Elevate your local knowledge
Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!
Kelowna
Naked Kelowna cyclists plan to ride with respect
KELOWNA - Responding to rumours of possible interference in their event, and concerns about conflict with the Fat Cat Children’s Festival, organizers of Nake Bike Ride Kelowna say they will respond with civil obedience. “If police or bylaw were to show up, if they demand we cover up, we will comply. We’re not there to...
Free-to-play pianos now at five locations around Kelowna
KELOWNA – An idea that started as a simple Facebook post one year ago is now a reality for tourists and residents alike to enjoy. Last spring Festivals Kelowna posted to their Facebook page a video called The People’s Piano from South London. It shows a man playing a piano that the local government set...
VIDEO: U.S. mountain bike champ takes on Kelowna trails
KELOWNA – A four-time U.S. mountain biking champion, who splits her time between living in the Okanagan and travelling the world, posted a video online recently of her training in Kelowna for one of the toughest races in the world. Sonya Looney, 31, was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico but went to school in Boulder,...
ELECTION 2015: Would-be Conservative-killers already campaigning in Kelowna-Lake Country
KELOWNA - Official campaigning for the federal election is still months away, but in the Kelowna-Lake Country riding, the parties with the best chance of upsetting the federal Conservatives, are knocking on doors like the writ has already been dropped. “I don’t know about the other parties but I’m certainly campaigning,” the NDP candidate Norah...
Get used to higher prices: Fruit Growers’ president
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Fred Steele’s day starts before 5 a.m. As the president of the B.C. Fruit Growers' Association, and with 7.5 acres of apple trees to manage, he’s used to an early start, but the early spring across the province has him waking the roosters most days. “I do most of the work myself,” the...
New airline promises cheap flights out of Kelowna
KELOWNA – A new airline from Manitoba is partnering with Kelowna-based Flair Airlines to bring what it calls 'basic air transportation' to the Okanagan. NewLeaf Travel Company has not released all of its destinations yet, but airline spokesperson Bob Jones confirms they will start service from Kelowna to Hamilton and Winnipeg by the end of...
Three suspects in custody following Kelowna carjacking
KELOWNA - A trio of carjackers are cooling their heels in the Kelowna lock-up after police spotted them in downtown Kelowna Tuesday evening and then tracked them down to West Kelowna. Members were called to the 100-block of Nickel Road yesterday after a man and woman produced a weapon and ordered the victim out of...
Norm Macdonald bringing stand up routine to Kelowna
OKANAGAN - Canadian comic Norm Macdonald is bringing his stand-up routine to Kelowna this fall. Best known as a former Saturday Night Live cast member, Macdonald will be taking to the stage at the Kelowna Community Theatre this September. Macdonald has an impressive resume in the comedy world which includes anchoring the popular Weekend Update...
Local elementary students fight the heat during divisional track meet
CENTRAL OKANAGAN - Rain or shine, the end-of-year track meet for grades 4 to 6 elementary students must go on. This year, the heat was the obvious enemy at Kelowna’s Apple Bowl. “I’ve never seen it quite this hot though I’ve seen days where it was pretty warm and I’ve seen days when there was...
Armed robbery at downtown Kelowna drugstore caught on camera
KELOWNA – An armed robbery near downtown Kelowna Tuesday evening has police asking the public for help in locating a lone male suspect. The suspect, a dark-skinned male in his mid-20s, entered the Peoples Drug Mart off Harvey Avenue just before 6 p.m. on June 9, Const. Jesse O'Donaghey says in a release. The man...
Valley athletes do well at crossfit regional games
OKANAGAN - Crossfit athletes from the North and Central Okanagan recently posted some stellar results during the gruelling West Crossfit Regionals in Tacoma, Wash. Crossfit, a type of workout that combines Olympic weight-lifting with elements of gymnastics and interval cardio, emerged out of California in 2002. Participants in the regional games must complete seven different...
