July 19, 2012 Volume 11 • Number 29 50¢ Newsstand Price
INSIDe
downtown
Lorne Street closures – page 2
Communities in Bloom Judges Tour July 30-31 Help showcase Kamloops
also
www.kcbia.com 250-372-3242
X Fest is back in Prince Charles Park – page 5 your neighboUrhood. your newspaper.
Oldest volunteer says good-bye to 2141
Volunteer extraordinaire Connie Meyers riding the 2141 caboose.
Take the Monzone Challenge!
It seems like just yesterday that playing on the big train at Riverside Park was a reality. The old, proud and glorious 2141 sat inside Kamloops’ most famous park destined to become a play toy, a hideout and a relic. It wasn’t until it seemed to be on its way out of town that this story really began. It was here that a group of concerned residents had gotten together to plead their case of why Kamloops needed to keep this glorious old gal. They must have quite convincing because as history shows, the city took a chance on the bunch and the 2141 Spirit of Kamloops steam locomotive runs proudly to this day. Connie Meyers was one of the original people who gathered at that first meeting in 1994. His dedication to the cause saw him volunteer from that very first day until this last June 28. At the age of 98 Connie, passed away a few days later and the train yard has not been the same since. “He loved steam,” explains Art Styles who can also be found in the back shop of the 2141. “He used to say it was in his blood. He grew up around it. He was running a steam tractor when he was six years old.” The boy who was born in Humboldt, Saskatchewan made a huge – continued on page 2
Papa Tee’ s delivery Pizzeria now available 250-828-0838 Gluten-Free Crust Available
705 Victoria Street
Monday - Friday 11:30-2 and 5-9 Saturday & Sunday 11:30-9