federal government

Boundary commission proposing new Vernon riding for next federal election
Kelowna and Vernon could become a new electoral riding by the next federal election. A…

McDONALD: Tax fairness or tax grab; Trudeau’s changes will hit close to home
OPINION Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the federal Liberals aren’t the only politicians hearing about…

Government to contribute $7 million towards new water treatment plant in Peachland
PEACHLAND – The federal and provincial government’s are splitting some of the costs for a…

Okanagan Indian Band ‘vehemently and vigorously’ opposing neighbouring band’s claim to Silver Star Mountain
VERNON – Letters back and forth between the Okanagan Indian Band and Splatsin First Nation…

Okanagan water board wants federal Liberals to pony up for invasive mussel fight
OKANAGAN – The new Llberal government in Ottawa has promised to spend billions in new…

New $30 million TRU engineering building announced
KAMLOOPS – The federal and provincial government have announced they will invest $30-million in a…
ELECTION 2015: Why North Okanagan-Shuswap candidate Cindy Derkaz wants to earn your vote
VERNON - You might know her from her days working at Derkaz Shoes, her parent’s shop, or from her involvement in organizations like the Shuswap Community Foundation or Shuswap Trail Alliance. And now, Cindy Derkaz is introducing herself in a new capacity, as the Liberal party candidate for the North-Okanagan Shuswap riding. Derkaz grew up...

Project to guarantee clean water for Kamloops residents moving forward
KAMLOOPS – Projects aimed at ensuring clean water for Kamloops and Black Pines residents are moving forward following a funding announcement today, July 6. More than $3 million is being contributed from both federal and provincial governments for an emergency water intake project in Kamloops, and just under $450,000 from federal and provincial governments each...

Vernon joins Canada-wide rallies against Bill C-51
VERNON - Vernon residents will protest a controversial piece of government legislation at a rally Saturday afternoon. The focus of the protest is Bill C-51, the federal government’s Anti-terrorism Act. The proposed legislation would allow federal authorities to investigate terrorism by accessing the public’s private information, and sharing that information among intelligence and law enforcement...
City and RCMP open to policy changes following jury recommendations
PENTICTON - The City and RCMP are actively considering implementation of recommendations made by a jury following a coroner’s inquest into the death of 30-year-old Steven J. Scott who died in police custody two years ago. The RCMP have already implemented some changes after Scott’s death that the jury also recommended be made. One suggestion...
MP’s remarks were ‘uninformed and disappointing’: Vernon homeless shelter
‘I WISH I HAD CONFIDENCE THAT I HAVE SUPPORT FROM MY MP’ VERNON - The executive director of a local organization committed to getting Vernon’s homeless people off the streets says recent comments made by the region’s MP are misinformed, especially considering the high number of deaths on its streets the past two years. Barbara...

HELSTON: We should expect more from our MP
The Vernon mayor and our MP are duking things out in a war of words, sparring over the federal government’s role in reducing homelessness. But never mind the federal government, what is the role of our local MP? Colin Mayes, the Member of Parliament for the Okanagan-Shuswap riding, is our elected representative at the House...

Changes to foreign worker policy impacts local ski hills
VERNON - Crackdowns on Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program have put local ski hills in a bind. Ken Derpak, managing director for Silver Star Mountain Resort, says the process for hiring a temporary foreign worker now carries a $1,000 fee. Before the overhauls, it cost only $275 per person. Silver Star typically hires 20 international...

Kelowna chamber to press government on Okanagan corridor
VERNON - Another force is joining the fight to preserve the railway between Vernon and Kelowna for public use. The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce has passed a motion to encourage federal, provincial and municipal governments to preserve the railway in a way that benefits the Okanagan. “The concept of a public access use of the...
Chamber of Commerce on board for an Okanagan rail trail
VERNON – The push for an Okanagan rail trail is picking up steam. The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce has joined the movement to preserve the rail bed between Vernon and Kelowna as a recreational corridor. The chamber unanimously passed a motion to call on all levels of government to take a leadership role in...