Vernon news
Armstrong moves to elevated watering restrictions
ARMSTRONG - Armstrong residents are being told to cut back on water use. The city has implemented stage two water restrictions, which means residents can’t use sprinklers or irrigation systems to water lawns, gardens trees or shrubs. Washing driveways, sidewalks, parking lots or exterior building surfaces is also banned, according to a notice on the...
Foam Fest leaving Silver Star, heading to Sun Peaks next year
SUN PEAKS – Based on the success of this season’s event, Foam Fest will return to the B.C. Interior, but the race will be at Sun Peaks for the next three years instead of Silver Star. This year the fun run, made up of five kilometres of obstacles, slip and slides and lots of foam,...
Kitten rescued from rat trap needs a new home
KELOWNA – A young kitten is in need of a good home after a caring West Kelowna man rescued her from a rat trap last weekend. The kitten, which Dr. Moshe Oz of Rose Valley Veterinary Clinic says is around 10 weeks old, was found in a glue trap, which uses an adhesive substance to...
Drought levels worsen in Okanagan and North Thompson
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Drought conditions are worsening in the region, enough according to the government to increase the drought rating for both the Okanagan and North Thompson regions by one level. The Okanagan Region is now enduring level four drought conditions while the North Thompson is facing level three, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources....
RCMP volunteer candidates sought in Vernon
VERNON - If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be part of the RCMP, or if you’ve ever wanted to do your part to help prevent crime, now is your chance to get involved. The RCMP volunteer program is recruiting new candidates for September training in Vernon. “For more than 25 years, this community-based...
New film ‘The Orchard’ shooting in the Okanagan
KELOWNA – An independent film company has chosen the Okanagan for an upcoming production that starts filming this weekend. Vancouver-based Mutant Films, Inc. starts shooting The Orchard, on Aug. 10 The film stars Matt Angel of R.L Stine’s The Haunting Hour, CSI Miami and CSI NY, and Morgan Taylor Campbell of Super Natural, Spooksville, and The Killing. It is written and...
Police asking for tips to find Salmon Arm bank robber
SALMON ARM - RCMP are on the lookout for a suspect after a bank robbery in Salmon Arm last week. Last Monday, July 27, a person wearing a black balaclava, a long-sleeved black shirt and dark jeans entered a downtown bank around 4:15 p.m., allegedly with a sawed off shotgun. The suspect demanded cash and...
Hot start to August in the Okanagan
RAIN EXPECTED THIS WEEK OKANAGAN - It was a hot and sunny August long weekend in the Okanagan but expect things will cool off a bit during the week. Temperatures easily soared above the 30 Celsius mark every day this past weekend and while today, Aug. 4, will see the mercury hit just above seasonal...
Skydiver hits power lines near Vernon Airport
VERNON – A skydiver hit a power pole and ended up tangled up in power lines near the Vernon airport today. The man was parachuting with a group from Okanagan Skydiving just before noon, Aug. 3, when he hit power lines on the 6600-block of Tronson Road, according to Vernon Fire Rescue Capt. Colin Clarke....
UPDATE: Skydiver injured at Vernon Airport
VERNON – A skydiver was taken to hospital after an accident at the Vernon Airport yesterday afternoon. The man lost control while skydiving and hit one of the chain link boundary fences around the airport at about 3 p.m., Friday, June 26, according to Vernon Fire Rescue. Bret Chalmers with Okanagan Skydive says there was...
Run away from your smoking addiction
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A new program is popping up around the country which will help you run away from your problems. The Running Room is launching a Run To Quit program, which will be backed by federal funding and support from the Canadian Cancer Society. The program is designed to help smokers quit by incorporating running...
Want quick attention to Fortis over-billing? Go to the media
WORKED FOR THIS GUY KELOWNA – Media attention got an almost immediate result for a local celebrity who went to the news with a $4,500 power bill for a cabin that wasn’t even there. Gary Fong, a world-famous photographer and inventor made headlines last week when he went public with a massive bill for his...
Province pulls plug on Coldwater River water use
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - In a bid to help struggling salmon populations, water use reduction measures have been imposed on the Coldwater River. The province issued the restriction today, July 31, banning all water use or diversion from the Coldwater River and its tributaries from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. effective immediately. The restriction escalates to a...
No elevated Okanagan watering restrictions — yet
OKANAGAN - Despite record-breaking heat and little rain in the forecast, Okanagan communities remain under normal, or phase 1, watering restrictions, but be warned — that could change. Water utilities are keeping a close eye on supply, demand and weather predictions for the summer, but haven’t yet been forced to elevate restrictions. Kelowna’s five water...
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...