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Vernon
Avalanche control to close Trans-Canada Highway today
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you planned on heading east today prepare for some delays along several routes as crews perform avalanche control today. Drive B.C. warns motorists Highway 1 through Glacier National Park will be closed from noon to 8 p.m. today, Dec. 8, during avalanche control work. Delays of up to two hours are expected....
Vernon marijuana dispensaries suspend retail sales in response to RCMP warning
VERNON - A coalition of Vernon marijuana dispensaries is calling for a moratorium on RCMP raids. The dispensaries are asking the RCMP to cease intervention until the new Liberal government formalizes its plans for legalization of the product, according to a statement from Imre Kovacs, a spokesperson for the coalition. Vernon’s five marijuana dispensaries were...
Warm but wet week ahead in the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - With at least a chance of showers every day this week we could be in for a wet week, though the above normal temperatures should make it a lot more bearable. Environment Canada is calling for highs in the 4 Celsius to 7 C range most days this week, though the Penticton area...
The free-for-all of ‘dog rescuing’ and why so much falls through the cracks
“IT’S LIKE THE WILD WEST” VERNON - The words ‘dog rescue’ may have a ring of nobility to them, but according to animal welfare advocates, many home-based operations aren’t what you think. Kim Faulkes, an Ottawa-based animal advocate, says there are no standards in place to ensure so-called ‘dog rescues’ operate ethically. “It’s a free-for-all....
Vernon parking meter thief caught in the act
VERNON - A man suspected of breaking into over 100 parking meters has been caught. Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says in a statement a 34-year-old man was arrested breaking into a parking meter on Centennial Drive on Friday, Dec. 4 at around 1 a.m. “To date, approximately 113 parking meters have been broken into in the...
Cooper’s converting to Save-On-Foods in Kamloops and Okanagan
KAMLOOPS – A grocery chain founded in the B.C. Interior will be changing it's name in the New Year. The four Cooper’s Foods locations in Kamloops are scheduled to be converted to Save-On-Foods by mid-February 2016, according to Julie Dickson Olmsteadc with Overwaitea Food Group. The Cooper's grocery store in Vernon and the two in...
Why this Vernon dog rescue wasn’t the saving grace it claimed to be
"I THINK SHE IS A DOG FLIPPER AND NOT SOMEBODY WHO REALLY CARES ABOUT DOGS" VERNON - After 16 years working in animal welfare, Patricia Zerr was never asked to steal a dog — until the winter of 2014 after she got involved with a Vernon-based dog rescue. She remembers driving to a home on...
Local author teaches how to make money as a backyard farmer
KELOWNA – A Kelowna man has just published a book that teaches everything you need to know about starting your own commercially successful farm in your backyard — or frontyard. The Urban Farmer is Curtis Stone's first book and is based on a the concept you don't require a large amount on land to be a...
Warm and wet weekend ahead for the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - While high winds, heavy rain and record temperatures are battering coastal cities, the Okanagan can expect temperatures just above normal and rain during at least part of this weekend. Environment Canada is calling for temperatures to hit between 3 Celsius and 6 C this weekend before climbing to a high of 8 C...
HELSTON: The outlaws in ‘Weed Country’ aren’t going quietly
It might have been novel five years ago in Vernon to see a medical marijuana dispensary, but these days you can find them next-door to downtown cafes, across from the mall, and around the corner from your neighbourhood gym.
Taking the cash out of Christmas: Vernon event brings back the joy of bartering
VERNON - There are two rules at an unconventional Christmas fair in Vernon this holiday season, the first of which is: No cash allowed. That’s because participants will be trading for the goods and services on hand. Hosted by Jaye Coward and her partner Mireille Gourlay of Farm Bound the Holiday Barter Fest is perhaps...
UPDATE: Missing Vernon man found
UPDATE: 1:04 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015 VERNON - Vernon RCMP have confirmed Fraser Gerrard, 25, who last seen on Nov. 19 has been located and is safe and sound. 12:15 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015 VERNON - Police are appealing to the public for help finding a man not seen since last week. Fraser...
