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Kelowna news
Speed trap season opens in the Central Okanagan
CENTRAL OKANAGAN - It's getting nice outside and with more drivers leaving their dens for the open road RCMP traffic enforcement operations are ramping up to catch those who drive faster than the posted speed limits. A few hours were spent on the new section of Highway 97 between Oyama and Winfield Sunday afternoon, March...
Kelowna store employee reports sexual assault
KELOWNA – A local man is being held in custody after an alleged sexual assault of a downtown employee last week. Brian Spencer, 61, is being charged with two counts of sexual assault after he entered a store and began a conversation with a female employee at around 6:15 p.m. RCMP Const. Kris Clark says...
Strides to End Homelessness exceeds goal
KELOWNA – The annual event to raise money for the Kelowna Gospel Mission was a huge success on the weekend. The organizers of Strides to End Homelessness say the fundraising event on Saturday, March 7 exceed their goal of $25,000. The money will be used to start the Mission’s new men’s program, which will provide...
Local vets step up to help solve feral cat crisis
OKANAGAN – As plans get under way to address Kelowna’s growing feral cat problem, five local veterinarians have volunteered their time and facilities to help ensure the problem gets solved for good. Kelowna SPCA branch manager Suzanne Pugh says the city is facing a cat colony “crisis” and estimates there to be approximately 13,000 feral...
What nurse practitioners bring to our health care system: Interior Health wants you to know
KELOWNA - What began as a study to figure out how Interior Health nurse practitioners could be better incorporated into the health system has turned into three instructional videos for the public to help them understand the role of NPs. The study, conducted by Interior Health and the School of Nursing at UBC Okanagan, was...
Lumby students dominate college spaghetti bridge contest
KELOWNA - It came down to a battle between three friends from Lumby at Okanagan College’s 32nd annual Spaghetti Bridge Contest held at the Kelowna campus today. Grade seven student Adrian Schartner from Lumby placed first with his bridge weighing 982.6 grams and supporting 275.6 kilograms before spectacularly collapsing in front of cheering friends, peers,...
Half marathon combines wine and natural Okanagan beauty
KELOWNA – The Kelowna Wine Country Half Marathon is based on the success of a similar event held in California’s famous Napa Valley. The Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon first combined a marathon with natural beauty and wine over a decade ago. Destination Races brought the idea to the Okanagan Valley for the...
When to start reserving provincial camping sites
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Camping enthusiasts can set their alarms for the 9 a.m. opening of the online camping reserve system, Sunday, March 15. The interactive reservation website displays availability, layout and amenities for 115 front country campgrounds in 99 provincial parks. Reservations can also be made on the go using smartphones, but you aren't limited to...
BCHL PLAYOFFS: West Kelowna Warriors fall to Vees in marathon thriller
WEST KELOWNA - It was the longest game in West Kelowna Warriors history Friday night, March 6, at Royal LePage Place, as the Penticton Vees scored 9:37 into the third overtime period to win 4-3 and take a 2-1 lead in the first round of the BCHL playoffs. The Vees were hot out of the gate...
Kelowna fire crews quickly extinguish hedge fire
KELOWNA – No serious damage or injuries after a fire in a hedge next to a home in a semi rural area of Kelowna this afternoon. The fire in the 1800-block Heimlich Road in the Mission was reported at about 2 p.m., Friday, March 6. When crews arrived, the flames from the burning hedge had...
Fintry Queen owner lowers the flag on relocation plan, lists dinner cruise ship for sale
KELOWNA - The owner of the Fintry Queen has given up on the plan to move the iconic dinner cruise ship to Pentiction, and has instead listed the boat for sale. Andy Schwab, president of the Okanagan Lake Boat Company, had been trying to raise money to resurrect the Fintry Queen with plans for a...
RCMP need the licence plate number of truck in attempted child luring case
WEST KELOWNA - The public is doing a great job phoning in tips about the red pickup truck described in the attempted child luring case in West Kelowna, but RCMP really need help getting the licence plate number and name of the driver. The West Kelowna detachment has been inundated with tips about the red...
