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Kelowna news

Things to do in the Okanagan before they close for the season

VERNON - So much to do, so little time. Mere weeks remain before a number of Okanagan attractions close down for the season — and that means you’ve got to get moving, or wait until next year. The Kalavida Surf Shop in Vernon closes its doors for the season on Oct. 4, although special arrangements...

Chance of snow at higher elevations around the Okanagan tonight

OKANAGAN - We all know it’s officially fall but you may not be ready to hear this — snow levels are dropping to 1,500 metres tonight. Environment Canada is calling for a low of just 8 or 9 Celsius tonight, Oct. 2, throughout the Okanagan, just above seasonal normals of 6 C, but with a...

Drones provide a new view of Okanagan golf course

CENTRAL OKANAGAN - If you've ever wondered how gorgeous Okanagan golf courses look from above, here's a little help. A local golf course proprietor recently hired an Okanagan company to take aerial footage of the course, by drone. Ian Robertson, the owner and general manager of Kelowna Springs Golf Club, says using a drone finally gave...

High school condoms decision left to Kelowna parent advisory councils

CENTRAL OKANAGAN - They’ve got the kids on board and the principals but a pilot project which would see condoms made available at local high schools still has to get by the toughest critics of all — parents. Superintendent of schools Hugh Gloster says a proposal by the Interior Health Authority to supply condoms and...

UPDATE: Highway 97 in West Kelowna reopens following head-on collision

WEST KELOWNA - A head-on collision on Highway 97 near Grizzly Drive backed up traffic in both directions this morning, Oct. 1, closing the highway and sending a 76-year-old woman to hospital in serious condition. Kelowna RCMP spokesman Const. Steve Holmes, says in a meida release, the collision between a Toyota sedan and a Jeep...

Researchers gather in Kelowna to talk sex

KELOWNA - An annual conference that brings researchers from across the country will be in Kelowna this weekend for a three day exploration of a topic many still find taboo. The Canadian Sex Research Forum has been held in different cities across Canada for the last 42 years. Topics have changed a great deal over...

TV pilot highlights luxury homes being built in the Okanagan

KELOWNA - A local TV producer is putting the finishing touches on a pilot TV episode that gives viewers a glimpse of what goes into building Kelowna’s newest and most expensive homes. Pamela Tomlinson, who produced The Carnies, The Canadian Culinary Championships and a feature length film called Hitler’s Speech Writer, has turned her lens towards a local construction...

Orange Shirt Day remembers residential school victims

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you saw someone wearing orange today, don’t assume they are supporters of the federal NDP. “Orange Shirt Day is a reminder of the pain and anguish of residential school survivors and their families,” Rose Caldwell says. “For the ones who made it through and the ones who never came home.” Caldwell is...

Woman reunited with Diego the dog more than a week after Vernon car accident

VERNON - He’s hungry, dehydrated, and a bit scratched up, but Diego is home. The five-year-old Chihuahua went missing Sept. 21 after jumping out a window during a car accident in Vernon. His owner, Tonya Olson, spent the last nine days desperately searching for him, holding out hope that he was alive. On Wednesday, Sept....

Kelowna leads the country in rate of pot possession charges

KELOWNA - A local lawyer who specializes in drug cases says news that Kelowna has the highest rate in Canada for charges laid for simple pot possession shows bad judgement by local RCMP. Stanley Tessmer has practiced criminal law in Kelowna since 1997 and one of his areas of expertise is in drug cases. “It...

Top female sailors to race in Kelowna this weekend

KELOWNA - Some of the best female sailors in the country will be in Kelowna this weekend for a competitive sailboat race that hasn’t been held in Kelowna since 2007. The 2015 Re/Max Canada Women’s Keelboat Championships is a fast-paced weekend of racing that takes place over three days in front of Waterfront Park in...

TAYLOR TRIAL: Witnesses describe finding body of teen in Kamloops neighbourhood

KAMLOOPS — The walking trail by a ravine near Guerin Creek was often littered with beer cans, bottles and garbage, but three dog walkers, a hydro worker and a letter carrier noticed something out of place the morning of Dec. 5 before a 16-year-old girl’s body was found in the neighbourhood. The body was CJ...

Few leafy losses following summer of drought in Kelowna

KELOWNA - All that remains of the two large cottonwood trees that used to shade the city parking lot at the Water Street boat launch are the two big holes where they once stood. One tree snapped and fell over Monday night, Sept. 28, and the other tree was removed by city crews as a...

Record grape harvest bodes well for Fall Okanagan Wine Festival

KELOWNA - It's been a stellar year for Okanagan vineyards and it will continue with a ten-day celebration of all things wine, which is expected to attract more than 20,000 visitors. Many local wineries are picking grapes earlier than ever before this year, according to Lori Pike-Raffan, the public relations director for Okanagan Wine Festivals...

What an El Niño winter means for the Thompson-Okanagan

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - With autumn well underway it's hard to ignore the fact that it's only a matter of time before the snow hits, but with a strong El Niño expected this season winter could look, and feel, a little different this year. Meteorologists say the event may be a little overhyped but we could expect temperatures...

TAYLOR TRIAL: Teen and accused were ‘getting along’ hours before her death

KAMLOOPS — In the hours leading up to her death, a pregnant 16-year-old was getting along with her boyfriend and didn’t want to leave him the night before their trip from Kamloops to Terrace, a jury heard in Kamloops Supreme Court yesterday, Sept. 29. Claude Royer, a ministry of children and families worker, was among...

Kelowna mayor plays it safe with policy for lighting up The Sails

KELOWNA - Tourists and locals alike have long flocked to The Sails at the foot of Bernard Avenue for postcard moments in the Okanagan sun. The sculpture’s graceful curves can also be lit up at night in a variety of colours. At the discretion of the Mayor’s Office, community groups can ask to have The...

Search and rescue groups could get more funding

KELOWNA - Search and rescue volunteer organizations are a step closer to receiving more funding from the province. A funding model that has been in development for two years is being sent out to other search and rescue groups in the province for input before it gets forwarded to the government. Director Jim McAllister of...

Charges pending against erratic Kelowna driver who side-swiped cars on route to Vernon

‘HE TOLD POLICE HE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHY HE WAS BEING STOPPED’ VERNON - Charges of dangerous driving and possession of a controlled substance are being recommended against a Kelowna man who went on a wild drive from Lake Country to Vernon last week. The 38-year-old was arrested in downtown Vernon after making his way from...

Coroner identifies cyclist killed in Rutland

KELOWNA - The 62-year-old cyclist who died Sept. 25 after colliding with a car near Springfield Road has been identified by the B.C. Coroners Service. Imre James Nagy of Kelowna was riding his bicycle northbound on Belgo Road in Kelowna around noon when he was involved in a collision with a car near the intersection...