The City of Kamloops and Thompson Rivers University (TRU) have renewed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) first signed on August 23, 2018, with both parties noting that such partnerships are more important than ever as Kamloops and region rebuilds from the pandemic.
"TRU was pleased to be a member of the Mayor's Task Force on Economic Recovery. Universities have historically played an important role in supporting communities. This will continue, and in a much stronger way as we plan for a social and economic recovery," said TRU President Brett Fairbairn.
"As we heard through the task force, Kamloops businesses and residents are struggling through this pandemic. We know through partnerships such as this that the City will recover and grow back even stronger," said Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian.
The MOU signed on October 7 builds upon recent successes, incorporates minor adjustments for approval of shared projects, and continues the ongoing strong partnership.
The two parties have made progress in several key parts of the MOU. This includes educational programming, community-focused research and innovation in planning.
"Since 2018, we have shown the community that a strong relationship between the City of Kamloops and TRU is a good thing for both the institution and community. This updated MOU will not only strengthen this relationship, but also ensure that it continues to grow," said Christian.
Both Christian and Fairbairn noted a key success of the MOU includes a Research Chair in Predictive Services, Emergency Management and Fire Science for TRU. With support from the Province of BC and as announced in the summer, the chair is a strong demonstration of community engagement in action. Advocacy on the part of Interior municipalities, including Kamloops, helped to secure this position.
The MOU signed today identifies some key areas that can help increase the efficiency of the relationship and expand the projects the City and TRU will work on together. One current example is the opioid overdose challenge that has affected both the Kamloops region and the province. This partnership will see TRU lead a cultural mapping of the opioid crisis in Kamloops, supported by the Social and Community Development team at the City.
"Thompson Rivers University is home to a rich amount of research and knowledge that can significantly benefit the community of Kamloops. There is much more to be achieved by working in partnership and this MOU helps us continue to do just that," concluded Fairbairn.
The amended MOU remains in place until 2023 and both partners will revisit at that time.
Backgrounder
Information on the projects, initiatives, and research that have been shared since the original MOU was signed is available here.
