Kelowna
Big White hammered by snow overnight
KELOWNA - Crews at Big White awoke to about seven centimetres of the white stuff this morning and with temperatures sitting below zero and snow still falling, it is expected enough snow will be on the ground for season opening Nov. 27. Josh Foster says in his 11 years at Big White they have only...
Convicted killer Foerster back in court for sex worker assault and home invasion charges
KELOWNA – A lawyer for the man convicted of murdering Taylor Van Diest will be back in Kelowna court Friday to deal with a pair of unrelated charges. Matthew Foerster will either enter a guilty plea or fix a date for trial relating to incidents which took place in 2004 and 2005, according to Crown prosecutors....
Alberta man charged with threatening WestJet flight in Kelowna
KELOWNA – A 35-year-old Alberta man, who is living in Summerland, is facing a number of charges in connection with a threat made to a WestJet flight in Kelowna on Saturday. At about 12:24 p.m., someone phoned in a threat regarding the flight scheduled to depart Kelowna for Calgary. Police still refuse to say what...
Get your skis shined up
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Two of the three big ski hills in the region are starting to see snow accumulate and that means one thing, ski season is just around the corner. The first runs are set to open Nov. 22 at Sun Peaks Resort near Kamloops, though preseason race training will start as soon as there...
Why wildland firefighters keep coming back
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - It can feel like warfare; heading into a fire, in the middle of nowhere for days on end at the mercy of Mother Nature. Yet something about being on the battle lines draws in wildland firefighters season after season. For Jarvis Manuel, a 14-year veteran with B.C. Wildfire, it’s the people. For Thomas...
Upcoming election forums are your chance to meet the candidates
KELOWNA – As the election draws near, several groups and organizations have candidate forums planned where residents will have the opportunity to meet and ask questions of those running for council, mayor and school trustee. The first forum is for mayoral candidates only and is organized by the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce. Participating candidates will...
Constituency offices shut down following Ottawa shooting
KELOWNA - It appears the constituency offices of Members of Parliament across the country have been shut down following events in Ottawa this morning, including local MP Ron Cannan's. Cannan's Capri Mall office was dark this morning after a gunman opened fire at Parliament Hill. Cannan, MP for Kelowna-Lake Country, was in Ottawa at a...
Kelowna man allegedly driving stolen car arrested for theft and weapons
KELOWNA - It started with a mounty locating a stolen car outside a Bernard Avenue residence Wednesday night and ended with the arrest of a Kelowna man who faces a number of potential theft and weapons charges. A Kelowna RCMP officer was patrolling a known problem residence in the 700 block of Bernard Avenue at...
Candidates square off at first mayoral election forum
KELOWNA – Five of the eight candidates for mayor were at Manteo Resort Wednesday morning for the first public forum of the municipal election. Mayoral hopefuls Colin Basran, Sharon Shepherd, Kelly Row, Glendon Smedley and Chuck Hardy were each given two minutes to answer eight questions put forward by the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce. During...
Get ready for the snow
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - There have been small amounts of snow on mountain passes already this fall, but it hasn’t lasted long or accumulated enough for many people to really take note. Thursday morning Highway 97C saw warnings of slushy and slippery sections near the Pennask Summit and Environment Canada issued a special weather statement warning of...
Penguins fans sing Canadian anthem
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - National Hockey League fans showed their love and support for Canada Wednesday night at a game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers. The team flooded the arena with red light, images of the Canada flag and maple leafs while the words to the anthem were posted on the large screens so...
Kelowna Legion not surprised by attack in Ottawa
KELOWNA – Past president of the Kelowna Legion Ron LeRoy says he actually wasn’t all that surprised when he found out a gunman had shot and killed one soldier and injured two more. “I just wondered when (it would happen),” he says. “We’re not a small country anymore and we’re in there now with the big guys so...
Don’t forget, it’s flu season
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - While the public's attention has been on Ebola and enterovirus D68 recently, Interior Health is preparing for flu season, rolling out influenza vaccines to clinics and phamacies around the region. Dr. Robert Parker says they start getting calls in September but early November is when they typically start offering vaccinations to the general...
Development director leaves city job to take over campus position
PENTICTON - The city will lose one of its greatest assets when development planner Anthony Haddad heads north to work on the expansion of the UBC Okanagan campus. Haddad leaves for his new position as the director of campus planning and development at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna, in a few weeks time. Haddad has been...
Bear repair to cost $40k
KELOWNA – A public art work in downtown Kelowna is undergoing repair work caused by residents and tourists who can’t seem to look without touching. Bear is a six metre sculpture next to Stuart Park on Water Street. According to building services manager Martin Johansen, stone pavers at the base have been broken repeatedly since...