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John McDonald
John began life as a journalist through the Other Press, the independent student newspaper for Douglas College in New Westminster. The fluid nature of student journalism meant he was soon running the place, learning on the fly how to publish a newspaper.
It wasn’t until he moved to Kelowna he broke into the mainstream media, working for Okanagan Sunday, then the Kelowna Daily Courier and Okanagan Saturday doing news graphics and page layout. He carried on with the Kelowna Capital News, covering health and education while also working on special projects, including the design and launch of a mass market daily newspaper. After 12 years there, John rejoined the Kelowna Daily Courier as editor of the Westside Weekly, directing news coverage as the Westside became West Kelowna.
But digital media beckoned and John joined Kelowna.com as assistant editor and reporter, riding the start-up as it at first soared then went down in flames. Now John is turning dirt as city hall reporter for iNFOnews.ca where he brings his long experience to bear on the civic issues of the day.
If you have a story you think people should know about, email John at jmcdonald@infonews.ca
Kelowna leisure takes a breather with holiday schedule
KELOWNA - The winter break is a great time to swim, workout or visit the library as a family, but before you head out the door make sure you know what the holiday hours are. Parkinson Recrecation Centre runs altered hours from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 21 to 23, closing early at 4...
Fortis jacking up power rates on New Year’s Day
OKANAGAN - The price of electricity will be going up almost three per cent in the Fortis service area. Rates will be going up 2.96 per cent New Year's Day, the publicly-owned utility announced last week after receiving regulatory approval. The company says that amounts to a monthly increase of $3.81 for the average Fortis...
How the City of Kelowna plans on spending your money in 2016
KELOWNA - The city will require about $120 million from property owners to cover costs in Kelowna next year. While big ticket items like police officers and recreation centres often get the headlines, the city spends millions on dozens of other initiatives in many different areas as well. Here, in no particular order, are some...
Don’t tie property tax increases to inflation says Kelowna city manager
KELOWNA - Kelowna city manager Ron Mattiussi thinks using inflation as a yardstick for property tax increases just makes the type of problems the city is now facing worse. "The rate of inflation, although an interesting benchmark, really should not guide these decisions,” Mattiussi said, to councillors considering a 4.11 per cent tax increase. Kelowna...
Kelowna to give some love to 14,000 street lights
KELOWNA - Most people don’t think much about street lights unless they happen to crash their car into one of them. Kelowna has 14,000 street lights with a replacement value of $23 million, Kelowna council heard during budget deliberations today, Dec. 17. Many of the lights, however, are past their service life and require maintenance...
Public safety top of mind as Kelowna council approves tax increase
KELOWNA - Taxpayers will likely face a property tax increase of 4.12 per cent after city council passed the 2016 provisional city budget. The increase is heavy on public safety as more than half the increase of about $6 million is dedicated to hiring more police and bylaw officers while moving ahead with construction of...
City of Kelowna playing catch-up on roads after pothole complaints go up
KELOWNA - Ignore potholes in your roads and they will come back to haunt you. That’s the lesson Kelowna city council took away after approving $3.4 million for road resurfacing in the 2016 budget. Councillors heard the annual roads resurfacing program has been underfunded for several years as the city focused on other priorities. Complaints...
Kelowna Fire Department to buy four new trucks for $1.6M
KELOWNA - The Kelowna Fire Department is going to get a bunch of new trucks in 2016. The city will spend $1.6 million next year replacing four of the department’s service vehicles, including $1.33 million for two new fire engines. That will buy the department two engines; an $810,000 replacement for engine four, a 1996...
Curriculum change the first challenge for new Central Okanagan superintendent
KELOWNA - The incoming superintendent of the Central Okanagan School District praised his predecessor Hugh Gloster even as he acknowledged some of the challenges the district is facing. Top among them is the province-wide introduction of the new curriculum, something Supt. Kevin Kaardal acknowledged today, Dec. 16, at a media event with school board chairperson...
Emergency response team used to arrest prohibited driver in West Kelowna
WEST KELOWNA - RCMP had to use the emergency response team to arrest a prohibited driver in West Kelowna this afternoon. The 37-year-old man was arrested after he fled from police in his vehicle, Kelowna RCMP say in a press release. Officers tried to stop the man a number of times. West Kelowna RCMP then...
