KAMLOOPS

British Columbia's Riverside City

For some unknown reason, in the spring of 1999, instead of sending my books to Merlin's Bookstore through the mail, I drove to Kamloops to deliver them personally. While handing them over, I struck up a conversation with an employee Rebecca Lang, who said to me, "why don't you photograph a book on Kamloops? People ask for one almost every day".

Those words continually played on my mind as I drove home. As intrigued as I was, I had never photographed a city before, and as a wilderness photographer, I had plans to do a different book. One week later, however, I found myself returning to Kamloops to begin shooting. Where to begin, I asked myself? I started at the Information Centre, where I gathered maps and brochures. Then I went to Riverside Park and shot several rolls. All of a sudden, I was excited to be embarking on a new project.

Like many, I had only passed through Kamloops, never stopping to explore. Now I discovered a city surrounded by considerable areas of natural beauty. Nearby parklands such as Lac Du Bois, Kenna Cartwright, Riverside, and Peterson Creek, coupled with the city's many beautifully kept gardens, give one a feeling of being connected to the earth. This, together with its friendly native and non native peoples, creates a most welcoming environment.

When I went to the Farmers Market, I immediately had a sense of what the surrounding countryside provides for Kamloops and what Kamloops provides for the rural areas. I realized that this is a city which offers the best of both rural and urban worlds. Residents can enjoy the recreational aspects of cycling, golfing, fishing and hiking and on the same day attend a concert by the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra or a play at the Sagebrush Theatre. It wasn't hard to fall in love with Kamloops!

There were many highlights in my photographic explorations. I loved hiking through the fascinating geological formations of Cinnamon Ridge and the white silt bluffs, searching for artistic features of shape, colour, line and texture. I thoroughly enjoyed photographing farmer Mike Carr, who uses traditional methods to farm organically. His love for the land and the produce he and his wife Kay produced made shopping at the Farmers Market a more meaningful experience. The Kamloopa Pow Wow was the most powerful and significant event I have ever attended. I hope my images from that single day's shoot convey the deep respect with which these ancient traditions are celebrated.

From a photographer who used to merely pass through town, to a person who is now considering moving here, I say thank you Kamloops.

Let me commend you on a job well done! If I had not read the "Reflections by the Artist", I would have thought that you grew up in the city, lived in the city or definitely shared the passion of the city - it's unique beauty, it's diversified surroundings, it's hospitality and "just something about it that makes it very special in many peoples hearts". You have captured everything! As a former Kamloopsian, I would like to thank you for giving us something that we can cherish, reminisce by when the "rat race" gets to be too much, and just something that will remind us of what we had to leave behind. - Biruta Groves , Toronto