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Vernon news

Electoral boundary changes go to public hearing in Kamloops, Vernon

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Changes are being recommended in many electoral areas across the province and this week you can get your say in on those changes at three meetings throughout the region. The B.C. Electoral Boundaries Commission held public hearings in the fall and earlier this year a report outlining the recommended changes was released. In...

Okanagan Basin Water Board demands more action on invasive mussels

OKANAGAN - The Okanagan Basin Water Board is calling on the provincial government to step up the fight against invasive quagga and zebra mussels by establishing permanent inspection stations at the five main highway entrances from Alberta. As well, in a seven-point position paper, the water board is calling on the federal government to immediately...

UPDATE: Legion president injured in Highway 97 crash

KELOWNA – A car crash on Highway 97 near Old Vernon Road in Kelowna this morning seriously injured three people, including two members of the Royal Canadian Legion. Branch 26 president Syd Pratt and member Frank Truman were on their way to a Flag Day event at the Lakeview Memorial Cemetery, Lynda Wachter the Legion's manager...

New wildfire recruits put through paces

MERRITT - More than 200 seasonal firefighter applicants have made the cut and this month they are being put through a ‘rigorous’ bootcamp near Merritt. About 1,000 people, many of which are post-secondary students, apply for the positions every year. Provincial Fire Information Officer Kevin Skrepnek says the job is "very in demand" and the...

Summer watering restrictions likely as province records average lowest snowpack levels in 31 years

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The lastest snowpack measurements from the provincial government’s river forecast centre are showing record low levels in some areas including the Okanagan and Similkameen regions. Without substantial rain in the next couple of months, reservoirs across the region will also be lower than normal, likely leading to water use restrictions in many communities...

VIDEO: Local RC pilots strut their stuff

KELOWNA - While most people would have a hard time simply flying and landing a radio controlled airplane, some locals have put together a video showing what's possible when a skilled set of hands are behind the stick. Triple Threat RC uploaded the 13-minute video to YouTube last week. It contains footage of gas-powered planes...

Celebrate motherhood with a replica of that bodacious belly

ENDERBY - Being a mom all starts with nine months of carrying a small, growing human being inside of you, so what better way to celebrate the special, transformative time than with a personalized belly cast? The keepsakes are all the rage and Enderby artist Marli Luff has expecting mother’s in the Okanagan area covered...

Move over wine, there’s a new Okanagan drink and it’s more popular than ever

OKANAGAN - There’s more for the thirsty soul in the Okanagan Valley than just wine, and locally-made cider is here to prove it. A number of cideries have blossomed in the Okanagan over the last few years, including the family-run BX Press in Vernon. Owners Dave and Melissa Dobernigg opened their craft cider house last...

New pet registry promotes microchip implants

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The SPCA is promoting a new province-wide pet identification registry where animals with microchip implants can have their information stored in a centralized database. "We’ve created a first for British Columbia — a centralized database for pets who receive permanent identification at any B.C. SPCA shelter, veterinarian or microchip clinic across the province,”...

Valley mayors push for early start to water conservation

OKANAGAN - Mindful of the dry winter the Okanagan has just experienced, valley mayors and councillors joined the Okanagan Basin Water Board for an early launch of the Make Water Work conservation campaign today. Mayor Doug Findlater, who chairs the water board, used his own community of West Kelowna as an example of why the...

Paving work will impact traffic on Highway 97

VERNON - There will be delays on Highway 97 over the next month as repaving work gets underway. The project is for roughly 30 km of highway resurfacing between Old Vernon Road and Bailey Road. A five kilometer section on Highway 33 from Beaverdell Dump Road to Beaverdell will also be included The $3.8 million...

Fintry Queen still waiting for forever home

KELOWNA - She looks a little lonely out there, anchored in Sutherland Bay, waiting for something to happen but the man tasked with selling the iconic Fintry Queen says interest has been steady since it was put up for sale two months ago. “We’re still marketing it, still waiting for the right buyer but we’ve...

Union takes fight for hospital laundry services to the street

KELOWNA - Hospital Employees Union members took to the streets outside Kelowna General Hospital today to push for the Interior Health Authority to reconsider a plan to privatize laundry services. “These are workers that perform a very important health care service, they ensure that operating rooms are stocked with clean linens. Here at KGH 17,000...

What’s good for the master is good for the pets: Natural remedies at a vet clinic near you

"PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO RECOGNIZE THAT MAYBE CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS" KELOWNA – When you walk into Pandosy Village Veterinary Hospital, it feels like a combination of old fashioned apothecary, modern day pet store and coffee shop. As a licenced veterinarian, Dr. Jason Rowan does all the procedures that a normal...

Special occasion liquor licences now available online

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A program by the provincial government to make it easier to get a special occasion liquor licence has been opened up to the Southern Interior. The licences are now available online in the Thompson-Okanagan. The B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch began a pilot program in the Lower Mainland in early February and has now opened...

Gyrocopter tours coming to Kelowna

OKANAGAN – The next big thing to hit the skies over the Okanagan is part of a growing trend around the world. The gyrocopter, sometimes called an autogyro, looks like a helicopter but instead of getting its thrust from the top rotor, the engine sends power to a propeller mounted at the rear. Gyrocopters are...

Child escapes Vernon car crash with minor injuries

VERNON - Two people, one of them a nine-year-old, escaped with minor injuries after their car flipped onto its roof Monday. The accident happened just after 3 p.m. Monday, May 4, at Highway 97 and College Way in Vernon, RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk said in a release. “The investigation determined the vehicle had been travelling...

Crazy, memorable 20-year ride for Lorenzo’s cafe owner coming to a close

ENDERBY - You’d have to be at least a little crazy to run Lorenzo’s Cafe, an iconic music venue nestled down a windy, back road in the rural North Okanagan, and owner Lorne Costley comes by it honestly. He got the nickname Lorenzo in Mexico back in the 1980s, and it refers to someone who...

Meteors to shower the Southern Interior sky this week

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A nearly full moon may play havoc with the Aquarids Meteor Shower as it peaks this week but there is still a chance to see some of the brightest meteors if you can find a patch of clear sky and are patient. The product of dust particles left behind by Halley’s Comet, the...

North Okanagan hits the silver screen in Disney’s Tomorrowland

VERNON - Enderby will be on the big screen later this month when Tomorrowland, starring George Clooney, hits theatres. The mystery-adventure film directed by Brad Bird is set to be released May 22. It follows the danger-filled mission of a jaded scientist, Clooney, and an optimistic teen, Britt Robertson, as they uncover the secrets of...