Five reasons to move to Kamloops
Five Reasons to Move to Kamloops Now
Ideally located and easily accessible in the heart of British Columbia’s sunny Southern Interior; Kamloops, with a population of 90,000 maintains a small-city vibe with metro amenities.
Community
Welcome to BC’s friendliest city. Kamloops has consistently been praised as one of the warmest and most welcoming cities in Western Canada.
Commonly referred to as the Tournament Capital, the Thompson-Nicola Region is also considered the volunteer capital. City Councillor Tina Lange, says there are so many people willing to volunteer in Kamloops; often waiting lists are necessary for large events. "We have more volunteering per capita than any city in the entire country," Lange said. "People volunteer in Kamloops like it's their duty."
Between multiple Rotary clubs, community and business organizations, family-friendly events like the Kamloops’ Film Festival, Ribfest and the Kamloops Marathon, this city has a lot going on in every neighbourhood to support diverse interests out in your backyard.
Arts & Culture
It may come as a surprise to some, but Kamloops celebrates a vibrant arts culture. Enjoy professional and emerging art galleries and displays throughout the city. Performers, artists and musicians have many opportunities to provide entertainment and display their work all year round.
There is no shortage of live theatre in Kamloops. Western Canada Theatre, Kamloops Players and Project X hosts annual programs of theatrical performances with everything from Les Miserable to Shakespeare to The Sound of Music, suiting a variety of tastes indoors and out.
Music seems to be everywhere in Kamloops. Between the Kamloops Symphony Society, a variety of night clubs and pubs hosting local and out-of-town acts, and each night from July 1 to August 31, the City of Kamloops hosts Music in the Park, free nightly musical entertainment at Riverside Park.
Art enthusiasts have their choice of over ten galleries in the city including the Kamloops Art Gallery, the principal gallery for visual arts in the Southern Interior of BC.
Outdoor Recreation
The word Kamloops is the English translation of the Shuswap word Tk’emlúps, meaning ‘where the rivers meet.’ For sport fans, fitness lovers and water recreational enthusiasts, this is an under-the-radar destination that dreams are made of. The Kamloops Rowing Club is 20 minutes from the city centre and the Kamloops Canoe, Kayak and Kamloops Waterski Club are found on Shumway Lake.
Known internationally as Canada’s Tournament Capital, the city has been synonymous with a multitude of world-class sporting events, including the 2018 BC Winter Games. With a wide variety of outstanding venues, strong athletic culture and a knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteer base.
Kamloops has a worldwide mountain bike rep. At almost 800 hectares, Kenna Cartwright Park is BC’s largest municipal park. There are more than 40 kilometres of trails that offer panoramic views of the city, valley, Kamloops Lake and rivers. The Bike Ranch is a 26-hectare area located in terraced and gullied silt bluffs and open grasslands with an elevation change of 132 m over its 1.1 km length.
Ski, bike, hike and ride at Sun Peaks Resort just a short drive from the city. Sun Peaks’ behemoth 4,270 acres is spread across three skiable peaks, making it the second-largest ski area in all of Canada. The resort receives six meters of snow annually and is blessed with light, dry powder conditions that the Interior of BC is famous for.
Affordability
The Kamloops housing market is among the hottest in the province right now, and the affordability crunch in the Lower Mainland is paying some big dividends for the BC Interior.
While the Vancouver market has cooled down slightly, it's not stopping people on the coast from packing their bags and moving to the interior. With this market, you're basically looking at getting the same quality of home in Kamloops for about a third the price you'd get in the most neighbourhoods in the lower mainland. The median price for a home in Kamloops sits at $450,000.
Growth Potential
Kamloops is still a central hub with its south-central geographic location connecting to Calgary, Vancouver, and the northern Cariboo-Chilcotin regions. A great community that nurtures growth, Kamloops has transitioned into an urban city while maintaining its western hospitality. One of Canada’s premier host centres for developing amateur sport, tournaments, cultural events, high performance training camps and national and international competitions, Kamloops benefits from continual tourism. With Thompson Rivers University recently making the leap from college to university, a growing tech sector with several highly-successful startups rooted in the city and projected economic prosperity, Kamloops is set to continue on a path of upward growth.
Interested in Kamloops, give us a call 250.819.4833 or email tyrelhough@gmail.com—we’ve been locals all our lives and are happy to answer your questions.
Image provided by Tyler Meade Photography - yourphotos.ca