Alcohol

Drink and learn: A new kind of art class

KELOWNA – A unique new kind of art class that combines painting with alcohol is coming to Kelowna, West Kelowna and Penticton next month. Paint Nite is not your average art class, says administrator Jacqueline Wong. “This is more than just painting,” she says. “It’s socializing with family and friends and anytime you include alcohol...

Man dies after jumping off houseboat in the Shuswap

SICAMOUS - The body of a 24-year-old who jumped off a houseboat yesterday and did not resurface has been recovered. Sicamous RCMP say the Saskatchewan man jumped off a houseboat into the water of Mara Lake yesterday, Aug. 4, and did not resurface. The RCMP dive team and Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue team...

Vernon man falls off boat after losing balance and hits propeller

VERNON - Police are looking into what role alcohol may have played in a weekend boating accident which left a Vernon man badly injured — and they’re not investigating the driver of the boat. Police believe a 21-year-old Vernon man who fell off the bow of a boat and struck the propeller might have been...

Move over wine, there’s a new Okanagan drink and it’s more popular than ever

OKANAGAN - There’s more for the thirsty soul in the Okanagan Valley than just wine, and locally-made cider is here to prove it. A number of cideries have blossomed in the Okanagan over the last few years, including the family-run BX Press in Vernon. Owners Dave and Melissa Dobernigg opened their craft cider house last...

Okanagan Spirits has a taste for expansion

VERNON - When the shiny pieces of Okanagan Spirits' new state-of-the-art copper stills arrived, there was only one problem: The instructions were in German. With no one fluent in the language, setting up the 50-plate still and 1,500 and 2,000 litre copper pots—now the largest in Western Canada—was an entertaining process, laughs owner Tony Dyck....

Self harm among Okanagan youth higher than rest of province

OKANAGAN – The results of a province-wide survey on the health of B.C. adolescents shows that young people in the Okanagan are more likely to participate in activities that risk their health than teens in the rest of the province. The study was conducted by the McCreary Centre Society and looked at survey responses from...

Jury finds death accidental, makes recommendations

'STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING AN ALCOHOL DETOXIFICATION CENTRE IN THE SOUTH OKANAGAN' PENTICTON - The coroner’s inquest on the death of Steven J. Scott who died two years ago while in police custody has ended with recommendations from a five-person jury on how to improve conditions to avoid a similar incident in the future....

CORONER’S INQUEST: Penticton lacking substance abuse resources and police manpower

PENTICTON - The need for more rehabilitation resources and police manpower were the running themes of this morning’s testimonies made during the coroner’s inquest on the death of Steven J. Scott who died in a cell at the Penticton RCMP detachment two years ago. Patricia Gartner, a social worker at the Penticton Regional Hospital oversaw...

Wine would be winning addition to markets

KAMLOOPS - The province now allows liquor to be sold at farmers markets but city staff are not quite ready to make the leap, suggesting council move to a public hearing first if they wish to explore the possibility. Shawn Haley, co-chair of the Kamloops Regional Farmers Market Society, is requesting the city approve a...

City Hall holds the key to booze at farmers markets

VERNON - You’ll be able to pick up your artisanal cheese, baking—and booze—with a one-stop shop to the local farmers market, as long as Vernon city council okays it. The Vernon Farmers Market at Kal Tire Place and the Avenue Market on 30 Avenue are asking the City of Vernon to amend its policies to...

From drinking all day, to writing all morning: A conversation with Michael Pond

PENTICTON - Michael Pond, author of the new, bestselling book The Couch of Willingness spoke with Infotel News about his memoir on alcoholism and what he’s learned from his mistakes and redemptions. Here’s a look at what he had to say: Infotel News: Why did you decide to write a book about your addiction? Michael...