The Jane’s Walk Festival is coming to Kamloops for the first time this weekend, bringing a series of free, citizen-led walking tours designed to help residents see their neighbourhoods—and each other—in a new light.
Running May 1–3, the festival is organized locally by the Propolis Cooperative Housing Society and is part of a global movement inspired by urban thinker Jane Jacobs. Events will take place across the city, with no registration required for most walks.
Executive Director Lindsay Harris says the goal is simple but powerful: get people outside and talking to one another.
“It’s a series of free, community-led walking tours,” Harris explained in an interview. “The goal is really to get people out of their houses, meeting their neighbours, connecting with each other, seeing their neighbourhoods with new eyes, sharing stories about their neighbourhoods—and just really seeing the city with fresh eyes.”
A weekend of neighbourhood exploration
The festival begins Friday evening with “Hard Hats and Hot Takes,” a walk through the rapidly changing Tranquille corridor. The tour starts and ends at 422 Tranquille Road—future home of Propolis—where a launch party and community art exhibit will follow.
Saturday features a full slate of walks, including discussions on neighbourhood density and infill on the North Shore, the long-running Walk for Peace, Social Justice and the Environment, a Downtown Heritage Corridor tour, and a Brock walk examining how sidewalks and drainage shape everyday pedestrian life.
On Sunday, participants can choose between a reflective “Awe Walk” from Pioneer Park to Riverside Park or a tour exploring the urban character of Battle Street.
The weekend wraps up with a free screening of Citizen Jane: Battle for the City at the Paramount Theatre, presented in partnership with the Kamloops Film Society. Tickets are required for the screening, though all other events are drop-in.
Built by the community, for the community
Unlike traditional guided tours, Jane’s Walks are led by volunteers and residents—not experts—something Harris says is central to their appeal.
“The best part of Jane’s Walk is that you don’t need to be an expert to join in—everyone who lives here has a story to tell,” added volunteer organizer Carole McLeod in the release.
That grassroots approach aligns closely with the mission of Propolis, which is working to develop affordable cooperative housing in Kamloops.
“We are taking a citizen-led approach to building affordable cooperative homes,” Harris said. “We’ve always believed that citizens have a stake in their city—that people who live here should get a say in how the community develops, how it evolves, and the kind of city that we build together.”
She added that early response to the festival has been strong, building on the success of smaller neighbourhood walks hosted in recent years.
“People are so eager for an opportunity to meet with each other and to explore their neighbourhoods in new ways,” she said.
What to know before you go
All Jane’s Walk events are free and open to the public, with organizers encouraging participants to wear comfortable shoes and bring water. The festival is supported by volunteers and funding from United Way BC.
With dozens of cities worldwide participating each year, organizers hope Kamloops’ debut will become a lasting annual tradition—one conversation at a time.