Interior Health CEO Rob Halpenny to resign
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - After more than five years as chief executive officer, Dr. Robert Halpenny is resigning from the Interior Health Authority. The announcement that Halpenny will resign from his position, effective this fall, came today, June 9. “Over the five and a half years that Dr. Halpenny has served as CEO, he has driven transformative...
Suspect at large following attempted robbery in Kelowna
KELOWNA - One man is in custody and another at large following an attempted robbery in Kelowna Monday afternoon. According to the RCMP two men entered a store in the 1500 block of Highway 33 around 3 p.m., Monday, June 8. One man had his face covered and was carrying a can of mace. Employees...
Early spring, California drought has Okanagan grocery stores picking local
KELOWNA – The severe drought in California coupled with an unusually warm and early spring in B.C. has local grocery stores stocking their shelves with fruits and vegetables grown right here at home instead of importing from the south. Chris Holmes is the owner of Quality Greens on Spall Road. With stores in Kelowna, West...
Flood risk continues to drop as snowpacks disappear in Okanagan
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - An early melt and a warm, dry May mean there is little to no snow left in many basins around the region, and that means a low flood risk. The River Forecast Centre says the warm month led to a rapid melt of the snow pack and about half of the province’s snow...
Emergency crews respond to incident at Kelowna airport
KELOWNA - Emergency crews responded to an incident involving a small plane Monday afternoon at the Kelowna airport. The pilot of a private, two-seater aircraft experienced issues while on takeoff and veered off the runway, airport spokesperson Jenelle Hynes says in a release. The runway was closed for approximately 40 minutes causing delays for two...
Side order of mental health from local coffee clubs
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - You can find one in just about every fast food joint or greasy spoon restaurant; A bunch of men, sometimes women, sitting around drinking coffee, shooting the bull — a coffee club for lack of a better name. If they don’t look like they’re in a hurry to be anywhere, it’s because they...
Record hot weather on the way for Okanagan
OKANAGAN - It was a hot weekend in the Okanagan and the hot weather is forecast to continue through this week. Environment Canada recorded temperatures reaching as high as 33.8 Celsius in Penticton on Sunday, a bit shy of the 35 C record set nearly 70 years ago. In Kelowna temperatures climbed to 33 C,...
Paving season is underway in Kelowna
KELOWNA – There’s an old adage which says there are two seasons in Canada, winter and paving season. The 2015 paving season is off and running in Kelowna with the city planning to repave about 18 kilometres of road before October. “The pavement management program ensures a longer life for our roads,” roadways construction manager...
Fat Cat Festival bounces back after teacher’s strike hurt attendance
KELOWNA - You can’t keep a fat cat down. After a disastrous 2014 which saw attendance plunge because of the province-wide teacher’s job action, registration is way up for the 2015 Fat Cat Children’s Festival set to run June 12 and 13. “We were very impacted by the strike and I wasn’t sure how we...
Get bare in the air for breast cancer research
KELOWNA – Get ready, get set, get naked. It’s time for Naked Ziplining at ZipZone in Peachland, where participants will strip down in support of breast cancer research. Women of all shapes and sizes who raise at least $200 for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation will get bare in the air for this important event....
Mom trying to give parents of stillborn babies a few extra days together
WEST KELOWNA – Kristin Esmail and her husband didn’t find out until she was in labour their son, Richard James, was stillborn. After 39 weeks in utero, finding out that they would not be able to take him home was almost too much pain to bear. “It was such a shock,” the West Kelowna resident...
Competition stiff as Okanagan cities compete to hold seniors’ games
OKANAGAN - Long before the competitors in the B.C. 55+ Games face off against each other at the annual event, there is a competition of another sort amongst B.C. communities vying to host the games. This year, Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton are all submitting competing bids to host the popular event. The competition is going...
Pup with broken leg needs your help
PENTICTON – A 10-month-old puppy who was hit by a car needs a little help from the public to get back on all four paws. Jodi, a black and white Labrador retriever mix, was brought into the South Okangan-Similkameen SPCA with a broken femur and in need of more than $4,000 worth of medical treatment....