Lyssa Martin

Having grown up as a third generation Kamloopsian on the North Shore, a stone’s throw from the beach where the Thompson Rivers become one, Lyssa brings to The Wren a passion for learning and sharing local knowledge. Lyssa’s countless hours at the Kamloops Museum and Archives produced The Wren’s History of the Confluence series.

Tk’emlups te Secwepemc members ride on horseback carrying shields emblazoned with the message "we were here first" behind a replica of Fort Thompson in the city’s 1937 Dominion Day parade

The complex, changing ways Kamloopsians marked July 1 through the decades

By Lyssa Martin ● In-depth ● July 8, 2025

Kamloops’ archival photos show how Canada Day celebrations evolved here — from attempts to erase Indigenous and immigrant contributions to the city, to embracing them.

W7éyle (Moon’s Wife), Crazy8s film fest finalist, explores science fiction from a Secwépemc perspective

By Lyssa Martin ● News ● May 6, 2025

Amanda Wandler wrote and directed ‘W7éyle (Moon’s Wife)’ — one of this year’s top-six picks from the Vancouver short film event.

In photos: A look back at Kamloops’ May Day festivities

By Lyssa Martin ● News ● March 11, 2025

With a new season set to blossom, the storied — and at times, controversial — history of the city’s longtime spring festival comes into focus.

Kamloops’ oldest parade photos reveal pomp, circumstance and racism at the turn of the 20th century

By Lyssa Martin ● News ● January 28, 2025

From a dragon dance to a revisionist ‘centenary,’ these historic parade photos provide a unique window to the young town of Kamloops.

Crew of the “Yukon Queen” meeting with local dignitaries during the first official landing at Kamloops airport, an airmail delivery on April 18, 1939. Photo courtesy of Kamloops Museum and Archives (1509)

Landing on Fulton Field: Why is the Kamloops airport where it is?

By Lyssa Martin ● News ● November 12, 2024

A reader question about the history of Kamloops’ Airport revealed the intertwined story of a working class mayor and a war hero.

a woman stands with two small children, their backs all turned towards the camera. They are facing a gallery wall that has acrylic paintings, birch back jewelry, and deer hide drums hanging from the wall.

Q&A: Local exhibition seeks to redefine your perspective on Indigenous art

By Lyssa Martin ● Community ● May 28, 2024

The Indigenous Resurgence Project’s Indigenous art exhibition connects artists with no limits on form, recontextualizing the scene, says founder Shay Paul.

Green burials: The right to return to the earth

By Lyssa Martin ● News ● March 26, 2024

How green burials could provide a practical and spiritually fulfilling final resting place for Kamloopsians.

Despite violence and resistance, Kamloops constituents are making their voice heard, and you can too

By Lyssa Martin ● News ● March 12, 2024

On Feb. 21, members of Palestine Solidarity Kamloops who hoped to hand their petition to MP Frank Caputo were met with a closed sign. They’re not deterred.

Members of the event gather around a table talking.

What does the future of school food look like in SD73?

By Lyssa Martin ● Analysis ● January 16, 2024

An event at The Stir brought together community voices to brainstorm the road ahead for investments in school food in Kamloops. What’s next?

Reporter’s Notebook: Craftivsm, crafting for a better future

By Lyssa Martin ● Community ● January 2, 2024

Reporter Lyssa Martin shares a number of events that helped her learn more about how Craftivism builds connections and catalyzes change.

Lyssa Martin

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