Coun. Mike O'Reilly (right) announces that construction on the downtown performing arts centre and Dufferin arena will go ahead at a Sept. 23, 2024, news conference.

(LEVI LANDRY / iNFOnews.ca)

Construction is expected to start next year for the long-discussed performing arts centre in downtown Kamloops, then another year for a four-sheet ice rink.

That's after the City of Kamloops gave petitioners 40 days to oppose the multi-million dollar loans needed for the facilities. They were thousands of signatures short for each facility, councillor Mike O'Reilly said at a Monday, Sept. 23, news conference.

"Over the last 40 days we have seen democracy at work," O'Reilly, who is the head of the Build Kamloops committee, said. "We have seen picketers, we have seen social media campaigns... we have seen tables set up at businesses and properties around the city, raising awareness to say why we like Build Kamloops and what's being proposed and why we don't like Build Kamloops. That's democracy."

Rather than opt for a referendum to approve a $140 million loan for the arts centre and a $135 million loan for the arena, Kamloops city council instead went for a counter petition, or alternative approval process. Instead of a majority vote from constituents, each petition needed around 8,700 signatures or 10 per cent of the electorate. If the counter petition had been successful it likely would have spurred a referendum.

O'Reilly said City staff finished counting the petitions last week tallying 4,025 against the arena and 5,802 against the performing arts centre. There was an eruption of cheers from the dozens of people in attendance at the steps of city hall.

"While we are extremely excited with the results, like many of the people here, we do have to acknowledge (over 5,000) people were against the performing arts centre and over 4,000 people were against the multiplex," O'Reilly said. "And over the last 40 days we've heard many reasons why people were against them. We need to understand that and we need to get better."

Ground will be broken on the performing arts centre — the first new such facility since the 1970s — in the fall of 2025. Construction will start on the multiplex, which will be the first net increase in ice sheets since the 1990s, in 2026.

Most of council was present for today's announcement with the exception of councillor Margot Middleton, who is out of the country, and Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson. O'Reilly said the mayor was invited, but he hadn't heard if Hamer-Jackson responded to the invitation.

The tally of petitions the City announced included only those that were accepted, but Tuesday's council meeting is expected to include more details about why almost a thousand were rejected. According to a City of Kamloops report, 366 petitions against the arena and 561 against the performing arts centre were rejected.

Go here for more of our stories on the alternative approval process and the performing arts centre.

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