Could Kami the Fish carve out a new home in Aberdeen, overlooking the Thompson rivers? The city is giving $4,000 to Tourism Kamloops to replace a trout sculpture outside its office, which is . . .
Kamloops was among 68 communities to receive heritage infrastructure funding. City of Kamloops culture manager Barb Berger said work will start this spring. She said exterior work will include repairing granite and stone as the Seymour Street side of the building is in poor condition. She said mortar is crumbling beneath the blocks. In addition, the slate roof will be replaced. Inside the building, some of the dark fir wood will be refinished, particularly in high-traffic areas and down the staircase. “I think that will give it a huge lift,” Berger said. She said the work will be “restoration” so as to preserve the historical significance of the building.
The city’s CAO, David Trawin, said the position arose independent of supplemental budget talks and as a result of strategic planning and succession planning. Trawin said social issues have increased in Kamloops, noting staff need help. The city currently has a social supervisor who reports to the city’s social and culture manager, Barb Berger, and up to the director, Byron McCorkell. Trawin said Berger and McCorkell are both getting swamped, noting those portfolios are large and support is needed beneath. “With the social issues, the culture’s not getting anything, the recreation’s not getting much,” Trawin said. “Byron’s been involved in the bylaw issue and fire and RCMP, with some of those things, and also social issues. It’s more to get a manager in there so we respond better and there’s more oversight of the social.”
As part of his board work, Gill is chair of three finance-related standing committees at TRU: audit, finance and an advisory committee on investments. KTW has received letters from Kamloops residents sent to Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training Anne Kang, calling for Gill’s removal from those positions at the university. KTW is not naming the letter writers due to requests for anonymity. One letter, sent to the advanced education minister on Feb. 22, 2021 states: “As the saying goes, sunlight is the best disinfectant. Jessica Wallace has provided ample sunlight; I should hope that the skidmark that caused a shameful and embarrassing stain on the TNRD will be scrubbed out expediently by TRU and the Province of BC as to not also tarnish the upstanding reputation of TRU.”