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Christmas
Eight books by Vernon and area authors to put under the tree this year
VERNON - For die-hard book worms, there’s no greater Christmas gift than a good read. A book, especially one with a personal inscription, makes a thoughtful gift for the book lover in your life. If you’re on the hunt for local titles, we’ve got a few suggestions. For the fiction lover %%Image1%% Turtle Valley by...
Extra special Christmas gift for Vernon’s Upper Room Mission
VERNON - Christmas came early to Vernon’s local soup kitchen. Thanks to two local businesses, the Upper Room Mission’s regular volunteers will get Christmas Eve off. Rob and Lisa Ellis, owners of Rellish Transport Services, along with Jim Tennant of Save-On-Foods, stepped up to the plate and are sponsoring the Mission’s annual Christmas Eve dinner,...
Holiday closures to make note of in Vernon
VERNON - There are a few closures and changes in regular hours to be aware of over the Christmas break in Vernon. City Hall will be closed at 2 p.m. on Dec. 24 and all day Dec. 25 and Dec. 28. It will return to regular open hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for City...
Now that’s service: Vernon mayor offers rides to holiday party-goers
VERNON - It’s not every day your designated driver is also your mayor. But that was the case in Vernon Saturday night after Mayor Akbal Mund posted an offer on his Facebook page inviting anyone who needed a safe, sober ride home to give him a call. %%Image2%% The generous offer has earned the mayor...
Things to do in Vernon over the Christmas break
VERNON - If you’re looking for things to do as a family over the holidays, or ways to keep sugar-charged children occupied over the break, we’ve put together some ideas. Whether you’re looking to spend some Christmas cash on an experience for the family, or hoping to save a few bucks with a free activity,...
Handmade in the Thompson-Okanagan
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you’re hoping to go a less commercial route this holiday season, look no further than the Thompson-Okanagan, a region that boasts numerous handcrafted gifts. From ceramics to sweet treats, there’s surely a gift to be found for every boy and girl — one that keeps you out of box-store lineups to boot....
IN PHOTOS: It’s not Christmas in Kamloops until you see these things
KAMLOOPS - Christmas is many things to many people but there are a few sights that almost everyone will recognize as symbolic of the holidays. For three weeks every year the B.C. Wildlife Park opens the doors in the evenings so families can take in the tens of thousands of little sparkling lights that make...
Okanagan to enjoy warm and white Christmas
OKANAGAN - It will be a pretty typical week when it comes to weather in the Okanagan, with temperatures expected to stay near seasonal normals for much of the Christmas week. Environment Canada is calling for highs ranging from 0 Celsius to -3 Celsius most days this week, though Kelowna is expected to hit a...
Local gifts and food to get you through the holidays
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - With fresh foods and resources available on our doorstep, giving local is easy in our region. Many natural resources help create the gifts we put under our Christmas trees — from wood products and minerals, to cider and wine. And of course if you have a natural tree or a wood fire you...
CP Holiday Train stops in Kamloops today
KAMLOOPS - To some it is the moment that defines the Christmas countdown — just over a week to the big day — and to others it is simply a wonderful way to celebrate the season. Either way, today you can see the CP Holiday Train roll through the region, listen to some live music,...
‘Put it on your roof’: Vernon woman shares tale of stolen Christmas decor
VERNON - A grinch stole a Vernon woman’s Christmas spirit. Deb Robertson says close to $600 worth of LED Christmas decorations were stolen from her yard in the East Hill area of Vernon. “It’s bad to steal from anyone any time of year, but Christmas is just the lowest of the low,” Robertson says. Taken...
Socks, pyjamas, and perfume among items on Christmas wish list for Vernon’s homeless
VERNON - Vernon is once again helping to make Christmas wishes come true for the city’s less fortunate. The Christmas Wish List is a collection of personal stories and wish lists from Vernon’s homeless and shelter clients. Participants are interviewed about themselves, and the gifts that would make their Christmases brighter. The responses are then...
