
Topographical map of area where new housing development is being proposed/via City of Kamloops
The gap between the Aberdeen and Pineview neighborhoods in southwest Kamloops is poised to start filling in even further, provided final approvals from the City move through.
As the developer waits on the approvals, work on a critical link for the community — and construction in the area — wrapped up for the winter on Friday, December 13th.
Kamloops Council has given the tentative go-ahead to create a community-sized housing development on the southern edge of the Pineview neighborhood, directly behind the site of the long-awaited Snine Elementary School.
It’s design includes 120 town houses, as well as a 60 unit apartment building on its northwestern end — potentially adding hundreds of new residents to the area.
The proponent still has to clear a public hearing, as well as sign a pair of covenants with the City before final approvals can be given.
One of the agreements is a Wildfire Interface Covenant.
This requires the developer to go through an initial stage fire danger assessment, which in the Pineview neighborhood has traditionally been “high.”
If the danger assessment is “high,” the developer would be expected to adopt fire-resistant building materials, as well a regular maintenance program to clear the immediate area of fire hazards, both during and after the project is finished, on top of the standard FireSmart programs individual home owners would implement on their properties.
The cost to implement a Wildfire Interface Covenant are initially borne by the developer, but then passed on to home buyers as part of the asking price, as well as any ongoing residential maintenance fees.
A second Covenant the developer is being required to sign will give the City right-of-way access to a critical water infrastructure, the Pineview Reservoir.
- Close up view of Pineview Reservoir facility/via Google Maps
- Trail areas behind the Pineview neighborhood (Reservoir location highlighted in red)/via Google Maps
Local trails in the wooded area — popular with hikers — also allow a link to the City-run Reservoir along the network, part of which goes directly through the property to be developed.
“That [access] hasn’t been protected over the years, so that’s going to happen throughout this project. Things like future trail connections, that will be dealt with in the development permit stage. There’s a lot of trails in those hills,” noted Development Director Marvin Kwiatkowski while presenting the rezoning application to Kamloops Council. “As part of this development, construction of a trail network and reservoir access road will be required, which will connect to the Copperhead Drive extension,” added the report Council.
Traffic and student safety concerns raised
As the owner, Copper Peak Developments, awaits final approvals from the City for the new housing project, construction in the immediate area is expected to begin ramping up in the spring.
The Kamloops-Thompson School District hopes to open Snine Elementary for the start of the 2026-27 school year.
- Artist rendering of the front view of Snine Elementary in Pineview/via Station One Architects
- Artist rendering of Snine Elementary School in Pineview/via Station One Architects
The “ground breaking” for the new school took place in June, 2024, but the real work is expected to begin once the City completes the Copperhead Drive connector, which will form a direct transportation link between the Pineview and Aberdeen communities.
Work on Copperhead Drive shut down for the winter on Friday, December 13th, but with expectations the third and final phase of construction on the route will resume in the spring.
Once it resumes, the City is warning there may be some local challenges as work pushes toward a conclusion, which is expected to be next summer — though no exact timelines for the roadwork have been stated publicly by the City.
“There will be an increase in heavy truck traffic in the area due to construction,” said the City in its Let’s Talk update on Friday. “Exercise caution in the construction zone and obey all traffic control signage.”
Once done, it will link the two neighborhoods, providing crews with a secondary route for materials needed to get the new Elementary School online in 2026.

Topographical map showing location of Copperhead Drive extension, linking Aberdeen with Pineview/via City of Kamloops
Access to that completed school from the proposed housing development is something that has raised early concerns among decision makers on Kamloops Council.
“It really isn’t clear to me if there’s a safe way to bicycle from these two streets to the [Snine] Elementary School,” said Councillor Nancy Bepple while reviewing the rezoning application for the housing development. “They would have to go out to Copperhead Drive, which is crossing a very busy street, and then cycle along a very busy street, and then cross back into the school yard.”
Assured by City staff this is an issue for the development permit phase, the City has been cognizant of possible traffic concerns along Copperhead.
“The proposed development has required a trip generation memo to determine how it will impact future traffic flows on the Copperhead Drive extension,” noted the City in its impact assessment to Council. “The memo confirmed that this development would not generate flows high enough to impact the traffic flows on Copperhead Drive.”
Local and environmental issues addressed
The scope of the project has also raised some concerns about how much locals living in the area know about the project, and its impact on them.
Councillor Stephen Karpuk made a point of inquiring about how much input SD73 has been be given as the housing process worked its way through to City Council.
“Continual discussions with the School District,” noted City Development Director Marvin Kwiatkowski. “We have been [in discussions] on, not just the [surrounding] School District project, but also growth in the area. They’re very aware of that.”
The developer is said to be taking a proactive approach in providing information.
“The applicant has proactively engaged with the local community, including hosting a virtual open house on Zoom on October 16, 2024,” said the City’s report to Council. “The applicants also contacted the Pineview Valley Community Association and the Aberdeen Neighbourhood Association about the open house, and other community groups were also involved in the open house and other discussions about the site.”
Tk’emlups has also been involved, doing an assessment for any potential archaeological considerations.
Local environmental impacts were also reviewed, and will likely require further analysis as the development process gets underway.
“Three species at risk that may use the property were highlighted in the report, the Great Basin Gopher Snake, Lewis’s Woodpecker, and American Badger,” noted the City in its assessment report. “The site does not provide suitable nesting habitat for the woodpeckers, nor larger colonial prey species to attract badgers for an extended period.”
Despite that initial assessment, there will ultimately be added costs to the developer on the environmental front.
“A qualified environmental professional will need to be retained throughout the process to prepare a Construction Environmental Management Plan and implement the best management practices and mitigation measures outlined in that plan,” said the report to Council.
A date for the public hearing on the project has not been set, though expectations are it could take place in mid-January following the first open Council meeting of 2025.
More detailed information about home designs, landscaping and access to Snine Elementary should become available once the development permits are processed and put before City Council.