10/01/2026
Candidates for mayor, city council and school trustee will be under one roof Friday for a drop-in election event kicking off a busy stretch of Kamloops forums and debates ahead of the Oct. 17 civic election.
Hosted by the Kamloops Chronicle and BGC Kamloops, Friday's event will feature candidates in all three races in a casual format designed to provide an opportunity for one-on-one conversations.
The event is slated to run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the John Tod Centre, 150 Wood St. Organizers say attendees will be able to take part in five-minute "speed dating" rounds with candidates, although longer discussions will also be welcomed.
Other election events on the calendar include:
• Saturday, Oct. 3: Mayoral candidates will appear at the Kamloops Farmers' Market. Candidates will have booths from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with a forum scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon.
• Tuesday, Oct. 6: The School District 73 District Parent Advisory Council will host an all-candidates forum for school trustee hopefuls from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Henry Grube Education Centre, 245 Kitchener Cres.
• Wednesday, Oct. 7: Kamloops CAT, New Majority, The Loops SWA and the Community Action Initiative will host an all-candidate panel focused on poverty, substance use and housing insecurity at the Paramount Theatre, 503 Victoria St. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with the forum beginning at 6 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 9: CFJC-TV will air a debate featuring Kamloops mayoral candidates, with an encore broadcast on Saturday, Oct. 10.
• Wednesday, Oct. 14: The Canadian Home Builders' Association Central Interior will host a municipal election candidate forum focused on issues affecting the residential construction industry. The event is only open to CHBA members.
Castanet and the Kamloops & District Chamber of Commerce hosted a series of election forums last week, giving mayoral and council candidates the opportunity to answer questions on issues facing the city. Those forums can be viewed in full here.
Kamloops voters will elect one mayor, eight city councillors and five school trustees on Saturday, Oct. 17.