City
Pet pig flies in Vernon; councillor asks what’s next?
VERNON - It was an unusual case that some city councillors fear might not be so uncommon any more. A Vernon family desperate to keep their pet pig Felix pleaded with city council for an exception to a bylaw prohibiting swine on city property — unless on designated farm land — and got their wish...
City puts brakes on community group wanting to build new Vernon bus shelters
WHAT GOES ON CITY PROPERTY MUST MEET CITY POLICY VERNON - The intentions behind a grassroots movement to spruce up Vernon’s run-down bus stops are good ones, but the City of Vernon is still putting brakes on the project, at least for now. Vernon-based organization Noteworthy Neighbourhoods hoped to get started building a new, covered...
City wins case after rejected contractor takes matters to court
KAMLOOPS - A Supreme Court Justice dismissed a civil suit between the City of Kamloops and a construction company that was denied a bid on a municipal project after ruling construction company officials did not comply with instructions on the paperwork. True Construction Ltd. challenged city officials after its bid in 2010 to build the...
Vernon city council prepares decades ahead for future highway bypass
VERNON - It wouldn’t be built, or required, for another 25 to 65 years, but Vernon council is starting to plan for a potential bypass around the city. It’s been talked about for years, but today’s council is taking a firm stance on the need to start planning, and protecting a corridor for it, now....
Why you’ve been reading so much about Vernon vacations lately
VERNON - Vernon has made headlines in various travel publications of late, but what you might not know is how those stories came to be. Those writers from major publications in Canada didn't just happen upon little old Vernon, they’re part of an aggressive new marketing strategy led by the city. Articles in the Globe...
About the recent spike in moose sightings in Kelowna…
KELOWNA – Two separate moose encounters in Kelowna have made the news in the last couple weeks, and several more sightings have been reported to WildSafe B.C. during that time, but is the number of moose sightings this year any different from last? Conservation B.C. spokesperson Barb Leslie says it isn't. According to her, ten...
Mother’s Day moose on the loose in Rutland
KELOWNA – A Mother’s Day surprise when a young moose took a stroll through a busy Kelowna neighbourhood on Sunday. Amy Eder was loading her family into the car to go for Mother’s Day breakfast around 8 a.m., May 10, when she saw something big and hairy walking down the road in Rutland. “It was...
Why the City of Kelowna wants your dog on a leash
KELOWNA - The warm weather means more residents and their dogs are out enjoying the outdoors, and in some cases, that's leading to conflicts with wildlife. The City of Kelowna issued a press release Thursday afternoon asking dog walkers to help ensure wildlife can enjoy the nice weather too. Park Services was recently notified of...
Sinkhole opens up and swallows Vernon city dump truck wheel
VERNON - A Vernon City dumptruck became stuck today in a sinkhole that formed overnight on 31 Street between 33 Avenue and 34 Avenue. The sinkhole was caused by a water main break and water has been turned off. A detour was put in place, so no vehicles except those with the city are permitted...
Big storm clean up continues as response cost becomes clear
KELOWNA - The first thing to know about Kelowna’s clean-up response to the near record snowfall that pummelled the city two weeks ago? It’s not over. “It’s carrying on right now,” confirmed City of Kelowna roadways supervisor Stephen Bryans, who said city crews continue to deal with the aftermath. “And it certainly dented our snow...
Grave concerns lead city to cemetery master plan
KELOWNA - The first phase of a 25-year plan to ensure the eternal viability of Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery, the municipally-owned cemetery, begins this year giving new meaning to the phrase rest in peace. With an aging infrastructure, changing consumer trends and limited space, cemetery manager David Gatzke says the time was right for a...
Gas price slide means savings on civic operations
KELOWNA - Questions about the impact of collapsing oil prices are starting to filter into Kelowna’s civic operations as the possibility of an extended downturn in fuel costs becomes apparent. Several councillors queried city staff during presentations at 2015 budget deliberations about the topic that has recently been dominating headlines in Western Canada. The first...
City budget ‘bare bones’ despite sizeable tax increase
KELOWNA — Even Kelowna’s mayor concedes it sounds odd calling a possible 3.5 per cent tax increase a “bare bones budget." “It sounds crazy but this is actually a very lean budget,” says Colin Basran, who blames two big-ticket items — Kelowna’s new police station and recent union contract settlement — for the increase. “Both...
Equipment break down delays Vernon snow removal
VERNON - Machinery issues have set back snow removal efforts in Vernon. Snow clearing on 27 Street was delayed Wednesday due to mechanical difficulties with the city’s large snow blower, communications coordinator Tanya Laing Gahr said in a media release. The blower was repaired late Wednesday and snow removal in the downtown core picked up...
Why Kelowna’s response to snow removal is “almost unheard of across Canada”
WANT TO SUE? GOOD LUCK KELOWNA — So you finally get out of your snow-choked driveway, just to slip on your neighbour’s sidewalk and break your nose. Or you break your wrist, jumping over a snowbank to cross the road. If you’re looking for someone to sue, don’t bother naming the city in the lawsuit...