City Of Vernon

Secret proposals exchanged over Vernon horse racing dispute

VERNON - Proposed resolutions over an ongoing legal dispute between the City of Vernon and the Okanagan Equestrian Society are on the table, but neither side is commenting on the details. The society’s lawyer, Ed Woolley, says proposals were exchanged this week and both parties are now considering their options. The legal dispute has been...

City of Vernon gives its website a major facelift

VERNON - The City of Vernon has a new online look. It unveiled a new website today, Dec. 22, which has been over a year in the making. Vernon council approved a budget of $125,000 for the project in September 2014, and Upanup Design Studios from Victoria, B.C., was awarded the contract in July 2015....

Reclaimed water spilling from pipe failure not a risk, City of Vernon says

VERNON - City crews are working to repair a pipe leaking reclaimed water along Commonage Road in Vernon this morning, Dec. 21. Water from the Vernon Water Reclamation Centre is pumped through the pipe to the McKay Reservoir where it is stored during the winter months for the spray irrigation program, according to a media...

Expect to see more police presence in downtown Vernon

VERNON - There will be more police officers patroling the streets of downtown Vernon next year. Vernon city council recently voted to approve $330,000 for two additional officer positions effective Jan. 1, 2016. The detachment says it will use that funding to restore staffing levels in the downtown enforcement unit. “These officers will assist us...

Merchants air mixed feelings about downtown Vernon market

VERNON - Vernon has some hard data on how downtown merchants feel about the summertime Avenue Market, and while it's not all good there is support to keep the market going. Survey results show businesses have mixed feelings about the market, which runs on Friday evenings on 30 Avenue during the summer. Of 143 surveys sent...

Watch for whimsical pop up parks in Vernon

VERNON - A special surprise will be popping up in a Vernon park sometime this fall. It’s part of new city initiative to bring interest and excitement to underused spaces and will see a variety of temporary equipment — such as brightly painted Adirondack chairs, a piano, drums and a massive xylophone — installed in...

Vernon residents still fighting resort’s attempts to build a marina

VERNON - A controversial marina proposal on Okanagan Lake has resurfaced. The Outback Resort has once again applied for permission from the provincial government to build a 72-slip marina in South Bay near Ellison Provincial Park and that’s put a local community group on the defensive. The Friends of South Bay has been boycotting the marina...

Disagreement over use of Vernon dog park has council at end of leash

VERNON - City officials continue to spar over the use of a green space near Marshall Fields as an off-leash dog park. Residents have been using the area, which runs alongside Marshall Fields by the Lakers Clubhouse, to let their dogs run off leash for years, but now the City of Vernon is now tightening...

Water main break closes downtown Vernon road

VERNON - A water main break forced the closure of a Vernon roadway Wednesday afternoon.  The break happened on 37 Avenue between 30 and 31 Streets, in front of the Civic Arena, today, Sept. 9. City crews are working to repair the break and expect to finish later Wednesday afternoon, or on Thursday, Sept. 10. ...

Performance audit looks at City of Vernon purchasing practices

VERNON - B.C.’s auditor general has pulled back a curtain on the City of Vernon’s purchasing activities. Acting auditor Arn van Iersel took a look at the city’s purchasing practices over a two-year audit period, from 2010 to 2012, and released the findings this week in a report. The performance audit reviewed whether the city...