Time to replace Kamloops mayor’s Chain of Office: councillor

KAMLOOPS — It has been three-and-a-half years since the Kamloops mayor’s Chain of Office was stolen by a burglar at City Hall.

One city councillor believes it’s time to get a new one.

At Tuesday’s (April 15) regular meeting, Councillor Margot Middleton proposed a new chain be added to proposals for a future budget cycle.

“I know this was an initiative that was brought forward some time ago. It never seemed to fly,” said Middleton. “We don’t have a new mayor’s chain so I would like that revisited.”

The Chain of Office, typically worn by the mayor only during official ceremonies, was among items that went missing when thieves broke into City Hall on September 12, 2021. While various electronics were recovered a short time later, the chain was never located.

About six months after the theft, the city issued a call for designs on a new chain. Since then, there has been little movement on the issue. The current council term began in the fall of 2022.

“When I became the mayor, there was already work on design for the mayor’s necklace,” said Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson Tuesday. “When I was talking to CAO (David) Trawin, I said, ‘I don’t need a chain.’ Spending money right now, especially now with people being taxed out of their houses and seniors not being able to eat… When I talked to CAO Trawin about it, he was fine with that.”

Middleton countered that the regalia would be worn by others who occupy the mayor’s office in the future and is part of the city’s history and tradition. She suggested the city look to an older version of the Chain of Office housed at the Kamloops Museum and Archives for inspiration.

“I believe the version that’s at the museum is not an exact replica,” noted Corporate Officer Maria Mazzotta, “but, if I understand correctly, the direction from the council [in 2022] was that, rather than go into an expensive design process, we would take a look at photos and examples of what we had previously and replicate based on that.”

Staff will include a proposal for a new chain in the 2026 budget proposals.