Business
Timing not great for 125 layoff notices at Kelowna Flightcraft
KELOWNA – The director of human resources at Kelowna Flightcraft is the first to admit sending out 125 layoff notices to the company’s pilots just before Christmas and on the heels of an announcement about a valuable contract with WestJet is bad timing. Grant Stevens says the letters went out this week because the Canada...
Nominate a small B.C. business before time runs out
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The Small Business B.C. Awards is accepting nominations and already a few local businesses and entrepreneurs have been recognized for their contributions and achievements. Nominations and votes will be accepted until Nov. 30, 2014 and is open to all new and existing businesses registered in B.C. with fewer than 50 employees. The Top...
The next location for this closing Vernon shop will be online
VERNON - Customers who walk through the door of Lather Up downtown Vernon are greeted by the scents of ylang-ylang, tea-tree and sandalwood. They get to open tester lids, sniff products and try them out. But with a shift to online-only sales, that’s all about to change. Lather Up Canada Body Care owner Connie Adams...
HELSTON: Don’t miss out on what downtown Vernon has to offer
Downtown Vernon has a charming Main Street framed by quaint cafes, art galleries and boutiques. It has an old fashioned movie theatre, wide sidewalks for strolling, and park benches for those who want to sit awhile. It’s the picturesque street you’d find in movies set in small towns, like The Majestic. The only thing it...
Edson Chan represents young population in mayoral race
PENTICTON - A fresh face is joining the race for mayor of Penticton and he hopes his presence will draw the attention of youths into the world of politics. Edson Chan, 26, was born and raised in Penticton. He says he has paid attention to many of the changes Penticton has gone through and wants...
Vernon business hurting during teacher strike
VERNON - Uzair Shahid is supposed to be in school. Instead, he’s working shifts at his parents’ corner store on 27 Street. “It’s really annoying—you can’t go to school and it affects the business as well,” Shahid says. While he doesn’t mind making a little extra cash, he says the teacher strike is hurting business...
ARCHER: Heritage homes add character to Penticton
There’s something about an old house that I just love. I get this giddy feeling hearing the old wood floors creak as I was across a room, the dated wallpaper, hand-cranked appliances, and little odds and ends of years long past. And it still feels, in a way, like home. So when it comes to...
Penticton gets new business from Alberta
PENTICTON - City officials say Penticton is seeing more businesses and people coming to town from Alberta, and Jet Power and Controls Ltd. is the most recent. The Alberta-based business is in the process of opening a manufacturing plant in Penticton’s industrial sector. Jet Power is a growing company, having doubled in size every year...
Flood of support for local business damaged in storm
VERNON - This week’s flash rain storm led to major water damage at a Vernon business, but staff aren’t letting it dampen their spirits. Samantha Edwards, the manager at Mary-Claris hair extensions on 30 Avenue, looks up at the gaping hole in the ceiling and the torn up flooring and sighs. It’s been a stressful,...
Mount Baldy foreclosed, assets for sale
SOUTH OKANAGAN - Mount Baldy Resort and its assets are up for sale after being slapped with a foreclosure notice. Located east of Oliver and Osoyoos, the resort was closed during the 2013-14 season because of financial difficulties. G-Force Real Estate issued a press release last week that said the resort’s assets including land lots,...
Centre’s strike take toll on community and local businesses
PENTICTON — Naramata’s local economy will take a hit this summer while the community’s largest organization is on strike. Last week, the administration of the Centre at Naramata decided to pull the plug in summer programming, in order to prove their striking efforts were serious. Employees have been standing on the picket line since May,...
Chamber of Commerce on board for an Okanagan rail trail
VERNON – The push for an Okanagan rail trail is picking up steam. The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce has joined the movement to preserve the rail bed between Vernon and Kelowna as a recreational corridor. The chamber unanimously passed a motion to call on all levels of government to take a leadership role in...
Looking for an apartment in Penticton? Don’t be picky
PENTICTON — Finding a rental apartment may cost you, depending on what you’re willing to settle for. Rental costs are increasing in Penticton, but availability rates are on the decline, according to the spring Rental Market Survey released by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. The overall availability rates in Penticton have dropped in the...
Hotel Eldorado sold
KELOWNA – The iconic Hotel Eldorado has been sold but previous owner Jim Nixon says nothing is going to change. Nixon made the announcement and informed staff Tuesday, saying it was a hard decision. The hotel, restaurant and marina has been under the same ownership for 25 years, and Nixon says he was not planning on selling...