I stepped out of the Kamloops city council chambers last Thursday evening with a sense that something genuinely transformative was unfolding in this Interior BC community. The usual procedural formalities had given way to an unexpected celebration as word arrived that the city’s Cultural Strategic Plan—a collaborative effort between Thompson Rivers University and the City of Kamloops—had received national recognition from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA).
“This recognition validates what we’ve known all along—that meaningful community development happens when institutions of higher learning work hand-in-hand with municipal governance,” Councillor Dale Bass told me as attendees mingled after the announcement.
The award-winning initiative, now in its third year of implementation, stands as a compelling example of what can happen when academic expertise merges with civic ambition. What makes this partnership particularly noteworthy is how it’s reshaping the relationship between university and community across the Interior region.
Dr. Sukh Heer Matonovich, who helped spearhead the university’s involvement, explained the significance over coffee at a downtown café the following morning. “Universities often conduct research that sits on shelves. This partnership ensures our faculty and students are directly addressing community needs while providing valuable learning opportunities.”
The Cultural Strategic Plan emerged from extensive consultations with over 1,800 residents, artists, and community organizations beginning in 2018. It outlines a comprehensive roadmap for cultural development that spans from Indigenous reconciliation initiatives to downtown revitalization through arts programming.
What distinguishes this plan from others is its implementation model. Rather than the traditional approach of city staff executing council-approved directives, the Kamloops model embeds TRU students and faculty directly into the planning and execution processes.
According to city data, 47 TRU students have contributed over 5,200 hours of research and implementation work since the plan’s adoption in 2019. This involvement spans multiple disciplines, from tourism management to anthropology and fine arts programs.
“The students bring fresh perspectives and energy,” noted Barbara Berger, the city’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Manager. “They’re not constrained by ‘how things have always been done,’ which has led to some truly innovative approaches.”
The plan has yielded tangible results. Downtown vacancy rates have decreased by nearly 12% since 2019, according to the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association. The Riverside Cultural Hub, once merely a conceptual talking point, now hosts regular arts programming that draws visitors from throughout the Thompson-Nicola region.
Perhaps most significantly, attendance at cultural events has increased 28% over pre-pandemic levels, defying national trends showing continued suppressed engagement in arts activities.
“We’re seeing new faces at exhibits and performances,” said Kathy Sinclair, Executive Director of the Kamloops Arts Council. “People who never saw themselves as ‘arts people’ are discovering how cultural activities can strengthen community bonds.”
The CAMA recognition comes with a $2,500 professional development grant, but the real value lies in establishing Kamloops as a model for other mid-sized Canadian municipalities seeking to leverage their post-secondary institutions for community development.
Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson, not always known for effusive praise of initiatives predating his administration, acknowledged the plan’s impact. “The numbers don’t lie. We’re seeing economic benefits alongside the cultural ones. When Kamloops becomes known as a cultural destination, everyone wins.”
The statistics support his assessment. Tourism Kamloops reports that visitors citing “cultural activities” as their primary reason for visiting increased from 8% in 2018 to 16% in 2023. These cultural tourists typically stay longer and spend more in the local economy than recreational visitors.
The plan hasn’t been without challenges. Initial skepticism from both the business community and some university faculty created hurdles during the first implementation phase. Some questioned whether academic involvement would translate to practical outcomes or simply create more bureaucracy.
“There was definitely a trust-building period,” admitted Dr. Troy Fuller, Dean of Arts at TRU. “But once concrete projects started taking shape—like the Indigenous public art initiative along the Rivers Trail—the value became obvious to everyone involved.”
For students, the partnership provides real-world experience that transcends traditional internship models. “I’m not just observing how municipal cultural planning works—I’m actively shaping it,” said Amrita Singh, a fourth-year Tourism Management student who developed evaluation metrics for the city’s festival grant program.
As other municipalities take notice of the Kamloops model, questions arise about its transferability. Would this approach work in larger urban centers or more rural communities with different post-secondary landscapes?
“The principles are universal, even if the specific implementation varies,” suggested Councillor Bass. “Any community can benefit from breaking down the town-gown divide and treating academic resources as community assets.”
For Kamloops residents, the national recognition affirms what many have observed in their daily lives—a city becoming more vibrant and culturally confident through strategic collaboration.
As I walked through Riverside Park the morning after the announcement, watching a TRU fine arts class conducting a public sculpture workshop with local seniors, the impact of this partnership was visible beyond any award certificate or policy document.
This is what effective cultural planning looks like in practice—not just institutional handshakes and policy documents, but genuine community transformation through shared purpose and combined expertise.
