2015 New Product Summary Sheet

Tourism KAMLOOPS

1. New Westjet Non-Stop Flight to Edmonton

WestJet is introducing direct service from Kamloops to Edmonton, allowing Kamloops to average 13 daily incoming flights, 6 to Vancouver, 5 to Calgary, 1 to Prince George and 1 to Edmonton.

2. New Accommodations

Sandman Signature 

Facing both Riverside Park and The Thompson Rivers, Sandman Signature Kamloops Hotel brings luxurious comfort and cutting edge technology into every room.  Situated directly across the street from The Sandman Centre (formerly known as the Interior Savings Centre), home of the Kamloops Blazers, this six-story hotel has been designed from the ground up with the expressed purpose of providing guests with a relaxed comfortable elegance.

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott

A testament to beautiful contemporary design and décor, Fairfield Inn & Suites Kamloops offers 114 spacious guest rooms and suites with high-end furnishings and finishes.  All rooms and suites are non-smoking and feature a space-saving coffee station with a mini-refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker.  Each room is also furnished with a TV and a sleek workspace where you can take advantage of the complimentary Wi-Fi.

3. Significantly Renovated Accommodations

Holiday Inn Express

The Holiday Inn Express is pleased to announce the completion of their multimillion dollar renovation!  All guest room and public areas have received a complete refresh and upgrade.  Guest rooms now feature fridges, microwaves, work stations, multiple power outlets at the bedside and desk, backlit mirrors and much more.

Accent Inns

Staying at Accent Inns in BC is different than staying anywhere else. And that is a really good thing. We like to have fun at work. We’re like a family. Actually, we are a family. Father-daughter team Terry and Mandy Farmer run the hotels with their own family values.  Updated amenities include a renovated lobby, a new breakfast room for a complimentary continental breakfast for guests and guest room upgrades.

Best Western PLUS

Enjoy comfortable rooms complete with flat screen TV’s, state-of-the-art technology, including geothermal heating, plus spectacular views of the Kamloops downtown core and surrounding Thompson River valleys.  Updated amenities include a renovated and expanded breakfast room, individual guest rooms with Wi-Fi and updated flooring in pet-friendly rooms.

Hampton Inn by Hilton

Enjoy a carefree stay with a variety of thoughtful services.  Start your day right with Hampton’s free hot breakfast, savor the perfect cup of tea or coffee 24-hours-a-day in the inviting lobby and enjoy free Wi-Fi in public areas.  Bosting a 24-hour business centre, this Kamloops hotel offers a versatile, professional function room for meetings or events of up to 20.  Plunge into the indoor pool, keep active in the fitness centre or lounge in the soothing whirlpool.  Updated amenities include a renovated lobby, breakfast area and upgrades to guest rooms.

4. Cascades Casino

Opening August 19^th, Cascades Casino is your Kamloops entertainment destination.  Enjoy exciting slots and table games and amazing dining options.  Featuring Match Eatery, Public House, The Buffet and much more.  Enjoy live entertainment every weekend.  Cascades Casino is fun for everyone and includes family friendly dining.
 

5. The BC Wildlife Park - Clover

Clover, the Kermode “Spirit Bear”, arrived at the BC Wildlife Park in late October 2012 after being unsuccessful with a rehabilitation and release program.  He now serves as an ambassador for his species and helps to educate thousands of people around the world on conservation, bear habitat and how to avoid bear/human conflicts to ensure their long term survival in their natural habitat.  It is also believed that this very unique and very rare Kermode bear is the only one in professional human care anywhere in the world.  Kermode bears are found on the costal islands of BC, and are found in highest concentration on the Princess Royal Island.  Kermode bears are the designated official animal of British Columbia.

6. Kamloops Flavours Trail

Kamloops and the Thompson Valleys provide terrific opportunities for sampling unique flavours.  The rich agricultural environment and long growing season make our area a foodie’s paradise.  Discover our local produce makers, their philosophies on food, and how you can enjoy so much delicious food and drink.  Plant your feet and make plans to explore the three new flavour trails: City Limits, Flavours Trail – West and Flavours Trail - East

7. Red Collar Brewing Co.

The city’s newest craft brewery located in the heart of downtown Kamloops, brewing at least 25 different kinds of beer annually.  Keep your eye out for Goosy, the black lab with the red collar, where the brewery got its name.

8. Red Beard Café & Taphouse

From breakfast to beer, Red Beard Café & Taphouse highlights freshly roasted coffee, loose leaf tea, and both local and international craft beers paired with super tasty food.  Don’t miss the Tap Takeover events.

9. Left Field Cider Co.

Family-owned and operated by sisters Theresa and Kate, Left Field focuses on a small batch approach to traditional cider-making which brings out the natural characteristics of the apples.  They make handcrafted, artisanal English-style cider by blending English and French cider varieties with BC dessert apples.

