February 2009

For up to date Kamloops real estate information and surrounding area homes for sale click here.

South Kamloops covers the entire downtown core and smaller neighbourhoods east and west of the downtown core. The name Kamloops refers to the flowing together of the north and south Thompson rivers named by the Secwepemc Indian Band or Shuswap people. The discovery of gold brought many adventurers into the region in the late 1850′s. Once B.C. became a part of Canada in 1871, Kamloops received their first trans continential railroad in 1886. The first South Thompson bridge was built in 1887, to be followed by one to North Kamloops in 1901. Kamloops was incorporated in 1893 with a population of less than 1,000 people. Numerous industries such as Royalite Refinery opened in 1955, Kamloops Pulp and Paper Mill (now Domtar) was established in 1964 and in 1977 Afton Mines and Smelter commenced operations. Kamloops is still a central hub, as it sits approximately halfway between Calgary, Vancouver, and the northern Cariboo-Chilcotin regions.

The downtown area of Kamloops is known to have a number of heritage homes of all sizes. The furthest westerly area of South Kamloops and the south eastern area have mature homes but not heritage homes. South Kamloops is home to numerous amenities. Coopers, London Drugs, Visions Electronics, Coast Capital Savings, CIBC, Scotia Bank, TD Canada Trust, HSBC, numerous insurance agencies and professional offices are all close by. There are also a variety of small and medium retailers, numerous restaurants, and fast food establishments. Victoria Street is the main street where many clothing boutiques, bridal stores and specialty stores are found. South Kamloops is home to the Royal Inland Hospital, the only hospital servicing the Kamloops region. Students in South Kamloops attend L’ecole Lloyd George Elementary School (830 Pine Street), Stuart Wood Elementary School(245 St. Paul Street), and South Kamloops Secondary School(821 Munro Street). South Kamloops Secondary School has a French immersion program for students. St. Anne’s a private school is located in South Kamloops and welcomes students from kindergarten to grade 12.

Riverside Park and Interior Savings Centre are both located on Lorne Street in South Kamloops. Riverside park is a large park on the river with a water park, a sandy beach area, large open green space for summer activities, washroom facilities and picnic areas. Riverside park also has a stage where numerous performances and events occur during the warmer months. Interior Savings Centre is home to the Kamloops Blazers Junior Hockey team. Many performances and concerts also occur at this large facility. Lorne Street has a number of apartment buildings. There are often a number of units for sale in this area.

Downtown Kamloops covers the region between Columbia Street down to the Thompson River and from just west of 1st Avenue to 7th Avenue. The majority of professional offices and downtown businesses are found on Lansdowne Street, Victoria Street, Seymour Street and St. Paul Street. Battle Street, Nicola Street and Columbia Street do have some businesses but these streets are not as heavily populated by businesses as the previously mentioned streets. A number of residential units exist within the downtown core. There are many apartment units (newer and older) that are very close to downtown conveniences. Single family homes are scattered throughout the downtown core and are often doubled or converted into commercial space. Buyers will find the majority of single family homes east of 6th Avenue. There are a lot of bungalow style and two level homes in this area. The homes in this part of South Kamloops are mostly smaller residential homes often under 2,000 square feet. Click here for real estate listings in this area.

South Kamloops west has a variety of real estate. Seymour Street West, Battle Street West, St. Paul Street West, Nicola Street West, Clark Street, Connaught Street, Nicola Wagon Road and Lee Street have a number of heritage homes that are often over 2,00o square feet in size. This region is fairly sloped and the yard sizes vary with each property because of the changing incline. At the top of Battle Street West where it meets Strathcona Terrace the neighbourhood is very different from the one just east. The homes in this area are more mature but not heritage homes. Grandview Terrace, Dufferin Terrace, Hemlock Street, Lombard Street, Arbutus Street, Powers Road, Sequoia Place, Centre Avenue, Boundary Road, Chaparral Place and Strathcona terrace all make up this neighbourhood. Homes on Chapparral Place and Sequoia Place have beautiful views of the Thompson valley.

Further west along Lombard street leads to another small neighbourhood where there are a few single family homes, a number of town house units and half duplex units. Hudson Bay Trail has a number of higher end town houses that overlook the Thompson river. There are many options for buyers in this area. Schools are not very close to this area it is not as child friendly as some other areas of South Kamloops.

Guerin Creek is a new high end development in South Kamloops just off of Summit Drive. Many of the homes have high end finishing and appliances. The homes in this community are 2,500 square feet or larger. Current homes in Guerin Creek are two level designs with a basement. The lot sizes do vary.  Many of these homes have amazing views of the Thompson River Valley looking north. For more information on Guerin Creek Estates real estate home listings click here.

One other area that is west of the downtown core is the Dalgleish area. Sitting above Grandview Terrace, Dalgleish Drive has a variety of multi-family residences. Apartment buildings and townhouses often are home to students attending Thompson Rivers University. Many of the homes off of Dalgleish in apartments or townhouses have great views of the Thompson Valley. There is often a lot of variety of units to chose from in this area on the real estate market.

South east of the Kamloops downtown area is a nice neighbourhood that is home to a number of families because of the close proximity to  elementary and secondary schools. This area of South Kamloops sits south of Columbia street, north of the trans Canada Highway #1, west of 13th Avenue and east of 6th Avenue. Dominion Street, Pine Street, Pleasant Street, Munro Street, Fraser Street and Douglas Street are all popular residential streets in the area. South Kamloops Secondary and The Sagebrush Theatre, a 706 seat proscenium theatre are located on 9th Avenue in this area of South Kamloops. Many families love this area because it is so close to the downtown core without busy traffic and other issues related to downtown living.

South Kamloops covers a large area of the city and has many different neighbourhoods. There are always a number of homes on the real estate market in South Kamloops. For buyers on a budget to buyers looking for high end properties, there is a home for each and every budget.

For up to date Kamloops real estate information and surrounding area homes for sale click here.

For up to date Kamloops real estate information and home listings click here.

Barnhartvale is a beautiful area perched above Dallas and the Thompson River Valley. Barnhartvale is 15 minutes south east of the Kamloops downtown core. The views from many Barnhartvale homes are amazing. Barnhartvale mainly has a mix of single family homes, ranches, farms and acreage.

There are not many multi-family residential units in this area. There are mainly single family homes and they vary in size and style. The main road that runs through Barnhartvale is Barnhartvale Road. Pratt Road and Todd Road run through the western portion of Barnhartvale where more of the residential homes on smaller lots are located.

Barnhartvale Road is the main feeder road for most of the acreages, farms and riding stables in the Barnhartvale area. Real estate in this region varies a lot because of the terrain. Some areas of Barnhartvale sit in flat valleys and open fields, while other areas are up high on steep hills and sometimes cliffs. The view that many home owners have from their properties in Barnhartvale is priceless.

Robert L. Clemitson Elementary School services all the elementary aged children in this community. Secondary students attend Valleyview Secondary School. There is a small grocery store in Barnhartvale. Shopping is in Valleyview, a 5 to 10 minute drive, with numerous stores such as Coopers and Shoppers Drug Mart. Dallas is located just below Barnhartvale. It has a gas station and a pub/restaurant. Dallas Town Centre is currently under development and will bring shopping closer to Barnhartvale residents.

For further information regarding Barnhartvale real estate and homes for sale click here.