Meaghan Archer
Seniors considered in new transit plans
PENTICTON - Councillors discussed the need for more public transit options at last night’s city council meeting, including increased evening hours and shorter wait times. Staff presented options for the new three-year contract with B.C. Transit that will run from 2015 to 2018. Options including extending certain routes, all night services and Sunday services. The...
IN PHOTOS: 2014 Peach City Beach Cruise
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Charges dropped for murderer Keith Wiens
PENTICTON - Crown Counsel dropped charges last week against an ex-RCMP officer who was found guilty of murdering his common-law wife in 2011. Keith G. Wiens, who is facing a life sentence in federal prison, was charged with breaching his restrictions. Crown prosecutor John Swanson, who was assigned the case, said he was not told...
Tourism Penticton names new executive director
PENTICTON - After a long wait, Tourism Penticton has named Chris Bower as its new executive director. The organization went through administrative changes this winter and spring, with several administrators leaving their positions, including ex-executive director Jessie Campbell. In his new position, Bower will oversee destination tourism and marketing for Tourism Penticton and the operation...
City paves paradise and doesn’t bother making it a parking lot
PENTICTON — The downtown lot that was not too long ago a teaching garden, is now a patch of levelled land. The city recently took back claim of the property after a temporary use license was not renewed by a local gardening organization. The property at Ellis Street and Nanaimo Avenue was formerly the home...
Centre’s strike take toll on community and local businesses
PENTICTON — Naramata’s local economy will take a hit this summer while the community’s largest organization is on strike. Last week, the administration of the Centre at Naramata decided to pull the plug in summer programming, in order to prove their striking efforts were serious. Employees have been standing on the picket line since May,...
Residents ordered to evacuate Gables Hotel
PENTICTON - Residents of the Three Gables Hotel were ordered to evacuate the building yesterday due to unsafe and unhealthy building conditions. Penticton Fire Department officials said the existing building conditions could seriously endanger life or property if there were a fire. The 17 residents were given 48 hours to collect their things and leave....
B.C. enters new trade deal with China for Okanagan cherries
OKANAGAN — A new trade agreement was made this week between Canada and China to ship Okanagan cherries over seas. The two parties have been operating market deals on a trial basis for two years (the 2014 season is the second year) and are extending their relationship with the longer agreement. The B.C. Minister of...
School doors not completely closed as teachers walk the picket line
PENTICTON - Schools have not completely shut down, despite the wall of teachers picketing the front lines. Teachers and administrators are not trying to prevent students from entering the schools at all; students needing to clean out their lockers, if they haven’t already done so, can come by their school and collect their things. Administrators...
Arrest made in liquor store robbery
PENTICTON - A suspect arrested following a robbery at an Oliver liquor store last week is now facing potential criminal charges. The 41-year-old Summerland man was arrested Thursday June 13. He faces potential charges of robbery and disguise with intent. Video surveillance provided by Spud’s Liquor Store show the robber wearing a mask, disguising his...
Celebrate a revitalized downtown at the city’s block party
PENTICTON - The City is hosting a block party next week to celebrate the newly revitalized Westminster-Martin western gateway. Revitalization of the 200 block of Martin Street between Westminster Avenue and Nanaimo Avenue was the first phase of the City’s Downtown revitalization plan. Construction began in late February and finished at the end of May,...
Riders: Get ready for a new bike race
OKANAGAN - There is a new bike race coming to the Okanagan that offers riders a challenging and scenic course through the Okanagan Valley. Following the Kettle Valley Railway Trail, the Kettle Mettle dirt road fond ride will start in Penticton, at one of Lake Okanagan, and end on the other side in Kelowna. Riders...
Wondering where the wildlife is? WildSafeBC has you covered
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - It’s spring and that means there are lots of wild baby animals roaming around, but hopefully not in backyards and towns. In the Thompson-Okanagan, black bears are the most common wildlife spotted. There have been a total of 42 black bear sightings in the last two weeks; three in Kamloops, eight in Naramata,...
Teachers strike causes daycare to close doors
PENTICTON - The ongoing teachers’ strike is not just affecting teachers, staff and students, but parents as well. Working parents who need child care services are running out of luck, especially if their chosen care centre is located in a school. The approximately eighty families that send their kids to Kid’s Connection Daycare are now...
More development doesn’t mean more rentals
PENTICTON - A recent study shows there are fewer rental units in Penticton than there were at this time last year, but can the city’s development department keep up with a shrinking rental availability? Anthony Haddad, the city’s director of development services said he hasn't received a lot of proposals for apartment buildings lately. However,...