Elevate your local knowledge
Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!
Kelowna
Crews begin lifting rails off CN Okanagan corridor
CENTRAL OKANAGAN – Crews have begun lifting the rails from the former CN railway corridor,…
Discover Wines stores set to shut down in Kelowna and Kamloops after company sells licenses to Overwaitea
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Two VQA wine stores in Kelowna and another in Kamloops have agreed to sell their wine licenses to the Overwaitea Food Group, paving the way for wine sales in local grocery stores. Tracy Gray, owner of Discover Wines in Kelowna and Kamloops, confirms the sale and pending closure of her stores, saying the...
Future of Kelowna farm divides city council
KELOWNA - The owners of a former strawberry patch looking for support in removing their property from the Agricultural Land Reserve saw the request die on the vine Monday with council split down the middle. The trigger for the lengthy debate was application to the Agricultural Land Commission by Gabriel and Linda Coupal to pull...
Heavy snow and rain expected on Southern Interior highways today
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you’re heading out on the highways be prepared for winter driving conditions; heavy snow and rain, along with strong winds, are expected today. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for many highways in the Southern Interior warning of heavy snow, heavy rain and strong winds today, Nov. 17. Among the...
Highway 1 closed east of Revelstoke
REVELSTOKE - An early morning crash has closed the Trans-Canada Highway in both directions east of Revelstoke. Drive B.C. is reporting both directions closed 32 kilometres east of Revelstoke due to a vehicle incident just after 6 a.m. No detours are available. Compact snow with slippery sections and limited visibility with blowing snow is being...
CARMA Project provides wheels for those in need
CENTRAL OKANAGAN - Life just got a little easier for a pair of single moms in Kelowna who each picked up the keys to new car. Lena Jung and Kalista Copes where chosen by the CARMA Project, as the recipients of two refurbished vehicles, a 1999 Toyrotal RAV4 and a 1996 Chevy Lumina. Jung and...
Parking to get pricier in Kelowna
KELOWNA - Parking your car in Kelowna may get more expensive, and the penalties for those who violate the parking rules might go up as well. City parking manager Dave Duncan, in a report to council, says the recommendation for rate increases comes as a result of an rise in transit fares this September, which...
Leonid Meteor Shower could light up the Southern Interior sky this week
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If the clouds part and the rain stays away, we could be in for a great showing of the Leonid Meteor Shower early Wednesday morning. The moon, currently in the waning crescent phase, is not expected to interfere with viewing the storm, but cloudy skies and a chance of rain overnight could dampen...
Two separate crashes close Coquihalla south of Merritt
MERRITT - Two separate crashes on the Coquihalla Highway have shut down the route this morning from Merritt to Hope. The first crash occurred around 9:45 a.m. at the Coldwater Interchange, exit 286, at the south end of Merritt, closing down the southbound lanes. No detours are listed by Drive B.C. and an estimated time...
Wet and windy start to the week in the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - On the heels of a wet and windy Sunday, a mix of rain and snow will kick off the week in the Okanagan, along with strong winds. Environment Canada recorded precipitation throughout the region on Sunday, with the Vernon area receiving the most, 13.8 millimetres, and more rain and snow is expected this...
Hot weather, wildfires and changes in agriculture mean less Okanagan honey in the pot
OKANAGAN - An abnormally hot and dry summer appears to have had an unwelcome impact on Okanagan honey production. Helen Kennedy, who runs Arlo’s Honey Farm in Kelowna with her husband Rick Appel, says the season started off with an unusually early honey flow in May, likely due to above average spring temperatures. A productive...
Local agencies preparing for Syrian refugees, awaiting government direction
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - It's unknown how many Syrian refugees will be arriving in the souther Interior, but in the meantime, officials with the Immigrant Service Society of B.C. are looking for housing to place those escaping the conflict in the Middle East. Director of settlment services Chris Friesen says the are awaiting to receive further direction...
West Kelowna firefighters serve as ‘sherpas’ for disabled man’s breathtaking wilderness trip
WEST KELOWNA - Local firefighters have again made possible the annual Fire in the Mountains, a dream trip to the wilderness for a disabled person. This fall, Logan Miller, 20, with the help of the firefighters, completed the alpine circuit at Cathedral Provincial Park, near the U.S. border. Logan had an active youth but has...
