Vernon news

Rope rescue in urban Vernon park

VERNON – Vernon firefighters were called to rescue a man who had fallen down a steep hill in Polson Park Saturday morning. Fire captain Dan Walker says they called out at about 11:30 a.m., Aug. 08 to help a man who was “unresponsive on the side of a hill” in Polson Park in Vernon. The...

From Enderby to the Venice Film Festival: Anthony Hopkins movie hits the big screen

"YOU'LL SEE ENDERBY RIGHT FROM THE LOGO TO THE CLOSING CREDITS" ENDERBY - A movie shot in the North Okanagan will be screened at one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. Go With Me, starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, Julia Stiles, and Ray Liotta will be featured in the Venice Film Festival this...

Body found in Kalamalka Lake

COLDSTREAM – A body was found in Kalamalka Lake near Vernon Saturday morning and RCMP say the person’s death isn’t suspicious. Police were called to Rattlesnake Point in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park around 11:50 a.m., Aug. 8. The body of a 67-year-old man was found in the water. “It does not appear this death is...

How people are stealing water in Greater Vernon

VERNON - The regional district is cracking down on water thieves. It’s come to the North Okanagan Regional District’s attention a number of people on the Greater Vernon Water system are bypassing water meters.  The water utility keeps track of how much water goes into the system, and how much is used by consumers, and...

Fat bikes, new terrain coming to Silver Star this winter

VERNON – The ever growing Silver Star Mountain Resort has announced several big changes this year, including more than 100 acres of new skiable terrain. Tree skiing for intermediates and experts will get more than 90 acres of new terrain to try and areas from Putnam Creek to Silver Woods will also be expanded. In...

Whooping cough on the rise across Interior Health region

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - An increase in cases of whooping cough across the Interior Health Authority, but primarily in the Central Okanagan, has prompted a warning from public health officials. Medical health officer Dr. Kamran Golmohammadi says in 2015 there has already been 58 confirmed cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, with 36 of them...

Taxman phone scam heating up this summer

VERNON – Scammers are calling into the southern Interior again pretending to be with the Canada Revenue Agency and separating people from their hard-earned money. RCMP are warning people not to give any personal or banking information over the phone after reports of people being targetted in the North Okanagan recently. “In this scam, a person...

Flagging violent inmates viewed as interim solution

KAMLOOPS - An order to flag violent inmates at the Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre may help prevent workplace violence, but it might not do much to curb the underlying issues. The WorkSafe B.C. order to readily identify inmates with a history of violence is a soft approach to the daily safety issues officers face in...

Big fires down but not out in Kamloops Fire Centre

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The only two wildfires of note in the Kamloops Fire Centre have been downgraded to patrol status. Shelter Cove fire off Westside Road near Kelowna and Bolean Lake fire near Falkland were downgraded August 5 and will now be monitored by crews of five firefighters. “Patrol status means they are done active fire...

Canadian Tire to reinvent former Vernon Target space by next spring

VERNON - Shoppers will have to wait until at least next spring to see inside the former Target space in the Vernon mall. Scarce details are being released from the Canadian Tire Corp., which announced it was buying 12 real estate leases, including the Vernon location, last May. Canadian Tire spokesperson Joscelyn Dosanjh says in...

Warm, sunny weekend on tap for the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - After a break from the heat we will need to again dig out the sunscreen for a hot and sunny weekend. While temperatures were in the low- to mid-20s the last two days, just below seasonal normal highs of 27 Celsius, and were accompanied by up to eight millimetres of rain, we can...

Mark your calendars: North Okanagan-Shuswap all candidates forum happening next month

VERNON - North Okanagan and Shuswap residents will get a chance to learn more about their federal election candidates at an upcoming forum. It’s still a month away, leaving ample time to mark the free event on your calendar. Local candidates in the federal election will state their platforms and take questions in written form...

Driver in hospital after truck flips, lands on roof in Vernon

VERNON - A man is considered lucky to be alive after his truck crashed and rolled on a busy Vernon thoroughfare. Emergency crews responded to the single vehicle crash around 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5, at the intersection of 58 Avenue and 27 Street. Deputy fire chief Jack Blair says the overturned vehicle was found...

Credit card skimmer discovered at Vernon gas station

DEVICE IS DIFFICULT TO DETECT VERNON - A device used to skim credit card information from unsuspecting victims might have been used at a Vernon gas station. Staff at the Esso Gas Station at 3400 32 St. in Vernon discovered the device Friday, July 31, and reported it to the RCMP.  “The device was on...

Saskatchewan man who died jumping off houseboat in Mara Lake identified

SICAMOUS - The Saskatchewan man who died after jumping off a houseboat in Mara Lake Tuesday has been identified. The B.C. Coroners Service confirms the man who died was Scott Kevin Hardy Glen, aged 24, of Saskatoon, Sask. Glen was staying with friends on a rental houseboat moored at a marina at Mara Lake near Sicamous....