Kamloops
Smokey skies from fires in United States, northern B.C.
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Kamloops and Vernon residents woke up to the sight, smell and taste of smoke on Wednesday morning. Fire information officer Kayla Pepper says the smoke is coming from wildfires in the northern part of the United States and from the Prince George and Cariboo fire centres. Pepper says the smoke is currently trapped...
UPDATE: Smoky skies advisory ends
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - After more than a week under a smoky sky advisory, the smoke has finally cleared. There have been more than 1,100 wildfires this year and more than 252,000 hectares have burned. Six of those fires have been more than 10,000 ha in size with the largest reaching more than 88,000 ha. Smoke from...
Doctors: Kamloops deserves same protection as Kitimat
KAMLOOPS - A local group of physicians say Kamloops has no more room for pollution and wants the province to provide more funding for air quality control in our city. Since the group formed in 2013, Kamloops Physicians for a Healthy Environment have been questioning the level of fine particulate matter already in the air...
Experts in Kamloops to talk air pollution
KAMLOOPS - How to improve air quality and reduce health risks will be on the menu at an upcoming public forum on air pollution in Kamloops. Between several weeks with smoky skies because of forest fires this summer and constant concern being raised over the proposed Ajax mine and other industrial activity, air quality has been...
Air quality advisory for Kamloops
KAMLOOPS – An air quality advisory for the South Thompson region, including the City of Kamloops, has been issued by Environment Canada and the B.C. Ministry of Environment. High concentrations of fine particulate matter are expected to persist for the next few days. Smoke from open burning and wood burning appliances are likely the cause....
Hundreds seek clarity on environmental assessment process
MORE CURIOSITY THAN OPPOSITION FOR AJAX KAMLOOPS - More than 860 people attended information sessions this week and even though the proposed Ajax Mine was the topic there were no protests, picket lines or large groups gathering at the Coast Hotel. While many were seeking more information on the environmental assessment process many more were...
UPDATE: Input on information requirements for Ajax extended
KAMLOOPS - The public has been given a couple more days to comment and provide feedback on the proposed Ajax Mine and what information the company needs to submit in its application. After significant changes were made to the footprint of the proposed mine in the spring the provincial government decided there should be another...
New Gold air emission reports ‘significantly overestimated’
KAMLOOPS - New Afton officials say estimates of air pollution emissions from its New Gold mine near Kamloops are wrong—the victim of bad data. If emissions reported to national authorities are accurate, it would make the mine among the top air polluters in the country. Its pollution levels were seized on by the Kamloops Physicians...
Half of 2014 development on South Shore
KAMLOOPS - The number of lots created over the past several years has continued to decrease, leaving 2014 well behind the 10-year average of 392 new lots. With about 200 new lots created in 2014, last year had the second lowest number of lots created in the past 10 years and was well behind the...
Man caught with drugs and sawed-off shotgun
KAMLOOPS - One person has been arrested after a man with a gun was seen in the downtown area this afternoon. Police arrested a 25-year-old man with in an alleyway near a hotel after following up on a report of a man with a gun at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3. The local male was...
Spring is in the air
TEMPERATURES TO WARM, RAIN TO FALL THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — If you’ve been dreaming of spring weather, this weekend could be your dream come true with temperatures hovering near the double digits, and bringing rain. Lots of rain. Wednesday temperatures will hover just above seasonal normals of 1 Celsius, according to Environment Canada, but by Friday will...
Heavy snow and freezing rain on the way
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A winter storm is bringing heavy snow to much of the province today and tonight and the Southern Interior is no exception. Environment Canada says to expect heavy snow on Highway 1 from Eagle Pass to Rogers Pass—up to 25 centimetres by Friday morning—and on Highway 3 from Paulson Summit to Kootenay Pass....
Young artist adds visual impact to city park
KAMLOOPS - A recent high school graduate is beautifying the city one concrete barrier or utility box at a time. Haley Hughes has volunteered her time and talent to help add colour and life to the more mundane objects at Riverside Park, the objects often targeted by graffiti tags. The 18-year-old just graduated this year...
Graffiti destroying city parks, art and daycares
KAMLOOPS - It’s in our parks, on our signs and even adorning every last piece of art in Riverside Park, not to mention the number of fences and retaining walls recently hit with by graffiti. Ronnie Bouvier, the executive director of the Graffiti Task Force, is outraged by the recent change in the graffiti scene....
February kicks off with snowfall
SKI HILLS CELEBRATE THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - February kicked off much the same way January did, with a dump of snow. In Kamloops the snow had mostly tapered off by noon on Sunday, Feb. 1 while in Kelowna a mix of snow and rain persisted into the early evening. Penticton had just a bit of snow on...