council
Disagreement over use of Vernon dog park has council at end of leash
VERNON - City officials continue to spar over the use of a green space near Marshall Fields as an off-leash dog park. Residents have been using the area, which runs alongside Marshall Fields by the Lakers Clubhouse, to let their dogs run off leash for years, but now the City of Vernon is now tightening...
Kick it to the curb: Vernon councillor says get rid of new recycling program
“I HAVEN’T HEARD ONE PERSON SPEAK IN FAVOUR OF IT” VERNON - A Vernon city councillor is saying put it back to how it used be when it comes to recycling pick up. Coun. Scott Anderson says he’s heard hundreds of complaints from Vernon residents about the new Multi-Material B.C. system, which saw plastic bags...
T’kemlups te Secwepemc responds to media coverage of salaries, financials
KAMLOOPS – First Nations Chiefs and councillors have entirely different roles from city mayors and councillors and cannot be compared based on salary alone, says T’kemlups te Secwepemc. When salaries and audited financial statements were released last month under new federal legislation, local media around the province—including Infonews.ca—made the comparisons between chiefs and councillors to municipal...
Log Barn signage gets the boot
SPALLUMCHEEN - A roadside attraction known for its wild and wacky signs has been told to tone it down. The Log Barn, located off Highway 97A just north of Armstrong, was ordered by the Township of Spallumcheen to remove close to 20 property signs in May 2015, and recently lost a bid to reinstall a...
Vernon council decides town hall meetings aren’t needed
VERNON - Elected representatives believe Vernon residents have all the opportunities they need to raise issues with the city. That’s why council has opted against hosting periodic town hall meetings in which citizens can bring up any topic they wish to discuss. Councillors voted 5-2 at a meeting Monday, Aug. 10, to keep things status...
Council goes against staff on casino move
KAMLOOPS - The public will get to voice input on the proposed move of the downtown casino to the former Rona location in Aberdeen after a staff recommendation to deny the application was overturned by council Tuesday. “We need the opportunity to hear from the community, and casino people,” Coun. Tina Lange said. “(We have)...
Province’s new Stickle Road proposal fails to impress Vernon officials
VERNON - Better, but not good enough is the message Vernon council sent to the Ministry of Transportation during a presentation about a new idea for improving the Stickle Road intersection. Plans for a right-in, right-out only access to and from Stickle Road on Highway 97 just north of the city were scrapped in May...
Okanagan apples almost ready to cross the globe
OKANAGAN – The general manager of the B.C. Fruit Growers Association says they are about a month away from knowing if Okanagan apples will be bound for one of the largest markets in the world. Glen Lucas says he had hoped they would have the answers to whether or not local apples will be a...
Vernon debuts new city brand: ‘Activate Life’
VERNON - McDonald’s has ‘I’m lovin’ it’, NIKE has ‘Just do it’ and now the City of Vernon is embracing the power of the slogan with the new tagline, ‘Activate Life.’ It’s part of a branding initiative to market and promote Vernon among locals and tourists alike. The new tagline replaces the former ‘Vernon Make...
Vernon mayor tight-lipped about Green Valley Motel evictions
VERNON - As tenants of the Green Valley Motel search for new homes after being served eviction notices last week, discussions about the property are going on behind closed doors at Vernon city hall. People living at the motel need to be gone in two months, and local agencies like the John Howard Society and...
Vernon city council prepares decades ahead for future highway bypass
VERNON - It wouldn’t be built, or required, for another 25 to 65 years, but Vernon council is starting to plan for a potential bypass around the city. It’s been talked about for years, but today’s council is taking a firm stance on the need to start planning, and protecting a corridor for it, now....
Pop-up art gallery, food cart to add vibrancy to downtown Vernon this summer
VERNON - People stepping off Greyhound or public transit buses in downtown Vernon will have a unique shipping container art gallery and at least one food truck waiting for them this summer. Vernon city council approved a request from the Vernon Public Art Gallery to keep a network of steel shipping containers where they are,...
Vernon night market to proceed despite concerns
VERNON - A Friday night market in downtown Vernon will go ahead this summer, but there’s still some unease among city councillors about the event. Coun. Catherine Lord says she’s been contacted by several businesses, some anonymously, wishing to express their concerns about the market. “We’ve been getting some really upset people with it because...
Doubt cast over 2015 season of Vernon’s Avenue Market
VERNON - There’s concern that a Vernon market designed to attract people to the downtown core is actually having a negative affect on some merchants. The summertime Avenue Market, which is coming into its second year, invites vendors to set up on 30 Avenue on Friday evenings. When it started, the hope was that it...
Breast-feeding supporters plan West Kelowna ‘feed-in’
WEST KELOWNA - A group of breast-feeding supporters are planning a mass 'feed-in' at the next West Kelowna council meeting, dissatisfied with the reception given by councillors to a delegation promoting breast-feeding at the last council meeting. Last week, as part of a class project, a delegation of UBC Okanagan nursing students and a public...