City of Kamloops commits to hard floor at McArthur Island, accommodating annual gun show

KAMLOOPS — The City of Kamloops has reversed course on a decision that was threatening the future of the massive Kamloops Gun and Antique Show and Sale.

Last week, organizers of the show wrote a letter to the city saying its decision to keep ice available in the NHL-sized rink at the McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre through April, 2023 had the potential of dealing a death blow to the event.

The city had planned to keep ice in the venue through April to help make up for the Memorial Cup taking up Sandman Centre ice during part of the month of May.

In an email to CFJC Today, City of Kamloops Business Operations and Events Supervisor Sean Smith says the city has revisited the idea and will now put a dry floor over the McArthur Island ice in order to accommodate the gun show as well as the B.C. Home Show, which is also planned for April.

Smith says organizers of both events have been notified.

The Kamloops Gun and Antique Show and Sale is billed as the largest of its kind in Western Canada. Organizers say COVID-19 restrictions killed the 2020 and 2021 events, and said if the 2022 event had also been scrubbed due to lack of venue availability, the long-term future of the event was in jeopardy.