Spirit to soar at end of June

Jeremy Deutsch - Kamloops This Week Published: May 19, 2009

It may be a year late, but construction on the North Shore Spirit Square is expected to be complete and on budget by the end of June. The square was supposed to be done by mid-November of last year, but various delays pushed the project back. That included a three-week delay in putting out the tender because the scope of the initial plan had gone over its $750,000 budget. However, when complete, the square should end up looking pretty close to the original design. Located at the corner of Mackenzie Avenue and Yew Street, the square will feature a heritage park, a time capsule with plaques on the history of Kamloops and its First Nation heritage, hand-made rail cars, a water pond and a small play area for children among its design. "I think it will be a real asset for the North Shore," said Jeff Putnam, the sport development and business operations manager with the city. "We're really excited about finally getting it completed."The only change is a grassy portion of space across the street from the square intended to be a spirit forest has been scrapped for now, due to the budget.

Already community groups have expressed interest in using the square for events, including the North Shore Business Improvement Association for its farmers market. As part of the project, the city purchased a demolished a house on the adjacent property for roughly $230,000. The property will be used for an additional 12 parking spaces and will add more overall space to the square. The provincial government allocated $20 million for the construction of Spirit Squares in communities across B.C. to celebrate the provinces 150th birthday, including $375,000 for Kamloops.The funding was matched by the city. The square became political issue during last fall's civic election when former mayoral candidate Murphy Kennedy unveiled his campaign platform at the site of the square and argued the unfinished project showed a lack of concern by the council of the day for the North Shore.