Increasing conflicts convince West Kelowna to get bear help
WEST KELOWNA - Increasing bear conflicts on the fringes of West Kelowna has convinced the city to sign on with WildSafe B.C. to provide a seasonal bear awareness worker. The city will pay as much as $8,350 next year - depending if other partners sign on - for a medium level service contract with the...
Okanagan theft ring targeting Ford trucks broken up
THOMSON-OKANAGAN - An Okanagan-based theft ring with a taste for Ford F-350 pickup trucks has been busted by police. Seven people have been charged with multiple offences after a seven-week investigation by the Kelowna RCMP street enforcement unit, RCMP spokesman Const. Jesse O’Donaghey said during a press conference today, Nov. 13. An upswing in Ford...
Elderly woman fends off violent home invader in West Kelowna
WEST KELOWNA - An 85-year-old woman is doing okay after struggling with an attacker for 20 minutes during a violent home invasion in the early hours, Sunday, Oct. 25. West Kelowna RCMP aren’t naming the woman, who managed to escape and call 911 at her neighbour’s house in the 2300-block of Butt Road. The suspect...
Alpine ski season begins with opening of Big White, others not far behind
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Big White Ski Resort has officially opened for alpine skiing and several other local ski hills aren’t far behind. Big White opened today, Nov. 13, about two weeks ahead of schedule for alpine skiing, while Silver Star Mountain opened for nordic skiing yesterday and Sun Peaks Resort welcomed ski teams for alpine training...
Rainy weekend ahead in the Okanagan, avalanche risk increases in southeastern B.C.
OKANAGAN - A storm system skirting much of the region will move on this morning, though a weekend of rain is still in store for the Okanagan. The strongest winds came in the Penticton area yesterday, Nov. 12, with Environment Canada recording strong wind gusts since yesterday morning and the strongest reaching in excess of...
Medical marijuana pain clinic eyes Kelowna expansion
CENTRAL OKANAGAN - A new clinic focusing on treating patients for pain management and prescribing medical marijuana as the treatment is looking to open in Kelowna. Medical Cannabis Resource Centre Inc. is already operating a clinic in Vancouver, just recently bought an existing clinic in Kamloops, and is now eyeing the Kelowna market for possible...
Kamloops and Vernon Finning locations will stay, unknown if job cuts will hit locally
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - While Finning International announced another round of cuts the company says Southern Interior locations won’t be moving or amalgamating. The company, which is the world's largest dealer for Caterpillar equipment, has bases in Canada, where it's headquartered in Vancouver, South America and Europe. The cuts, announced today, Nov. 12, are company-wide. Hilary Anaka,...
Nude marcher joins Kelowna Remembrance Day parade
KELOWNA - A man in the buff tried to join the Remembrance Day parade in downtown Kelowna yesterday. The nude male joined in near the intersection of Water Street and Bernard Avenue just before 11:30 a.m., but was promptly removed from the parade, Const. Jesse O’Donaghey says in a release. "The Kelowna RCMP were vigilant...
UPDATE: Missing Kelowna woman located
UPDATE: 2:18 P.M., NOV. 12, 2015 RCMP says Crystal Schmid has been located and is safe and sound. 10:05 A.M., NOV. 12, 2015 KELOWNA - RCMP need your help locating a Kelowna woman who was last seen five days ago. Crystal Schmid was last seen Saturday, Nov. 7. She is a 32-year-old Caucasian female, 5‘7”...
Storm moving over Southern Interior today
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A powerful storm bringing strong winds and heavy rain or snow is set to hit the Southern Interior by this evening. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the South Thompson and South Okanagan, as well as several area highways, warning the storm will hit the Central Interior this afternoon, Nov....
Keeping memories of sacrifice alive during Veteran’s Week
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - "As the hind of the company reached the street corner about a hundred feet away a shell landed in their midst. About six men went down… The Company Commander lay on his face with the back of his head sheared off… Three other men were killed and lay beside him. The Company Sergeant...