EDITORIAL – What should Kamloops build as a really ‘iconic structure’?
An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.
TOURISM KAMLOOPS wants to build an “iconic structure” for Kamloops. It just doesn’t know what it will be yet. Or where it will go.
But the tourism agency wants to study it. It’s a little like the old Seinfeld episodes about creating a TV series about nothing.
According to Tourism Kamloops, an “iconic structure” would “enhance the city’s competitiveness in comparison to emerging attractions” in other areas. It would “attract external investments, thereby benefitting both residents and tourists.”
The very word “iconic” is overused these days, much like “unprecedented.” Something that’s iconic is supposed to be unique, famous, symbolic. Scoring tickets for a Taylor Swift concert is not iconic.
The Colosseum in Rome is iconic. So are the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and the pyramids, and the Forbidden City in Beijing and — well, you get the picture. It could be argued that Toronto’s CN Tower is iconic, and maybe even Canada Place.
So, obviously, it can’t be any old thing. And it should be big. Tourism Kamloops gives as examples the Sea-to-Sky Gondola in Squamish, the SkyWalk near Victoria and the suspension bridge in Golden. So what could we build in Kamloops that’s iconic? A big hockey stick or a giant curling rock would fit the Tournament Capital theme but they’ve been done elsewhere.
In the past, there have been ideas for a canal system on the North Shore, a gondola up Mount Paul, and a series of massive sculptures on the old bridge pylons. Something like that might be iconic.
What Tourism Kamloops wants to do is get some grant money from the Southern Interior trust, which administers funds for economic development. TK would then do an “amazing” feasibility study including consultation with the community.
Some will dismiss the exercise as a waste of time and money, and worry about what building whatever it is might cost, but I’ll bet it comes up with some creative ideas.
I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.
Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Our rivers and lake are already iconic structures. Why not promote a river festival and/or support water and shore activities to bring recognition to them?
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The taxpayers in Kamloops are going to find out how much the Bylaw Boondoggle is going to cost us.
A statue of Byron holding a copy of the invoice to cover back wages, vacation pay plus interest plus incidental costs could be planted in front of City Hall. An endless recording of his spin on things could be played 24/7 for the enjoyment of all.
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I doubt we’ll ever find out–city hall will keep those costs secret claiming they fall under “land, legal & labour.” I’ll be checking the city’s financial reports for 2023 and next year’s 2024 report, though. They won’t itemize each charge, but I’m prepared to see a huge number next to “legal expenses” in the ledger, due to Coun. Neustaeter’s legal costs, the original CSO arbitration, the city’s subsequent appeal, and of course the restitution payments to affected workers we’re now on the hook for.
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how about another Gondola ride. This one from the top of Mt Peter (?) to The Sandman center, with a restaurant at the top. F/N suggested a restaurant there several years ago. This would be a joint venture and would draw many to the area . OR the city could build a massive apartment building own town that would ruin the quality of life for everybody, I know from personal experiance how effective that would be.
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Nanaimo has it all tied up with the iconic bathtub race.
Kamloops shouldn’t be outdone by Nanaimo.
I think it proper to have a life size model of the old vehicle that was towed away from the car lot on Victoria Street West. It could be mounted atop an altar in front of City Hall.
Every year, homage could be paid by the citizens of the community to reverently remember the day when Kamloops celebrated the deepest level of public safety ever thought possible.
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My proposal is a sculpture scene downtown. It will feature the scene of David Eby, his hand pointing forward towards the community. Representatives from BC Housing eagerly follow behind him, taking notes on potential areas for wet shelter facilities and soup kitchens. Beside them, a pile of brand new stock pots are piled as far as the eye can see.
Discarded needles and clumps of dark organic matter are scattered about. In the distance, a man can be seen carrying a hatchet.
Over to the left, a river scene showing the mighty Thompson River being scattered with trash from tent cities. A sofa can be seen in between the trees. A fire grows dangerously out of control. The Fire Marshall however ignores those risks and can be seen walking toward the Mayor’s business with a ticket in his hand.
To commemorate our strong small business scene, an exasperated business owner is shown pleading to council to do something. The council is shown in great detail, however their faces are left blank as an artistic metaphor to show that they can’t be persuaded by sound or by sight.
Ahead, a scene depicts a panicked driver slamming on their breaks on Victoria Street West, after a drug addict lurches into traffic unexpectedly, nearly causing a pileup.
Finally, the number 11 is front and centre, as large as the Kamloops sign of old, representing the double digit tax increase. The number 11 is tilting forward and about to crush a miniature reconstruction of the city below it. Highly paid city administrators can be seen hauling bags of money out of city hall in the distance.
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A bridge near the airport and a roadway going up to the Trans-Canada near the westbound weight scale. Perhaps not really “iconic” in itself but “iconic” in terms of smart planning with untold benefits for the livability of the city.
But for sure we cannot afford to build opulent monuments of dubious practical purposes.
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