The Kamloops Arena Multiplex project in the Dufferin neighbourhood is entering a pivotal validation phase, city staff confirmed this week. While the $140 million project has long been in the planning stages, this phase will finalize key operational and programming decisions that will guide design, construction, and eventual operations.
Capital Projects Manager Matt Kachel told the Build Kamloops Select Committee that the validation phase, which began in December 2025, is the stage where critical decisions about facility programming and operations are settled. “We’re really just getting started with it,” Kachel said. “We have many of the major objectives already in place, but as we work through validation, we’ll fill in the details to make sure everything comes together the way the community, Council, and committee expect.”
City staff say the work will culminate in a validation report, which will define the project’s scope, schedule, budget, and quality standards. According to the report, “Before finalizing the validation report, staff will provide the Build Kamloops Select Committee with an update to confirm that the scope and direction align with expectations, and to identify any significant risks or issues that may impact the project’s scope or deliverables.”
If alignment is confirmed, preliminary earthworks could commence as early as June 2026, with full building construction and roadwork improvements scheduled to begin in 2027. The facility is expected to open by 2030.
The arena multiplex, part of the city’s ambitious, recreation-focused Build Kamloops program, will rise on a municipally-owned site on Hillside Drive, near Kenna Cartwright Park. The two-storey facility will include:
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Four NHL-sized ice rinks, including one larger event rink
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A mini rink
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A public library with at least 5,000 sq. ft. of collection space
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Multi-purpose rooms and circulation spaces
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Support spaces for operations and storage
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Integration with existing recreation at Kenna Cartwright Park
Sport, Recreation and Wellness Manager Sherri Holmes highlighted the operational focus of the facility as an ice-first, year-round venue. “The validation phase allows us to carefully plan operational efficiencies, scheduling, and programming so that we can meet the needs of youth, adult, and competitive sports, as well as community recreation,” Holmes said. Ice time will be allocated to maximize tournaments, high-performance training, minor sports, adult leagues, figure skating, public skating, and sports event hosting.
Meanwhile, existing arenas—including Valleyview Arena, McArthur Island, and Brocklehurst Arena—will be prioritized for dry-floor activities during spring and summer months, such as trade shows, Emergency Social Services staging, fairs, exhibitions, and dry-floor sports. Holmes noted that this approach will also allow the city to reduce operational costs and increase environmental efficiency by consolidating ice operations at the multiplex.
Kachel stressed that land acquisition and coordination with third-party stakeholders—including BC Hydro, Fortis, and the Ministry of Transportation—remain the biggest risks to the schedule, but early discussions have been positive. He also emphasized that moving forward with preliminary earthworks while final building design continues will help keep the project on schedule. “Time is money. The faster we can validate and get moving, the better,” he said.
City staff will continue providing updates to the Build Kamloops Select Committee as the validation phase progresses, ensuring that community needs and expectations are reflected before construction begins.
