Kamloops is a city in the province of British Columbia.
The metropolitan area has a population of over 85,000 people and stretches over 5,668 square kilometres.
The name of the city is from the Secwepemc word “T’kemlups” which means “the meeting of the rivers.” Kamloops is often called "Canada’s Tournament Capital” because of its 1,000 tournaments each year.
Some of the largest industries in Kamloops are health care, forestry and retail.
Some growing industries in the city are high-tech, green energy and
tourism. Kamloops has over 50 organizations that provide healthcare to residents.
These organizations contribute to the growth of the economy.
With British Columbia producing the most product in the forestry sector, Kamloops contributes a great deal.
It’s location and infrastructure makes the forestry industry in the city thrive. In the retail sector, Kamloops has an advantage with being the transportation hub for British Columbia. The retail sector employs 12.2%
of the labour force.
Kamloops has its share of entertainment for residents and tourists alike. Sports, parks and shopping are just some of the entertainment that the
city offers. The city also has a lot of places related to the arts like the Kamloops Art Gallery, and the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra.
The city is home to the Kamloops Blazers and the Kamloops Broncos. The Kamloops Blazers are a team that is part of the Western Hockey League. They play at the Sandman Centre. The
Kamloops Blazers have had players such as Jarome Iginla and Scott Niedermayer. The Kamloops Broncos are a team in the Canadian Junior Football League. They play at the Hillside
Stadium.
As for shopping, Kamloops is home to the largest shopping centre in British Columbia called the Aberdeen Mall. It has over 75 stores and services. They have large international
chain stores for all customers shopping needs. Summit Shopping Centre is a relatively new centre to Kamloops with many stores and restaurants in the city. One feature to this mall
is the Starbucks Drive Thru.
Kamloops has 82 parks that take up 1,350 hectares of land. Parks like Albert McGowan Park and Exhibition Park have plenty of space for sports. Ball diamonds, tennis and bleachers
to watch the games are in both of these parks. Other parks like Kenna Cartwright Park and Peterson Creek Park are ideal for hiking and other physical activities. Kenna Cartwright
Park is also the largest park in Kamloops.
Neighbourhoods
Kamloops is made up of four sections: North Kamloops, Southwest Kamloops, Southeast Kamloops and Downtown.
North Kamloops features neighbourhoods such as Westsyde and Batchelor Heights. Westsyde is located along the North Thompson River, and bordered on the opposite side by protected grasslands. There are small events held here and there is even a hobby farm to visit and feed animals. It is a welcoming community and a wonderful place to live. The protected grasslands also border Batchelor Heights. The neighbourhood is mostly residential and there is plenty of nature surrounding the area.
Southwest Kamloops has neighbourhoods like Sahali and Aberdeen. Sahali is made up of Upper and Lower Sahali. There are commercial areas here with big name stores. It is very close to Downtown Kamloops. It is home to Thompson Rivers University and the Sahali Mall. Households in Aberdeen tend to have a higher income than other areas. There are many recreational activities here with a golf course and an abundance of trails.
Southeast Kamloops has the neighbourhoods of Valleyview and Barnhartvale. Valleyview is very close to Downtown Kamloops. Parks and schools are found here, as well as residential areas. Barnhartvale has large residential lots, within a short distance to Downtown Kamloops. There are schools located here as well.
Downtown is the commercial core of the city. There are places to shop, explore and visit in this area. Transit and government buildings are also present here. Along with the commercial buildings, there is residential space as well. Many people live in this area, most of which are single, young individuals.
Westsyde has many detached and single-family homes. The majority of the houses are owned, but there are some properties that can be rented. The houses are older, but some of the
single-family homes have been built more recently.
Batchelor Heights has detached and single-family homes. There is a mix of older and newer homes in this area as well. Like Westsyde, most of the properties here are owned rather
than rented.
In Sahali, there are low-rise apartments and detached homes. Both Upper and Lower Sahali are middle-class, but Upper Sahali averages a slightly higher income than Lower Sahali.
Lower Sahali has a balance of people who own or rent their properties, and Upper Sahali leans more towards owning their properties. Upper Sahali has a mix of older and newer
housing whereas Lower Sahali tends to have older homes.
Aberdeen has detached homes and townhouses. Being a higher income area, more people own their homes rather than rent them. The houses here are a mix of old and new.
Valleyview features detached and single-family homes as well as townhouses. Most people own their properties but there are some rentals in the area as well. The houses here are
older as the neighbourhood once began as a subdivision many years ago.
In Barnhartvale, there are detached and single-family homes. The majority of the properties here are owned and fewer properties are rented. Like Valleyview, the housing is older in
this neighbourhood.
Downtown Kamloops has semi-detached, single-family and multifamily homes. There are also condominiums and low-rise apartments here. There is some development in this area as
well. The homes are a mix of older and newer properties.
Home Style
Average Price
Apartment Rent
$1,416
Condo
$395,433
Detached Home
$603,768
Townhouse
$412,283
Data source: Kamloops & District Real Estate Association (KADREA) report for 2020/2021.
Education
The school district in Kamloops is called School District No. 73 Kamloops/Thompson. In this district, there are 33 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 10 secondary schools. A unique fact about this district is that English is the first language for most students, and the next most spoken language is Punjabi. The district uses tools to frequently evaluate the progress of students to ensure a quality education.
As for post-secondary institutions, the city is home to Thompson Rivers University. It offers programs on each of its many campuses as well as online. It is one of the largest providers of online learning in Canada and the largest in British Columbia.