Candidate Profile: Nancy Bepple — Community Engagement, With Limits

As Kamloops voters prepare to elect a new council this October, incumbent councillor Nancy Bepple is asking residents to give her a fourth term in office. She has become one of the City's most recognizable councillors, particularly during campaign season, with frequent appearances at various events. If there is a community event taking place, there is a reasonable chance Bepple will be there—and, judging by Facebook, there is an equally reasonable chance there will be a photo to prove it.

There is, however, one notable limitation to those online posts. While Bepple regularly posts photo and updates from the community, comments on her Facebook posts are disabled. Residents are invited to see what she has to say, but not to publicly respond. It's an interesting approach for someone seeking another four years representing the public.

The question for voters is not how many events she attends, but what she has accomplished during ten years in office, and whether those accomplishments reflect the priorities of Kamloops residents today.

A Master of Procedure

Councils can develop members who naturally gravitate toward certain roles. Some may focus on finance, while others may champion infrastructure or economic development. Bepple has become known for something different: procedure.

Council meeting recordings show Bepple frequently interrupting debate with "Point of Order," often while Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson is speaking. A legitimate point of order is intended to identify a specific breach of the Council Procedure Bylaw so the meeting can return to proper process. In practice, many of Bepple's interventions appear less about identifying procedural violations than interrupting or challenging the Mayor's handling of a meeting.

After three terms on council, voters might reasonably expect a councillor to distinguish between disagreeing with the chair and identifying an actual procedural violation. Yet "Point of Order" has become such a familiar phrase that regular viewers of council meetings could be forgiven for expecting it whenever discussion becomes contentious.

If the City ever introduced a loyalty program for points of order, Bepple would almost certainly qualify for the premium membership.

Procedure has also extended beyond interruptions. Bepple has regularly moved motions directing staff to send letters of thanks to delegations on behalf of council. While these motions are perfectly legitimate, they have become something of a trademark, raising the question of whether symbolic correspondence has received more attention than some of the broader challenges facing the city.

One might also wonder whether council could save everyone some time by passing a standing motion to thank every delegation in advance.

Community Engagement—With Limits

Bepple frequently speaks about community engagement and spends considerable time meeting residents throughout Kamloops. That willingness to be visible deserves recognition. The irony is that her voting record tells a more complicated story.

Over the current term, council has reduced opportunities for members of the public to address council directly and ask questions during meetings. Those changes have been inconsistently supported by Bepple.

The result is that while councillors—including Bepple—continue encouraging residents to engage with local government, many of the formal opportunities for that engagement have become more limited than they were when this council took office.

The Code of Conduct Conversation

That contrast became particularly apparent during one of the City's public budget presentations.

I asked Bepple whether she was willing to file a Code of Conduct complaint regarding Councillor Kelly Hall's conduct during a council meeting on Jan 13, 2026. She said she would not. When I then asked whether she believed Hall had violated the Code of Conduct, her answer was equally direct: no.

What Has Been Prioritized?

Every councillor chooses where to invest their time and political capital.

For Bepple, those priorities have often included active transportation, cycling initiatives, the City's bike valet service, car-share programs, inclusiveness, and wet shelters.

Those are all legitimate municipal topics. The question is not whether they matter, but whether they have received proportionate attention compared with the issues many residents identify as their highest priorities.

Over the past four years, Kamloops residents have faced rising property taxes, increasing infrastructure costs, persistent concerns about public safety, homelessness, affordability, and significant borrowing proposals. Those issues have dominated conversations across the city.

Voters may reasonably ask whether Council has devoted enough attention to those challenges, or whether too much political energy has been directed toward projects that, while worthwhile for some, affect a comparatively small portion of the population.

Bepple has also been a strong supporter for the outdoor skating rink. To her credit, Bepple has declared her involvement with the Kamloops Outdoor Skating Association and has recused herself from council decisions where that involvement created a conflict of interest.

In an interview with Castanet, Bepple described her priorities for another term:

"Sustainability, livability, housing, the economy, relationships — that’s what I'll be working for, for the citizens of Kamloops in my next term of city council if I am elected."

Local candidate team Pivot Kamloops attended this year's Overlanders Day. They reported that their Dot Democracy Chart allowed the public to place 700+ stickers (3 per person), identifying their top priorities. The results indicated that the top 3 priorities are "Community Safety and Well-Being", "Restoring Decorum and Civility on Council", and "Ensuring Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management".

You can compare those priorities to Bebble's on her campaign website.

Campaign Season Has Arrived

Doorbells ring more frequently during election years. There's an increasing likelihood that you'll find Bepple on your doorstep this summer. You can expect her to assure you that she'll represent your interests, despite having supported measures that reduced opportunities for the public to address council and ask questions during meetings.

Election years have a curious effect on local politicians. Community events suddenly become impossible to miss. Bepple is certainly not alone in this regard, but few candidates appear to embrace community events with quite the same enthusiasm.

Her Facebook page has become a running photo album of door knocking and her appearances at community events. It projects the image of a councillor deeply connected to the community.

It is also a carefully controlled conversation. With comments disabled, residents cannot publicly question, challenge, or debate the positions being presented. It's community engagement without the community getting the last word.

A Relationship Defined by Conflict

Throughout this council term, Bepple has frequently displayed visible frustration with Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson during meetings.

Disagreement between councillors and a mayor is neither unusual nor unhealthy. Robust debate is part of democratic government.

What has stood out is how often those disagreements have manifested as procedural interruptions rather than substantive debate. Instead of allowing discussion to continue and responding through argument, meetings have frequently been punctuated by procedural objections that sometimes appeared to have little connection to actual breaches of council procedure.

Residents watching from home have likely become familiar with the pattern.

The Verdict Belongs to Voters

Bepple was elected in 2022 with the fewest votes among the successful councillor candidates. She nevertheless secured a seat and has now accumulated ten years of experience on Kamloops City Council.

Experience, however, is not an accomplishment in itself. Incumbents seeking another term are ultimately judged by their record, their priorities, and whether they have strengthened public confidence in local government.

This October, voters will decide whether Bepple's emphasis on procedure, symbolic motions, community appearances, and her approach to public engagement reflects the kind of representation they want for the next four years.

For an incumbent with three terms under her belt, that makes Bepple the most experienced councillor on the current council.

Incumbency is not a qualification in itself. Ten years in office gives voters a substantial record to examine. Whether that record deserves another four years is now entirely in the voters' hands.

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Disclosure: This article contains both factual reporting and commentary. Factual statements are based on publicly available council agendas, minutes, meeting recordings, election results, and other primary sources unless otherwise identified. Commentary represents the author's opinion and analysis of those facts. Readers are encouraged to consult the original records and draw their own conclusions.

Candidate Response: Kamloops Critic welcomes factual corrections from candidates and will promptly correct any verified errors. Candidates who wish to respond to this profile are invited to submit a response of up to 750 words. Responses may be edited for length, clarity, and legal considerations but not for viewpoint.