council

Council signs off on election restrictions

KELOWNA – A bylaw passed by councillors Monday caps the number of election signs you can legally display on your property. Effective immediately, no private or public places can display more than two signs for any single candidate. According to Karen Needham, the changes have been made as a result of concerns raised by council...

Vernon and area communities to spend latest provincial grants as needed

VERNON - Vernon and surrounding towns are getting a million bucks from the province to put towards some essential community services and each muncipality gets to decide how to spend it. The $1 million bump will be divided between Vernon, Lumby, Enderby and the North Okanagan Regional District and is part of almost $74 million...

Council pay and expenses revealed

VERNON - Three out of seven Vernon councillors spent 88 per cent of the money given to council for expenses last year. According to a financial statement for 2013, council was reimbursed for a total of $13,356 in expenses — such as mileage and accommodation — related to the job. The three highest reimbursements were...

Vernon councillors backtrack on mixed martial arts ban

VERNON - Vernon councillors are backing down on a decision to ban mixed martial arts events. There’s concern the wording of the ban would prohibit youths from participating in competitions, which was not the initial intent. “We have many young kids that are involved in various martial arts, almost like gym classes they do downtown,”...

PROSKIW: Emotion has no place in a fight

KELOWNA - I saw my first UFC fight in 1995, only two years after it launched in the U.S. I found the VHS tape tucked away on the bottom shelf of the sports section at a 24-hour video rental store that closed down a decade ago. I was 17 and the description on the back...

Kelowna orchard wants apple vodka distillery

KELOWNA – Owners of a Southeast Kelowna apple orchard have been given the green light to seek approval from the Agricultural Land Commission to construct an apple vodka distillery and tasting room. The application was made by Blair and Kelly Wilson of Wallace Hill Rd. The subject property is a 20.3 acre apple orchard with...

Wipeout-style water attraction approved for City Park

KELOWNA – A new water park is coming soon to the shores of Okanagan Lake off City Park. Consisting of interlocking inflatable modules with a maximum capacity of 60 people at a time, city property manager John Saufferer says the park will be similar to the inflatable obstacle courses used in the TV show Wipeout....

The price to park goes up at many meters around Kelowna

KELOWNA – A 150 per cent increase in on-street parking fees comes into effect today, but the city says many meters won’t be adjusted for several more weeks. Plans to raise the rates were announced in January, with council voting to raise prices for the first time in 20 years. As of today, the cost...

Martial Arts community kicks back at “offensive” remarks by Vernon council

VERNON - The mixed martial arts community is in an uproar over what they feel were offensive and uneducated comments made about their sport earlier this week by Vernon councillors. The City of Vernon wants to ban mixed martial arts (MMA) events because, as Coun. Bob Spiers put it, “the association with the type of...

Residents and councillors disapprove gas bar and Tim’s project

PENTICTON - Residents of Roy Avenue spoke out against the potential construction of a gas bar and Tim Horton’s on a property adjacent to their street, saying it would be too noisy, smelly and just plain unnecessary. The gallery was full at Tuesday’s public hearing and council meeting. Both residents and councillors expressed their disapproval...

Changes to handicap parking on Nicola

KAMLOOPS - Complaints over inadequate space for dropping off or picking up of disabled persons at 321 Nicola St. has city staff looking at options for changing the parking in that area. The issue first arose in November when People in Motion complained about the inadequate space, which often left the HandiDart having to stop...

City makes substation upgrade deal with FortisBC

PENTICTON - The City has come to an agreement with FortisBC to purchase and upgrade the Westminster substation. The deal is part of the city’s 2011 Electrical Distribution System Plan that outlines required electrical upgrades, including the installation of a 12 kilo-volt transformer at the Westminster Station. The purchase will cost the city $4,967,000 plus...

Urban Agriculture group closing garden gates

PENTICTON — Volunteers are closing their garden's gates because city council, under false pretences, shot down a licence renewal. The Penticton Urban Agriculture Association will be selling and giving away their gardening tools, boxes, compost and soil this saturday. The association’s board of directors decided to vacate the garden by June 30, the end of...

When is it time for council to listen?

KAMLOOPS — Just how involved councillors should be on committees was briefly discussed in council chambers this week and it is one that could be visited more often as councillors appear to jockey for position heading into a fall election. Coun. Nelly Dever told council back in November that councillors were speaking too much during...