How Kamloops can help the less fortunate this holiday season
KAMLOOPS - While some are busy decorating their trees, putting up holiday lights or buying gifts, others are working to make sure the less fortunate can still have a fulfilling holiday season. There are many charities looking to help out the homeless or the families one paycheque away from becoming homeless and many are looking...
Local handmade holiday gift ideas
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you’re hoping to go a less commercial route this holiday season, look no further than the Thompson-Okanagan, a region that boasts numerous handcrafted gifts. From ceramics to sweet treats, there’s surely a gift to be found for every boy and girl — one that keeps you out of box-store lineups to boot....
Taking the cash out of Christmas: Vernon event brings back the joy of bartering
VERNON - There are two rules at an unconventional Christmas fair in Vernon this holiday season, the first of which is: No cash allowed. That’s because participants will be trading for the goods and services on hand. Hosted by Jaye Coward and her partner Mireille Gourlay of Farm Bound the Holiday Barter Fest is perhaps...
Get in the Christmas spirit with these holiday events around Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - If the unseasonably cold weather isn’t enough to help send you into a panic that Christmas is getting close, the holiday events starting this week should give you the boost of Christmas spirit you need to get through the next month. The official kick off to the holidays starts Thursday night, Nov. 26,...
Buying local, without leaving home, a popular choice for Okanagan holiday shoppers
OKANAGAN - It’s already well known that online shopping has taken over a large piece of the Christmas retail pie, but that doesn’t mean people are giving up on buying local to fill the stockings this Christmas. You don’t have to go out to a farmer’s market or holiday craft fair to buy local, you...
Vernon Food Bank looks to community for helping hand this holiday season
VERNON - The local food bank is calling on the community to help make the holidays bright for the less fortunate. The Salvation Army is launching its annual Christmas Kettle Campaign on Saturday, Nov. 21 and is looking for volunteers. “Christmas should be about celebrating, good memories, and family coming together,” Captain Jean-Curtis Plante says...
How to avoid salmonella poisoning during the Thanksgiving feast
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - It's that time of year when families gather to share a turkey feast so here's some tips to make sure festivities remain salmonella-free. To avoid symptoms of food poisoning such as stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fever there are four basic steps to follow. 1. When preparing any food, wash your hands...
Where to toss your Christmas tree in Vernon
VERNON - The presents are unwrapped and the ornaments packed up. It’s time for the Christmas tree to go. If you’re ready to part with this year’s Christmas tree, here’s the low-down. Trees will not be picked up with residential refuse, but Vernon, Coldstream and BX residents are invited to dispose of them in the...
Where to toss your tree after Christmas
KAMLOOPS - Your tree was neatly decorated, the stockings were hung, and the presents were all perfectly wrapped and placed under the tree. Now the presents have been torn open, the stockings sit discarded in the corner and your tree is losing needles every time you turn around. It’s time to clean up after the...
Quiet Christmas reported by city emergency services
PENTICTON - It was a quiet Christmas for Penticton’s police and fire services. “A handful of stolen vehicles were reported over the past few days,” said Penticton RCMP Watch Commander Constable Chad Jackson, “but other than that things were pretty much average over Christmas." Jackson said six Dodge pickups were stolen from residences in the...
Good news brightens holidays for Vernon’s Upper Room Mission
VERNON - Christmas came early to the Upper Room Mission with an okay from Interior Health to re-open its kitchen facilities. The kitchen was shut down after flooding damaged the building and contaminated food Dec. 2. The soup kitchen has been serving meals out of the People Place and relying on generous community businesses and...
Your guide to a Christmas lights driving tour in Vernon
VERNON - It’s not Christmas without the dazzle of bright lights around the city, and we’ve found the displays you don’t want to miss this year. A Christmas lights driving tour is a fun, and best of all free, way to get in the holiday spirit. When night falls, the City of Vernon transforms into...