LETTER – Kamloops must prioritize core safety before building new RCMP facility

Kamloops residents are facing a new financial reality. Property taxes have been rising well above inflation, with increases in the range of six to ten percent becoming common. At the same time, utility costs for water, sewer, and solid waste continue to climb. For many households, these combined increases are placing real pressure on family budgets.

In that context, decisions about major capital projects take on added importance. The question is no longer simply what would be beneficial, but what is necessary, what is urgent, and what can wait.

The proposed RCMP building should be considered through that lens.

This project is not just about constructing a new facility. It represents a long-term financial commitment that will shape the City of Kamloops’ budget for decades. Large capital projects bring not only upfront construction costs but also ongoing expenses, debt repayment, maintenance, utilities, and future upgrades. These costs become permanent obligations, carried by taxpayers year after year.

Before taking on that burden, we need to ask a simple question: is this the most pressing priority for Kamloops today?

There is no doubt that policing is essential, and officers deserve appropriate facilities. But Kamloops also faces immediate and measurable risks that directly affect public safety most notably wildfire.

Our city sits in a wildland-urban interface, where neighbourhoods meet forest and grassland. Areas such as Aberdeen, Juniper, Sahali, Barnhartvale, and Rose Hill are particularly exposed. In a major wildfire, the ability to protect homes depends not only on personnel, but on infrastructure especially water capacity, pressure, and system redundancy.

Without adequate water, firefighting efforts are limited. The reality is straightforward: you cannot fight a wildfire without water.

Yet key investments that would strengthen Kamloops’ resilience such as additional water storage and improved distribution remain unresolved. These are not optional projects. They are fundamental to protecting homes and lives.

That raises an important question of priorities. Every dollar spent on one project is a dollar not available for another. If hundred of millions are committed to a new RCMP facility, what infrastructure will be delayed? What risks will remain unaddressed?

There is also a timing issue that cannot be ignored. The current RCMP contract framework runs to 2032, and there is ongoing discussion across British Columbia about the future of policing. Building a new facility now effectively commits the city to a long-term model that may evolve or change. If that happens, the facility may no longer match operational needs yet the financial obligation will remain.

This is not about opposing policing. It is about ensuring that long-term investments are made with clarity and confidence.

In a period of rising taxes, the sequence of spending matters. Core infrastructure that directly protects residents’ water systems, fire resilience, and essential upgrades should come first. Other projects, even worthwhile ones, should follow once those needs are met.

Kamloops has an opportunity to take a measured approach. We can focus on reducing real risks, strengthening critical infrastructure, and making long-term commitments only when the timing is right.

This is not about saying “no for an RCMP building.” It is about saying “not yet” and making sure we get our priorities right.

GARRY DAVIES