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Kamloops Centre for the Arts Referendum

In spring 2020, electors will vote to decide if they are in favour of borrowing up to $45 million to construct the Kamloops Centre for the Arts (KCA).

On November 5, 2019, Kamloops City Council voted to support the development of the KCA in partnership with the KCA Society and directed staff to initiate a referendum to measure the electors’ support for funding up to $45 million of the construction cost.

The business case, prepared by the KCA Society, outlines a new 120,000+ sq. ft. facility on the City-owned lot at the corner of 4th Avenue and Seymour Street, with an additional 20,000 sq. ft. of renovated existing space. The facility is anticipated to include the following spaces; however, detailed design and consultation would only move forward if the referendum is successful:

  • main stage theatre (~1,200 seats)
  • studio theatre (~450 seats)
  • black box flexible space
  • rehearsal, production, and education spaces
  • administrative spaces
  • resident tenant spaces
  • underground parking
  • meeting rooms
  • commercial space
  • support and storage areas
  • building systems

 

Who Can Vote?

You can vote in a referendum in Kamloops if you meet all of the following criteria:

  • are a Canadian citizen*
  • are 18 years of age or older on general voting day
  • have lived in BC for at least six months
  • have lived in Kamloops for at least thirty days
  • are not disqualified by law from voting

All Kamloops residents who meet these requirements can vote. It does not matter if you rent or own your home. Members of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc (TteS) and residents who live on TteS land, including Sun Rivers, are not eligible to vote in the upcoming referendum, unless property in Kamloops is owned.

If you own property in Kamloops but live somewhere else in BC, you can also vote in Kamloops elections. This is called being a “non-resident property elector.” As such, you can vote, as long as you meet all of the following criteria:

  • are a Canadian citizen*
  • are 18 years of age or older on general voting day
  • have lived in BC for at least six months
  • have owned real estate in Kamloops, registered in your name, for at least thirty days
  • are not disqualified by law from voting

Non-resident property electors can vote only once, regardless of the number of properties they own. If there is more than one registered owner of a property, only one of those individuals may, with the written consent of the majority of the other owners, register as a “non-resident property elector”.

*Landed immigrants who are not yet Canadian citizens are not permitted to vote in civic elections.
*Corporations are not entitled to vote.

 

Ways to Vote

General Voting Day

General Voting Day for the Kamloops Centre for the Arts Referendum is Saturday, April 4, 2020 from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.

General Voting Locations:

  • Aberdeen Elementary, 2191 Van Horne Drive
  • Arthur Hatton Elementary, 315 Chestnut Avenue
  • Arthur Stevenson Elementary, 2890 Bank Road
  • Beattie Elementary, 492 McGill Road
  • Dallas Elementary, 296 Harper Road
  • Dufferin Elementary, 1880 Hillside Drive
  • Heritage House, 100 Lorne Street
  • Lloyd George Elementary, 830 Pine Street
  • NorKam Secondary, 730 12th Street
  • Parkcrest Elementary at George Hilliard, 985 Holt Street
  • Rayleigh Elementary, 306 Puett Ranch Road
  • R.L. Clemitson Elementary, 5990 Todd Road
  • Sahali Mall, 945 Columbia Street West*
  • South Sahali Elementary, 1585 Summit Drive
  • Valleyview Secondary, 1950 Valleyview Drive
  • Westmount Elementary, 745 Walkem Road

*Voting location open 9:30 am–6:30 pm.
Find your nearest voting location online at LetsTalk.Kamloops.ca

 

Advanced Voting

If you know you will not be able to vote on General Voting Day, there are opportunities to vote beforehand.

There are two advance voting days that will occur between 8:00 am to 8:00 pm on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 and Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at Heritage House, 100 Lorne Street.

Special voting opportunities will be posted here once they’ve been confirmed.

 

Voting by Mail

Mail ballot voting is only available to those who have a physical disability, illness, or injury that prevents them from voting at another voting opportunity, or persons who expect to be absent from the city on Advance and General Voting Days.

Vote by Mail Application

Applications to vote by mail can also be obtained by contacting Legislative Services Division in person or by mail at 7 Victoria Street West, Kamloops, BC, V2C 1A2; by phone at 250-828-3483; or by email at legislate@kamloops.ca.

To ensure your vote will be counted, your mail ballot, along with all required documentation, must be received by the Chief Election Officer at 7 Victoria Street West, Kamloops, BC, V2C 1A2, no later than 8:00 pm on April 4, 2020.

 

Special Voting Opportunities

Special voting opportunities will be held at a number of assisted living/care homes in Kamloops for residents, patients, visitors, volunteers, or employees on duty.

Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Ridgeview Lodge, 920 Desmond Street, 9:00 am–11:00 am
Overlander Residential Care, 953 Southill Street, 12:00 pm–2:00 pm
Pine Grove Care Centre, 313 McGowan Avenue, 3:30 pm–5:30 pm

Thursday, March 26, 2020
Shores Retirement Residence, 870 Westminster Avenue, 9:00 am–11:00 am
Chartwell Kamloops Retirement Residence, 628 Tranquille Road, 12:30 pm–3:00 pm

Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Ponderosa Lodge, 425 Columbia Street, 10:00 am–12:30 pm
Berwick on the Park, 60 Whiteshield Crescent South, 2:00 pm–4:30 pm

Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Kamloops Seniors Village, 1220 Hugh Allan Drive, 10:00 am–12:30 pm
Chartwell Ridgepointe Retirement Residence, 1789 Primrose Crescent, 2:00 pm–4:30 pm

The above voting locations are not available for general voting. Mail ballot voting is also available for residents or employees of assisted living/care homes who are unable to attend a voting location.

 

Voting Process

To vote in a referendum in Kamloops, all you have to do is go to a voting location on Voting Day, between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm and present two pieces of identification, at least one with your signature and one with your address, to the registration clerk, your name will be recorded and you can cast your ‘yes’ or ‘no’ ballot.

Here are the kinds of ID that are acceptable:

  • BC Driver’s License*
  • BC ID card from Motor Vehicle Branch
  • ICBC Owner’s Certificate of Insurance and Vehicle License
  • BC Care Card*
  • Status Card
  • Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security Request for Continued Assistance Form SDES8
  • Social Insurance card
  • Citizenship card
  • Property tax notice
  • Credit card or debit card
  • Utility bill for electricity, natural gas, water, telephone or cable services
  • Income assistance cheque stub showing name and ID number
  • Statutory declaration or sworn affidavit (from a notary public, lawyer, or commissioner for taking oaths)

*Please note: The combined BC Driver’s Licence and BC Care Card will be considered as ONE piece of ID.

 

This project supports Council’s strategic priorities and was supported unanimously by City Council.

We Need Your SupportTo Make this Vision a Reality

We are building our membership to raise awareness, keep the community informed of our progress and ultimately to demonstrate community support for this project.

By joining the KCA Society as a member, you will receive project updates, have access to volunteer opportunities and belong to a group that cares about the future of arts and culture in Kamloops.

Become a Member Today