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politics
ELECTION 2014: Your Penticton candidates
PENTICTON - Friday was the last day for council candidates to submit their nomination papers and officially lock themselves into the race. There are a few unexpected names on the list — some old faces and some new ones, but mostly the latter. There are three mayoral candidates — Andrew Jakubeit and John Vassilaki, both...
ELECTION 2014: Plenty of choice in Kelowna civic election
KELOWNA – With 29 candidates declared for Kelowna city councillor, the only thing for certain is... there will be a lot of election signs. Candidate nominations closed at 4 p.m. on Friday. Six candidates vie for mayor, 29 for city councillor and nine for school trustee. Former mayor Sharon Shepherd and councillor Colin Basran are...
Jukka Laurio takes second attempt at mayoral seat
PENTICTON - The mayoral race just got a little tougher with local business owner Jukka Laurio filing to become the third candidate. Laurio is no stranger to city politics, having run for mayor in 2011, but he says he’s more focused this time around. “I’m going to give Penticton a job,” he says. He explained...
ELECTION 2014: West Kelowna candidates finalized
WEST KELOWNA – Three candidates are confirmed for mayor of West Kelowna, including incumbent Doug Findlater. Challenging Findlater for his job are Stephen Johnston and Mary Mandarino. The nomination period for the Nov. 14 civic election closed at 4 p.m. on Friday. Thirteen people are seeking one of six seats on council: - Joanne Baker -...
Downtown revitalization and controversial construction on tonight’s council agenda
PENTICTON - There’s a packed agenda for tonight’s city council meeting, including a public hearing, economic development opportunities and new plans for the revitalization of the downtown centre. Council will look at options for the first phase of the revitalization of Main Street, which includes new sidewalk plans for the 100 and 200 block of...
Residents tell council to fix existing problem before development makes it worse
PENTICTON - Neighbours of a proposed development property raised existing traffic and parking issues with council, and said it’s a problem that needs to be dealt with now rather than later. Neighbours who came forward during a public hearing Monday night said they are pro-development but are concerned about the increase in traffic the new...
Teens reclaim social media by spreading #cyberlove
PENTICTON - A couple of Summerland highschool students are encouraging their peers to spread the love online through a new campaign. Caitie Shaw and Dan Nixon started the #cyberlove campaign through the Youth Empowerment Project to connect with and empower youth all over the world to create positive change. The campaign kicks off on October 10—World...
Litke still has a few tricks up his sleeve
PENTICTON - With two months left in office, Mayor Garry Litke hopes to accomplish a few more things before he walks out the doors of City Hall for good. Before he became mayor, Litke was a city councillor for eight years. Being a part of the team that created the South Okanagan Events Centre was...
Electronic vote counters challenged by Penticton resident
PENTICTON - Election votes are at risk of being miscounted if the city continues to use an electronic counting machine, says one resident who believes votes should be manually counted, even if it takes longer and costs more. Vicki Lightfoot and Kevin Proteau presented to council Monday night their issue of using electronic ballot counting...
Prosper Kelowna: Second declared slate in municipal election
KELOWNA – A second slate geared towards younger voters has turned up in Kelowna. The two-candidate team of Prosper Kelowna hopes to revitalize the City’s job market if elected to City Council. Mike McLoughlin and Sean Upshaw, two former election candidates for the B.C. Conservatives, have geared their seven point slate so the Kelowna public...
Litke is hanging up his mayoral hat
PENTICTON - Mayor Garry Litke is calling it a day and will not run in the upcoming city election. Litke has been mayor for only 13 months, after he was chosen to replace former mayor Dan Ashton in a by-election in fall 2013. Before that, he spent eight years as a city councillor, and 33...
Main Street to get a $2 million makeover
PENTICTON - A $2 million upgrade for a portion of Main Street will be the next project the city tackles as part of the Downtown Revitalization Plan. The proposed plan includes improvements to Gyro Park and Memorial Park along the 100 block of Main Street. Staff proposed a playground, new washrooms, greenery, and expanded sidewalks to...
Hospital expansion plans become a reality
PENTICTON - The dream of an expansion to the Penticton Regional Hospital is becoming a reality with city planners introducing the groundwork and initial planning stages to council Monday. Tentative structure plans (requested by Interior Health to kickstart the budget process), were shown to council for the first time during the City Council meeting, Oct....
Friday is last day for nominations in civic election
KELOWNA - If you’re interested in running for Mayor, City council or school trustee in Kelowna – Oct. 10 is your last day to file the paperwork. The election will take place Nov. 15. Potential candidates are encouraged to call ahead in order to book an appointment to file before 4 p.m. Those interested in...
Conservatives chose candidate to run in federal election
VERNON – A Salmon Arm businessperson will lead the Conservative charge in the North Okanagan-Shuswap riding in 2015. The party faithful have nominated Mel Arnold as their candidate as voting came to an end Saturday night. Arnold beat out challengers Wayne Lippert of Vernon, Janet Green of Lumby and Scott Anderson, also from Vernon, according...