Kelowna

Early spring means Knox Mountain Park now fully open

KELOWNA - Continued good weather means the road to the top of Knox Mountain Park, Kelowna's signature greenspace, is opening a couple of weeks ahead of schedule. The City of Kelowna says it was opening Knox Mountain Drive because night time temperatures have consistently been above zero. Vehicle access is restricted in winter months as...

Police seek information on suspected arson in Rutland

KELOWNA - An early-morning fire that significantly damaged a townhouse on Kneller Road on the weekend may have been arson. The occupants of the townhouse were home when the fire started just after midnight, March 29, but managed to escape unharmed. A Kelowna Fire Department crew extinguished the fire shortly after arriving, but not before...

City toilets, fountains and landfills open Easter weekend

KELOWNA - You can get in a workout and take a load to the landfill this holiday long weekend, but don't expect to be able to pay your back taxes or make a development variance application. Kelowna City Hall will be closed both Good Friday, April 3, and Easter Monday, April 6, for the Easter...

Long Island Medium coming to Kelowna

KELOWNA – A popular TV psychic will be making an appearance in Kelowna next month. Theresa Caputo, star of the hit TLC show Long Island Medium, will perform live at Prospera Place Tuesday, June 9. According to a media release, Caputo will give interactive readings to audience members throughout the show as well as share...

Mother Nature’s take on April Fools’ Day: A mix of snow, rain and thunderstorms

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - After dropping upwards of 20 centimetres of snow on some highway passes Tuesday, the first day of April could also bring more rain, more snow and a chance of thunderstorms to the Interior. Temperatures should hit the double-digit mark today, but will hover just below seasonal normals of 12 Celsius to 14 C,...

Controlled burns could be coming to a neighbourhood near you

CITY COUNCIL AGREES TO "TEST BURN" IN MCKINLEY LANDING KELOWNA - Forest fires are a touchy subject in the Okanagan so it was no surprise proponents of a controlled burn in McKinley Landing had some explaining to do to city councillors. City staff want to conduct a controlled burn in McKinley Landing as part of...

Pac-Man takes on the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like if Pac-Man took over the streets of the Okanagan, wonder no more. Google Maps is now offering a local version of Pac-Man. Only available in some browsers, you will see a Pac-Man box in the bottom left of the screen. You simply need to...

Suspected Tim Hortons robber arrested after public tips

WEST KELOWNA  - RCMP on the Westside have arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with a robbery at the Tim Hortons on Carrington Rd. Saturday night, March 28. According to RCMP spokesman Cpl. Joe Duncan, the suspect is alleged to have covered his face and gone into the the restaurant with a weapon where he...

Okanagan rail corridor proponents pledge $5 million for community trail

VERNON - A citizens group has committed to raising $5 million to build a rail trail from Vernon to Kelowna if local municipalities secure the land. Brad Clements of the Okanagan Rail Trail Initiative says several community members have already expressed interest in making donations toward the creation of the trail. “People say, 'Let us...

FORECAST: This could get loud

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - One more day and you might have thoughts the folks at Environment Canada were playing an odd April Fool’s Day prank, but it is only March 31 and there is a chance of thunderstorms in parts of the region today. In Kamloops, Environment Canada is calling for a 70 per cent chance of...

Kelowna city councillors balk at unexpected request for new fire engine

KELOWNA - A majority of Kelowna city council has said no to spending $730,000 for a new fire engine a year earlier than scheduled despite a warning from Kelowna Fire Department chief Jeff Carlisle it could result in “response capacity gaps” in rural areas of the city. “We need to put our planning hats on and...

Shaking goose eggs controlling Okanagan population

OKANAGAN – There are approximately 2,500 geese living in the Okanagan year round, but without the efforts of the Okanagan Valley Goose Management Program that number would be much higher. “What many people fail to understand, and a large part of the message that we want to provide, is that the geese we are targeting...

BC Tree Fruits to release signature cider

KELOWNA – A new cider by will be available at select B.C. Liquor Stores, beer and wine stores and restaurants as of April 1 and it's no joke. Broken Ladder cider comes from B.C. Tree Fruits and has been in the works for years. The development process included an intensive recipe process, partnerships in the...

If your dog is suddenly paralyzed this could be why

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Mary Verigin knew something was wrong with her dog as soon as she opened her crate last Monday morning. “She could get up on her front feet but there was no strength behind her shoulders,” she says. “I didn’t know what to do. Of course I was crying.” Verigen phoned her vet, Dr....

Mamas for Mamas to host charity gala

KELOWNA – A fast growing group of Okanagan moms who provide help and support for other moms in the area will hold their first ever fundraising gala this fall. And they are looking to the public for help with auction items. Mamas for Mamas founder Shannon Christensen says the group has grown so quickly that...

Kelowna man arrested for threatening the government on his Facebook page

KELOWNA – A Kelowna man was arrested this week for posting “threatening comments” to his own Facebook page. Cpl. Joe Duncan says the man believes the government owes him money and although the comments didn’t mention any specific agency, they were serious enough that someone notified the police and RCMP arrested him. “I don’t know...

Big dump of snow cost Kelowna taxpayers big bucks

KELOWNA - The big dump of 2015 dropped a near-record amount of snow on Kelowna and cost taxpayers over a half-million dollars to clean up. During the two-day snow storm, which began Jan. 3 and ended Jan. 5, about 37 centimetres of snow fell in and around the Central Okanagan. At one point, snow was...

Spring snow at Okanagan resorts leaves ski bums less bummed

OKANAGAN - It may have been a rainy week in the valley, but it was dumping snow at local ski hills. Silver Star Mountain in Vernon got close to 60 cm of new snow in the last week, blanketing alpine runs with a 209 centimetre base. As of Friday morning, all chair lifts except the...

Regional district budget down this year, but could have dropped further

KELOWNA - The Central Okanagan Regional District will spend $59.4 million of your tax dollars this year and you’re welcome to say something about it. “There is an opportunity for the public to address the board regarding the 2015-19 financial plan,” said spokesman Bruce Smith. “They don’t have to preschedule or anything. There is a...

Local clothing stores to remain open under creditor protection

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The company behind Cleo, Bootlegger and Ricki’s has filed for creditor protection but says at this point all stores will remain open. Comark Inc. filed for protection today, March 26 and plans on using it to bring stability to restructuring of its operations. "For our customers and employees, what is most important is...

Spring brings out the job fairs at local restaurants and hotels

KELOWNA - A sure sign of spring in the Okanagan is the job fair blitz by local restaurants and hotels. The yet-to-open Cactus Club inside the Kelowna Yacht Club is leading the pack Friday, March 27 and 28. The brand new operation is looking to staff all positions front and back, including management. The franchised...