Kelowna

Winter storms close Kelowna’s busiest boat launch at the height of summer

KELOWNA - Stormy weather last winter has left behind a sandbar in Okanagan Lake big enough to shut down the city’s busiest boat launch. Located near the mouth of Mission Creek, the Cook Road boat launch will be closed for a week at the height of the summer boating season for dredging, park planning manager...

Fines for Kamloops residents refusing water meters

KAMLOOPS – The city is in the last stages of fitting every home in Kamloops with a water meter and those either refusing a meter or hooked to an illegal connection will soon be charged a fine. With 20,700 meters installed since 2011, the city says there are still about 150 left to do and...

Formula 1 tunnel boat race team joins fight against mussel infestation

KELOWNA – The Okanagan Basin Water Board is teaming up with Formula 1 Tunnel Boat racer Mike McLellan to raise awareness for their Don’t Move a Mussel campaign. The announcement was made Tuesday, July 28, at the Water Street boat launch in downtown Kelowna. The Don’t Move A Mussel campaign is attempting to raise awareness...

Want quick attention to Fortis over-billing? Go to the media

WORKED FOR THIS GUY KELOWNA – Media attention got an almost immediate result for a local celebrity who went to the news with a $4,500 power bill for a cabin that wasn’t even there. Gary Fong, a world-famous photographer and inventor made headlines last week when he went public with a massive bill for his...

Brent’s Grist Mill heritage site deteriorating quickly

KELOWNA - What do you do when your heritage is crumbling faster than than you can review it? Brent's Grist Mill, one of the city’s premier heritage sites, is rapidly crumbling and cannot wait for council’s heritage review to be fixed, according to a consultant’s report. “So it’s a catch-22 scenario. If we don’t spend the...

Westjet adds extra non-stop flight between Kelowna and Edmonton

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - People in the Southern Interior will soon have another option when it comes to choosing a flight to Edmonton. Calling it a vote of confidence in the Edmonton metro region, Westjet has announced increased non-stop service to the Prairie city from B.C. and Saskatchewan. Starting Dec. 15 Kelowna will see one extra flight...

Water back to normal following Westside Road fire

OKANAGAN - A water advisory for two community water systems on Westside Road has been lifted. Central Okanagan Regional District officials say the Killiney Beach and Westshore water systems are back to normal after consultations with the Interior Health Authority. The advisory covered more than 530 properties off Westside Road and was issued after power...

5,700 Shania Twain tickets sell out in under five minutes

KELOWNA – Fans of Shania Twain will be disappointed to find out that tickets for her final show at Prospera Place on Oct. 27 sold out in less than five minutes last week. Twain’s performance this fall is the last stop on what she has announced will be her last tour. Rock This Country began...

Readers respond to #maninbluesuit

KELOWNA – An InfoNews story about a recent visit by Prime Minister to the Shelter Cove wildfire last Friday has ignited a debate about political photo ops and our decision to not name the Prime Minister during a brief visit last Thursday. The story, “Man in blue suit thanks firefighters,” was shared nation-wide and drew...

High-risk water pipe on Dilworth fast-tracked for replacement

KELOWNA - A dodgy water main, the only water link for dozens of homes on top of Dilworth Mountain in Kelowna, is being replaced before something more serious happens than a burst pipe. “We had a complete failure a couple of months ago and when we looked at the pipe, pulled it out of the...

Kelowna city councillors to decide on name for new police station

KELOWNA - The proposed name for the new City of Kelowna police services building is just that, City of Kelowna Police Services. Kelowna city council are being asked to approve the name for the new police station on Clement Avenue, or come up with an alternative. The city is seeking a higher profile on the new...

Eyes to the sky: Full moon and meteor shower this week

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - An annual meteor shower is set to put on a display this week and it looks like Mother Nature is going to cooperate with warm temperatures and clear skies this time around, but the full moon will likely put a damper on the show. The Delta Aquarids meteor shower runs annually for about...

Taxi driver ticketed for speeding after rolling car near Parkinson Way

KELOWNA - A taxi driver was ticketed for speeding after he lost control of his car and rolled over on Highway 97 and Parkinson Way in Kelowna just before 6:30 p.m. July 26. The driver, a 35-year-old Vernon man, was the only occupant of the vehicle, which Cpl. Joe Duncan says lost traction in the...

Man run over by van after road-rage incident

KELOWNA – RCMP are looking for a hit-and-run suspect after a case of road rage escalated to violence on the weekend. At just after 6 p.m. on Friday, July 24, a Toyota Highlander was allegedly being tailgated by a white cube van travelling southbound on Glenmore Road. RCMP Cpl. Joe Duncan says the drivers "exchanged...

PHOTOS: Centre of Gravity 2015

KELOWNA – More than 20,000 people attended the 8th annual Centre of Gravity extreme sports and music festival in Kelowna over the weekend, but despite having the best lineup of talent of any previous year, rainy weather kept ticket sales down slightly. In past years they have sold out, however event organizer Scott Emslie said...

Coolest weekend of July over, sun and heat on the way for Okanagan

OKANAGAN - The weekend was much cooler than what we’ve seen so far this summer, but we will be back above seasonal normals by mid-week. With temperatures only reaching the low- to mid-20s Friday through Sunday it was one of the coolest weekends we’ve seen in the past couple of months. Temperatures did reach the...

Memorial ride held for cyclist killed in downtown Kelowna

KELOWNA – A huge turnout for a Critical Mass Ride through downtown Kelowna in honour of a woman killed while riding her bike on Bernard Avenue. Almost 200 people on bicycles, many dressed in black, rode in a slow procession through downtown streets Friday evening, July 24, according to a media release from the ride’s...

$4,500 Fortis bill for house which isn’t there

KELOWNA – A world-famous photographer who lives part time in Ellison says Fortis B.C. has overbilled him more than $7,000 for a house that burned to the ground in January. Gary Fong, the inventor of the Lightsphere, lives in LA most of the year. On January 11 his luxury cabin near Kelowna burned down yet he says...

Kelowna transit service costs to rise next year

CENTRAL OKANAGAN - The cost of providing transit in Kelowna could jump next year, the result of increased service and increased costs. Conventional transit will cost 7.7 per cent more in the 2015/16 annual operating agreement with B.C. Transit and the Kelowna Regional Transit System. That represents a $700,000 increase from last year, largely due...

Water utility customers left high and dry by power outage

WEST KELOWNA - A customer from a small water utility near the Westside Road fire, without regular power since it was shut off as a precaution, says the utlility owner is risking homes in the area by refusing to provide a back-up generator to keep the water running. However, the owner says there is no...

Cool, wet weekend in store for Okanagan

OKANAGAN - This weekend should offer a reprieve from the hot, dry weather that has led to a number of wildfires burning around the region. Today, July 24, highs will range from 25 Celsius to 28 C, according to Environment Canada. Skies will be a mix of sun and cloud and there is a 30...