Kamloops-North Thompson

Kamloops-North Thompson had been held by BC Liberal Terry Lake since 2009. Lake served as Minister of Environment and later Minister of Health under Premier Christy Clark, making him one of the highest-profile members of the government caucus. When Lake announced in 2016 that he would not seek re-election, the BC Liberals needed a strong replacement candidate. They found one in Peter Milobar, the sitting mayor of Kamloops, who won the party's nomination over businessman Mike Grenier and North Shore Business Association head Steven Puhallo.

Candidates

Peter Gordon Milobar (BC Liberal Party) — Milobar was serving his third term as mayor of Kamloops at the time of his nomination. His decision to seek provincial office raised questions about the cost of a municipal by-election to replace him and whether he would attempt to hold both positions simultaneously, though it was expected he would resign as mayor if elected to the legislature.

Barb Nederpel (BC NDP) — Nederpel was a licensed practical nurse who worked in the respiratory clinic at Royal Inland Hospital. She was also president of the Kamloops and District Labour Council and vice president of the Hospital Employees Union.

Dan Hines (BC Green Party) — Hines was an Anglican priest and founding member of the RareBirds Housing Co-operative. His background included small business ownership, contracting, management, and university instruction. He was named the BC Green Party's forestry critic during the campaign and focused his platform on improving the forestry sector in the Thompson region. He refused corporate and union donations for his campaign.

Peter Paul Kerek of the Communist Party of BC also ran but received minimal support.

Local Issues

The opioid crisis was devastating Kamloops during the 2013-2017 period. The city was among the hardest hit in the province, with overdose deaths climbing sharply. The United Way Thompson Nicola Cariboo identified the opioid crisis, homelessness, isolated seniors, and hungry children as issues that could no longer be ignored. Royal Inland Hospital, where NDP candidate Nederpel worked, was on the front lines of the emergency, and health care workers were vocal about the need for more resources and a coordinated provincial response.

Homelessness was also a growing problem in Kamloops. The downtown area had seen an increase in people living on the streets, and debates about shelter capacity, supportive housing, and the social determinants of homelessness were intensifying. The contrast between the city's growing economy and the visible poverty in its core created tension within the community.

Forestry remained central to the riding's economy, particularly in the North Thompson communities of Barriere, Clearwater, and Blue River. The mountain pine beetle epidemic had devastated the region's forests in previous years, and the timber supply was shifting. Communities that depended on sawmills and logging worried about long-term economic sustainability. Housing affordability was also rising as a concern in Kamloops, though less acutely than in the Lower Mainland, and ICBC rate increases were a pocketbook issue for residents who depended on their vehicles in a community with limited public transit.