Riverside Park ~ MacArthur Park ~ Kamloops, BC ~ Flooding 2017

Flooding is not new to Kamloops but the threat of it still creates fear of the possibility of it happening again.  The fact there are two rivers meeting at Kamloops only doubles the chances.

Riverside Park in Kamloops

This winter there was a lot of snow up in those mountains, then we got some cool days with quite a bit of rain, and then the hot weather speeds up the melting.  Mix all of that together and we have a flood threat in Kamloops.

High water at Thompson River wharf

The parks are feeling the high water level, although that hasn’t stopped people from visiting the parks.  The wharf at Riverside Park is at water level, when it is usually several metres above that.  The railings have been removed to discourage any visitors onto that so barely visible.

Forbidden waters

Normally there is a very large sandy beach between the sidewalk shown and the river’s edge.  This shows the water to be about as high as we’d like to see it come up.  At this point, the damage appears to be extremely minimal.

Playtime

There are white bags sitting on water grates all over the city that will hopefully prevent any water coming up through those grates from the storm drains.   Water in this parking lot at the east end of Riverside Park is fairly shallow so many are enjoying the walk through the water.

River height history

This monument shows the water heights throughout history but also the height of the water for the floods we’ve been through.  The one that we personally lived through was in 1972, 3 weeks after we’d moved into our new home.  More info on this from a previous blog I had written here.  

Under the railway bridge

Typically one would be able to follow the path under the bridge that would then take you to Pioneer Park, which is mainly covered in water on this day.

Kids playing in the water

At this point, the railway bridge is not in any danger from the rising waters.  Many people were at the park enjoying this sunny Sunday with their families, many of which were playing in the water, and it was not only the young that were playing.

MacArthur Park boat launch

The boat launch at MacArthur Park has been closed due to the high waters, although the next photo shows a small boat tied to the small wharf, which is usually many feet lower than it is now.  Signs do not always work but at least this boat is not out on the river, which would be quite dangerous to maneuver.

At this point in time, the North Thompson River has been said to have crested, meaning there is no longer a danger of flooding.  The South Thompson River has not crested yet, but had dropped several inches since these photos were taken.  The threat of flooding has lessened and hopefully will allow Kamloops to get past this point, once again, without any damage done by flooding.

Sun Peaks ~ Ski Days ~ Kamloops, BC

Our grandson, Millan had been skiing with his dad, our son Brook and taken an incredible photo that got me excited to see more.

I haven’t put on a pair of skiis for so many years that the thought of doing it was scary so that wasn't going to happen.  I asked Millan if he would like to make a ‘ski team’ with me at home and he take more ski photos that I could use on a blog.  He thought it was a great idea, too, so here are the results!  All photos by Millan Webster.

Amazing view from Gil's Hike

This is the first photo taken on one of their earlier ski days of the season.  This was the view when they took the Gil’s Hike.  This was a very beautiful view taken by a 13 year old with his phone!  I was impressed! The project then began!

Elevation Chair

The Elevation Chair is seen from the black Cariboo Run.  The colors green, blue and black are used to explain the difficulty of the run, and green is the easiest of them, blue for a bit more experienced, black is difficult but there are double black, even more difficult.

Homesteader Run

Tod Mountain is the highest peak of three at 2155 metres (7070’) that are the Sun Peaks Alpine Resort.  Sundance Mountain and Mt. Morrisey are the other two that have been added for more skiing trails over the years and are all part of the Shuswap Highlands.

OSV Tree Trail

Tod Montain was named after John Tod, a fur trader in charge of Fort Kamloops in 1841.  This became a local ski area for Kamloops with the Burfield Lodge and Burfield chair opening in 1961.

Green Rambler Trail

Tod Mountain was purchased by a large company in 1992.  It was renamed in 1993 and has seen much growth and become internationally known since.

Green 5 Mile Run

Sun Peaks now has 12 lifts that can handle 12,000 riders per hour.  The longest lift is the Burfield Lift that has survived all these years, being a 23 minute ride.  There are 135 runs and 40 km of cross country trails. 

View from Bentos Lodge

Our skiing days are long behind us now but I do remember enjoying our beautiful Sun Peaks scenery on days with powder white snow and blue skies with our kids.  Our younger generations are now enjoying the same, our 7 year old grandson had his first lesson and loved it!  Another one for the ‘ski team’!  It is wonderful to be able to see their photos to bring back those memories of skiing days!

Shuswap Lodge 

Thanks to Millan, our wonderful 13 year old grandson who is also now my ‘ski team’ and ‘blogging partner’ and who contributed these great photos.

Sun Peaks has so much more to offer.  Visit it soon! 

Riverside Park in April ~ Kamloops, BC

We see the beauty of Riverside Park in Spring

Riverside Park in downtown Kamloops has been a great attraction for summertime and water activities for many years.  Our summers usually begin early and end well into September but our time spent down in the park in mid-April appeared to be rather quiet but a hot summer day.

