Kamloops' city hall is a pretty spiffy building with beautiful terraced beds and a small plaza surrounding the entrance. Nearby, in the downtown area are many historic buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally, Kamloops was a fur trading post, the first trading post being established in 1812. With the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which reached Kamloops from the West in 1885, Kamloops became a railway division point and has grown continuously ever since.
The city has worked hard to provide excellent services and to beautify the city's environment, resulting in the city's winning many
Awards in categories ranging from Energy Efficiency to Financial Reporting to Engineering and Planning. The city has won a dozen Communities in Bloom awards, including national and international championships. This is best exemplified by the garden beds at the city hall.
With a current population of just under 100,000, it is the twelfth largest city in the province. It lies at the confluence of the North and South Thompson Rivers, two of the major tributaries to the Fraser River.
About Kamloops
Kamloops is ideally located in the heart of British Columbia’s sunny Southern Interior and is easily accessed by road, air, and rail.
The word Kamloops is the English translation of the Shuswap word Tk’emlúps, which means “where the rivers meet”, and has been the home of the Tk’emlupsemc, the “people of the confluence”, for centuries.
Tk’emlúps has always occupied a place of great economic importance in our region. Traversed by two major waterways, traditional Tk’emlupsemc territory was the centre of major traffic and trade routes. Due to the community’s great economic and military strength, as well as our ancestor’s pivotal role in the creation of peace accords, the Tk’emlupsemc were designated the Secwepemc7uwi, “the real Shuswap”.
Kamloops is a great community that nurtures growth. We are one of Canada’s premier host centres for developing amateur sport, tournaments, cultural events, high performance training camps and national and international competitions. As Canada’s Tournament Capital, we foster a grassroots philosophy of inclusion, accessibility, and sport development. Incorporated as a city in 1893, Kamloops has transitioned into an urban city while maintaining its western hospitality.
Kamloops takes pride in its vibrant arts community. Year-round locals and visitors alike enjoy professional and emerging art galleries and displays throughout the city. Amateur and professional theatre, music festivals, and established and emerging arts and culture organizations and events are held annually in our public venues.
From the City of Kamloops