An old grader being craned for transport to the new park. @kamloops.ca
KAMLOOPS – Kamloops will soon be home to the heritage-themed Truck Chilling Park. The park, located at corner of Bunker Road and McGill Road, originally started out as a passive green space located near the City’s Civic Operations Yard, but it will now be home to several vintage trucks and public works equipment.
“We set up a static floral display in a retired one-ton GMC truck from the 1940s last year at this location and it was so popular with the public, we decided to add more pieces and formalize the space into an accessible park,” said Jeff Putnam, the City’s Parks and Civic Facilities Manager.
Included in the soon-to-be finished park will be a 1947 Chevrolet pickup truck, a 1949 Federal truck, and a road grader that was purchased by the City in 1928. All three pieces of vintage equipment will be surrounded by a beautiful floral display that will change by the season. The park will have accessible parking and pathways as well as several trees, picnic tables, and historical signage.
A special addition will be added this fall to the back of the 1949 Federal truck—the original Sagebrush Sam hat-tipping neon sign that was displayed for many years on the Sagebrush Motel on Columbia Street, which was demolished in 2008. The City acquired the vintage sign and since refurbished it to be permanently displayed at Truck Chilling Park.
“Sagebrush Sam will be a familiar sight to many Kamloopsians. We’re looking forward to having such a fun piece of Kamloops history preserved and on display in a beautiful setting for residents and visitors to enjoy,” commented Julia Cyr, the City’s Museum Supervisor.
The total project cost is $92,000, and the park is estimated to be complete in September 2022.