Just inside the west entrance to the square, inside the entrance arch, is an old CPR or CNR railway speeder which has been restored and displayed. As a guess, it would have been a CPR speeder. It's an
Armstrong Speeder because travelling on it would, over time, give one strong arms, and a strong back. These were also called Go-devils, draisines, handcars and pump trolleys (for the pumping action required to propel them). Now mostly obsolete, they have been replaced by trucks and SUVs with retractable flanged wheels. The ultimate in utility, they allow railroad crews to travel along both roadways and railways in the same vehicle.
Kamloops' Spirit Square was opened on June 30th, 2009 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of British Columbia's becoming a British Crown Colony in 1858. 1858 was a time when many vicinities in British Columbia and Washington State were first being settled by miners in search of gold and silver. When it appeared that, because of the preponderance of US citizens already in the area north of the 49th parallel, the area might become part of the US, the British Government declared the area that is now British Columbia a British Crown Colony on August 2, 1858 in order to enforce sovereignty in the area.
Nine years later, when the country of Canada came into being, it was readily obvious that assimilation of the colony of British Columbia into Confederation was in Canada's best interest. Thus, in 1871, British Columbia was made a province of Canada.
This square is just one of many built in communities all over BC to help celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Crown Colony of British Columbia.
Within the large square are 14 historical plaques describing various aspects of the area's history and the history of some of the place names in Kamloops. There is also a time capsule, placed
during the dedication ceremony by Mayor Peter Milobar and Tk'emlups Indian Band Chief Shane Gottfriedson to celebrate the official opening of the Kamloops Spirit Square. Within Spirit Square is a large square, the intended purpose of which is to be used for gatherings, such as farmers' markets.
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