Kelowna news
Okanagan College tuition going up
OKANAGAN - Tuition fees are going up two per cent with Okanagan College’s board of governors approval of a $94.95 million operating budget. Okanagan College Board of Governors Chair Tom Styffe says the board initially faced "a seven digit issue, created by a number of pressures,” according to a media release. He says administration and...
Early spring means Knox Mountain Park now fully open
KELOWNA - Continued good weather means the road to the top of Knox Mountain Park, Kelowna's signature greenspace, is opening a couple of weeks ahead of schedule. The City of Kelowna says it was opening Knox Mountain Drive because night time temperatures have consistently been above zero. Vehicle access is restricted in winter months as...
District seeks court permission to euthanize “dangerous” dog
KELOWNA – A local couple will find out next week if their dog will be euthanized for what has been called a “severe” attack, which left a Kelowna woman with deep cuts to her legs and arm. A four day trial in Kelowna court concluded this week and Judge Jane Cartwright will decide Wednesday, April...
Fire crews knock down fire in Glenmore
KELOWNA - Firefighters are on the scene of a house fire on Cosens Court in Glenmore this afternoon. It was originally called in as a garage fire at 284 Cosens Court but the home itself was involved by the time fire crews arrived. According to Platoon Captain Steve Wallick, the fire started near the back...
City toilets, fountains and landfills open Easter weekend
KELOWNA - You can get in a workout and take a load to the landfill this holiday long weekend, but don't expect to be able to pay your back taxes or make a development variance application. Kelowna City Hall will be closed both Good Friday, April 3, and Easter Monday, April 6, for the Easter...
BC Tree Fruits to release signature cider
KELOWNA – A new cider by will be available at select B.C. Liquor Stores, beer and wine stores and restaurants as of April 1 and it's no joke. Broken Ladder cider comes from B.C. Tree Fruits and has been in the works for years. The development process included an intensive recipe process, partnerships in the...
Shaking goose eggs controlling Okanagan population
OKANAGAN – There are approximately 2,500 geese living in the Okanagan year round, but without the efforts of the Okanagan Valley Goose Management Program that number would be much higher. “What many people fail to understand, and a large part of the message that we want to provide, is that the geese we are targeting...
Alberta man bear sprayed, robbed in downtown Kelowna
KELOWNA – A man from Alberta lost everything he owns when he was bear sprayed and robbed in downtown Kelowna Tuesday. The man, who has only been in Kelowna a few months, says he was approached by a stranger who bear sprayed him in the face and took his bag on March 31. He was...
Pac-Man takes on the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like if Pac-Man took over the streets of the Okanagan, wonder no more. Google Maps is now offering a local version of Pac-Man. Only available in some browsers, you will see a Pac-Man box in the bottom left of the screen. You simply need to...
If your dog is suddenly paralyzed this could be why
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Mary Verigin knew something was wrong with her dog as soon as she opened her crate last Monday morning. “She could get up on her front feet but there was no strength behind her shoulders,” she says. “I didn’t know what to do. Of course I was crying.” Verigen phoned her vet, Dr....
Controlled burns could be coming to a neighbourhood near you
CITY COUNCIL AGREES TO "TEST BURN" IN MCKINLEY LANDING KELOWNA - Forest fires are a touchy subject in the Okanagan so it was no surprise proponents of a controlled burn in McKinley Landing had some explaining to do to city councillors. City staff want to conduct a controlled burn in McKinley Landing as part of...
Suspect in string of armed robberies faces judge
KELOWNA – A man initially charged with robbing one West Kelowna drug store a year ago has now been charged with six other robberies that took place in the months prior. Brandon Oswald, 23, was arrested within moments of a robbery at Shoppers Drug Mart on Dobbin Rd just before 10 p.m. March 10, 2014....
Kelowna city councillors balk at unexpected request for new fire engine
KELOWNA - A majority of Kelowna city council has said no to spending $730,000 for a new fire engine a year earlier than scheduled despite a warning from Kelowna Fire Department chief Jeff Carlisle it could result in “response capacity gaps” in rural areas of the city. “We need to put our planning hats on and...
City ups the bounty for graffiti vandals
KELOWNA - Taggers beware! The City of Kelowna and Crimestoppers have just upped the bounty on spray-paint vandalism. Previously, a would-be whistle-blower could only count on a reward of up to $500. The new initiative promises the full $500 as soon as an arrest is made. “Cleaning up graffiti comes with a price tag and...
Kelowna townhouse fire leaves family homeless
KELOWNA – The cause of a fire at a Kelowna townhouse complex early Sunday morning is unknown as investigators work to find answers. Just after midnight, March 29, the Kelowna Fire Department received multiple reports of fire coming from the roof of the two-storey Maple Lanes complex at 170 Kneller Rd. in Rutland. When crews...