Boats on Thompson River at Riverside Park

There is no doubt that we’ve had some great weather in past Aprils but this one seems to be breaking records for hot days and many are getting out there to enjoy those days at the local parks.

Spring growth in Riverside Park

Riverside Park was officially named in 1933 but used for many years previous to that.  The workers who were building the Canadian Pacific Railway back as far as 1885 used the park as a campsite.

Riverside Park history

This is a photo taken of Riverside Park in 1939 which shows a beautiful park down by the Thompson River and some of its’ history.  The park went through many very interesting changes over the early years and we are very fortunate to still have this beautiful gem as part of our downtown area.

Variety Kids Waterpark

The Variety Kids Waterpark has not opened yet this season, but there were some wishing that it was.  This waterpark replaced a wading pool and the Centennial Pool of long ago where many of us enjoyed spending our summer days when we were kids.  It was warmer than the river and easier for swim lessons.  I believe it was built as a celebration of the 1958 Centennial.

Lush and green Riverside Park

The park makes a great meeting place for family gatherings and picnics where the kids can play on playground equipment to waterparks and others can sit in the shade of these big old trees and enjoy their time spent at the park.  So many things happen here, like Music in the Park in July and August and Ribfest in August to just name a couple of them.

Tranquility of Riverside Park

Several events are held here every year and to see some of these celebrations of the past for the Bicentennial Day, Canada Day, special events like the MS Walk (to be held May 1, 2016)  and Remembrance Day, plus many more Summerevents, click on them to take you to that page. 

The Rivers Trail begins here

The Rivers Trail is a legacy of the 2000 Millenium.  It has a continuous trail between Westsyde and the Yellowhead Bridge which brings these neighbourhoods together and celebrates the importance of the Thompson Rivers to Kamloops.

Uji Friendship Garden

In 1990, Uji, Japan became a sister city to Kamloops and Mayor Philip Gaglardi and the mayor of Uji signed friendship agreements to enhance relationships and understandings between the citizens of both cities.  There have been many cultural exchanges done between the two cities with music, art and sports groups over the years. 

Entrance to Uji Friendship Garden

Mayor Mel Rothenburger reaffirmed this agreement with the Mayor of Uji on the tenth anniversary in 2000 and a tree was planted with Mayor Peter Milobar to commemorate the twentieth anniversary.  The Uji Friendship Garden is a favourite spot where local high school grad classes come to take their photos.

There are several areas of the Riverside Park to visit and be enjoyed including the Rose Garden, tennis courts, a concession and the pier has a great view of the Thompson Rivers with Mt. Peter and Mt. Paul as a backdrop.  

Murals ~ Back Alley Art Gallery ~ Kamloops, BC

Alley murals in Kamloops, BC

Murals are a great way to tell a story or share some history and we have some talented artists in Kamloops that have contributed to the story telling with murals.

Mural in 200 Victoria St. alley

In 2010, the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association decided that the alleys of downtown Kamloops needed some cleaning up and improvement.  Murals were the answer and the Back Alley Art Gallery was born.

The Big Boot Inn mural

The Big Boot Inn has been in business for many years and is part of the history of Victoria Street.  The mural offers a display window look into the past.

Great optical illusion

Murals do improve the appearance of our downtown alleyways.  Before the murals were there, alleys were quite unsightly but they seem to keep cleaner since their addition.

Overview of Kamloops shops and the rivers and hills

The sad part is that these murals are not often seen by the locals or visitors to our city unless they are making a point of walking through the alleys. There are several other cities that have done this mural painting, as well, as it is a great way to feature some of the history of the city.

Plan a walk down the alleys between Victoria and Seymour Street on the 200 and 300 blocks the next time you are downtown and see these murals.  Share the sights with others.

Images of Marilyn Monroe

Details of mural at Castles and Cottages

I spoke with Rosie, owner of Castles and Cottages to hear what was behind her choice of this mural behind her shop.  Rosie was approached by the KCBIA a couple of years ago but she had no thoughts of what she might like until she saw the artist Kelly Wright’s picture of a mermaid.

Castles and Cottages store

Rosie’s inspiration comes from her Mediterranean ancestry, the love of the water and with Kelly’s artistic contributions led to this mystical mural with mermaids and King Neptune, mythological god of the sea.  Castles and cottages are part of this wonderful mural, too, shown in the top left corner.

Street musicians

Some murals feature the stores they are behind, others have a fantasy touch or famous actresses and others may be a story but whatever they are, we appreciate and enjoy their great addition to our alleyways.  Hopefully they continue and there will be some of our local history shared this way, too.

Venice in Kamloops

Tourism Kamloops has listed the murals as a cultural walking tour in Kamloops and you will see the addresses listed on their page.  The murals that are listed on their page include the artist’s names, as well.

2016 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship ~ Kamloops, BC

The exciting week of  Women's World Hockey 

This past week Kamloops has been host to the 2016 Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship and what a week it was!  The world was well represented by some very talented women who worked hard to take home the gold!

