Kamloops Airport gets clearance for major redevelopment

KAMLOOPS – Tuesday night’s (Jan. 23) public hearing regarding the rezoning of Kamloops Airport lands drew plenty of interest from the community.

“It’s been a long process here. We have been at this for years,” said Tony Ryan, from the Kamloops Airport Authority Society.

Community members came out to voice both support and concern about the logistics of the project. Many were concerned how the rezoning would impact the walking trails along the river.

However, after the project presentation, many of those fears were calmed.

“Part of the zoning proposal includes setting aside some parkland for use on that, as well as maintaining access to the Rivers Trail and the lands that are quite popular for recreational use along the dike and south toward the river,” Ryan explained.

After hearing from the public and discussion, city council voted unanimously in favour of the project.

“I’m exceptionally excited about what we have managed to do here and what’s more to come,” said city councillor Stephen Karpuk. “I look forward here in the next couple of years to seeing that development start to become a reality. As I’m aware, I think as some of our other board members are, what potential is existing in the background just waiting for us to — as they say, pun intended — land this development. And we did.”

After years in the making, the Kamloops Airport Authority Society is finally able to develop the 276-hectare parcel of land encompassing the airport itself.

“Today was the fruition of those efforts where we were able to take the lands that the Kamloops Airport Authority Society has and start making plans to further develop the airport,” Ryan told CFJC News.

The new zoning allows for a broader range of commercial industrial and airport-related use.

“There’s going to be some new streets out of the airport, possibly a cul-de-sac,” Karpuk said. “We’re excited to see things like a destination hotel and obviously, some other amenities that will support that airport as we intended to build an airport as an asset, not just develop at an airport.”