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Steve Arstad
I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.
Steve Arstad's Stories
Murdered Penticton man remembered as a diligent worker
PENTICTON - The man murdered in Penticton last week was a father of four and worked at the Copper Mountain Mine. Frank Armitage worked with Darren Leadbeater, 36, the person police named yesterday as the man murdered at Golden Sands Resort in Penticton, and says he was shocked when he learned of his co-worker's death. “I knew...
Bon Jovi to play Stanley Park
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Book your hotels and get your bags packed, rock superstar Bon Jovi is coming to Vancouver. Jon Bon Jovi and The Kings of Suburbia will be playing Brockton Fields in Stanley Park this summer before the band embarks on an Asian tour. They’ll be playing for three nights beginning Friday, Aug. 21. The...
Penticton photographer has passion for night photography
PENTICTON - A Penticton photographer uses the night sky as his subject and the great Okanagan outdoors as his studio. Stephen Hancock recently took some spectacular photographs of an aurora-filled night sky above Brunell Lake, northwest of Oliver. Over the past two years, Hancock has taken photos of the Okanagan night sky. Locally he often...
Restrictions on channel use until end of the month
PENTICTON - Those wishing to beat the heat with a trip down the channel need to be aware the channel won’t be completely open to floaters until the end of the month. Several floaters could be seen travelling south beyond Green Mountain Road in swift current on the afteroon on Monday, June 8. Penticton Indian...
Penticton dad identified as murder victim; Police haven’t confirmed
PENTICTON - A former Fort McMurray, Alta., man living in the South Okanagan is believed to be the man police found murdered at a Penticton motel unit last week. Police have not confirmed the name, but social media sources appear to confirm Darren Leadbeater as the man killed following an incident at the Golden Sands...
Interior Salish art could draw tourists to Southern Interior
PENTICTON - A demand by tourists for local indigenous art is being heard and the Penticton Indian Band has taken the first steps towards making that happen. The Penticton Indian Band hosted a workshop last week as it works to create a strategy to meet the tourist market demand for authentic Interior Salish art. The event, held...
Penticton heart attack victim thanks life savers
PENTICTON - A Penticton man is effusive in his gratitude to the people who saved his life after he suffered a heart attack while playing pickle ball at the community centre gym. Gary Gierlich, 58, says his last memory before collapsing on April 16 was a feeling of dizziness. The next thing he remembers is waking up...
Oliver man killed in Highway 97 crash
PEACHLAND - A crash between a car and a semi in Peachland yesterday claimed the life of an Oliver man. The B.C. Coroners Service has confirmed Grant Wheeler, 81, was killed in the crash, June 4. Wheeler was driving northbound on Highway 97 when he became involved in a collision with a southbound semi-trailer at...
New trail first step in connecting Summerland to Penticton
PENTICTON - Construction on the first phase of a new trail for the South Okanagan is set to begin next week. The Trail of the Okanagans Society announced a planned construction start day of June 13 for a new recreational pathway on Highway 97. The trail will start at Lakeshore Drive travel south to Summerland...
Court decision favours regional district
PENTICTON - A cooperative road paving initiative between the Regional District Okanagan Similkameen and the Ministry of Transportation ended up in court following a dispute between the regional district and its contractor, Associated Engineering. The problems began as a result of a 2005 water supply improvement project in Naramata that saw the regional district installing...
Placement of Penticton power poles a problem after paving
PENTICTON - A couple of errant power poles on a newly reconstructed street corner by the City of Penticton has some people shaking their heads. Residents in the area of Industrial Avenue and Atkinson Street have noticed two power poles at that intersection located on the crosswalk beyond the curb following the recent completion of...
Wibit Water Park bringing promise of summer fun to Penticton
PENTICTON - A new way to enjoy the Okanagan Lake waterfront is coming to Penticton later this month. Rylie and his father Randy Gallagher are partners in bringing the Penticton Wibit Water Park to Okanagan Beach. Set up will begin on June 15 and the two entrepreneurs will open their floating water park across from...