10. Kamloops Wineries Association - Kamloops Wine Trail

Showcasing BC’s newest wine experience, the Kamloops Wine Trail connects four unique and diverse wineries pioneering a new wine region in the Kamloops, Thompson Valley area of British Columbia.  Nestled amongst the natural beauty of the North and South Thompson Rivers, we invite you to tour the trail and discover a new BC wine adventure.  The Kamloops Wine Trail includes four wineries, Harper’s Trail Winery and Privato Vineyard and Winery (both opened in 2013), Sagewood Winery (opened 2014) and Monte Creek Ranch Estate Winery (opened 2015).

11. Monte Creek Ranch Estate Winery

Forging a new era of exploration, Monte Creek Ranch Estate Winery offers the next frontier in winemaking.  This history-rich working ranch is home to a hayfield and two stunning estate vineyards offering fresh, lively table wines, with legend-in-the-making Thompson Valley brightness.

12. Sagewood Winery

Taste the passion in every pour.  Sagewood Winery’s initial planting was in 2005, making it Kamloops’ oldest commercial vineyard.  Sample wines produced from mature vines, expressing the unique terroir in the Kamloops area.

13. Privato Vineyard and Winery

Privato Vineyard and Winery is a family-run, 80-acre farm.  Proprietors John and Debbie Woodward, together with their three sons, embody what it means to experience “Privato”… a Private Heaven.  Crafted only in small quantities, Privato creates premium quality, single-vineyard Burgundy wines.

14. Transportation:

DiVine Tours

Let DiVine Tours take you on an unforgettable winery and waterfall tour in the spectacular Thompson Okanagan and Shuswap.  We are small by design and specialize in groups of 4-7 passengers with an option to charter for larger groups.

Tastefull Excursions

Tour Thompson Okanagan wineries & brew pubs with Tastefull Excursions from Kamloops – gateway to wine country.  Start with the Kamloops Wine Trail – BC’s newest wine experience.  The Shuswap Lake area wineries are more hidden gems just north of Bucolic Lake Country with the Scenic Sips Tour.

15. Sun Rivers – FootGolf

Try Canada’s newest emerging sport, where two sports become one!  FootGolf is a combination of the popular sport of soccer and golf and played with a soccer ball rather than clubs.  Their course features 18 holes of FootGolf on 9 golf holes offering the same spectacular views that their regular golfers receive.  The rules largely correspond to the rules of golf, using pars as a guide to get your ball into a 21 inch diameter cup.  If you can kick, you can play!

16. Bruker Marina

Wait no longer to take advantage of BC’s newest freshwater marina on Kamloops Lake!  Situated right beside BC’s #1 golf course, Tobiano, and the communities of Summers Landing and Lakestar, the marina is complete with 110 boast slips available for seasonal or annual moorage, an observation deck, public boat launch and beach area, a fuel dock, convenience store, and availability for various motor-sport rentals. 

17. 2141 Heritage Railway

Returning to the rails is Kamloops’ much beloved 2141 steam locomotive the ‘Spirit of Kamloops’.  Originally built as one out of 25 engines in 1912, the ‘Spirit of Kamloops’ is the last functioning train of its kind.  After a full 8 year restoration (1993-2001), which in addition converted its coal-burning engine to recycled oil; and a second bout of upgrades (2012-2015) the ‘Spirit of Kamloops’ is ready to steam guests back through history aboard one of the many rail tours offered by the Kamloops Heritage Railway.

18.  Tranquille Farm Fresh – Corn Maze Extravaganza and Tunnel Tours

Tranquille farm is a 147 year old historic farm site located close to the city of Kamloops.   Originally settled 1865, the site became renowned for its agriculture production.  Subsequent to the purchase of the site in the 1930’s by the provincial government, the farm food operations were diversified to include a piggery, smoke house, cannery, dairy and vegetable cellars.   At its height, Tranquille Farm was producing the majority of food and dairy products for the 1,000 staff and patients working and living at the neighboring Tranquille Institution. The government closed the Tranquille Farm and Tranquille Institution in 1985. Twenty years later, investors purchased the Tranquille Farm and Tranquille Institution property with the goal of restoring the property as a leading edge urban farm and sustainable living community.  Magnificent historic barns have been restored to now house a weekend farmer’s and artisan market, and the property is showcasing local musicians, culinary artists and local artisans on a regular basis.  In late August, get lost in their 7 foot high corn maze and in October come out to the farm again to experience their spooky transformation for Halloween.  By daylight the maze is a warm and welcome challenge for the mind, by night a spooky undertaking as you stumble through the dark and actors reach out from the dark maze to tug on your clothes.  Not to be missed is their Theatre Tunnel Tours – each year focuses on a different story of the property.

19. 2016 IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championship

Kamloops is proud to be announced as the host for the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championships on March 28^th to April 7^th, 2016 in Canada’s Tournament Capital.  This will mark the first time in the event’s 26-year history that it will be held in British Columbia.  All 22 games will be hosted in Kamloops and split between Sandman Centre (formerly known as Interior Savings Centre) and McArthur Island Sports and Event Centre.  This will be the second major international women’s hockey event to be held in Kamloops in the span of 18 months.  Additionally, Kamloops is pleased to be chosen to host the 16^th edition of Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada on February 6^th, 2016.