Kamloops City Councillors took a few minutes on Tuesday to pay tribute to former councillor Pat Wallace and former mayor Cliff Branchflower who died on Saturday at the age of 90.

Councillors and city staff stood for a moment of silence ahead of Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole meeting before a pair of tributes from councillors.

Councillor Nancy Bepple said she had the privilege to sit next to Pat Wallace for six years.

“I can say personally, she was a wonderful mentor to me, but in terms of how she conducted herself as a councillor, she was exemplary,” Bepple said. “She looked to work with staff and used their expertise to make sound decisions for the benefits of the citizens. She went out of her way to listen to residents and find out what they were interested in.

“She was collaborative, not only around this table but also provincially through the UBCM and federally through the FCM.”

First elected in 1980, Pat Wallace served 11 terms before retiring in 2018.

“She really set the bar in terms of how to be a strong councillor and it was, in terms of her record of being elected multiple times, I think the people of Kamloops appreciated the work that she did,” Bepple added.

Councillor Kelly Hall also noted that Cliff Branchflower’s governance, policy, and the way he chaired meetings while mayor from 1991 to 1999 were “exemplary”.

“Cliff was an interesting guy and I’m speaking from the perspective of the news media,” Hall said. “He made it rather boring for us, I might add, but [he was] a genuine man.”

“[He] often said we’ve been given two ears and one voice, so it’s very paramount that we as council, as community, do more listening than speaking.”

Flags at civic facilities in Kamloops will remain at half-staff until both memorial services have taken place.