Wu-Tang Clan members coming to Kelowna
KELOWNA – Three members of the influential east coast rap group the Wu-Tang Clan are coming to Kelowna this month. Ghostface Killah, GZA and Capadonna are members of the group Rolling Stone called “the best rap group ever.” They burst onto the scene in 1993 and have since released six albums to critical acclaim. They have...
February home sales best in years says real estate board report
KELOWNA – After a disappointing start to 2015, the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board is reporting a 34 per cent improvement in home sales in February compared with the same month in 2014. “After a more than usual slowdown in January, Okanagan-Shuswap home sales rallied along with consumer confidence during February despite weaker economic conditions...
Lake Country vows to heavily promote rail corridor purchase, counter opponent’s misinformation ahead of referendum
LAKE COUNTRY - Stung by a defeat they didn’t see coming, Lake Country government will be pushing hard to win the April referendum on the purchase of the CN Rail corridor. Mayor James Baker said the referendum format prescribed by Elections B.C. will allow the municipality to promote the $2.6-million purchase in a way they...
Website brings farm to table and also to your smartphone
KELOWNA – A Kelowna-based website is making it easier for people interested in supporting local businesses to find their soil mate. Soil Mates is a website that, using the GPS on your phone, displays nearby breweries, farms, markets and wineries. “Local farmers, raisers and producers are central to this and Soil Mate is working with...
Tips about child luring cases need to go to correct detachment
KELOWNA - The RCMP would like the public to continue calling in tips about suspected child luring in the area, but they want to make sure everyone knows where to direct them. "The Kelowna RCMP are currently receiving tips on all child luring investigations and request that they be directed appropriately," Const. Kris Clark says...
Exemption for micro suites from development charges could mean millions in lost revenue
KELOWNA - Micro suites may be a trend that gains no traction in Kelowna, but if it does the city is looking at ways to replace the revenue lost to their exemption by the province from development cost charges. “If we see 400 suites next year and 400 the year after that, then we might...
Law Society forbids Kelowna man from giving legal advice
KELOWNA – A Kelowna man has been forbidden by the Law Society from practicing law in B.C. According to a press release, Kevin James Anderson has consented to an injunction prohibiting him from representing himself as a lawyer anywhere in the province. He is also prohibited from engaging in the practice of law, including drawing...
Child luring warning issued for Central Okanagan
WEST KELOWNA - Two incidents similar to one in Kelowna last month have led the RCMP to issue a child luring warning for the entire Central Okanagan area. The incident happened just before noon on Tuesday, March 3, when two 15-year-old boys were walking in the area of Westlake Road and Stevens Road. The man...
Great Okanagan Beer Festival a first for Kelowna
KELOWNA - There's more than just wine to the Okanagan and as proof another popular fermented drink will be celebrated at the Great Okanagan Beer Festival for three whole days this May. More than 40 breweries from across the country and around the world will be offering more than 90 beers to try at sampling...
Kelowna gas prices climbing
KELOWNA – If you’re from Kelowna but driving through West Kelowna or Lake Country today, you might want to consider filling up your gas tank. According to bcgasprices.com, the average price per litre of regular gas at most Kelowna stations has gone up to 115.9 recently. That’s around 8 cents more than the national average...
Exactly which lands are being swapped with Westbank First Nation? Don’t ask the province
KELOWNA - The province announced a potential land transfer plus a cash payment to Westbank First Nation but refuses to say exactly where the land is. The transfer is intended to satisfy the requirements of the 2009 deal that allowed the completion of the Bennett Bridge and its western approaches. While it has gone public...
Kelowna coalition to tackle growing feral cat problem
ESTIMATED 13,000 FERAL CATS IN THE OKANAGAN KELOWNA – Five years after struggling to get control over a wild rabbit problem, Kelowna now faces a population explosion of another feral species. “There’s definitely a feral cat problem in Kelowna,” says Cheryll Gillespie, an animal welfare advocate and one of the founders of a new group...