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Kelowna

Bus fares rise in the Central Okanagan

CENTRAL OKANAGAN - A broad-based bus fare increase for Kelowna Transit riders kicked in this week. The increase began Sept. 1 and was approved by Kelowna city council last March as an attempt to streamline fares and increase to 30 per cent what the city recovers from the subsidized bus service. Base fares for adults,...

Marcel Irnie still ready to race despite losing superbikes to thieves

KELOWNA – A Canadian superbike champion is going to have to race with a backup bike after his two BMW race bikes were stolen out of a Kelowna parking lot in broad daylight. Kelowna’s own Marcel Irnie, who taught himself to ride on Westside Road, was working out at Worlds Gym in Kelowna two weeks...

Crush of students puts the pressure on Kelowna Transit

KELOWNA - They’re not yellow but considering how many students they carry, regular transit buses could almost be considered school buses. Jerry Dombowsky, the City of Kelowna’s regional programs manager with responsiblity for transit, says moving students is a big part of what Kelowna Regional Transit does. "Students of all ages make up a significant...

Drive B.C. adds eight new highway webcams to help you plan your trip

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Just in time for winter, Drive B.C. has installed eight more highway cams between West Kelowna and Kaleden, and in the Merritt area to help drivers assess road conditions and traffic. The cameras include four south of West Kelowna on Highway 97 and Highway 97C, and three near Kaleden in the South Okanagan....

Filmed in the Okanagan: TV show focuses on traditional First Nation food

OKANAGAN – A TV series about gathering and cooking wild food will air on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network next week. And it was filmed in the Okanagan. Quest Outwest: Wild Food follows Syilx storyteller and Penticton resident Tracey Kim Bonneau as she hunts and forages around the Okanagan looking for traditional ingredients she prepares...

Superintendent school awaits new top teacher

KELOWNA - There’s a change in command coming at the Central Okanagan school district but outgoing superintendent Hugh Gloster says his successor will be well supported during the transition. “The plan is for me to continue to manage operational issues of the district until close to the end of the year," he says. "There’s a...

Cooler weather sticking around for Okanagan long weekend

OKANAGAN - The last long weekend of the summer is upon us but Mother Nature doesn’t seem to be ready to join the celebration this year. For the most part September kicked off with temperatures just below seasonal normals of 22 Celsius and the Labour Day long weekend will be much the same. Environment Canada...

Udderly Awesome long weekend coming up

KELOWNA – With sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 20’s, the September Long Weekend is likely your last chance for summer fun. The largest agricultural fair in B.C. takes place in Armstrong this weekend. The 116th Interior Provincial Exhibition runs until Sunday with events for the whole family. The theme for this year is “Udderly...

School bus fees double but service still heavily subsidized

KELOWNA - Those big yellow school buses will be back on the road next week, ferrying some 5,500 students to classes in the Central Okanagan school district. Each one of those kids will be paying $200 to get to and from school, double what it cost last year, as the school board found ways to...

Whooping cough still a concern as school approaches

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - With the first day of school approaching, parents should remember a recent spike in potentially fatal whooping cough has only just began to drop. “We have been in communciations with schools informing parents about communicable diseases in general and the fact we have been observing increased cases of whooping cough,” Dr. Kamran Golmohammadi...

Night construction could cause traffic delays in Kelowna next week

KELOWNA - A pair of roadwork projects on the city’s major highways will cause some delays next week. On both Highway 97 and Highway 33 road construction will reduce traffic to single-lane alternating traffic, according to information posted to the province’s Drive B.C. website. Work will take place east of Hollywood Road on Highway 33...

Dropping wildfire threat reopens part of Knox Mountain Drive

KELOWNA – Although the majority of Knox Mountain Drive will remain closed due to the risk of wildfire, the road will be reopened to vehicles as far as the first lookout tomorrow. The Friday, Sept. 4 opening comes after the road was closed in July due to the high risk of fire. Urban Forest Technician...

Okanagan episode of Amazing Race Canada to air next week

SUMMERLAND – Fans of the Amazing Race Canada will see some familiar sights next week. The Summerland area will be featured in Wednesday’s episode of the hit CTV show where pairs of Canadians race around the world hoping to be the first to reach the final destination and claim the $250,000 prize. Contestants will be...

Forget fire, we’ve got snow on local ski hills

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The weather has flip-flopped in the last week, so much so local ski hills are reporting their first snowfalls instead of watching for wildfires. Silver Star Mountain operations director Brad Baker sent out pictures showing a fair dusting of snow at the resort near Vernon, and a reminder of the mountain’s early bird...

Summerhill Winery steps up starling control with this amazing toy

KELOWNA - A local winery is using a unique form of pest control to keep an invasive species from stealing their grapes. Summerhill Pyramid Winery in Upper Mission is one of the few completely organic wineries in the Okanagan. They don’t use pesticides to control insects but there is another pest capable of causing even...

Roll out of new school curriculum underfunded, say Okanagan teachers’ association

CENTRAL OKANAGAN - Teachers in the Central Okanagan School District are welcoming the new provincial education curriculum but say the province isn’t providing enough money to give it a proper introduction. “It is a huge reform, complete overhaul from stem to stern and teachers have been very involved in the development of this curriculum. Like...

Goat wearing dog collar found wandering West Kelowna neighbourhood

WEST KELOWNA - A loose dog call in West Kelowna led bylaw to a much more unusual find Wednesday morning. An adult male goat wearing a dog collar was found wandering around a neighbourhood on Chieftain Road. Amanda Hill posted a pic and description of the goat to the Kelowna/Okanagan Lost and Found Pets Facebook...

VIDEO: Behind the scenes at the Canadian Culinary Championships

KELOWNA - The first of a series of three professional videos produced during the last Canadian Culinary Competition has been released on YouTube, and it’s an exciting glimpse into the intensity that goes on during one of Kelowna’s signature annual events. The Canadian Culinary Championships started in 2010 as a way to highlight the talent...

Local First Nations fashion designer aims for Los Angeles stage

WEST KELOWNA - A First Nations clothing designer living in Westbank has been invited to take part in Style Fashion Week in Los Angeles this fall. Jill Setah, a member of the Chilcotin First Nation, has lived in Kelowna for the past ten years. From a young age she had an interest in clothing design...

‘Too soon’ say critics of decision to lift campfire ban

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Some fire-shocked B.C. residents are questioning the decision by the Ministry of Forests to lift the campfire ban that has been in place since early July. The ministry announced Monday afternoon the ban would be lifted on Crown lands and campsites in the South East and Kamloops fire centres and many communities and regional districts...

Local girl to make TV debut on First Dates Canada tonight

KELOWNA - A local model and freestyle motocross rider will appear on the debut episode of a new TV show that films couples on first dates in all their awkward glory. First Dates Canada was filmed in Vancouver earlier this year and debuts on the Slice Network for the first time tonight, Sept. 1. Kelowna’s...