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Jennifer Stahn
Campfire bans begin Wednesday
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - B.C. Wildfire is issuing a campfire ban beginning Wednesday, July 16 following a perfect storm of hot, dry and stormy weather. The ban, which begins at noon Wednesday, covers the entire fire centre and is in place until further notice. The majority of the fire centre is sitting at a high to extreme...
Surrey man dies at Paul Lake
KAMLOOPS - A Surrey man is dead after what police call a ‘tragic incident’ at Paul Lake Saturday afternoon. Cpl. Cheryl Bush says rural RCMP were called to the lake after an 84-year-old male was pulled from the water and in need of medical assistance. The man who was vacationing with his wife went into...
Kilts under the sun
KAMLOOPS - As if lugging around a big drum or set of bagpipes while wearing a wool kilt wasn't enough, those attending the Highland Games in Kamloops this past weekend also had to deal with 39 Celsius heat. Pipers, dancers and strongmen (and women) returned to McGowan Park for the annual Highland Games Saturday, July...
Hazy sky likely from northern fires
KAMLOOPS - It could just be a haze in the sky today but it is more likely smoke from more northern fires we are continuing to see fill our valley. B.C. Wildfire information officer Melissa Klassen says the smoke in the air could be attributed to the more than 15,000 hectares of fires north of...
Temperature records fall over weekend, heat to continue
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - There is no doubt summer is officially here as record high temperatures fell like sweat droplets in 40 Celsius heat on the weekend. Environment Canada says several communities broke weather records on Saturday, including Lillooet which had a high temperature of 39.7 C passing the 39.4 C recorded in 1926. Sunday also saw...
Meteors, supermoons and northern lights
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Skywatchers and photographers can rejoice as they have their pick of fascinating subjects this weekend with the start of a meteor shower, the supermoon making an appearance and a chance of a northern lights show. Saturday night the full moon will be one of three supermoons in a row this summer. The bigger...
New physicians won’t help much with Kamloops doctor shortage
KAMLOOPS - Six doctors are on their way to Kamloops to set up shop but it won't be any easier to find a family doctor, at least not yet. Dr. Shirley Sze of the Thompson Region Division of Family Practice says the new doctors will help relieve some pressure but for the most part they...
Record heat on the way
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Records could fall this weekend as the hot, dry weather trend continues. The expected heat wave will last for at least the next 7 days. In Kamloops temperatures are expected to reach 37 Celsius on Saturday and then around 38 C for the next three days. Record high temperatures are currently 38.6 C...
STAHN: Penalties govern highway speed, not traffic signs
Last week the provincial government announced it was increasing the speed limit on more than 1,300 kilometres of highway. I’m sure the cry around the province was ‘Yay! I get to drive faster… legally.’ But how much does the posted speed limit really affect driver habits? Transportation Minister Todd Stone said more than 85 per...
UPDATE: Cat rescued after being stuck on Kamloops hydro pole for days
KAMLOOPS - The Honourable Lord Pumpernickel had been stuck near the top of a hydro pole, likely since Tuesday morning and his owner was getting frustrated no one was willing to help. That is until B.C. Hydro showed up to save the day late Thursday afternoon. Owner Ashley Diehl believes the nearly two-year-old cat got...
Smoke in sky from fires in northern B.C.
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Several large fires in the northeastern part of the province are causing a haze across much of the Southern Interior today. B.C. Wildfire Provincial Fire Information Officer Erin Catherall says most of what we can see is likely from the Prince George Fire Zone where two large fires and several smaller ones are...
Record growth leads to new construction at airport
KAMLOOPS - Traveler numbers are up more than nine per cent during the first six months of the year as tourism and workers travelling to northern camps continue to increase. Kamloops Airport Ltd. says the number of travellers were up by about 1,500 bringing the total number of travellers to 157,068 so far this year,...
Wildfire burning near Spotted Lake
OSOYOOS - An interface fire that started Wednesday afternoon, continued to spread aggressivley overnight along Old Richter Pass Road near Osoyoos. As of 8:30 a.m. the fire, just south of Spotted Lake and west of Osoyoos, was estimated at 15 hectares and was yet to be fully contained. The fire is "wrapped in hose" and...
Farriers not a dying breed, just a hidden one
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - During the horse and buggy age, farriers were as common as mechanics ensuring travellers had four on the floor to get from point A to point B but today, they're an elusive service provider. Anyone with a horse likely uses the service of someone specializing in horse feet. One local farrier says while...
Lots of new daycare spaces in Westsyde
KAMLOOPS - If you are looking for childcare Westsyde may just be the place to be right now, with several new licensed facilities recently opening and more on the way. While it is unclear as to why exactly Westsyde is the chosen location right now staff at the Child Care Resource and Referral program say...
Trails project near Barriere to cater to geocachers
BARRIERE - New and old trails will be overhauled as plans for trail restoration in the Barriere area move forward this summer. The majority of the trails already exist in the Fishtrap recreation area southwest of Barriere and heading towards Bonaparte Lake and just require some brushing out. Lower North Thompson Community Forest Society Executive...
Tropical Tuesday comes close to records
VERNON TOPS PREVIOUS HIGH THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - With temperatures soaring into the mid-30s yesterday, it was a close call for many communities but Vernon was alone in setting a new record. With temperatures reaching a high of 34.8 Celsius, Vernon beat the previous record of 34.4 C, set in 1920. Vernon will be a bit cooler...
UPDATE: Work camps evacuated due to fast moving fire
PRINCE GEORGE - High winds and hot, dry weather have fuelled a fire southeast of Tumbler Ridge, fanning it to more than 3,000 hectares and forcing evacuations of two oil and gas work camps in the area. The fire, which was started by lightning this weekend, is 61 kilometres southeast of Tumbler Ridge and was...
Lack of local support leads to company closure
KAMLOOPS - A total of 20 people will be out of work by Aug. 22 as M3 Steel prepares to shut down after more than 30 years in the fabrication business. Manager Vance Smelland says four people have already left and another four will be gone by the end of July. The remaining 16 will...
Sun and heat brings ‘very high’ UV ratings
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - After a brief stumbling block this weekend Mother Nature is returning with the full force of the sun behind her, bringing us temperatures well into the 30s over the next week. Temperatures dipped a little closer to normals for a few days heading into the weekend and were followed by a bit of...
Blazers set for NHL development camps
KAMLOOPS - Five Kamloops Blazers will be attending various professional summer development camps this year. Cole Ully and Collin Shirley will be at the Dallas Stars camps, Ryan Rehill and Matt Needham will be at the New Jersey Devils camps and Chase Souto is with the Anaheim Ducks. The Stars camp runs from July 9-12...
Police officer assaulted near Pritchard
KAMLOOPS - A passing motorist lent assistance to an officer who was allegedly assaulted during a traffic stop Saturday afternoon in the Pritchard area. RCMP Senior Media Relations Officer Sgt. Rob Vermeulen says the officer began an impaired driving investigation on a pickup truck, containing three people, around 4:40 p.m., July 5. The driver pulled...
Hot, dry June could lead to more fires in July
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Hot, dry and stormy. June was not an ideal month throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre and concerns July could be a very active fire season are still very real. Overall temperatures were slightly above normal and slightly less rain fell. Combined with periods of lightning activity this led to more than 40 new...
Province questions Kinder Morgan
KAMLOOPS — Kinder Morgan has not been providing sufficient information about how it plans to mitigate concerns in Kamloops and elsewhere and the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office is not pleased. The province submitted more than 70 information requests, specific to spill response, prevention and recovery systems as part of the National Energy Board’s review of...