LETTER – The erosion of democracy in Kamloops

Supreme Court Judge Groves’ ruling on the Build Kamloops borrowing bylaws should give our city council pause. While he sided with the City, he also noted that using the Alternate Approval Process (AAP) was met with “skepticism and concern.” His warning was clear: when citizens are asked to shoulder hundreds of millions in long-term debt, they expect a real referendum not a procedural shortcut.

In just over a year, Kamloops residents have faced six borrowing bylaws through the AAP. Each time, the message is the same: council prefers to avoid the uncertainty of a public vote. Legally, the process is permitted. Democratically, it falls short.

The AAP was designed for urgent, short-term needs. Yet it is being used for projects that will shape Kamloops for generations. A new $150-million RCMP building, a performing arts centre, new arenas, these are not emergencies. They are major investments that extend far beyond the four-year mandate of any council. Such decisions deserve direct approval from the people who will be paying for them.

This is how democracy erodes: not with dramatic collapse, but through small steps that hollow it out. Council meetings still happen, bylaws are still passed, elections will still come but the citizen’s role in shaping the city’s future is quietly diminished.

Repeated reliance on the AAP also breeds distrust. Residents see a process that technically follows the law but sidesteps genuine accountability. Trust in council declines. Engagement shrinks. A weary public tunes out, giving council even more freedom to act without challenge. That cycle is how democracy fades from within leaders avoiding citizens, and citizens disengaging in return.

If council believes these projects are essential, then let the people decide through referendums. If the case is strong, voters will support it. If not, council has no mandate to proceed. Either way, the democratic principle is upheld.

Judge Groves’ words should not be dismissed as a footnote. They are a reminder that democracy depends not just on rules, but on respect for citizens’ voices. Kamloops must choose whether to allow quiet erosion or to stand firm on the principle that legitimacy comes only from the people.

GARRY DAVIES