Vernon news
Halloween will be a wet one in the Okanagan this year
OKANAGAN - Make sure your costumes are either waterproof or you have an umbrella handy because Mother Nature is looking to rain on your Halloween fun this weekend. Environment Canada is calling for at least a chance of rain throughout the weekend, with showers expected Saturday evening throughout the region. Temperatures are expected to be...
Big waitlist for affordable housing in Vernon
VERNON - A new affordable housing building in Vernon is already proving its value. Roughly 60 applications have already been received from people wanting to live at Blair Apartments, John Howard Society of the North Okanagan executive director Barbara Levesque says. Previously known as the Journey Inn, the 38-unit apartment building is now owned by...
B.C. has highest rate of illegal cigarettes in Western Canada, study finds
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - As the province with the most contraband cigarettes in Western Canada, the amount of illegal tobacco in B.C. remains steadily high. The statistics come from the latest study commissioned by the Western Convenience Stores Association. In September researchers collected discarded cigarettes at various locations throughout the province to determine which were illegally purchased....
Whitewater Cooks author to stir the pot in Kelowna
KELOWNA - The author of a bestselling line of cookbooks will be in Kelowna next week signing autographs and speaking about her famous line of sauces. The author of four bestselling cookbooks, Shelley Adams of the Whitewater Cooks series was the former head chef at Fresh Tracks Café at Whitewater Ski Resort in Nelson. Her...
Time appears right for petition to dump daylight saving time
KAMLOOPS - It’s been a couple days since Bob Dieno and Tara Holmes created a petition and Facebook page asking the B.C. government to consider doing away with daylight saving time and they are getting strong support from many in the province. The petition ‘stop the time change in British Columbia’ received hundreds of signatures...
Stickle Road plan in Vernon evolves again
VERNON - Vernon’s MLA believes the latest Stickle Road plan will be a winner. It’s the third concept being looked at to improve safety at the intersection of Highway 97 and Stickle Road just north of the city. Vernon-Monashee MLA Eric Foster says the new plan involves connecting a frontage road along the highway with...
Okanagan bus drivers to honour passenger killed one year ago
KELOWNA - A Kelowna man who was brutally murdered on a packed, local bus last year will be honoured by drivers across the Okanagan Friday. Caesar Rosales was 55 years old when he was killed Oct. 30, 2014, during his regular commute home after work. Exactly one year later bus drivers from Penticton to Vernon...
Poppy campaign kicks off this week
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - This year’s poppy campaign is expected to be underway this Friday, Oct. 30. Poppies will be available at all Legion offices and members will have them available at locations throughout the city. Funds from the poppies contribute to veterans, their families and others in need of assistance in the community. The long-standing tradition...
Get ready for winter fun at B.C.’s largest snow show
VERNON - The largest exhibition of snow machines and snow safety equipment is coming to Vernon in less than two weeks. The first ever B.C. Provincial Snow Show is made up of three events that were previously held across the Interior — in Vernon, Williams Lake and Prince George. This year, the Vernon Snowmobile Association...
Vernon MLA lambasted over comments about school cuts
VERNON - Vernon’s MLA is standing by comments he made about cuts to school bus routes after getting slammed by the NDP’s education critic this week. A number of bus routes were cut in the Vernon School District this year, leading parents to speak out in protest. The decision was the result of funding cuts from...
Trial for two youths in Salmon Arm shooting death expected next year
KAMLOOPS - The trial for a man and woman accused of gunning down a man in a Salmon Arm school yard won’t take place until next spring. Names of both accused charged with first-degree murder cannot be revealed as they were both youths at the time of the alleged offence. Their names are protected under...
Deadline to register your off-road vehicles quickly approaching
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Backcountry riders have until Nov. 1 to register their dirt bikes, ATVs and snowmobiles. The new law, which also stipulates several safety regulations while on Crown land, has been voluntary since last November, and back in May the provincial government extended the hard deadline from June 1 to the start of next month....
Lots of love for Shania Twain’s farewell performance in Kelowna
KELOWNA - Kelowna’s Prospera Place was Shania Twain’s final performance on her Rock This Country tour and possibly her last concert ever. And locals made sure to send her off in style. The show sold out quickly and fans were all over social media saying thanks and wishing her the best. Locals like Rose’s Pub...
Pilot project could put baskets of free condoms in Okanagan schools
VERNON - Baskets of condoms could soon be coming to local high schools as way of putting protection in the hands of those who need it — no questions asked. About 14 schools in B.C.’s Interior have free condoms available, but students have to ask for them, Vernon School District health coordinator Christine Balfour says....
Local prejudice against Muslims tackled at UBCO
'IF WE DON'T SPEAK ABOUT THESE ISSUES... WE START DEVELOPING ALL THESE MISCONCEPTIONS.' KELOWNA - A UBC Okanagan graduate is organizing a forum on campus to address some of the misconceptions about his religion that are clearly still a problem in Kelowna. Adnan Akiel Ahmad Bhat holds a masters in electrical engineering from the Okanagan...