Skate Kamloops a huge success

For the last ten years, Kamloops residents Nancy Bepple, James Gordon, and Steve Gainey, formed and managed Kamloops outdoor Skating Association. Amidst other projects, their goal was to bring an outdoor skating rink to downtown Kamloops.

They attended budget meetings; they hosted ball hockey tournaments; they fundraised to help pay for insurance for two outdoor (non-refrigerated) rinks in Kamloops. Still, they wanted more; a refrigerated rink in Riverside Park downtown, accessible to all.

Their dream is now a reality.

The City of Kamloops marked the official grand opening of its new outdoor skating rink at Riverside Park on Saturday, January 17^th, 2026. While the rink has been open to the public since January 7th, the event brought residents together to formally recognize the completion of the project.

The outdoor rink is part of the City’s multi-phase Build Kamloops initiative, aimed at supporting a growing population through investments in recreational and cultural infrastructure.

The project follows nearly a decade of advocacy by the Kamloops Outdoor Skating Association and was made possible with a 1.16-million dollar provincial grant. The project gained strong support from Kamloops City Council.

The rink will operate daily throughout the winter season for unsupervised use, with extended hours on Fridays and Saturdays.

Reports from local sporting goods stores describe significant interest in new and used skating equipment and sharpening services. The community is deeply and broadly engaged with this new facility.

Watch the video from Kamloops Community News to sense the enthusiasm.

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