nations contemporary artist from Canada. His paintings employ elements of Northwest Coast formline design and Surrealism to explore issues as environmentalism, land ownership, and Canada's trea ...

, First Nations painter. * Lil Woodie Wood Music Producer, Rapper, Entrepreneur *

Melissa Endean Melissa is a female given name. The name comes from the Greek language, Greek word μέλισσα (''mélissa''), "bee", which in turn comes from μέλι (''meli''), "honey". In Hittite language, Hittite, ''melit'' signifies "honey". ''Meliss ...

, country music artist, born and raised in Kamloops.

Other notable people

Nadine Caron Nadine Rena Caron FACS, FRCSC, (born 1970), is a Canadian surgeon. She is the first Canadian female general surgeon of First Nations descent (Ojibway), as well as the first female First Nations student to graduate from University of British Col ...

, first female First Nations surgeon. * Andrew Collier, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy. *

Patrick Crawford Major-General Ian Patrick Crawford, (11 October 1933 – 21 February 2009) was a British Army medical officer and expert on preventive medicine who was awarded the George Medal for saving the life of a Gurkha officer following a helicopter cra ...

, tech entrepreneur and NASA research collaborator. *

Vivian Dowding Vivian Dowding (1892–1987) was a Canadian activist based in British Columbia who worked to improve birth control access for working class women. Representing the Parents' Information Bureau, and based in Kamloops, Dowding started travelling aroun ...

, leading birth control activist. *

Mildred Gottfriedson Mildred Gottfriedson (1918–1989) was a Secwepemc educator and activist who was a leading member of the Kamloops Indian Band. She was the first First Nations individual to be inducted into the Order of Canada in 1977. She was also a founding member ...

, first First Nations individual inducted into the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the c ...

and founding member of the B.C. Native Women's Society. * Lesra Martin, resident lawyer who helped with Rubin "The Hurricane" Carter's prison release. * Lt. Col. J.R.O. Vicars, (1855-1929) 172nd Battalion (Rocky Mountain Rangers) Canadian Expeditionary Force, Land Surveyor, civil servant. * R. H. (Bob) Allan, (1914-1984), Rocky Mountain Rangers, North Nova Scotia Highlanders, fly fisherman, naturalist & Fireman.

Planetary nomenclature

Mars KAMLOOPS Galle Craters Argyre Planitia

The city's name has been given to a crater on the surface of Mars. Crater Kamloops was officially adopted by the

International Astronomical Union The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach ...

's Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (IAU/WGPSN) in 1991. The crater lies at 53.8° south latitude and 32.6° west longitude, with a diameter of .

Sister cities

* Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan * Bacolod, Negros Occidental,

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

In popular culture

In "Cementhead," a 1989 episode of the television series '' Booker'', the titular detective (played by Richard Grieco) tracks a capricious professional hockey player (Stephen Shellen) back to his hometown of Kamloops. Kamloops and surrounding areas have been used for various Hollywood films such as '' An Unfinished Life'', '' The A Team'', ''

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

'', ''

The Pledge Pledge may refer to: Promises * a solemn promise * Abstinence pledge, a commitment to practice abstinence, usually teetotalism or chastity * The Pledge (New Hampshire), a promise about taxes by New Hampshire politicians * Pledge of Allegian ...

'', '' Shooter'', '' Firewall'', '' The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants'', '' Monster Trucks'', and various others. " The Eye of Jupiter", the eleventh episode of the third season of '' Battlestar Galactica'' was filmed in Kamloops in 2006. Kamloops was a filming location for the Netflix series '' Lost in Space''.

References

Notes

External links

* * {{Authority control 1811 establishments in Canada Cities in British Columbia Hudson's Bay Company trading posts Populated places established in 1811 Populated places in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District Thompson Country