increase

City approves wage increase for Vernon firefighters

VERNON - Vernon firefighters will be getting a raise as part of a negotiated deal reached with the City of Vernon this week. The new collective agreement between the Vernon local of the International Association of Firefighters and the city calls for a 2.5 per cent retroactive salary increase for each year, starting in 2013,...

Vernon recreation fees going up

VERNON - Residents will notice new prices when they pay for recreation services, but a Vernon councillor insists the fee increase is a reasonable one. The cost for rentals, programs and recreation services is going up 2.6 per cent this year. Coun. Catherine Lord says the increase is needed to cover rising operational costs. “It’s...

Proactive enforcement takes a hit as Vernon RCMP grapple with heavy caseload

VERNON - Checkstops and impaired driving investigations took a hit over the last few months as police struggled to handle a heavy criminal caseload. In a presentation to Vernon city council Monday, May 25, acting RCMP Supt. Jim McNamara said enforcement initiatives were negatively affected by continued resource-draining serious crime incidents and high calls for...

Restaurant growth brings new flavours to Vernon

VERNON - Kristina Sidorczuk’s is just one of many new faces you’ll see around town if you’re sampling the city’s new restaurants. The 22-year-old is the proud owner of one of the newest establishments in Vernon’s growing restaurant scene, EATology. The restaurant, located at the Greyhound Station in downtown Vernon across from Cenotaph Park, opened...

Why you’ve seen so many missing person reports on your news feed this summer

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The faces of missing people from the Thompson-Okanagan have poured into news feeds over the last few months, but police say it’s nothing out of the ordinary for this time of year. Spokesperson for the RCMP Const. Kris Clark says the summer months typically see more reports of missing people. “You’ve got the...

Recreation services getting more expensive

VERNON - It will cost more to take a dip, go for a skate and bounce a basketball at Vernon’s public recreation facilities this September. Prices for rentals, programs and services will rise by 2.6 per cent, even though the department’s costs are inflating by 5.6 per cent owing to wage and utility increases. The...

The price to park goes up at many meters around Kelowna

KELOWNA – A 150 per cent increase in on-street parking fees comes into effect today, but the city says many meters won’t be adjusted for several more weeks. Plans to raise the rates were announced in January, with council voting to raise prices for the first time in 20 years. As of today, the cost...