Kamloops, BC – October 30th, 2023
With Kamloops’ growing population, the North Shore has undergone plans to create a modern and larger community. In September 2022, the City of Kamloops Council unanimously approved the North Shore Neighbourhood Plan (NSNP). This plan is a blueprint for reshaping and enhancing the North Shore, where the community can thrive and grow. The NSNP will occur over 20 years and include the North Shore, Brocklehurst and Airportlands. The basis of this plan is to “support a mix of residential, commercial, and community uses within the North Shore, … [i]mprove travel … for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users” and updating pedestrian zones (City of Kamloops). With its growing population, the North Shore has undergone plans to create a modern and larger community. In September 2022, the City of Kamloops Council unanimously approved the North Shore Neighbourhood Plan (NSNP). This plan is a blueprint for reshaping and enhancing the North Shore, where the community can thrive and grow. The NSNP will transpire over 20 years, including the North Shore, Brocklehurst and Airportlands. The basis of this plan is to “support a mix of residential, commercial, and community uses within the North Shore, … [i]mprove travel … for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users” and updating pedestrian zones (City of Kamloops).
With waterfront views, parks, and proximity to downtown and the airport, it is no wonder the North Shore accumulates the majority of Kamloops’ population. However, as the population grew and years went by, it quickly became apparent that the plan needed updating. The previous neighbourhood plan for the North Shore came out fifteen years ago, in 2008, making the area visually outdated. Committing to the new 2022 plan is a huge step for shaping this area. The North Shore has been put on the back burner for updates while other projects like Juniper, Valleyview, and Downtown have been put on the forefront of modernizing. Hopefully, with this update, Kamloopsians will get rid of the stigma that the North Shore has and think about it in a positive light.
To dive deeper into how the Neighbourhood Plan will affect the residents and local community, this is some firsthand perspectives of how locals feel about this project.
Emily Shuttleworth, 27, resides in Westsyde but has grown up in Brocklehurst and attended high school on the North Shore. Even though she hasn’t heard about the NSNP, Shuttleworth says she’s noticed “residential areas expanding further… [with] more apartment buildings popping up.” As someone who is connected with her community, she partakes in events “like Overlanders Day, tapestry festival… [and the] Effie arts club,” exclaiming that she goes “there all the time to watch shows, I love it!” However, her excitement quickly turns to concern when considering housing and affordability. While sounding like a good idea, she believes that “there’s going to be some gentrification for sure… [if it] becomes a more desirable place for Kamloopsians to live, it’s going to jack up the housing and living prices; therefore pushing out people that maybe have always lived on the NS but can no longer afford it.” While these changes won’t happen overnight, she hopes the plan can keep “the housing affordable.” Some changes that she would like to see are “Coffee shops, [more] entertainment… a community centre or an art gallery.” She also believes that the North Shore “can benefit by incorporating more bike lanes.”
Another long-term resident is Glen Firman. Firman is knowledgeable about the NSNP and has noticed revitalization in the area within the past few years. He believes that if Kamloops follows in Vancouver’s footsteps, we can see a vibrant space “with restaurants and shops.” Following this path of renewal, Firman can imagine that “in the next 5-10 years… [the North Shore is] going to be more of a destination.” While these new plans benefit Kamloops, he sees it as an upgrade for locals rather than a tourist destination spot. The main challenge that Firman sees with this renovation is housing prices. While it’s great for the North Shore and Kamloops’s growing population, it’ll cause “house prices to jump… which… [will] be a challenge for the lower income earners.” While unable to pinpoint specific stores he wants the community to have, he hopes the plan improves the safety of the North Shore, saying, “I wanna see the crime rate go down and make our city better and attractive to other people.” Feeling like the North Shore gets ignored, he thinks that “we spend a lot of time, money, and resources on expanding Sahali and Aberdeen… [while] majority of our population is on the North Shore.” and believes that “we need to look into reinvesting into neighbourhoods that are longstanding within Kamloops.” Overall, Firman is pleased that this plan is going through and wants to see the city thrive and grow.
Overall, the North Shore Neighbourhood Plan aims to recreate and modernize the North Shore to make it a thriving hub for the community. With local voices speaking highly of this project, this demonstrates that it will be profitable for the future of Kamloops.
Image Credit: City of Kamloops
