UPDATE: Highway 97 reopens following rockslide south of Okanagan Falls

South Okanagan residents making their Christmas Eve commute to work in Penticton this morning had to contend with a detour.

Drive BC reported a rock slide had closed Highway 97 between Sundial Road and Vaseux Lake Crescent, about five kilometres south of Okanagan Falls today, Dec. 24. The highway reopened around 11:30 a.m.

The route was closed for several hours after a number of rocks about half the size of a car fell on the roadway.

— This story was updated at 12:13 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2019, to say the highway had reopened.


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Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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