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City Of Kelowna

Vacancy rate eases as Kelowna pushes rental housing construction

KELOWNA - The city has done a lot to encourge development of rental housing and there’s not too much more that can be done, except to let the incentives do their work and keep on pushing for more. That’s the opinion of Luke Stack, a city councillor and also executive director of the Society of...

East Kelowna farm earns council support for distillery and weddings

KELOWNA - An agri-tourism operation on a small plot of farm land in East Kelowna got a rare endorsement from city council this week, despite plans to include weddings and a distillery. Kristi and James Caldwell requested council support for their application to the Agriculatural Land Commision to allow a portion of their land to...

Information services seeks budget increase from city

KELOWNA - Information technology is no longer a support service but a full-fledged business unit at City Hall and needs a budget increase to accommodate both current demand and future needs. That’s the message information services manager Rob Entwistle brought to Kelowna city council during an overview of the city’s digital strategy. “We are known as...

Over-heating pumps threaten water service in the Mission

KELOWNA - A faulty pump motor is forcing the City of Kelowna to spend $300,000 on an additional pump for the Cedar Creek lake intake. Failure to do so, could leave parts of the Mission and the South Slopes without drinking water and fire protection service, utility planning manager Andrew Reeder says, in a report...

IT department prepares for digital future at City Hall

KELOWNA - The City of Kelowna is moving to bolster information technology and lessen the risk of future redundancy, data breaches and possible failure of key systems, says a new report. Information services manager Rob Entwistle, in a report to council, says the department is moving ahead in four of 19 areas identified in its...

Work begins on new dike for Mission Creek restoration in Kelowna

KELOWNA - City crews have taken the first step in reversing decades of misguided management of Mission Creek in Kelowna. The first phase of the Mission Creek Restoration Initiative began this week with the closing of the creek’s south dike between Casorso Road and Gordon Drive, according to a city media release. With creek waters...

Popular rink to open next week in Stuart Park

KELOWNA - Crews have begun making ice at the popular Stuart Park outdoor rink in Kelowna with opening planned for next week. City crews will be working afternoon shifts from 4 p.m. to midnite at Stuart Park over the next few days readying the rink for an opening Tuesday, Dec. 1, according to arenas supervisor...

One year in, new Kelowna councillors are finding their groove

KELOWNA - It’s been a year since three brand new members joined Kelowna city council and while they don’t agree on everything, they do agree on one thing — it’s been a fast ride. “It went by in a blink of an eye,” Coun. Brad Sieben says. “It seems like just yesterday we were planting...

Downtown Kelowna alley an ‘untapped resource’

KELOWNA - Currently home to illegally parked cars and overflowing garbage cans, a stretch of downtown alleyway could soon be delighting locals and visitors alike if plans to beautify it get council approval. Councillors gushed over a staff proposal aiming to beautify a chunk of the lane off Bernard Avenue across from The Sails with...

First year a lesson in time management for Kelowna mayor

KELOWNA - It’s been just over a year now since Colin Basran grabbed the mayor’s chair in a convincing election win. While Basran had already completed a term as city councillor, he says it barely prepared him for the complexities of working as a full-time civic leader. “The sheer volume of invitations to events is...

Kelowna scraps policy of paying for political forums

KELOWNA - A long-standing policy of providing a free venue for an all-candidates forum during municipal elections has been dropped by city council. Deputy city clerk Karen Needham told council today, Nov. 23, at their regular weekly morning meeting, the policy stems from 1976 when council granted a request for a grant-in-aid by the Kelowna...

Makeover in the works for downtown Kelowna alley

KELOWNA - A stretch of downtown Kelowna alleyway could soon get a permanent, big city make-over. Real estate services manager John Saufferer, in a report to Kelowna city council, is recommending the city turn the stretch of alley near The Sails off Bernard Avenue, into what amounts to an urban park. “The Bernard Avenue laneway...

Kelowna city council aims to take lead on homelessness

KELOWNA - Admitting it’s out of touch with current community efforts to combat homelessness, Kelowna city council is hoping to jump into a leadership role by hiring a homeless coordinator and adopting a new, more direct housing strategy. The initiative comes amid signs of increased homelessness in Kelowna, including a doubling in the number of...

Some Kelowna infrastructure grants could be in limbo after Liberal election win

KELOWNA - Despite election promises about investment in infrastructure, the advent of a new Liberal government will likely delay some Kelowna projects already in the works. “We do have various applications out there, but with the election, it’s been very quiet,” infrastructure director Alan Newcombe says. While he expects the Liberal government will honour applications...

Mission Creek restoration project begins Monday in Kelowna

KELOWNA - Regular users of the popular Mission Creek Greenway will lose access to part of the creekside trail for almost six months, starting on Monday. But in exchange, the whole of Kelowna will eventually be gaining a revitalized and restored waterway that will look a lot like the lower part of the creek did...

Culture Days brings out the wild and wonderful in Kelowna

CENTRAL OKANAGAN - With more than 40 events planned for this weekend in Kelowna, culture is definitely what you make of it during the sixth annual Culture Days. More than 40 events are planned for various venues around the city Friday, Sept. 25, through Sunday, Sept. 27, and will include a wild mix of everything...

Kelowna golf clubs want to start serving liquor at 9 a.m.

KELOWNA - Golfers at Gallagher’s Canyon and the Okanagan Golf Club aren’t likely to be able to get a drink any earlier or later than they already do. City staff are recommending against an application from the owner of the two golf courses to add an extra hour of drinking time on either end of...

Pool and gym at Parkinson Rec to shut down for cleaning

KELOWNA - Annual maintenance is leaving pool and gymnasium users out of luck at Parkinson Recreation Centre. The aquatic facilities will be closed from August 31 reopening September 20 should everything work out according to plan. The gymnasium will also be shut down during the same time period. Parkinson pass holders can use the aquatic...

Pick up your dog’s poop or pay $150

KELOWNA – Nobody wants to step in dog droppings while trying to enjoy a public park in Kelowna. In an effort to get the message “if they poop, you must scoop” out there, the city has recently put up new signs in some of the parks. “While most owners are responsible and pick up after...

Kelowna councillor seeks change to council meeting schedule

KELOWNA - City councillor Charlie Hodge needs more homework time and wants to move council meetings to another day. “This is what I get Friday morning in my agenda package,” Hodge says, brandishing a three-inch thick stack of reports. “I’m supposed to know all this by Monday morning or at least have an understanding of...

Water meters help keep lid on consumption in Kelowna

KELOWNA - As the province deals with the one of the most widespread droughts on record, municipalities and other water providers are increasingly looking for ways to alter consumption patterns amongst their users. While staged watering restrictions can force short term changes in use, the gold standard for long term change is the water meter,...