Colin Basran
Premier makes official the opening of low-income housing in Kelowna’s North End
KELOWNA – The new Pleasantvale homes have been occupied for awhile now but that didn’t…
Kelowna could lose millions infighting over domestic water
IRRIGATION DISTRICTS UNDER PRESSURE TO MERGE OPERATIONS WITH KELOWNA KELOWNA – Kelowna’s MP Stephen Fuhr…
Public safety top of mind as Kelowna council approves tax increase
KELOWNA - Taxpayers will likely face a property tax increase of 4.12 per cent after city council passed the 2016 provisional city budget. The increase is heavy on public safety as more than half the increase of about $6 million is dedicated to hiring more police and bylaw officers while moving ahead with construction of...
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...
ELECTION 2015: West Kelowna mayor says endorsing federal election candidates is bad politics
CENTRAL OKANAGAN - Firmly on the fence is where West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater is sitting as far as publicly endorsing a candidate in the Oct. 19 federal election. “I have to work with whoever is elected, although I can say we worked well with Dan Albas (incumbent MP for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola.) He helped us...
Kelowna adopts permanent outdoor watering restrictions
KELOWNA - In the wake of this summer’s drought, Kelowna is adopting permanent outdoor watering restrictions and bumping up its enforcement of the new rules. While reducing outdoor water use during drought is one benefit, of equal value is reducing the impact of demand spikes during dry summer months on the city’s water pipes and...
Brent’s Grist Mill heritage site deteriorating quickly
KELOWNA - What do you do when your heritage is crumbling faster than than you can review it? Brent's Grist Mill, one of the city’s premier heritage sites, is rapidly crumbling and cannot wait for council’s heritage review to be fixed, according to a consultant’s report. “So it’s a catch-22 scenario. If we don’t spend the...
Money talks, experience walks: Here’s what Sharon Shepherd thinks cost her the election
KELOWNA - It was supposed to be the political comeback for two-term mayor Sharon Shepherd. Edged out by Walter Gray in 2011, Shepherd was pushed by many to take another crack at it when Gray announced he would not run again in 2014. In the minds of her supporters it was supposed to be an...
What Colin Basran had during the election that rival Sharon Shepherd didn’t
KELOWNA — The 2014 mayoral race in Kelowna, which quickly came down to current councillor Colin Basran versus former mayor Sharon Shepherd, was billed as youth versus experience. It might have been better pegged as 'have' and 'have-not.' Winner, and now Mayor, Basran outspent Shepherd well over three to one, raising through contributions almost $76,000...
City keeps cultural incubator cooking, gives out cash grants
KELOWNA - If there was an elephant in the room, Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran addressed it directly. “A lot of times people think ‘there goes the city spending money on culture’ without having the complete picture of what creative culture does for our community,” said the Mayor, as council received a report outlining $180,000 in...
Basran, new council sworn in for Kelowna
KELOWNA – The youngest mayor in Kelowna’s history was sworn into office Monday night along with his new council of eight. In his first speech as mayor, Basran, 37, thanked his family and supporters and outlined the areas he feels are key to a successful term. Areas like transportation, support for small business, social programs,...
Candidates square off at first mayoral election forum
KELOWNA – Five of the eight candidates for mayor were at Manteo Resort Wednesday morning for the first public forum of the municipal election. Mayoral hopefuls Colin Basran, Sharon Shepherd, Kelly Row, Glendon Smedley and Chuck Hardy were each given two minutes to answer eight questions put forward by the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce. During...
Diverse-abilities on display at City Hall
KELOWNA – A line of people stood together outside City Hall Wednesday raising awareness for issues still faced by those in our city who have disabilities. The rally, called the Pathways Inclusion Chain, was organized by Pathways Abilities Society, a 61-year-old group started by a handful of parents in 1953. It has since grown to...
Political cyber sabotage in Kelowna mayoral election campaign
KELOWNA – The RCMP are investigating after someone hacked former Kelowna mayor Sharon Shepherd’s old Twitter account. It appears someone used the Twitter account to attack the mayoral candidate’s reputation in an effort to discredit her. “Those who know me soon realized my previous accounts had been take over without my knowledge or permission, for...
Basran expected to announce he will run for mayor
KELOWNA – First term councillor Colin Basran has called a press conference today at 10:30 a.m. where it is anticipated he will announce his intention to run for mayor of Kelowna. Basran, 37, said in the past he was considering running soon after current mayor Walter Gray hinted at his retirement February 13. "I am...