ROTHENBURGER – Will anyone speak up for heritage in the Tournament Capital?
(Image: Mel Rothenburger)
HERITAGE IN KAMLOOPS is in dire straits.
There is currently no effective voice for the preservation of heritage in the city. The degradation of advocacy for heritage began with the abandonment of the heritage commission by the current mayor and council, and became virtually complete when they took control of St. Andrew’s on the Square from the Kamloops Heritage Society.
All that’s left is a heritage “engagement group” that reports to one of council’s committees, and nobody ever hears from it.
There was a brief hope that the heritage society would be able to transform itself into an umbrella group for heritage interests but since exiting St. Andrew’s it has floundered and may fold entirely unless somebody rides to the rescue.
But without St. Andrew’s, it’s as though it’s in an identity crisis, unable to find a purpose for itself.
Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
I find it very disturbing that there is no committee for protecting our older homes. Like the ones on Nicola St. too that were torn down or relocated. There are too many greedy people ruining our town.
The local race for a seat at the horseshoe will be a “one pony” one and that is very unfortunate. The next four years will be unprecedented and not in a good way in my opinion. It will be fertile ground for editorials though.