Kelowna

Kelowna seeks federal cash to upgrade City Park promenade

KELOWNA - A section of the popular promenade through City Park could be in line for a serious upgrade should the city successfully secure a grant from the federal Canada 150 community infrastructure program. Parks planning manager Terry Barton recommended to city council today, June 15, an application be made for the maximum grant of...

Annual Naked Bike Ride gets the reaction it was looking for

KELOWNA - Organizers of the second Annual Naked Bike Ride in Kelowna are calling the event a success with much more media coverage and more positive reaction from the people they passed in the streets, even if their numbers were about the same as last year. “Last year we had zero media, we flew under...

Two arrested following Kelowna crime spree

KELOWNA - A day-long crime spree in Kelowna and West Kelowna ended after two men were arrested in a stolen pickup truck earlier this month. Several people and businesses were hit during the one day crime spree on June 3, Cpl. Joe Duncan says in a media release. The spree started with the theft of...

Another warm week for the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - After a week filled with record and near-record temperatures, things are set to cool down in the Okanagan this week, but only slightly. With temperatures reaching the mid-30s, Kelowna, Vernon and Penticton hit records this past week and while Environment Canada is not calling for temperatures quite that hot this week, the mercury...

Kelowna church asks for noise bylaw exemption for bell-ringing marathon

KELOWNA - If Kelowna city council gives the okay, the bell at The Cathedral Church of St. Michael and All Angels will toll over 1,000 times, once for each of the missing and murdered aboriginal women in Canada. The church is asking the city to temporarily set aside its noise bylaw beginning 11:30 a.m. on...

Star Trek Ultimate Voyage concert coming to Okanagan

KELOWNA – Paging all Star Trek nerds and music lovers, Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage concert tour is making a stop at Prospera Place next spring. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, June 12, for the Kelowna stop on the tour which will launch following an engagement at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, on...

Kelowna man says police arrested him for nudity they had tolerated many times before

KELOWNA - A Kelowna man says RCMP, anxious to keep a lid on the party scene at Mushroom Beach, arbitrarily arrested him for public nudity after walking by ignoring the sunbathers many times before. Mushroom Beach is the nickname for what the city calls the Lake Avenue beach access and has become increasingly popular with...

Be prepared for emergency wildfire evacuations

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – With an unusually dry and hot summer forecast for the Thompson-Okanagan this summer, regional districts are urging residents to get prepared in case emergency evacuations become necessary. Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre spokesperson Bruce Smith says the best time to make an emergency plan is long before something happens. He recommends residents understand...

Give wheelchair rugby a try at Kelowna KOs Roll n’ Bowl fundraiser this weekend

KELOWNA – It’s fun, safe and it benefits a worthy cause. And it might just give you a new appreciation for what many Kelowna residents live with every day. The Kelowna KOs wheelchair rugby team are holding a fundraiser this weekend where kids and adults can try out their sport while raising money for the...

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...