Kelowna councillors face hard choice in hiring more police officers
KELOWNA - Kelowna city councillors are facing a hard choice in the 2016 budget — hire all six police officers recommended by formula, or hire just three for now even though street crime has increased over the past year. Councillors are already facing a 4.11 per cent increase on the 2016 budget, of which 1.97 per...
UPDATE: Kelowna man located
UPDATE: 9:38 A.M., DEC. 16, 2015 RCMP say Randy Burns has been located and is safe and sound. Personal details and photo have been removed from this story. 2:58 P.M., DEC. 15, 2015 KELOWNA - Randy Burns, 46, was last seen Nov. 28 by a family member, Kelowna RCMP say in a press release. Anyone...
Peachland bypass could result from new traffic study
PEACHLAND – What to do with the highway through Peachland is the question a new…
Site of prison originally planned for Kelowna could soon be an industrial subdivision
KELOWNA – A site in north Kelowna once touted as a location for a new…
Kelowna councillors to pore over budget during all-day review
KELOWNA - Preliminary projections place the 2016 budget increase for the City of Kelowna at 4.11 per cent, more than a $6 million increase on taxation. That number is based on a 2.14 per cent increase for city operations and capital projects, City manager Ron Mattiussi said in a report to council Monday, plus a...
Quadriplegic man says city doesn’t care about his parking plight
KELOWNA - The family of a quadriplegic man seeking to turn their front yard into parking for his lift-equipped van will not be satisfied with anything less. Because of that, Ann and Roy Penrose have refused an offer from the city to waive the $700 fee and have them appear before council to argue their...
Heritage council a step closer to reality in Kelowna
KELOWNA - Heritage management in Kelowna by an independent committee is a step closer to reality. City council agreed to have staff move on to the final stage of resurrecting the heritage advisory committee, an arms-length group to consist of nine representatives from local heritage groups, Westbank First Nation and Tourism Kelowna that also includes...
Hefty Kelowna property tax increase resting on contract obligations, mayor says
KELOWNA - Mayor Colin Basran would love to pare down the 4.11 per cent tax property tax increase council is considering but says they don’t have much room to move. Basran says the combined costs of recent union contracts with city workers and firefighters, plus initial borrowing cots for the new police station, all contractual...
Why workers at some City Halls must take holidays in December
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Civic governments in Kamloops, Vernon and Penticton keep their main offices open over the holidays but they do it a little differently in the Central Okanagan. City Halls in both West Kelowna and Kelowna will be closed for the week between Christmas and New Years along with the offices of the Central Okanagan...
Zentangle a soothing remedy for your jangled mind
KELOWNA - So who knew when you were doodling your way through high school, filling the margins with aimless drawings, you were already experiencing the stress-reducing mindfulness of Zentangle. “Research shows doodling students retain a lot more information than those that don’t. Doodling is similar in ways but Zentangle is more structured. You start with...
Alberta’s oil patch woes hit home at Central Okanagan food banks
KELOWNA - Plunging oil prices and substantial layoffs in Alberta’s oil patch are making their mark here in the Central Okanagan through a surge in food bank use. Public relations director Ami Catriona says the Central Okanagan Community Food Bank, which has branches in Kelowna and West Kelowna, noticed an unusual uptick in requests around...
Sensitive Santa brings Christmas closer to children with autism
KELOWNA - A visit to see Santa in the mall, along with the obligatory photo, is a rite of passage in Canada for most kids. But if your child isn’t fascinated by the flashing lights, ringing bells and ornate costumes or together it creates a kind of sensory overload that leads to anxiety and even...
Warm weather leaving puddles on Stuart Park rink
KELOWNA - The unseasonably warm weather of the last few days has resulted in pools of water developing on the outdoor rink at Stuart Park, threatening the popular facility with daytime closure. “That’s been the pattern that we’ve seen over the last few years, especially in the early or late season,” arenas supervisor Steve Fagan...
West Kelowna couple seriously injured in weekend home invasion
WEST KELOWNA - A violent home invasion this weekend has left a West Kelowna couple in serious condition in hospital. Police responded to a report of a break and enter in the 1100 block of Peak Point Drive in West Kelowna just before 2 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6, Kelowna RCMP spokesman Cpl. Joe Duncan...