West Kelowna News

Infamous West Kelowna mobile home maintenance shed set on fire

WEST KELOWNA – A controversial lot in a Westbank mobile home park was likely the target of an arsonist last weekend. Unit 144 at Jubilee Mobile Home Park on Boucherie Road was the subject of much media scrutiny after owners evicted the long-time residences, saying they planned to use the large garage as a workshop....

Construction worker trapped in West Kelowna

KELOWNA – A construction worker had to be rescued from a building in West Kelowna today, Sept. 23, after the truss system above him collapsed. Shortly after 2:30 p.m., West Kelowna Fire Rescue responded to a building that was under construction on Carrington Road. A media release says firefighters from Lakeview Heights and Westbank stations...

Food bank fall harvest begins in Central Okanagan

CENTRAL OKANAGAN - Local farmers and orchardists are in the middle of harvest and so is the Central Okanagan Community Food Bank. “From now until Christmas is our harvest time, the time when we have to stock up until spring,” spokeswoman Ami Catriona says. "We go through 1.4 million pounds of donations a year and...

Suspicious house fire in West Kelowna

WEST KELOWNA – No one was hurt in an early morning house fire in West Kelowna that investigators are calling suspicious. The fire happened Tuesday, Sept. 22, just before 5:30 a.m. on Alexander Court. No one was home at the time and the cause of the fire is not yet known. Firefighters were able to...

Conflicts between humans and bears expected to increase in the Okanagan

WEST KELOWNA – A busy weekend for bear sightings in West Kelowna could signal the start of a fall rife with bear-human conflicts. Frank Ritcey, the creator of the interactive Wildlife Alert Reporting Program on WildsafeBC.com, says four sightings of black bears were reported in the Shannon Lake neighbourhood in West Kelowna since Friday. “This...

Power back on for almost 3,000 in West Kelowna

WEST KELOWNA – An almost two hour power outage in West Kelowna this morning left thousands in the dark. The power went out at around 6:40 a.m. and came back on at about 8:18 a.m., Sept. 20, according to B.C. Hydro. The outage affected 2,827 customers in an area east of Highway 97, north of...

Westbank First Nation ponies up for public beach extension

WEST KELOWNA - Local residents can now enjoy an extended beach in Gellatly Bay courtesy of the Westbank First Nation. The band dedicated a portion of band land along the lakeshore of Indian Reserve #9 adjacent to the public beach at Gellatly Bay today, Sept. 14. Chief Robert Louie says the band recognizes the importance...

Nine years later RCMP still investigating West Kelowna murder

WEST KELOWNA - A man was found murdered in his Stuart Street home nine years ago today and RCMP are still looking for witnesses to help with their investigation. On Sept. 10, 2006, the body of 33-year-old Adam Fettes, also known as Mikel Jones, was found in his West Kelowna home. Police continue to investigate...

UPDATE: Mountain biker rescued in West Kelowna suffered severe neck and back injuries

WEST KELOWNA - A 54-year-old mountain biker who had to be rescued by helicopter near Smith Creek is in hospital with severe neck and back injuries, according to Penticton Search and Rescue. Information officer Randy Brown says the man was riding with friends at the end of Smith Creek around 1:15 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 7,...

Fatal motorcycle crash on Westside Road

WEST KELOWNA – A 31-year-old West Kelowna man was killed in a motorcycle crash on Westside Road yesterday evening. RCMP say the motorcycle went off the road at about 5:44 p.m., Sept. 5, about 12 kilometres north of Highway 97 in West Kelowna, and south of Bear Creek Provincial Park. Const. Kent Hall says the...

UPDATE: Gas leak repaired after forcing evacuation in West Kelowna

UPDATE: 6:37 A.M., SEPT. 1, 2015 The leak has been repaired and evacuees were allowed back home by about 7:30 p.m., Aug. 31, 2015. 2:36 P.M., AUG. 31, 2015 WEST KELOWNA - A natural gas leak has forced people out of their homes in West Kelowna this afternoon. The gas leak has forced the evacuation...

Carriage houses may be coming soon to West Kelowna

WEST KELOWNA - Residents in the Westbank centre and other select parts of West Kelowna could soon see carriage houses popping up in a nearby laneway. Council is due to give third reading to the draft regulations governing the new category of residential developments, the latest step in a lengthy process that began in 2012....

UPDATE: Crew mopping up after wildfire near Brenda Mines

WEST KELOWNA - B.C. Wildfire is moping up a wildfire about five kilometres south of the Brenda Mines, near Peachland Creek. Fire information officer Kelsey Winter says an air tanker used fire retardant to box in the 0.5 hectare fire northwest of Peachland, named the Boliver Forestry Service Road fire. Once that was in place,...

Head office confirms closing of West Kelowna Sears

WEST KELOWNA - Sears Canada has confirmed the closing of its West Kelowna store and says its not sure if it will continue to operate a store on that side of the lake. Sears director of communications Alicia Richler says in an email statement all customer purchases will be honoured. “While we have not yet...

West Kelowna Sears store struggling to stay open

WEST KELOWNA - Sears Canada’s West Kelowna location could be shutting down. Landlord Noll Derriksan says he locked out Sears from its Estates Square location on Old Okanagan Highway Thursday morning, Aug. 13, because of non-payment and frequent late payment of rent. The voice message for the Sears West Kelowna number says only that the...