Kelowna

Kokanee salmon population explodes in Okanagan Lake with biggest spawn in quarter century

OKANAGAN - It’s a record year for Kokanee salmon spawning on Okanagan Lake. Jason Webster, a Vernon-based fisheries biologist, says more than 300,000 shore spawners were counted during this year’s annual survey — the most in more than 25 years. “It’s turning into a cyclical thing where every four years there’s a great big run,...

Embarrassed by your own bad behaviour during election campaign? It’s time to make amends

OR NOT THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - You likely had one or two of them among their Facebook friends — someone highly partisan, emotionally charged and willing to to go to the wall defending their particular political brand. Taking on all commenters, some of these people have left scorched earth in their wakes, fighting out the election in...

ELECTION 2015: We could do way more to help youth vote, says UBCO professor

CENTRAL OKANAGAN - A local professor who conducted his own youth voting campaign thinks we could do a lot more to get young people into a voting booth. “I had students on the last day asking about how they can vote back home. A lot of students don’t live here, their home address is somewhere...

Meteor shower peaks over the Southern Interior this week

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If clouds part enough tonight you may be able to get a glimpse of the Orionid meteor shower as it peaks early Thursday morning. The Orionid meteor shower, which is formed from the debris of Halley’s comet, is known for producing bright and quick meteors. This meteor shower runs throughout October and into...

West Kelowna eyesore up for redevelopment

WEST KELOWNA - One of Westbank’s biggest eyesores, and A source of many complaints, has been sold with plans to develop the site. The old Cattle Country restaurant strip mall and gas bar has been sold to an eastern developer and plans include reopening the gas station and retail stores on Highway 97 at Elliot...

Former Okanagan MPs to earn millions in pension

OKANAGAN - Colin Mayes may have retired, and Ron Cannan may have been defeated in the 2015 federal election, but with pensions set to pad their bank accounts to the tune of between $1.3 million and $2.3 million over their life-times, taxpayers are not quite done with them yet. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation released the...

Voter turnout jumps in Thompson-Okanagan ridings

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Voter turnout numbers in the 42nd federal election jumped to more than 70 per cent throughout the region, just above the national average and well ahead of 2011 turnout. In the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo riding, where Conservative Cathy McLeod was re-elected, voter turnout jumped to 74.07 per cent this election, up significantly from the 63.3...

ELECTION 2015: Fuhr ousts Conservatives as Kelowna-Lake Country goes Liberal

"AN HONOUR AND A PRIVILEGE:" CANNAN KELOWNA - In a surpise upset Liberal Stephen Fuhr has won Kelowna-Lake Country, ousting three term Conservative Ron Cannan. The riding has been a bastion for the Conservatives but the surging Liberals managed to tap into a desire for change that washed across Canada in recent weeks under leader...

Kelowna tackles need for second dog beach

KELOWNA - There isn't a lot to building a dog park — but figuring out where to put it can take years. With that in mind, the city’s urban planning manager Terry Barton is proposing the city start a public engagement process to figure out what is needed and, most importantly, where people will tolerate another...

Kelowna Diwali dinner raises $30,000 for orphans in India

KELOWNA - A Kelowna fundraising Diwali dinner and dance over the weekend raised roughly $30,000 for a local orphan’s foundation that helps kids in India. The first ever East Meets West Orphans Foundation event at Rutland Centennial Hall included traditional Indian food, a live dance performance, an auction and a lively dance to Bhagra music...

Referendum likely for Kelowna recreation centre replacement

CENTRAL OKANAGAN - No matter what shape or form Parkinson Recreation Centre takes in future redevelopment, planners think it’s going take another city-wide referendum to get funding approval. There are four different directions the city can take, from ongoing redevelopment to full replacement of the aging recreation centre and pool, the only multi-purpose recreation facility...

VIDEO: Nitro Circus honours Okanagan athlete’s historic return to the ramp

KELOWNA - The biggest freestyle motocross and action sports promotion in the world is honouring a Kelowna rider who made history last week as the first paraplegic to pull of a backflip in front of a major audience. Bruce Cook was paralyzed from the waist down two years ago while attempting the first ever double...

Warm weather and chance of rain on the way for the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - It might be fall in the Okanagan, but that’s not stopping Mother Nature from keeping temperatures mostly above seasonal normals this week. Environment Canada is calling for a high of 16 Celsius in Vernon and Kelowna today, Oct. 19, with the expected high gradually dropping off to 10 C by Friday. Overnight the...

Kelowna General Hospital could face fines for laundry room crushing accident

KELOWNA - A workplace accident that saw a laundry worker crushed by automated equipment at Kelowna General Hospital resulted in a number of work orders from WorkSafe B.C. And Alan Davies, regional director of support services, says the Interior Health Authority could eventually face some fines over the infractions that saw the young laundry worker...

Rats are here to stay; Kelowna ramps up eradication efforts

KELOWNA - Rats were once unknown in the Okanagan but in recent years have suddenly become firmly established. That’s the conclusion of urban forestry supervisor Blair Stewart in a report to Kelowna city council that says above all, rats are here to stay. Stewart says black rats may have been accidently introduced and separate populations...

This year’s flu vaccine to target relatively vicious strain

KELOWNA – If you feel like this fall has already been worse than others for getting a cold or the flu, Interior Health has some bad news for you. It won’t peak for another month. According to Interior Health medical officer Kamran Golmohammadi the influenza virus and all the other viruses that cause flu-like symptoms...

Third sexual assault reported in Kelowna involving half naked hoodie wearing man

KELOWNA - A third sexual assault involving a man wearing only a hoodie is under investigation by Kelowna RCMP. Spokesman Cpl. Joe Duncan says in a media release a man dressed the same way as in two previous assaults, exposed himself to a women walking to work about 6:19 a.m., Oct. 16, on the Mission...

Help these local musicians win the chance of a lifetime

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Your vote could help a local artist win over $100,000 and some serious musical cred. The B.C. Peak Performance Project opens up the public voting portion of its contest today, Oct. 16. Online voting runs until Oct. 23. Two artists from around the Thompson-Okanagan are in the running this year: Vernon’s Corey Myraas...

Mission Creek restoration project begins Monday in Kelowna

KELOWNA - Regular users of the popular Mission Creek Greenway will lose access to part of the creekside trail for almost six months, starting on Monday. But in exchange, the whole of Kelowna will eventually be gaining a revitalized and restored waterway that will look a lot like the lower part of the creek did...

Warm weather, chance of frost in the Okanagan this weekend

OKANAGAN - Day time temperatures will remain above seasonal normals this weekend but overnight lows mean there is a chance of frost in parts of the Okanagan. Environment Canada is calling for highs of 17 Celsius today, Oct 16, and 16 C Saturday and Sunday in the Vernon and Penticton areas while Kelowna will see...

Man steals from Lake Country laundromat

LAKE COUNTRY - In early October a man entered the Winfield Coin Laundry and used a technique to get the coin dispensing machine to give him coins without paying for them. The incident happened around 12:30 p.m., Oct. 5, when the unknown man entered the Highway 97 location and began ‘stringing’ the machine. RCMP describe...

Paralyzed Okanagan FMX rider makes history

'WHEN YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO SOMETHING YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN' KELOWNA - A freestyle motocross rider who was paralyzed two years ago while attempting a double front flip has just made history. Bruce Cook is the first paraplegic to land a backflip on a motorcycle in front of a major audience. And he...