Flags of each Women's hockey team

Represented by a team were Finland, Russia, United States, Czech Republic, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland and Canada.   Finland, Russia, United States and Canada were in Group A the others were Group B, based on their previous ratings.

Home to 2016 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship

Kamloops has a great reputation for the volunteers that always come out to help on these occasions and this was no exception.  There was a total of 450 volunteers involved in this week’s activities, held at the Sandman Centre and the McArthur Island Sport & Event Centre.

USA and Russia play

The referees and linesmen, which appears to be a misnomer, were an international group of women if I saw that correctly.  I did not see all games, but we were fortunate enough to watch one of the games that were played by USA and RUSSIA down at the Sandman Centre.   We saw a few more, thanks to TSN, from the comfort of our home.  These photos are of the USA and RUSSIA game.

USA dominated the scoreboard

Canada and the USA team have been competing against one another for the gold for the history of this tournament since it began in 1990.  There have been sixteen tournaments in total and this one is number seventeen.  Canada has won the gold ten times and the US won silver on those years.  The US won gold on six occasions and Canada won silver on those years.  The competition is strong.

Everyone played to win

The final game was played, as expected by Canada and the US teams.  What an incredible game.  The crowd was showing a full house of red and made lots of noise to support team Canada!  There could not have been a more exciting game played, the score after 3 periods was 0-0.  It then went into overtime.

Anthem played for winning team

The final game was played into overtime.  The goalies from each team were definitely the stars of the game but all players played their hearts out and did a great job of trying to win the gold.  The winning goal was scored at 12.5 minutes into overtime by team USA to take home the gold and Canada won the silver.

Emerance Maschmeyer of Alberta, the goalie for team Canada, made 33 saves in this final game.  She was named the top goaltender by the International Ice Hockey Federation directorate for the tournament.  This young woman was amazing for her first start in this world tournament.  Alex Rigsby of team USA made 32 saves in this game and was an awesome goalie for her team.

This was a job well done by all who participated in this great tournament, players and volunteers. 

                         Way to go, Kamloops, BC!

Show and Shine ~ Hot Nite in the City ~ Kamloops, BC

Mix together Kamloops, hot August days and a car show and you’ll have one of the biggest and best car shows our city will see called the Show and Shine Hot Nite in the City!  This year celebrates the 20^th anniversary of this show. 

1932 Ford 2 door sedan ~ Kamloops, BC

Hot Nite in the City did begin as a Thursday night show but it later became a two day event, growing as it did over time and having many from other places come to show their cars, too.

1934 Ford wrecker  ~ Cache Creek, BC

Friday night is the registration and Poker-run which was added eleven years ago for participants to get involved and see the city.  The last stop of that run is the A/W, the annual hosts for this evening.

1942 Ford cavover pickup ~ Kelowna, BC

The show once took one city block but now covers thirteen blocks.  Victoria Street and the avenues on either side are closed for the day and allows cars to line the streets for everyone to see and enjoy. 

1950 Ford F-100 ~ Washington, USA

 I would say that by the crowds always gathering around this beauty makes it the star of the show.  The crowds are large and music fills the air, the shops are open to welcome visitors in to make the downtown experience a great one. 

1951 Ford pickup ~ Quesnel, BC

 350 cars were expected to participate in this year’s event and they varied from vintage cars to semi-trucks and everything in between. They come from far and wide and are welcomed with Kamloops hospitality to the Hot Nite in the City Show and Shine.

1937 Oldsmobile Touring Sedan

What a trip down memory lane this offers for many whether it is an old family car or otherwise, you will hear people sharing a story of the past when they see a special car.

1929 Ford ~ home built ~ Summerland, BC

This show brings people from all over the western provinces to participate as well as from Washington, Oregon and Colorado.  The car club communities enjoy sharing their pride and joy and many make their return yearly. 

1961 Buick Bubble Top ~ Nanaimo, BC

We, the people of Kamloops do enjoy seeing these vehicles, some of which are absolutely vehicular works of art!  The support and enjoyment shows with the crowds that walked the streets of Kamloops on Saturday. 

Ribfest at Riverside Park, Kamloops, BC

Ribfest is now a big part of the Hot Nites in the City weekend and the Daybreak Rotary Club of Kamloops biggest fundraiser of the year.  Several vendors come from out of town to sell to people lined up for hours to taste those delicious BBQ ribs.

Music can be heard from every corner of the park and Music In the Park at the Rotary Bandshell had an audience of thousands enjoying their entertainment of the evening. A large kid zone with lots of free attractions were enjoyed, too.

These events take hundreds of hours of volunteer work to happen and the work of these volunteers is applauded by all.  The success of these events are shown both by the turnout of locals and the thousands of dollars donated to our organizations as a result of this. 

Thank-you to all the volunteers who played a part in this week-ends festivities, a great job was done by all.