This was published by the Kamloops This Week in their 2009 Progress Report that was distributed March 29, 2009. Peter Milobar, the Kamloops City Mayor wrote this piece in the publication calling for residents to take a “realistic and positive” view on the economy in Kamloops. He does put some of the facts about the recent downturn in building permit values and real estate house values into perspective. Read below for the full story.
Peter Milobar Kamloops Mayor
Over the next year, keeping things in perspective will be critical as it seems we are being inundated daily with stories of economic ruin. While times are undoubtedly changing quickly and the overall economy is slowing, keeping the numbers we see in perspective is important.
Headlines highlight drops in building permit values or house values seem bad at first, but let’s put some perspective to those numbers. This year, our development services department is anticipating building permit values of around $140 million. Now one could say, based on the 2008 number of $208 million, this year will see a 30 per cent drop in values. Technically, that is correct, but does it mean the construction industry is on life support? To put some perspective to the numbers, you would see 2008 was the third consecutive record year for permit values. Yet a closer look to the projected 2009 numbers will show both 2003 and 2004 actually had lower permit values and in fact, $140 million is the 10 year average for Kamloops. So any drop from a record year would seem big. When you consider many of the projects in the 208 permit value numbers will actually be constructed this year and the fact builders were having trouble finding workers under the record setting years, the construction employment numbers should stay strong.
Two other bright lights right now are the B.C. Lottery Corporation and Thompson Rivers University. Locally, the BCLC is currently undergoing not only significant renovations, but are also in the process of hiring 60 new employees. TRU and the newly announced Faculty of Law are continuing to help make Kamloops an even more diversified economy. Domtar and their announcement of new capital improvements for their boilers is also a good indicator of the long-term viability of the Kamloops and regional economy. Capital re-investment provides not only much needed dollars into the economy, but – perhaps more importantly – provides reassurance to the many employees and suppliers of Domtar.
We have been hearing for some time now about the impending labour shortage heading our way into the next three to five years. Slowing economy or not, people will still be getting older and as RRSP accounts start to recover, retirements will pick up, resulting in new job opportunities.
None of the above is meant to make light of the situation the world economy is in and are only examples of how, when most forms of business are coming off record years of growth, some contraction is inevitable. Moving forward, there are two ways to have a realistic view on the economy – a realistic and positive view or a realistic and negative view. My choice is the realistic and positive view. What view will you chose over the next year?
The Dunes: This popular course is located in Westsyde, 15 minutes from the Kamloops city centre. It is a beautiful golf course set on the river’s edge carved out of the sands of the Thompson river riverbed. The course is 18 holes, 7,131 yards of challenging golf and was voted the 2007 best new golf course by Golf Digest Magazine. There are a number of new developments along this course as well as pre-existing single family homes and townhouses. Two of the newer developments are called Westlinks at the Dunes and Norview at the Dunes. For more detailed information about the Dunes and Westsyde 
Rivershore Golf Links: This golf course is located 20 minutes east of downtown Kamloops. Created in the 1970′s, Rivershore is set up against the sagebrush-covered hills to the north and the South Thompson River to the south. This 18 hole course is challenging and has held numerous tournaments over the years. Surrounding the golf course is the small golf community located on Navatanee Drive, Kananaskis Road and Nueva Wynd. For more information about homes for sale in this area 
Sun Peaks Golf Course: The Sun Peaks Golf Course is located 4,000 meters above sea level, among numerous recreational properties and full time residences. This 18 hole golf course is surrounded by some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in B.C. and is comprised of natural foliage and alpine vistas. Sun Peaks is a great resort for the whole family offering a variety of activities year round. For more detailed information about Sun Peaks 
Sun Rivers Golf Course & Community: Sun Rivers is a unique golf community perched above the Thompson river valley just ten minutes from downtown Kamloops. This 18 hole, par 72 championship golf course has over 7,000 yards of golf. Among the natural sage and rolling hills, big horn sheep are often found grazing the fairways and wandering through this community. There are a number of single family homes, townhouse units and apartments in the Sun Rivers area. Talasa pre-sale units sold out phase I and II very quickly and phase III should be released sometime in 2009/2010. For more detailed information about the Sun Rivers area 
Tobiano Golf Course & Community: Tobiano is located south west of the city of Kamloops at the western end of Kamloops Lake. This course offers 18 holes of golf with breathtaking views of the lake and valley below. Tobiano has gained a lot of recognition over the past year winning the 2008 best golf course in Canada by Golf Digest Magazine. There are a number of properties that border the course, including building lots, townhouses and single family homes that are selling now. For further information about Tobiano 
The big news in the home inspection industry this month is we are now provincially regulated. What this means for people buying real estate is that EVERY home inspector needs to be licensed by the Business Practices & Consumer Protection Authority of BC (BPCPA). The requirements include membership in one of three governing bodies, including the Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors of BC (CAHPI BC), possession of insurance, and a criminal records check. This is a fantastic step forward for the home inspection industry in Kamloops, British Columbia, and hopefully all of Canada as it requires all home inspectors to meet stringent educational, certification, and continuing education requirements to work in the industry. In the end legitimate, qualified, and knowledgeable home inspectors are thrilled with this development because it provides buyers of residential real estate in British Columbia with a level of protection never before seen in the industry. For more info go to the Home Inspection section of the 
