City
City of Vernon reminds residents about snow and ice control
VERNON - The city is putting out some reminders after a day of heavy snowfall in Vernon. The city drew attention to several aspects of snow and ice control in a media release issued late this afternoon, Jan. 4. First off, the city says vehicles and recreational equipment parked on streets during snowfalls poses major...
Mop up continues on slush-covered streets
KELOWNA – Snow removal crews will be working well beyond their typical guidelines by trying to run a plow over all 450 kilometres of city sidewalk in the next couple of days. That's unusual, in part because the city and residents rely to a certain extent on warmer temperatures to melt snow before it becomes...
City of Vernon gives its website a major facelift
VERNON - The City of Vernon has a new online look. It unveiled a new website today, Dec. 22, which has been over a year in the making. Vernon council approved a budget of $125,000 for the project in September 2014, and Upanup Design Studios from Victoria, B.C., was awarded the contract in July 2015....
Options of new welcome to Vernon signs ‘too bland’
VERNON - Vernon council trashed a series of design ideas for the city’s new welcome signs, calling for more playfulness and vibrancy. This week council was shown three options for the signs, which are being redone, but quickly sent staff back to the drawing board. The draft designs featured wood material, and a large white...
Vernon chamber evaluates city budget with report card
VERNON - The City of Vernon hasn’t received top marks from a local business association, but it’s not failing either. The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce, which represents over 500 business members, gave the city an overall ‘B’ grade for its financial plan, general manager Dan Rogers said in a statement. The grade was part...
Watch for whimsical pop up parks in Vernon
VERNON - A special surprise will be popping up in a Vernon park sometime this fall. It’s part of new city initiative to bring interest and excitement to underused spaces and will see a variety of temporary equipment — such as brightly painted Adirondack chairs, a piano, drums and a massive xylophone — installed in...
Fewer traffic check stops, drunk driving investigations in North Okanagan a symptom of heavy caseload
VERNON - A heavy case load impacted the Vernon RCMP’s ability to keep up with proactive police work, like traffic checkstops, over the summer. RCMP Superintendent Jim McNamara pointed out a 12.5 per cent rise in criminal code cases, much of it related to property crimes, which jumped 10.9 per cent, during an update on...
The cause of that foul odour at Vernon’s Polson Park
VERNON - It should smell like the fresh outdoors, but instead Polson Park in Vernon has been wrinkling noses lately. People are complaining about a foul, septic smell in the park, and Vernon city councillor Juliette Cunningham says she’s not only heard from community members about the problem, but experienced it firsthand. “I walk on...
New officer takes the reins at Vernon RCMP detachment
VERNON - There’s a new top cop in the City of Vernon. Insp. Jim McNamara has been the acting superintendent of the Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP since Reg Burgess retired in March 2015, and on Wednesday, Oct. 14, he was officially promoted to the position. "On behalf of Council and the staff of the City of...
Disagreement over use of Vernon dog park has council at end of leash
VERNON - City officials continue to spar over the use of a green space near Marshall Fields as an off-leash dog park. Residents have been using the area, which runs alongside Marshall Fields by the Lakers Clubhouse, to let their dogs run off leash for years, but now the City of Vernon is now tightening...
Have your say on the future of Vernon’s airport
VERNON - Vernon residents are invited to have a say on the future of the local airport. The city is reviewing plans for the airport over the next 20 years and wants to hear from residents and businesses at an upcoming open house Sept. 17. It’s all part of a project to develop a new...
Performance audit looks at City of Vernon purchasing practices
VERNON - B.C.’s auditor general has pulled back a curtain on the City of Vernon’s purchasing activities. Acting auditor Arn van Iersel took a look at the city’s purchasing practices over a two-year audit period, from 2010 to 2012, and released the findings this week in a report. The performance audit reviewed whether the city...
VOTE FOR STUART PARK! Downtown Kelowna feature named finalist in national contest
KELOWNA – Stuart Park in downtown Kelowna has been named a finalist for a national contest that highlights the best public places in Canada. With its winter skating rink, public promenade, 300 metres of waterfront, urban orchard and iconic 'Bear' statue, Stuart Park is one of 12 public spaces showcased by the 5th annual Great...
The cost of free parking in Vernon
VERNON - Easing up on paid parking downtown Vernon is leaving the city with a gap in revenue. In the past year, city council approved a number of initiatives aimed at making the downtown area more customer friendly, and while it’s too early to see if they’re working, the changes are already revealing financial side-effects....
Province’s new Stickle Road proposal fails to impress Vernon officials
VERNON - Better, but not good enough is the message Vernon council sent to the Ministry of Transportation during a presentation about a new idea for improving the Stickle Road intersection. Plans for a right-in, right-out only access to and from Stickle Road on Highway 97 just north of the city were scrapped in May...