Kelowna

Course operators look forward to February golf

KELOWNA — Forget the groundhog, hardcore golfers are the new harbinger of spring. At least at Kelowna Springs Golf Club and some other Central Okanagan golf courses where agreeable weather is allowing for the earliest opening some courses have ever seen. “This is unheard of in 20 years,” Ian Robertson, general manager of Kelowna Springs,...

Shoebox suites are the trend and Kelowna residents better get used to it

KELOWNA - A pair of micro-suite projects set to go ahead in Kelowna are part of a trend across Canada to smaller and smaller living spaces, says Kelowna city councillor Gail Given, one that the older generation had better get used to. “This generation is exploring different options, and these two projects have opened the...

Road hogging continues as big block construction projects dominate downtown

KELOWNA - If you think Kelowna has endured a lot of big-ticket construction projects in the last few years, you would be right. If you thought it was over, you would be wrong. A number of large building projects, and all that goes with it — detours, lost parking spaces, narrowed roadways — have either...

Spring-like weather may be interrupted by snow

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - We’ve been experiencing spring-like weather here in the Southern Interior and while that is not set to change we may see another blitz of snow before Saturday. Environment Canada is still calling for above seasonal normal temperatures during the day but with overnight lows close to seasonal normals of -3 Celsius and a...

Shuswap woman petitions Province for improved seniors care

VERNON - Judy Galley uses words like horrific, neglectful and nightmarish to describe the state of seniors homes in B.C., and she wants to change that. The Shuswap woman launched a petition calling on the provincial government to improve staff-to-patient ratios at care homes after experiencing the system firsthand. Her parents resided in Kelowna care...

Blocking the path to higher learning

KELOWNA - The ongoing dispute between UBC Okanagan and the residents of Curtis Road which runs right behind the school has ended up again in the courts, blocking access to the popular back trail. Michael Shakespeare, the school’s vice-president of operations, said in a prepared statement that the easement granted to UBCO has not been...

Bobbitt sentencing reconvenes in Kelowna

KELOWNA – An ex-girlfriend who says she too was sexually abused by David Wesley Bobbitt is not credible, according to defence lawyer James Pennington. On Wednesday morning Bobbitt’s sentencing reconvened in Kelowna Supreme Court after a seven month break. Since starting June 23, the focus has been to determine if Bobbitt, who pleaded guilty to...

Free speech examined at Philosopher’s Cafe

KELOWNA - A local professor will discuss the challenges and importance of free speech in Canada at a Wednesday evening event in Kelowna. Andrew Irvine, a UBC professor and past president of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, will be speaking at the Philosopher’s Cafe at the Okanagan Jewish Community Centre. His talk, Where to Draw...

Where is the fog going to show up next?

EVEN THE METEOROLOGISTS AREN'T TOO SURE KELOWNA - It may not seem like a real valley inversion — the kind locals dread which leaves a thick layer of cloud hovering just overhead, lasting sometimes for weeks — but the inversion and the rolling fog clouds it is causing are very real, enough to cause flight...

Dog that survived horrific attack now has just days left to live

KELOWNA – She has defied the odds before, but this one she won't come back from—one of the two dogs that survived a horrific attack five months ago has developed terminal cancer and will be euthanized this week. Sheena is a 10-year-old Rottweiler and one of three dogs subjected to a brutal late night attack...

New Kelowna history app will have you chasing pigs around downtown

KELOWNA – A new smartphone app will take you on a walking tour of downtown as you chase virtual pigs through the streets of Kelowna. Pigs On Bernard is in partnership with the Kelowna Museums Society and gaming company QuestUpon. By answering trivia about the area and taking photos of the pigs that appear in...

Developer-financed road to the Mission a first for city hall

KELOWNA  - The city's director of corporate ventures has never heard of developers both financing and constructing a road, but that's the proposal for the new South Perimeter Way. “We have never delivered a road in this manner,” said John Vos. “In fact, this is unique in my experience.” A group of developers active in...