Damaged Vernon parking meters turn up in ‘weird’ places
VERNON - The number of vandalized parking meters in Vernon continues to climb, and the pieces are turning up in some unusual places. A further 19 meters were damaged Tuesday night, following a reported 74 over the weekend of Nov. 28 and Nov. 29, the City of Vernon’s protective services manager Clint Kanester says. In most...
Heavy snow heading for Southern Interior highways
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - After a frosty couple of weeks, the weather is warming up this week but the system bringing warm temperatures is also bringing a lot of precipitation — as much as 30 centimetres at some highway passes. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement noting that snowfall of 20 to 30 cm is...
RCMP say ‘possible actions’ may be taken against Vernon marijuana dispensaries
VERNON - Police are confirming they visited five marijuana dispensaries in Vernon and say further action could be taken in the future. Officers visited the dispensaries to ‘outline our concerns and the potential ramifications related to business practices which do not comply with the current Controlled Drugs and Substances Act’, Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says in...
Vernon firefighters rescue man stuck in dumpster
VERNON - Emergency responders in Vernon recently came to the aid of a man in a rotten situation. Reported as a 'confined space rescue,' the unusual incident occurred when a man was taking out his garbage around 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 28. He accidentally tossed his keys in the dumpster along with the trash, and...
Vernon marijuana dispensaries warned by police to shut down
VERNON - Medical marijuana dispensaries in Vernon have been warned to close their doors. Hasia Glaim co-owns MMJ Total Health Care on 31 Avenue downtown Vernon and was surprised to get a visit from the Vernon RCMP Nov. 24. “We were given a verbal warning to shut down as we are operating illegally and we...
Vandalism spree leaves 74 Vernon parking meters damaged
VERNON - The City of Vernon is looking for information after numerous parking meters were vandalized, resulting in thousands of dollars in damage. Communications officer Tanya Laing Gahr says 74 meters were damaged in total, with the clocks from 72 broken or removed over the weekend. Damage is estimated at around $20,000. There was no...
Vernon Farmers’ Market disappointed with arena vote
VERNON - The manager of the Vernon Farmers' Market believes some vendors will feel the squeeze as the group downsizes for upcoming arena construction. Manager Ingrid Baron is expecting the market will need to shrink by a third to fit into reduced parking lot space at Kal Tire Place while the facility is expanded. Greater...
Diamond ring found in Vernon Walmart glove returned to rightful owner
VERNON – A woman from Lake Country quickly bought a pair of gloves at the Walmart in Vernon as she and her daughter headed to the city’s Downtown Light Up event Friday evening, Nov. 27. When Tanya Krcmar put on the gloves, one of her fingers slipped through what she says felt like a ring....
Cold snap continues in the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - While the temperatures continue to remind us why the stereotype of all Canadians living in parkas and igloos exists, it is nowhere near the record lows recorded in the Okanagan. Environment Canada is calling for temperatures to remain well below zero all weekend but is forecasting the mercury to hit near seasonal normal...
HELSTON: How I fared for a day without a car
There are many things we neglect to do in our own hometowns, and for me, one of those things was riding the bus. Before this week, I had never used Vernon’s public transit system. So, after a recent trip to Vancouver in which I relied on buses and skytrains, I decided it was time to...
Vernon photographer creates magical Disney photos featuring her daughter
VERNON - A Vernon photographer brought a little magic home from Disneyland. It all started with an elaborate Elsa dress Camillia Courts bought her daughter Layla, who was five years old at the time, during a family trip to Disneyland last year. “When we brought it back home, I was thinking where the heck is...
Migrant workers safe and with families in Mexico after going missing in the Okanagan
VERNON - Four temporary foreign workers who went missing in the Okanagan this past summer are back home in Mexico, the country’s consulate confirmed today, Nov. 26. Vernon RCMP reported the men missing in July 2015, nearly a month after they were last seen taking a cab into Vernon to cash some cheques. They arrived...