Kamloops councillors have returned from the Union of BC Municipalities convention in Victoria with a unified message: municipalities are doing their part, but the province needs to step up — and fast.
Held from Sept. 22–26, the annual UBCM gathering brought together mayors, councillors, and provincial leaders to debate policies, share ideas, and lobby for solutions to shared challenges. From Kamloops, those challenges remain familiar but increasingly urgent: housing pressure, strained infrastructure, and growing concerns about crime and repeat offenders.
“There was a real unification amongst all municipalities,” said Councillor Katie Neustaeter, reflecting on her experience. “It really felt like a different level of urgency that was brought forward this year. The province has to do better. Patience has run out at every single level, and we are ready for change now.”
Safety and Public Order: ‘Out of Control’
Public safety was perhaps the loudest issue voiced by municipal leaders — and Kamloops councillors were front and center.
Neustaeter described a moment of solidarity outside the BC Legislature where leaders from across the province demanded urgent reform, especially around bail practices and repeat offenders.
“It was absolutely unignorable to stand on the steps of the legislature with mayors and councillors from across the province… saying what our community has been saying: the province must step in and provide,” she said. “Things are out of control when it comes to safety and security.”
Kamloops, like many BC cities, continues to call for stronger bail enforcement and more accountability for repeat offenders. Neustaeter pointed to renewed discussions with the Attorney General around establishing a Community Court in Kamloops — an initiative designed to bring justice, health, and social services together to reduce recidivism.
“We are poised and ready for this,” she said. “What we need is a yes from the province. If we really want to change the small number of people who are creating the most crime, this is a good approach for Kamloops.”
Housing Targets Without Support
Another consistent message from Kamloops councillors: housing mandates from the province are being handed down without the tools or funding to support them.
Before the convention, Councillor Bill Sarai warned that municipalities were being asked to densify neighborhoods — but without provincial help to upgrade water, sewer, and road systems. “We can’t just say, ‘build away’ and deal with infrastructure later,” Sarai said. “That cost shouldn’t fall to the municipality or taxpayers.”
Neustaeter doubled down after the convention, saying Kamloops received no assurances that financial help is on the way. “There is no way around the fact that [the province] does not have the dollars needed to invest in us,” she said. “For them to put arbitrary targets in place and then walk away is not going to yield the results they’re hoping for.”
Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer shared similar concerns. As a former mayor, he said many communities are facing a hard road ahead. “There’s other communities that are in a real pickle,” said Stamer. “They’re going to have to go to their taxpayers for another 10 or 15% [tax hike] after they’ve already asked for a significant amount in the last two or three years. And they’re going to get blamed because the provincial and federal governments aren’t helping them out.”
Infrastructure Strain: A Lack of Dollars, Not a Lack of Ideas
Councillor Stephen Karpuk said Kamloops is doing everything it can to meet housing goals, but warned that the province’s focus on occupancy metrics doesn’t reflect financial realities or market demand.
He also flagged the city’s slowing population growth as a challenge to maintaining services and infrastructure investment — issues that worsen when provincial dollars are missing.
Despite a provincial announcement of $130 million in infrastructure funding, Stamer says it’s simply not enough. “I think Barriere’s fire hall is about a $6 million fire hall,” he said. “There’s other municipalities that are looking for $30 and $40 million.”
Neustaeter noted Kamloops has proposed creative solutions, including unlocking provincially owned land within city limits to support local development. “Even just with that offering, it would make a tremendous difference,” she said. “But BC Housing continues with their strategies that, as far as I can tell, aren’t making a particular dent in the problem.”
Looking Ahead: A Call for Follow-Through
Despite their frustrations, Kamloops councillors say the convention reinforced the value of building relationships and advocating directly to ministers. “I’ve come home from past UBCMs feeling heard and encouraged when someone takes our concerns seriously,” said Sarai. “It can be frustrating when ministers change and relationships have to be rebuilt, but this is part of the process.”
Neustaeter said she left Victoria with renewed determination to push for action — especially on public safety. “We’ll believe it when we see it,” she said. “A hundred new [mental health] beds isn’t going to do the trick, but it’s a start. We need to see those investments here too — in Kamloops, not just in Vancouver or Victoria.”