How long will this spring weather last?

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - We saw several high temperatures records broken over the weekend and while the record breaking weather is likely over, the warm temperatures should stick around a while longer. Lisa Coldwells of Environment Canada says looking into the early part of March arctic air will stay on the other side of the Rockies and...

Utilty rate increases gets water users coming and going

KELOWNA - They get you if you pour or flush. Kelowna city council has approved a two per cent increase in rates for both city water and waste water utilities. Beginning in May, rates for customers drawing city water — about half the businesses and houses in Kelowna — will climb about $.59 a month...

Rockets and Blazers to host Super Series games

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The 2015 Super Series is again bringing high-level hockey to the region, with the Rockets and Kamloops set to host the two opening games. The Canadian Hockey League announced today, Tuesday, Feb. 17, that Kelowna and Kamloops are among the six host cities for the 2015 Subway Super Series, set to be played...

Lahey and Randy from Trailer Park Boys in Kelowna this week

KELOWNA – Two beloved actors from the Canadian cult TV show The Trailer Park Boys are coming to Kelowna Thursday. The actors who play the drunken trailer park manager Jim Lahey and his burger-loving, beer-bellied sidekick Randy will be making an appearance at Kelowna’s Habitat Feb. 19 at 9 p.m. The 'adults only' show will...

Popular Kelowna Closet Cleanout now for kids

KELOWNA – A new version of the popular Kelowna Closet Cleanout is making it a little more affordable to be a parent to fast-growing kids. The first Kids Closet Cleanout will take place Saturday Feb. 28 at the Laurel Packinghouse in Kelowna from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's an easy way to get rid...

Aging waterworks the target of proposed rate increase

KELOWNA - About half of Kelowna can expect a minor water rate increase sometime soon if Kelowna city council agrees to a recommendation by staff. John Vos, the city’s director of corporate business ventures, is recommending a two percent increase for those homes and businesses serviced by the city water utility. The rest of Kelowna...

Local support group for mamas growing fast

KELOWNA – Shannon Christensen’s house isn’t cluttered with old baby things. She’s given them all away. She’s the founder of a relatively new non-profit organization that started in Kelowna last April. Mamas for Mamas is a network of caring mothers who look out for each other and give support whenever it’s needed. Since starting in...

Fintry Queen investment opportunity has potential, but what about the risk?

KELOWNA — Listening to Andy Schwab talk about his plans for the Fintry Queen, it’s hard not to get caught up in his enthusiasm. “I'm feeling very confident,” says Schwab, president of the Okanagan Lake Boat Company, which owns the vessel and is proposing to resurrect the former car ferry and dinner cruise ship in...

Apartment fire puts occupants in the care of Emergency Social Services

KELOWNA - The occupants of an apartment on Glenview Avenue are in the care of Emergency Social Services today after fire early yesterday evening left their unit uninhabitable. Steve Wallick, a platoon captain with the Kelowna Fire Department, said firefighters responded in force to what turned out to be a grease fire in the kitchen...

Near-record temperatures on tap for Valentine’s Day weekend

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you were hoping for cooler weather as an excuse to cuddle up with your Valentine this weekend you may have to look for a different excuse. Environment Canada is calling for near-record high temperatures Friday through Sunday, with Penticton the most likely city to set a new record. Penticton is expecting highs...

Why the City of Kelowna wants your dog on a leash

KELOWNA - The warm weather means more residents and their dogs are out enjoying the outdoors, and in some cases, that's leading to conflicts with wildlife. The City of Kelowna issued a press release Thursday afternoon asking dog walkers to help ensure wildlife can enjoy the nice weather too. Park Services was recently notified of...

Coastal ski resort closures bad news for local hills

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – With warm weather shutting down ski hills in the Lower Mainland and Washington state, hills in the Thompson-Okanagan are busier than they’ve been in ten years. But it’s not all good news. Spokespeople for all three major ski destinations in Kelowna, Vernon and Kamloops said that although business is up in the short...