Kelowna

Playground approved for Mission Recreation Park

KELOWNA – Councillors approved funding Monday for a new children’s playground in Mission Recreation Park. “Over the past few years, regular users have expressed a desire to install a playground to provide children of the participants a fun and safe play option when at the ball park,” says community recreation coordinator Chris Babcock. “After raising...

Council signs off on election restrictions

KELOWNA – A bylaw passed by councillors Monday caps the number of election signs you can legally display on your property. Effective immediately, no private or public places can display more than two signs for any single candidate. According to Karen Needham, the changes have been made as a result of concerns raised by council...

This popular city road might be up for a name change

KELOWNA – One of the Mission’s most used roads could be in line for a name change. Swamp Road is a major, two-lane road connecting Casorso with DeHart. On Monday, Coun. Andre Blanleil said he has heard complaints from several area residents who feel the name is less than attractive. “Some of the neighbours in...

Campfire bans begin Wednesday

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - B.C. Wildfire is issuing a campfire ban beginning Wednesday, July 16 following a perfect storm of hot, dry and stormy weather. The ban, which begins at noon Wednesday, covers the entire fire centre and is in place until further notice. The majority of the fire centre is sitting at a high to extreme...

UPDATE: Man dead after leap from moving vehicle

KELOWNA – There are more questions than answers following the death of a Kelowna man who jumped from a moving car on Saturday morning. Victor John Doyle, 23, of Kelowna was riding in the passenger side when, according to the RCMP, he “unexpectedly” leapt from the vehicle on Glenmore Road near Union Road. Doyle was...

Man killed trying to stop vehicle rolling off cliff

KELOWNA – An attempt to stop a vehicle from rolling off a cliff near Big White had tragic consequences for a 67-year-old Cawston man Sunday. The man, whose identity is being withheld pending notification of family, had parked his Jeep on a narrow forest service road close to a cliff. When the vehicle started rolling...

Temperature records fall over weekend, heat to continue

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - There is no doubt summer is officially here as record high temperatures fell like sweat droplets in 40 Celsius heat on the weekend. Environment Canada says several communities broke weather records on Saturday, including Lillooet which had a high temperature of 39.7 C passing the 39.4 C recorded in 1926. Sunday also saw...

Music and fans sizzle in the heat at Keloha

KELOWNA – It was the third year for the Keloha Music and Arts Festival in Kelowna with the hot weather and hot acts. The festival on the shores of Okanagan Lake provided music fans plenty of chances to cool off in the water. The three day event is produced by Wet Ape Productions and included...

Angelina Jolie’s badass stunt double is from Kelowna

KELOWNA – A stuntwoman from Kelowna whose work appears in the recently released Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, was featured in an article on Cosmo.com earlier this week. Janene Carleton, 36, is considered by many international studios to be one of Hollywood’s top female stunt doubles. Over her 10 year career she has been...

Bride devastated by wedding day thief

KELOWNA – Thieves ruined a Kelowna bride’s special day by robbing her guests and stealing cards with cash inside meant for the couple’s honeymoon. Natasha and Aaron Young were tying the knot on July 5 at the Benvoulin Heritage Church when the crooks struck. While the bride and groom were cutting the cake, guests had...

Heat pushing wildfire risk to the extreme in Thompson-Okanagan

THOMPSON OKANAGAN - With temperatures in the Thompson-Okanagan boiling over into the mid-30s in the next week, fire officials are warning the public to be especially vigilant. The weather in the Kamloops Fire Centre, which covers Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton, is expected to remain hot and dry for the next 7-10 days, conditions which...

Kelowna philanthropist looking for 100 women who care

KELOWNA – The woman behind Rose’s pub, Hanna’s restaurant and the Wild Woman Wise Woman Foundation, has started another organization with plans to raise at least $20,000 a year for local charities. “We’ve put on a fundraiser every year in support of women and children and it was a lot of work,” Rose Sexsmith says. “I kept...

Meteors, supermoons and northern lights

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Skywatchers and photographers can rejoice as they have their pick of fascinating subjects this weekend with the start of a meteor shower, the supermoon making an appearance and a chance of a northern lights show. Saturday night the full moon will be one of three supermoons in a row this summer. The bigger...

Record heat on the way

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Records could fall this weekend as the hot, dry weather trend continues. The expected heat wave will last for at least the next 7 days. In Kamloops temperatures are expected to reach 37 Celsius on Saturday and then around 38 C for the next three days. Record high temperatures are currently 38.6 C...

Smoke in sky from fires in northern B.C.

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Several large fires in the northeastern part of the province are causing a haze across much of the Southern Interior today. B.C. Wildfire Provincial Fire Information Officer Erin Catherall says most of what we can see is likely from the Prince George Fire Zone where two large fires and several smaller ones are...

Adventure Park opening cut down by vandals

KELOWNA – A vandal with a chainsaw has forced the operator of Myra Canyon Adventure Park to delay their grand opening by at least three weeks. The tree-top rope and challenge course on June Springs Rd. was set to open to the public this weekend, but park employee Rusty Gahr says staff arriving for work...

Farriers not a dying breed, just a hidden one

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - During the horse and buggy age, farriers were as common as mechanics ensuring travellers had four on the floor to get from point A to point B but today, they're an elusive service provider. Anyone with a horse likely uses the service of someone specializing in horse feet. One local farrier says while...

Krafty Kitchen kicks hard for final opening push

KELOWNA – Masterchef Canada finalist Kaila Klassen’s new restaurant in downtown Kelowna is in the final stages of preparation for a grand opening at the end of the month. Klassen, a realtor from West Kelowna finished Masterchef Canada in third place, announcing in April her plan to open a restaurant called Krafty Kitchen + Bar. “The...

Tropical Tuesday comes close to records

VERNON TOPS PREVIOUS HIGH THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - With temperatures soaring into the mid-30s yesterday, it was a close call for many communities but Vernon was alone in setting a new record. With temperatures reaching a high of 34.8 Celsius, Vernon beat the previous record of 34.4 C, set in 1920. Vernon will be a bit cooler...

UPDATE: Work camps evacuated due to fast moving fire

PRINCE GEORGE - High winds and hot, dry weather have fuelled a fire southeast of Tumbler Ridge, fanning it to more than 3,000 hectares and forcing evacuations of two oil and gas work camps in the area. The fire, which was started by lightning this weekend, is 61 kilometres southeast of Tumbler Ridge and was...

Keloha music festival takes the stage this weekend

KELOWNA – The annual Keloha music festival is back for the third year in a row, and organizers have managed once again to secure some of the top up-and-coming names in indy, alternative and rock music today. The three day festival features more than 70 live acts, but Wet Ape entertainment director Kelly Shepherd says...

Diner en Blanc Okanagan is back for the second year

KELOWNA  – The second annual pop-up picnic known as Diner en Blanc is back in the Okanagan and bigger than ever. Diner en Blanc is a worldwide event where guests dressed all in white gather to be whisked off to a secret location where they dine, drink and socialize. Event organizer Alison Love says 850...

Cause of Tolko mill fire likely accidental

KELOWNA  – A fire that started at Tolko mill Monday evening was likely set accidentally by transients camping in the area. The fire was contained to a pile of sawdust and bark mulch between the mill and Manhattan St., an area Kelowna Fire Capt. Tim Light says is frequented by transients. “We found some home-made...

Sun and heat brings ‘very high’ UV ratings

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - After a brief stumbling block this weekend Mother Nature is returning with the full force of the sun behind her, bringing us temperatures well into the 30s over the next week. Temperatures dipped a little closer to normals for a few days heading into the weekend and were followed by a bit of...