Kelowna

Zentangle a soothing remedy for your jangled mind

KELOWNA - So who knew when you were doodling your way through high school, filling the margins with aimless drawings, you were already experiencing the stress-reducing mindfulness of Zentangle. “Research shows doodling students retain a lot more information than those that don’t. Doodling is similar in ways but Zentangle is more structured. You start with...

Alberta’s oil patch woes hit home at Central Okanagan food banks

KELOWNA - Plunging oil prices and substantial layoffs in Alberta’s oil patch are making their mark here in the Central Okanagan through a surge in food bank use. Public relations director Ami Catriona says the Central Okanagan Community Food Bank, which has branches in Kelowna and West Kelowna, noticed an unusual uptick in requests around...

Sensitive Santa brings Christmas closer to children with autism

KELOWNA - A visit to see Santa in the mall, along with the obligatory photo, is a rite of passage in Canada for most kids. But if your child isn’t fascinated by the flashing lights, ringing bells and ornate costumes or together it creates a kind of sensory overload that leads to anxiety and even...

Warm weather leaving puddles on Stuart Park rink

KELOWNA - The unseasonably warm weather of the last few days has resulted in pools of water developing on the outdoor rink at Stuart Park, threatening the popular facility with daytime closure. “That’s been the pattern that we’ve seen over the last few years, especially in the early or late season,” arenas supervisor Steve Fagan...

Snowfall warning for Interior highways

THOMPSON-OKANANAGAN - With a snowfall warning in place for the Coquihalla Highway and Highway 3 we can expect to see significant snowfall on highway passes before the end of the day. Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for higher elevations as a Pacific frontal system begins moving across Southern B.C. today, Dec. 9. The...

West Kelowna couple seriously injured in weekend home invasion

WEST KELOWNA - A violent home invasion this weekend has left a West Kelowna couple in serious condition in hospital. Police responded to a report of a break and enter in the 1100 block of Peak Point Drive in West Kelowna just before 2 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6, Kelowna RCMP spokesman Cpl. Joe Duncan...

Vibrant town centres critical to Kelowna’s future

KELOWNA - Town centres are the jewels of a city, where population and employment are dense and amenities and services make the area liveable. Kelowna has five town centres and the city is counting on them to both help counter the urban sprawl that characterized earlier development and to anchor future growth. This week city...

Avalanche control to close Trans-Canada Highway today

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you planned on heading east today prepare for some delays along several routes as crews perform avalanche control today. Drive B.C. warns motorists Highway 1 through Glacier National Park will be closed from noon to 8 p.m. today, Dec. 8, during avalanche control work. Delays of up to two hours are expected....

How you can get rid of that unpaid parking ticket for the price of a toy

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - For a donated toy you can get your Impark parking ticket waived and brighten a kid's Christmas at the same time. The annual Toys of Tickets event will be held for four hours on Thursday in Kamloops and Kelowna, according to a media release. Just bring a new, unused and unwrapped toy to Salvation...

Warm but wet week ahead in the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - With at least a chance of showers every day this week we could be in for a wet week, though the above normal temperatures should make it a lot more bearable. Environment Canada is calling for highs in the 4 Celsius to 7 C range most days this week, though the Penticton area...

Snowmobiler rescued after machine breaks down near Big White

KELOWNA - A snowmobile operator became disoriented and lost after walking away from his machine when it broke down Sunday night. The man was riding alone in the area south of the Big White village when the machine broke down. He attempted to walk out but ended up spending several hours walking in the wrong...

Cooper’s converting to Save-On-Foods in Kamloops and Okanagan

KAMLOOPS – A grocery chain founded in the B.C. Interior will be changing it's name in the New Year. The four Cooper’s Foods locations in Kamloops are scheduled to be converted to Save-On-Foods by mid-February 2016, according to Julie Dickson Olmsteadc with Overwaitea Food Group. The Cooper's grocery store in Vernon and the two in...

Glenmore could finally get long-awaited recreation park

KELOWNA - It was first recommended almost 30 years ago but only now could Glenmore get a new park. City of Kelowna planning staff want council to spend $5 million to build the first phase of a recreation park — think playing fields and ball diamonds, not flowers and rock gardens — on city-owned land...

Kelowna mayors praise former premier Bill Bennett

KELOWNA - Kelowna’s current mayor Colin Basran and former mayor Walter Gray joined many others in praising former premier Bill Bennett, who died in Kelowna from complications of Alzheimers disease. Bennett had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for several years and died Thursday, Dec. 3. “I knew him all my life. He was absolutely my...

Kelowna councillor frustrated with RCMP communication

SUPERINTENDENT HASN'T TAKEN QUESTIONS AT A COUNCIL MEETING IN OVER A YEAR KELOWNA - A city councillor says he’s surprised and a little disappointed the Kelowna RCMP have not appeared at a public council meeting to take questions since the new council was sworn in over a year ago. City councillor Ryan Donn says RCMP...

Kelowna start-up has social conscience built right in

KELOWNA - Local non-profits are jumping on a new interactive web platform called Volinspire, the product of a new local start-up created as one of the province’s first community contribution companies. Volinspire unveiled their new interactive web platform in Kelowna yesterday, Dec. 4. “The idea began with wanting to help young people find volunteer opportunities...

Parkinson recreation centre replacement could cost $50 million

KELOWNA - City staff are recommending the deluxe version for a replacement of Parkinson Recreation Centre with a $50-million price tag. However, staff also say the city should explore with the Central Okanagan school district the possibility of developing a facility integrated with the new high school the district is proposing across the field from...

Local author teaches how to make money as a backyard farmer

KELOWNA – A Kelowna man has just published a book that teaches everything you need to know about starting your own commercially successful farm in your backyard — or frontyard. The Urban Farmer is Curtis Stone's first book and is based on a the concept you don't require a large amount on land to be a...

Warm and wet weekend ahead for the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - While high winds, heavy rain and record temperatures are battering coastal cities, the Okanagan can expect temperatures just above normal and rain during at least part of this weekend. Environment Canada is calling for temperatures to hit between 3 Celsius and 6 C this weekend before climbing to a high of 8 C...

Kelowna man to jump into Okanagan Lake in support of refugees

KELOWNA - “What’s a little bit of icy water compared to some of the things they’ve been through,” Alan Monk says. On Saturday morning, Monk will join at least 80 other Canadians in the Polar Swim for Refugees, an ad hoc fundraiser that started in Victoria and has caught on with swimmers in other parts of...

Heavy snow heading for Southern Interior highways

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - After a frosty couple of weeks, the weather is warming up this week but the system bringing warm temperatures is also bringing a lot of precipitation — as much as 30 centimetres at some highway passes. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement noting that snowfall of 20 to 30 cm is...

Vacancy rate eases as Kelowna pushes rental housing construction

KELOWNA - The city has done a lot to encourge development of rental housing and there’s not too much more that can be done, except to let the incentives do their work and keep on pushing for more. That’s the opinion of Luke Stack, a city councillor and also executive director of the Society of...