Pat Wallace, an 11-term Councillor with the City of Kamloops and a past president of UBCM, passed away at her home on February 11. In addition to her 31 years in service to the City, Wallace was the first woman to chair the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and was the vice-chair of FCM’s Green Municipal Fund. The City of Kamloops awarded Wallace with the Freedom of the City in 2019. She was 90 years of age.
The accolades for Pat from colleagues and City residents are a testament to her respectful, clear and principled leadership as a local elected official. Barbra Roden, the mayor of Ashcroft and the Chair of Thompson Nicola Regional District, said Pat was a “true trailblazer for many women entering politics.”
Kamloops-North Thompson MLA and former Kamloops Mayor Peter Milobar described Wallace as “a true friend, mentor, tenacious local champion and most of all a very caring and compassionate person.”
Arjun Singh, who served with Wallace on council and was a past president of UBCM, said “I will miss the great Pat Wallace dearly. Mentor, friend, champion of Kamloops, lively soul and one of the best teachers of the ways of local government one could ever have. She was very clear on her views and she never let differences of views get in the way of good friendships.”
“Pat was a beloved elected leader in her community who cared deeply about good governance,” said UBCM president Jen Ford. “Her influence as a mentor extends over a full generation of local elected leaders in Kamloops and the TNRD. Her passing is a true loss to B.C.’s local government community.”