Julie Whittet

UPDATE: Laureen Harper helps local grade six students with the Kelowna Soles4Souls drive At a warehouse in downtown Kelowna Laureen Harper pitched in with a team of volunteers to sort through bags and boxes of donated shoes. "We're so spoiled, you know, how many shoes are in your closet? And some people don't have any...

The three men accused in the 2011 murder of infamous gangster Jonathan Bacon in Kelowna are expected to appear in a Kelowna courtroom this morning to set trial dates. Jujhar Khun-Khun, Michael Kerry Hunter Jones and Jason Thomas McBride are each charged with first degree murder and four counts of attempted murder in the death...

Premier Christy Clark made a brief stop on her campaign tour this evening to speak to Kelowna citizens at the Coast Capri Hotel. She greeted the audience by praising the city's pro-business heritage. "Hello Kelowna! Here we are in the home where free enterprise was founded,” she said. Clark turned to Liberal MLAs Steve Thomson,...

UPDATE: Kelowna City Council approves Monaco towers 11:00 a.m. April 24 Developer Premier Pacific Group got the green light from city council last night to start building two new towers in downtown Kelowna's cultural district. City councillors unanimously voted to approve the development and the controversial building variances it will require. They reached the decision...

Ben Stewart: Liberal MLA for Westside-Kelowna In a province notorious for political polarization, Ben Stewart keeps a steady focus on solving the issues brought forward by his constituents. He sees his role not one of political ideology but of community service. “My view is that I'm more of a collaborator, somebody (who) tries tries to...

Cyclists, dog-walkers and joggers can now legally pass through the stretch of Mission Creek Greenway between Casorso and Gordon Drive. The popular, ecologically-rich 450-meter trail now belongs in city's hands. Up until today, public users of the path were technically trespassing on private property. The Regional District for the Central Okanagan announced this afternoon the...

Steve Thomson: Liberal MLA for Kelowna-Mission When asked what vision will be driving his campaign in the coming weeks, Thomson says the goal is a government that fosters a strong economy through private sector investment. “For me the core issues are about ensuring the government is focused on a balanced budget, one of strong fiscal...

According to a recent report Kelowna had more commercial buildings go up in 2012 than in the last 10 years. Not since 2003 has the city seen such levels of commercial development. Roughly 471,793 square feet of commercial space was added to the city last year. Over half of that development was in Kelowna's City Centre which...

International leaders in water conservation gathered at the Kelowna Yacht Club early this morning to raise funds for the Water for People charity which helps bring safe drinking water to communities in the developing world. The B.C. Water and Waste Association hosted the charity and will speak to Kelowna City Councillors later today about the...

Lakeshore Road is being designed to be visually appealing for all users, with spacious sidewalks and bike lanes - not another Highway 33. At an open house last night at Manteo Resort last night, the public got a sneak peek at designs for the road and an opportunity to sound their questions with city officials. Project Manager...

Early yesterday morning an employee at Husky Gas Station on Ross Road arrived to work to find their shop vandalized and the ATM machine stolen. West Kelowna RCMP received the report just before 6:00 a.m.when the employee found shattered glass and damaged shutters on the store front. Police say the suspect(s) had dismantled the alarm...

A Kelowna man had nowhere to run this morning after robbing a residence on Hall Road. With an RCMP helicopter overhead and police in pursuit with a search dog, the thief only made it as far as Fisher Road before being arrested. Police seized the loot in the man's backpack and returned it to its...

Police blocked off a stretch of Casorso Road earlier this morning and put a nearby elementary school on lock down in what they thought was a potential bomb threat. It turned out to be a false alarm and police were called off.  Kelowna RCMP received a report shortly before 10 a.m. this morning from a...

Kelowna's downtown core will get a new parkade, to help accomodate the expected onslaught of increased traffic in the next few years. The City announced yesterday a new 430-stall parkade to fit in between Memorial Arena and the Okanagan Heritage Museum on Ellis Street. It is one of many city construction projects expected for 2013....

UPDATE: Defence requests community sentence for teen guilty of Hyatt manslaughter 5:00 p.m. April 16 Defence counsel for the girl responsible for the death of Ashlee Hyatt has requested a community-based sentence for the accused. Defence lawyer Donna Turko says a sentence served in jail would do her client more harm than good and says...

A massive development proposed for Northern Glenmore would be three times bigger than the city plan allows for. The 1,400-unit Diamond Mountain project, proposed by Troika Developments, raised some eyebrows at City Hall yesterday. Council said the developer will have to provide a lot more detail before they consider amending the area plan, which calls...

An online forum is generating some clear themes in the public's vision for the future of City Park. New kiosks, a paddling centre, farmers' markets and heightened security are some of the top requests coming in since the city launched the community engagement platform last March.  While feedback pours in on the virtual platform, construction...

Police say keeping an eye on your fellow drivers will help enforce public safety. The Kelowna RCMP is asking all motorists to help identify and report impaired driving in the city as part of a new road safety initiative with the MADD Central Okanagan Chapter. The Road Safety Program launches tomorrow, Tuesday, April 16, at...

Cutting through Bernard Avenue on your way to work this morning, you'll notice things are a little rough around the edges.  Construction crews are now laying in new, spacious sidewalks to complete Phase 2 of the Bernard Avenue Revitalization. The Revitalization project is one of 25 initiatives of Kelowna's 2012 Downtown Plan which aims to...

If you lost a couple rifles last month, the Kelowna RCMP might have what you're looking for. The RCMP found two abandoned rifles last month and are looking to return them to their rightful owners. One military rifle and another mountain rifle turned up on the 1500 block of Rosewood Drive, hidden in a makeshift...