Even ‘non-locals’ cry over loss of Kamloops Daily News

These thoughts from an out-of-town fan of Kamloops show that the pain caused by the recent closing of The Kamloops Daily News extends far from our own city.

LETTER — Let me begin by saying that while I have never lived in Kamloops, I have done a lot of “living” there. Whether to hit Sun Peaks with my teen son, or through on the train to points east, or driving enroute to Calgary for the Stampede, Kamloops was ALWAYS a “must stop” place, at least for a night or two.

Last winter (2012/2013) my son and I made it snowboarding half a dozen times there, the year before that even more often, including a “KISS” rock concert at Sportmart Place.

We just love the place, much more than the “high-end” places like Kelowna or Penticton. Kamloops always felt more real.

We would hit Mr. Mike’s in the Fortune Centre to eat after a day on the slopes, later it becoming “Stouthouse,” but still serving fine steaks in the little strip-mall in North Kamloops. When we came to Sun Peaks in December of last year (2013), we were shocked to find the place had shut its doors, after being there in the SAME spot since March of 1969!

You can imagine our utter shock and disbelief when we found out The Daily News paper was going to be gone in 60 days, upon hearing the terrible news with everyone else, in early January 2014. Then we were even MORE upset when it all came down in a heap much earlier, barely a week after the first announcement. We would always browse that paper while in area restaurants, being sure to bring a copy for my folks back in Vancouver.

It was just SO wonderful to read about an upcoming rodeo, or a hockey game, or a spat between neighbours in Valleyview, or maybe about airport expansion, or the future of the Tranquille site, or……whatever.  I know you’ve heard and seen all the crying from locals about the paper saying bye-bye, but non-locals cry too. It was SO neat pointing out the downtown building to my son, explaining it was the site of the Bay department store, before it moved up to Aberdeen Mall in 1981/82. Or how the orange paper boxes held copies for sale throughout the region.

It just sucks it’s gone. SO bad. And on the heels of Canada Post’s bad news about the stopping of home delivery and soon-to-be $1/stamp cost. What the hell is next? Christmas 2014 called off?

You surely don’t recall, but I met and talked with you briefly in like 2004 or 2005 when you were attending a Sarah McLachlan concert (maybe it was Shania) at Sportmart Place, plus one other time on the Armstrong Explorer steam train that went from Campbell Creek to Armstrong and return in 2005. We chatted about Kamloops in general, and it was great…. happy times.

Now ain’t so happy, but I just want to say what that paper meant to me and my family. How damn often we’d read it in Mr. Mikes, whether at the Valleyview location near Convergys, or at the last-one-standing in the aforementioned Fortune Centre.

It surely will be missed. Plus I’m sad to say that with our favourite steakhouse closing, our visits to ‘loops will no doubt decrease in frequency. It’s small(ish) things like that (and some would include the paper) that makes a place “real,” or at least unique, if nothing else.

So thanks for all you’ve done with and for the paper over the years. If you are ever often down in this big place (Vancouver), my home for the last 46 years, contact me and I’ll buy you a beer.

ROB RANNARD

North Vancouver