Lotto 6/49 ticket purchased in Penticton worth $1 million
PENTICTON - Someone who bought a Lotto 6/49 ticket in Penticton is going to be doing a happy dance soon. The B.C. Lottery Corporation reports the $1-million winner in the guaranteed prize of the Saturday, May 30, draw purchased their ticket in Penticton. The winner with the exact match to the winning number — 03362986-03...
Over $12-million in improvements to Hope-Princeton highway
PENTICTON - Those travelling from the South Okanagan and Similkameen to Vancouver on Highway 3 will soon see construction activity on one of the route’s most notorious stretches west of Princeton. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and Transport Canada have announced work is scheduled to begin next month on a $12.53-million highway realignment project...
BC Ambulance, search and rescue teams perform rescue near Summerland trestle
PENTICTON - A 40-year-old man in medical distress near the Summerland KVR trestles was found by triangulating his location with cell towers Thursday afternoon. Penticton Search and Rescue members were mobilized at approximately 1:30 p.m., May 28 after receiving a request for assistance from B.C. Ambulance, who had received a distress call from a man...
Got Bats initiative works to save furry night fliers
PENTICTON - There is no reason for residents of the Okanagan to "go batty" over problems they might have with the furry, nocturnal flying creatures this summer. The BC Community Bat Project is getting ready for a busy summer educating and instructing Okanagan residents on how to handle bat issues. The “Got Bats” initiative is...
Amazing Race Canada returns to the Okanagan
PENTICTON - The Summerland area is about to get some nationwide publicity thanks to a popular national TV show that just finished taping in the area. The Amazing Race Canada recently wrapped up a shoot in the South Okanagan with a segment that is expected to air sometime in July. The Summerland Waterfront Resort was...
UPDATE: Police chase on Channel Parkway
PENTICTON - A police cruiser was damaged by an erratic driver while officers tried to pull over a cargo van Monday evening. At approximately 4 p.m., May 25, police were alerted to a complaint of erratic and possibly impaired driving involving an older cargo van on the Channel Parkway, Penticton RCMP confirms. Police located the...
Penticton Scottish Festival has something for everyone
PENTICTON - If you enjoy everything Scottish, from kilts to haggis and tartan to bagpipes, then the Scottish Festival in Penticton could be right up your alley. While haggis may not actually be on the menu, the Second Annual Penticton Scottish Festival and Highland Games will celebrate Celtic culture with a variety of Scottish oriented...
South Okanagan provincial parks name change reflect aboriginal culture
PENTICTON - Two South Okanagan parks have been renamed to reflect traditional First Nation place names. Environment Minister Mary Polak and Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie made the official announcement, renaming Haynes Point and Okanagan Falls Provincial Parks. The name changes coincide with the Osoyoos band taking over management of the two parks. McIntyre...
Okanagan Correctional Centre stimulates local economy
PENTICTON - The $200 million Okanagan Correctional Centre has entered it's second year of construction with a completion date in the fall of 2016. The facility is rapidly taking shape as one of the three cell “pods” nears completion and the prison’s administration building begins to take shape. More than 375 people have worked on...
Bumper crop of itchy, scratchy poison ivy in South Okanagan
PENTICTON - There’s a good reason for outdoor enthusiasts to stay on the trail when hiking in the South Okanagan this spring. Cyclists and pedestrians using the Kettle Valley Railway trail are noticing an abundance of poison ivy this year, particularly on the trail between Penticton and Kaleden. Regional District Okanagan Similkameen parks coordinator Justin...
Penticton lawyer fined for professional misconduct
PENTICTON - A Penticton lawyer recently found himself subject of a disciplinary hearing by the Law Society of British Columbia. Charles Louis Albas—father of Okanagan-Coquihalla MP Dan Albas—was cited for preparing a will for a client, naming himself as a beneficiary, and in another instance prepared a will naming his wife as beneficiary. The incidents...
Funding to help with mussel control in South Okanagan
PENTICTON - The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen is getting some financial help in its fight to prevent quagga and zebra mussels from finding their way into the Okanagan. The RBC Blue Water project recently announced $100,000 in grant funding will be made available to the regional district to bolster their Okanagan Aquatic Invasive Species...