Kamloops’ Advantages for Business

Choose Kamloops, B.C. as the location to increase your profits and efficiency by either relocating or expanding your business here. Kamloops is the third largest city in British Columbia, outside of the Lower Mainland, and the transportation hub of B.C.’s southern interior. The city and its surrounding area offer an abundance of economic, social, and lifestyle assets.

Market Access


  • Regular service provided by both national railways, CP Rail & CN Rail
  • Located at the intersection of Western Canada’s four major highways
  • Kamloops Airport (YKA) is one of the fastest growing regional airports, providing air service throughout North America with connections to virtually every part of the world
  • Close to major urban centres; Port of Vancouver a short haul away
  • Over 50 trucking and transport companies based in the Kamloops area
  • Ideal location for warehousing, distribution, industrial and technology centres

Investment-Friendly Climate


  • Balanced corporate/personal tax structure
  • Competitive development and business costs
  • Excellent new business start-up support and resources
  • Proactive municipal government ensures fast processing of permits and licenses
  • Selected “#5 in BC Investment Towns” (Real Estate Investment Network) 2013
  • Top 10 Micro American Cities of the Future 2013/14 for Cost Effectiveness (Foreign Direct Investment Magazine study)
  • Top 10 Micro American Cities of the Future 2013/14 – FDI Strategy (Foreign Direct Investment Magazine study)
  • Ranked 5th Overall in Top 10 Micro American Cities of the Future 2013/14 – Overall (Foreign Direct Investment Magazine study)

Diversified Economy & Strong Infrastructure


  • Site of regional and provincial head offices, manufacturers, exporters, and specialty medical clinics
  • Excellent professional base of nationally recognized accounting, legal, and financial services
  • Both residential and commercial building permits show healthy community growth
  • Adequate supply of affordable commercial real estate and industrial land
  • Reliable supply of affordable power and telecommunications
  • City-wide wireless internet access and a community network interconnecting to BCNet to give businesses the opportunity to access competitive carriers.

Skilled & Educated Labour


  • Access to a well‐educated and skilled labour pool of more than 56,000 workers
  • Quality schools – 22 Elementary, 7 Secondary, 3 private, 3 colleges and an international University
  • 3 schools ranking above 100 out of 978 by Fraser Institute for 2013-14
  • Thompson Rivers University, Canada’s most comprehensive university, is located in Kamloops; it has over 25,000 students (on campus and distance/online) enrolled in over 25 disciplines, and approximately 2,000 graduates every year

Quality of Life


  • Hot and sunny summers, mild winters, and more than 2,000 hours of sunshine annually
  • Within a one-hour drive of 200 lakes, provincial parks, 13 golf courses, and a world-class ski resort
  • SCOREGolf Magazine – #13 of Top 100 golf courses in Canada (2014)
  • Thriving cosmopolitan centre, rich in arts and culture, and an abundance of shopping and lifestyle amenities
  • Excellent health care, schools, affordable housing and safe neighbourhoods
  • First class sport centres including the Tournament Capital Centre, Hillside Stadium, McArthur Island Sportsplex, and Sandman Centre

Environmental Stewardship


The Kamloops region has always been home to a thriving agricultural industry and the City of Kamloops is committed to fostering the use of “green” technologies and participating in eco-friendly programs:

Urban Forestry

Urban forestry is the sustained planning, planting, protection, maintenance and care of trees, forests, and green spaces in and around cities and communities. Purposes for urban forestry include economic, environmental, social, and public health benefits of people. The City offers Free Tree Coupons on Arbor Day to residents, has a Boulevard Tree Planting Program, an Aspen Tree Replanting Program and the Kamloops Community Forest where people plant trees in memoriam of a person or cherished event.

Kamloops Centre for Water Quality

Kamloops is one of the few cities in North America that enjoys some of the safest and cleanest water. Commissioned in 2005, the Kamloops Centre for Water Quality uses innovative membrane filtration technology to provide high quality drinking water to residents and visitors.

Communities in Bloom

“People, plants and pride… growing together” is the Communities in Bloom slogan, and it captures the essence of the program. The program fosters civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community involvement and the challenge of a national competition, with focus on the promotion and value of green spaces within urban settings. Kamloops has won a variety of accolades including Best Blooming Community – National Winners 2004, 2009, 2010 & 2012 and International Winners 2006 & 2013. In 2012, Kamloops also won awards for for Winterlights, Turf Management and Extreme Quality of Sports Accommodations.

Accolades

“Venture Kamloops was instrumental in providing us information and helping us overcome obstacles in the early stages of our expansion project. They linked us to the right people.”

- Maurice Hindle Manager – Marketing & Sales, Moly-Cop Canada