downtown

IN PHOTOS: Holiday season officially begins
KAMLOOPS - Christmas lights have been making an appearance around the city since the beginning of the month — then Mother Nature coated the city in snow — and now, with the lighting of the Christmas tree at St. Andrews on the Square the holiday season is officially upon us. Dozens of people braved the...
Vernon city councillor suggests softening up parking rules
VERNON - A Vernon city councillor hopes to make the downtown core a more inviting place by giving shoppers a grace period at the parking meter. Coun. Brian Quiring led a motion to have city staff investigate the possibility of establishing a five minute grace period at expired meters. “I think you should be able...

Crash blocks downtown intersection
KAMLOOPS - A crash between a bus and a car slowed traffic in the downtown area this morning. The crash occurred at the corner of St. Paul Street and 4 Avenue at 8:30 a.m. during the morning commute. The bus carrying 23 passengers was travelling south on 4 Avenue while the car was approaching eastbound...

UPDATE: RCMP investigate downtown Vernon fatal crash
VERNON – A Kelowna woman is dead and a Vernon woman is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after their car was T-boned by a mini-van in downtown Vernon in the early hours Thursday morning. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says the accident happened around 1:15 a.m. at the intersection of 30 Avenue and 32 Street (Highway...

The next location for this closing Vernon shop will be online
VERNON - Customers who walk through the door of Lather Up downtown Vernon are greeted by the scents of ylang-ylang, tea-tree and sandalwood. They get to open tester lids, sniff products and try them out. But with a shift to online-only sales, that’s all about to change. Lather Up Canada Body Care owner Connie Adams...

HELSTON: Don’t miss out on what downtown Vernon has to offer
Downtown Vernon has a charming Main Street framed by quaint cafes, art galleries and boutiques. It has an old fashioned movie theatre, wide sidewalks for strolling, and park benches for those who want to sit awhile. It’s the picturesque street you’d find in movies set in small towns, like The Majestic. The only thing it...

Main Street to get a $2 million makeover
PENTICTON - A $2 million upgrade for a portion of Main Street will be the next project the city tackles as part of the Downtown Revitalization Plan. The proposed plan includes improvements to Gyro Park and Memorial Park along the 100 block of Main Street. Staff proposed a playground, new washrooms, greenery, and expanded sidewalks to...
Action required to remove mark left by tagging and graffiti in Vernon
VERNON - The amount of unwanted graffiti and tags is multiplying around Vernon, and it’s going to have some unpleasant consequences unless the community takes action. Rachael Zubick, the coordinator at the community policing office in Vernon says it’s not a new problem, though it’s the worst it’s been in recent years. Safety Ambassadors recorded...
Parking pinch coming to downtown
KAMLOOPS - The BCLC parkade on Seymour Avenue is set to undergo $4 million in renovations over the coming months and that means about 100 vehicles normally parked there will likely be parked in the downtown core. The parking deck is now 50-years-old and the parking deck slab needs to be updated on the third...

VIDEO: A look back at the Lorne Street realignment
KAMLOOPS - The final phase of the Lorne Street project is nearly complete as crews rush to finish up the landscaping at the corner of the busy downtown corner. The fourth phase of the Lorne Street Beautification saw the realignment of Lorne Street with 1 Avenue, Lansdowne Street and Victoria Street. The $2.2 million project...

Pay by phone finally arrives
KAMLOOPS - Drivers now have another option for paying for downtown parking, their cell phones. The pay by phone system is aimed at offering convenience to drivers, but you’ll need to register with telepark.com before you can use it. Once registered you can text or phone in your start and stop times for downtown street...

UPDATE: Downtown cordoned off, evacuated due to gas leak
KAMLOOPS - Part of Victoria Street was evacuated by RCMP Tuesday afternoon after a natural gas line broke on Lansdowne Street. Traffic RCMP continue to block traffic between 1 to 2 Avenues on Lansdowne while Victoria Street businesses have re-opened. Business owners are advised to keep windows open. While the gas leak has been stopped,...

Downtown intersection set to reopen
KAMLOOPS - After a year delay and several months of construction the work connecting access to Riverside Park and the downtown core is nearly complete. Last summer a the city backed off the project because the cost was higher than anticipated and money wasn't available in the capital plan budget to cover it. When it finally resumed,...

Giant market to shut down Victoria
KAMLOOPS - A number of events happening under the umbrella of the annual Downtown Merchants Market means you can expect to face some road closures this week. Aside from the access to and from 1 Avenue being closed at Victoria Street (stores and parking are still open) a ‘Car Free Day’ will shut down the...

Celebrate a revitalized downtown at the city’s block party
PENTICTON - The City is hosting a block party next week to celebrate the newly revitalized Westminster-Martin western gateway. Revitalization of the 200 block of Martin Street between Westminster Avenue and Nanaimo Avenue was the first phase of the City’s Downtown revitalization plan. Construction began in late February and finished at the end of May,...