All About Kamloops
The sprawling city of Kamloops is situated at the confluence of the North and South Thompson Rivers in the Thompson Valley. Kamloops takes its name from the First Nations word T'kumlups, meaning meeting place. The population of Kamloops is 97,902 (2021 Census)
Water isn't the only thing that meets in Kamloops; the Trans-Canada, the Yellowhead and Highway 97 all meet in Kamloops, as do the two national rail lines, CP and CN.
Kamloops is ideally located in the heart of British Columbia’s sunny Southern Interior and is easily accessed by road, air, and rail. Kamloops is the second largest city in BC’s southern interior (after Kelowna) and the fifth largest in BC. The major industry is forestry, followed by tourism, ranching and mining.
Kamloops is known as BC’s friendliest City and as Canada’s Tournament Capital.
Climate
Kamloops basks in over 2,000 hours of sunshine annually and is British Columbia’s second-sunniest city. Kamloops has four distinct seasons:
- Winter (December to February) is snowy and cold, yet days are mainly sunny and sometimes windy. The valley is quite mild with lows of -5 to -15 degrees (Celsius) and snowfall of about 6 inches, while the mountains receive heavy snowfall (4 to 8 feet) with temperatures dipping to -15 to -30 degrees Celsius.
- Spring (March to May) is moderately cool with a mix of sunshine, wind and rain.
- Summer (June to mid-September) can reach temperatures 30+ degrees (Celsius) with the odd rainstorm and relatively low humidity.
- Fall (mid-September to mid-November) has beautiful warm sunny days, but colder nights and a cooler wind. It is still quite warm, about 25 degrees (Celsius), cooling to an average of 0 to 5 degrees (Celsius) by the end of fall. It is not uncommon to have below freezing temperatures so dressing in layers is recommended.
Government
Kamloops City Council is governed by a Mayor and eight Councillors.
Emergency Services
Call 911 if you require fire, police, or an ambulance!
HealthLink BC
Phone: 811 or visit: Website
HealthLink BC provides free non-emergency health information and referral services. You can get help and information nay time of the day or night, every day of the year. Call 8-1-1 to ask a registered nurse your health questions.
City of
Kamloops
Things to See
and DO
About
Kamloops
Royal Inland Hospital
Where to Stay
Utilities
Garbage,
Recycling &
Organics
Transit
Recreation
For a full list of recreation, leisure, arts, culture and sports services, visit Recreation and Culture.
A list of their facilities can be found here: https://www.kamloops.ca/parks-recreation/facilities-venues
The main facility is:
Tournament Capital Centre (TCC)
910 McGill Road
Kamloops, BC
Phone: 250-828-3655
Website: Tournament Capital Centre
The Tournament Capital Centre is home to the Canada Games Aquatic Centre, Wellness & Athlete Performance Centre, Indoor Track, Courts and Hillside Stadium outdoor track.
Canada’s Tournament Capital
Kamloops has invested over $50 million in new and renovated sports facilities. Kamloops is known for its first-class events, enthusiastic volunteers, strong athletic showings and a wide variety of outstanding venues.
Canada's Tournament Capital provides world-class facilities for national and international athletes, while supporting local participation and training programs at every level of competition.
YMCA
YMCA Kamloops
400 Battle Street
Kamloops, BC
Phone: 250-372-7725
Website: Kamloops Community YMCA - YWCA
YMCA has a 25-metre, 3-lap lane pool with 3 leisure lanes, a weight room, cardio room, aerobics, whirlpool and sauna.
Art and Culture
Western Canada Theatre
Website: http://www.wctlive.ca/
Western Canada Theatre is a professional theatre company located in Kamloops which was founded in 1969. The theatre offers approximately seven live performances throughout the season: five mainstage and two alternative/experimental productions. The season runs from September to May.
Movie Theatres
There are two movie theatres in Kamloops:
Cineplex Odeon Aberdeen Mall
700-1320 Trans Canada Highway
Kamloops, BC V1S1J2
Phone: 250-377-8199
Website
Landmark Paramount Theatre
503 Victoria Street
Kamloops, BC V2C2B1
Phone: 250-372-3911
Website
Kamloops Events
To find out what is happening around Kamloops, visit Events Around Town or Kamloops Events on the tourism website.
Golfing
Kamloops has over 13 courses in the area with challenges for all levels of players. For information on these courses, please visit Golf Courses in Kamloops.
Kamloops Attractions
Kamloops is home to a variety of attractions including the BC Wildlife Park, Big Little Science Centre, Kamloops Heritage Park and more, please visit Kamloops Attractions.
Shopping
Kamloops offers diverse malls, eclectic boutiques and many shopping centres.
Aberdeen Mall
1320 West Trans Canada Highway
Kamloops, BC V1S 1J2
Aberdeen Mall is the largest shopping centre in the interior of BC. The mall’s anchor stores include Hudson's Bay, Best Buy, Lululemon, Sephora, and Sport Chek. There is also an 8-screen Cineplex Odeon.
Aberdeen Village Centre
1395 Hillside Drive
Kamloops, BC V2E 2R7
Phone: (25) 377-3032
The major retailers at the Aberdeen Village Centre include Staples, Chapters, Mark's Work Wearhouse and Swiss Chalet.
Brock Shopping Centre
1800 Tranquille Road
Kamloops, BC
Phone: (250) 376-3924
Located in Brocklehurst area of Kamloops, the Brock shopping centre is a strip mall with a Coopers Food, Craig's Bakery, a liquor store, pub, pharmacy and more.
Columbia Place
1210 Summit Drive
Kamloops, BC V2C 6M1
Phone: (250) 372-5878
Columbia Place is located in the heart of uptown Kamloops. It is an open community shopping centre featuring stores such as Save-On-Foods, BC Signature Liquor Store, Shoppers Drug Mart, Earls Restaurant, A & W Restaurant and Royal Bank.
Columbia Square
500 Notre Dame Drive
Kamloops, BC V2C 6T6
Columbia Square is located in the heart of uptown. It is a strip mall concept with stores like Bed Bath & Beyond, Toys R Us, TD Canada Trust, Boston Pizza, Bulk Barn and a McDonald's Restaurant.
Lansdowne Village
450 Lansdowne Street
Kamloops, BC V2C 1Y3
Lansdowne Village is in the heart of downtown Kamloops. London Drugs, Coopers Foods and a BC Liquor Store of three of the main stores, and it is also home to several other food outlets, store fronts and the main city bus terminal.
Northills Shopping Centre
700 Tranquille Road
Kamloops, BC V2B 3H9
Phone: 250-376-1259
Located in Kamloops' North Shore, Northills Mall includes a Winners, Shoppers Drug Mart, Coles, EB Games, Pet Value, Pearle Vision, Things Engraved, The Source, Bell Mobility, Scotiabank, TD Canada Trust, and a variety of medical and dental offices.
Summit Shopping Centre
1180 Columbia Street West
Kamloops, BC V2C 6R6
The Summit Shopping Centre is one of Kamloops’ newest shopping centres which anchor stores that include Winners, JYSK Linen 'N Furniture Inc., The Source, Pizza Hut, and Starbucks.
