Past Kamloops City Council Members

Pat Wallace

Pat Wallace

I was fortunate to interview Pat’s long-time friend and fellow city counsellor, Shirley Culver.

Pat and Shirley were both elected to the City Council in the 1980s. This was a time of high interest rates and difficult economic times for our country. Inflation was out of control, and our city’s population was declining.  The area was amalgamated into one whole city just seven short years before.  The province made the decision to amalgamate.  There were a lot of unhappy Kamloopsians.  As a result of this decision, more tax money was available to bring city resources up to standard.

Pat Wallace and Shirley Culver were elected on a slate. Pat continued as a city councillor, with a break between 1986 and 1993. She heavily promoted the Tournament Capital designation and rooted for the 1993 Canada Games.

In 1986, she chaired the TNRD, becoming the first woman to hold that position.

She continued to run and win a seat on the city council until she retired in 2018.

Shirley believes Pat was the best political politician in the west of Winnipeg. She had an uncanny ability to gauge what the community wanted. She would often promote one side of an argument to the city council, do some research, and vote against it.

At times, Shirley could not trust Pat. This character trait showed up wherever she was, including UBCM, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Conventions, and elsewhere.

Pat Wallace was a genius at lobbying for the citizens of Kamloops.  Most people are not aware of how important this skill is.  Pat got things done through her city, provincial, and federal contacts.

Pat and Shirley were fascinating duos to watch. Their long friendship created synergy. Although they had opposite political leanings, they maintained their friendship through love and mutual respect.

Pat Wallace died in February 2023. She is missed.