Shuswap
Former Okanagan MPs to earn millions in pension
OKANAGAN - Colin Mayes may have retired, and Ron Cannan may have been defeated in the 2015 federal election, but with pensions set to pad their bank accounts to the tune of between $1.3 million and $2.3 million over their life-times, taxpayers are not quite done with them yet. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation released the...
ELECTION 2015: Conservative Mel Arnold ready to work
VERNON - Mel Arnold plans to spend his first day as a member of Parliament saying thank you. “So many people kicked in to make this campaign successful,” Arnold says. “I want to thank the volunteers that came out and supported me and the people that voted for me. That means so much moving forward.”...
ELECTION 2015: Conservative win in North Okanagan-Shuswap
VERNON - Conservative candidate Mel Arnold is the North Okanagan-Shuswap’s new Member of Parliament. Arnold had a healthy lead right off the bat Monday evening, and while Liberal candidate Cindy Derkaz was on his tail, he was declared elected as of 8:30 p.m. with about 40 per cent of the vote. Derkaz stood about 10...
ELECTION 2015: Conservative Mel Arnold leads in North Okanagan-Shuswap race
VERNON - When North Okanagan-Shuswap MP Colin Mayes announced he wasn’t seeking reelection, the riding was guaranteed a brand new representative out of the 2015 federal election. That new representative was chosen tonight. The riding has been a Conservative stronghold for many years, and tonight's results show that tradition will continue for another term. Conservative...
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...
Salmon Arm mom pulls son from school after learning he was placed in locked room
SALMON ARM - A Salmon Arm mother is still in shock after finding out her seven-year-old son was being locked in a room at school as part of a behaviour management plan she knew nothing about. Jackie Graham found out about the practice when the principal of South Broadview Elementary School in Salmon Arm called...
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...
ELECTION 2015: Local poll will help strategic voters in the North Okanagan decide their candidate
NORTH OKANAGAN - People in the North Okanagan-Shuswap riding are doing what they can to make sure their strategic votes count in the upcoming federal election. A non-partisan group has decided to fund a poll to help people in the riding choose who best to vote for if they want to out the Conservatives. One...
ELECTION 2015: This probably isn’t the attention vandals intended when they hit Conservative election signs in Vernon
'IF YOU WANT TO SCRIBBLE SOMETHING, GO TO THE BALLOT BOX ON VOTING DAY.' VERNON - A damaged federal election sign making its rounds on social media is just the tip of the iceberg for one North Okanagan-Shuswap party. Vernon resident Chris Van der Molen walked out of his house Sunday morning to find vandals...
Lake Country man found unconscious following Shuswap crash
SALMON ARM - A single vehicle collision in the Shuswap Saturday evening sent a Lake Country man to hospital with head and internal injuries. The vehicle struck a power pole in the 4700-block of Eagle Bay Road around 6:45 p.m., Sept. 26, causing the airbags to deploy and major damage to the vehicle. First responders...
Here’s how many people it took to sway a controversial riding adjustment in the North Okanagan
VERNON - Controversial boundary changes are no longer being considered for the North Okanagan's provincial electoral ridings, and you might be surprised at how few people it took to sway the proposal. The B.C. Electoral Boundaries Commission, which reviews riding boundaries after every two provincial elections, had proposed removing a section of the Vernon-Monashee riding...
Chase RCMP busy with thefts, fire and traffic
CHASE - Drunk driver, collisions, theft and fire keep Chase RCMP officers on their toes. On Sept. 14, Chase RCMP received a report of five propane cylinders stolen from the Race Trac gas station in Squilax. Surveillance video showed that at roughly 4:45 a.m., a dark-coloured, recent model Dodge pickup truck with a canopy approached...
ELECTION 2015: Candidates, voters make voices heard at North Okanagan-Shuswap debate
VERNON - Close to 500 people packed the Vernon Performing Arts Centre Monday night, not for a ballet or a concert, but for political discourse. The all candidates forum was anything but dull, and like any good show at the performing arts centre, parts certainly got people going. All four North Okanagan-Shuswap candidates were grilled...
ELECTION 2015: Voting basics in the North Okanagan-Shuswap
VERNON - Before you head to the polls this October, you’re going to want to know who your candidates are, where to vote, and what you need to bring with you. We’ve got you covered. Consider this your North Okanagan-Shuswap voter’s kit. We’ll introduce you to your candidates, fill you in on advance polling, and...
Crash near Salmon Arm sends three to hospital
SALMON ARM - A two vehicle crash west of Salmon Arm Thursday afternoon shut down the highway for several hours and sent three people to hospital. The collision happened on Highway 1 about 14 kilometres west of Salmon Arm near Kault Hill. The driver of a car parked facing west on the shoulder attempted a...