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politics
Questions arise over new Vernon arena cost, location
VERNON - Building a new arena in Vernon hasn’t even gone to referendum yet and is already generating concerns. Local officials are currently waiting for the province to sign off on a borrowing referendum to decommission the Civic Arena and add a second ice sheet at Kal Tire Place — a process that has been...
Vernon councillor calls for action over ‘crazy loud’ shrimp boats on Okanagan Lake
VERNON - It might be saving Kokanee salmon populations, but a Vernon city councillor says shrimp harvesting on Okanagan Lake is ‘crazy loud.’ “It’s like, wow, you hear this thing from across the whole lake,” Coun. Brian Quiring said at a council meeting Tuesday, Oct. 13. “I mean, we have to find a way that...
More questions about Vernon blue bin recycling program
VERNON - Vernon city council is embarking on a blue bin fact-finding mission. Spurred by a pair of motions brought forward by Coun. Scott Anderson, council agreed to investigate concerns — and possible solutions — around the Multi-Material B.C. blue box recycling system which came into effect in May 2014. "Numerous people have expressed dissatisfaction...
The pesky problem a Vernon politician says is causing bed bugs to spread like wildfire
VERNON - A Vernon councillor is shocked at how common bed bugs are in the city, and he has at least one idea of how they’re spreading. Coun. Brian Quiring spoke up about the matter at a council meeting Tuesday, Oct. 13, after being contacted by a concerned resident. “I’m shocked actually by how big...
ELECTION 2015: New polls paint different pictures in North Okanagan-Shuswap
VERNON - Hot on the heels of a poll released by local citizens, two other groups have commissioned surveys and the findings show mixed results. The latest poll, conducted by Mainstreet Technologies and funded by Liberal candidate Cindy Derkaz’s campaign team, found 38 per cent of decided voters plan to vote for Conservative candidate Mel...
ELECTION 2015: First time Vernon voter is a little baffled, but her confusion makes a surprisingly crucial point
VERNON - The voting process might seem straightforward to many people, but one first time voter in Vernon isn’t ashamed to admit she’s completely confused. Meghan Rydde, 22, thought she was finally prepared to cast her first ever ballot on Oct. 19 — that was until she found out her understanding of the election system...
ELECTION 2015: According to a local poll, this is who strategic voters should choose in the North Okanagan-Shuswap
VERNON - A poll commissioned by a non-partisan group in the North Okanagan-Shuswap riding has revealed a tight race between the Conservatives and the NDP. The group, which decided to fund the poll to help strategic voters decide how to cast their ballots, released the findings today, Oct. 8. “It gives a clear indication, if...
Vernon MLA disappointed by arena ‘hiccup’, says minister is on it personally
VERNON - Vernon’s MLA isn’t happy about ongoing delays surrounding a referendum for a new ice sheet. The provincial government rejected, for a second time, a referendum proposal from the City of Vernon and the North Okanagan Regional District, putting the initiative even further behind schedule. Vernon-Monashee MLA Eric Foster says he’s ‘disappointed with how...
Ongoing delays for new Vernon ice sheet costing taxpayers: Mayor
VERNON - Red tape continues to delay a borrowing referendum for a new ice rink in Vernon. The North Okanagan Regional District still doesn’t have authorization from the provincial government to hold a referendum asking voters to borrow up to $13 million to decommission the aging Civic Arena and build a second ice sheet at...
Future of Civic Arena unclear if Vernon’s ice sheet referendum succeeds
VERNON - As the conversation around a new ice rink in Vernon continues to move ahead, some are wondering what that means for the historic arena it would be replacing. When the Civic Arena was constructed in 1938, it was the first indoor ice rink in the Okanagan Valley. In April of that year, the...
North Okanagan locked into recycling system, says MMBC director
VERNON - Those demanding changes to the North Okanagan’s recycling system appear to be out of luck. Allen Langdon, the managing director for Multi-Material B.C., says the new program is working well in the North Okanagan Regional District and, overall, generating few complaints. “We had some around the launch but in the last few months...
Disagreement over use of Vernon dog park has council at end of leash
VERNON - City officials continue to spar over the use of a green space near Marshall Fields as an off-leash dog park. Residents have been using the area, which runs alongside Marshall Fields by the Lakers Clubhouse, to let their dogs run off leash for years, but now the City of Vernon is now tightening...
Clock ticking on Vernon ice sheet referendum
VERNON - It’s crunch time for local government officials looking to hold a November borrowing referendum for a new Vernon ice sheet. The City of Vernon wants to decommission the aging Civic Arena and add a second ice sheet to Kal Tire Place — but has had to jump through some hoops just to bring...
Vernon residents upset about noisy shrimp harvesting on Okanagan Lake
VERNON - Noise concerns are being generated by shrimping operations on Okanagan Lake, but it's unclear which level of government complaints should be directed at. Vernon city councillor Juliette Cunningham raised the issue at a public meeting Monday, saying the noise from a shrimp boat working around Paddlewheel Park is leaving some residents complaining to...
Kick it to the curb: Vernon councillor says get rid of new recycling program
“I HAVEN’T HEARD ONE PERSON SPEAK IN FAVOUR OF IT” VERNON - A Vernon city councillor is saying put it back to how it used be when it comes to recycling pick up. Coun. Scott Anderson says he’s heard hundreds of complaints from Vernon residents about the new Multi-Material B.C. system, which saw plastic bags...