Kelowna

Full strike could begin Tuesday, no school Monday

OKANAGAN - This week could be the last week of school for many students, the teachers’ union announced this morning it will be moving to a full strike beginning Tuesday unless a deal can be reached on the collective agreement. An email was sent to teachers Thursday night and quickly news spread on social media....

Kelowna’s vacancy rate among lowest in Canada

KELOWNA – Kelowna is one of the hardest cities in the country to find apartments to rent, according to a national rental market survey. The 2014 study compares vacancy rates and average rent in cities across the country. It lists Kelowna as one of the bottom three in terms of availability. While the average vacancy rate of rental...

Kelowna man faces the judge following armed robbery

KELOWNA - A 22-year-old Kelowna man was arrested after a Subway restaurant was robbed at knife-point Monday. Mounties headed to the Subway Restaurant at 1100 Lawrence Ave. just after 6:45 June 9 when the hold-up alarm was triggered. When they arrived, they were told an unknown man came into the restaurant with a knife in...

What parents need to know about the teacher strike

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Teachers in B.C. voted overwhelmingly in favour of moving to a full strike if contract negotiations continue to stall and that could mean an early summer break for some students and limited report cards for others. The history of non-agreement between the B.C. Teachers’ Federation and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association, the...

Teachers agree to full strike

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — More than 28,000 B.C. teachers voted in support of moving to a full strike, a move that could come as early as next week. In total more than 33,000 teachers took part in the vote Monday and Tuesday, with 86 per cent voting in support of stage three action. “Thank you for standing...

National BMX series bunnyhops through Kelowna this weekend

KELOWNA – Even if you don't know the difference between a barspin and a bunnyhop, organizers of the Kelowna Firestorm BMX Nationals say this weekends event has something for everyone. The third in a series of six nationals will be held in Kelowna June 13-15 and Kelowna BMX Club president Jeff Ingram says more than...

Pedestrian hit on highway

KELOWNA – A man was questioned by police Tuesday morning after the vehicle he was driving struck a pedestrian on Harvey Ave. According to a report by Global Okanagan, witnesses say the woman was injured near the Gordon Dr. intersection. The driver of the truck remained at the scene and spoke with police while the...

Snelson pays $75K bail, moves to Lake Country

KAMLOOPS — A Kelowna man awaiting a retrial for the manslaughter of a Kelowna college student is now walking free on bail. Last week, Neil George Snelson, 47, was granted bail and Infotel News has learned, he provided the $75,000 and was released to a home in Lake Country to await trial. He will walk...

Locals to rally against smart meters Saturday

KELOWNA – A nationwide protest against the forced implementation of smart meters will get support from a group of Kelowna locals this weekend. “June 14 is a national day of protest,” says Rozjael Young, one of the volunteers of the rally. “There are several other places in B.C. that are protesting against the smart meters, which leak...

Kelowna orchard wants apple vodka distillery

KELOWNA – Owners of a Southeast Kelowna apple orchard have been given the green light to seek approval from the Agricultural Land Commission to construct an apple vodka distillery and tasting room. The application was made by Blair and Kelly Wilson of Wallace Hill Rd. The subject property is a 20.3 acre apple orchard with...

Snow basins still high, flood threat low

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Recent snow basin numbers show there is a lot more snow than normal in much of our region even though rivers have begun receding throughout the rest of the province. The North Thompson snow basin now sits at a near normal 101 per cent though the South Thompson sits at 126 per cent....

Wipeout-style water attraction approved for City Park

KELOWNA – A new water park is coming soon to the shores of Okanagan Lake off City Park. Consisting of interlocking inflatable modules with a maximum capacity of 60 people at a time, city property manager John Saufferer says the park will be similar to the inflatable obstacle courses used in the TV show Wipeout....

The price to park goes up at many meters around Kelowna

KELOWNA – A 150 per cent increase in on-street parking fees comes into effect today, but the city says many meters won’t be adjusted for several more weeks. Plans to raise the rates were announced in January, with council voting to raise prices for the first time in 20 years. As of today, the cost...

National sport bike racer got his start on Westside Road

KELOWNA – A local rider tearing up the tracks on the American Superbike race scene taught himself to ride on the infamous Westside Road in Kelowna. Marcel Irnie of Irnie Racing is a professional Superbike racer who trains and races out of Las Vegas. A fourth place finish in a recent national event combined with...

Farmer suffers heart attack, dies pinned under tractor

KELOWNA – An industrial accident involving a tractor claimed the life of a Kelowna man Friday. Emergency crews were called to a vineyard off McCurdy Rd. shortly after 1 p.m. with reports a man suffered a heart attack and was pinned under a tractor. Const. Kris Clark says it is unclear which happened first but...

UPDATE: Standoff over at notorious house

KELOWNA – One-by-one nine people walked out of a house on Glenmore Road Friday morning with their hands over the heads and in the gun sights of RCMP officers surrounding the home. It took a police negotiator two hours to coax the suspects and their two dogs out of the house at 1370 Glenmore Rd....

Sunscreen and shades kind of weekend

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — Mother Nature has a treat for us this weekend—soaring temperatures and lots of sun. Highs of 24-25 C will be highlighted by sun for much of the day today and by Sunday the entire region will be seeing highs of 28 C with more sun. We can expect to see some cloud cover...

Teachers set for third week of rotating strikes

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — Teachers in B.C. are preparing for a third week of rotating strikes and they will also decide early next week whether they launch a full strike before the end of the school year. The B.C. Teachers’ Federation announced Thursday afternoon rotating strikes will take place Tuesday through Friday next week. In school districts...

Traffic stop results in dial-a-dope arrest

KELOWNA – A traffic stop of a high-end SUV in Kelowna last Friday resulted in the arrest of a man police believe was operating a dial-a-dope service. RCMP Const. Kris Clark says Street Enforcement Teams have been investigating a group of individuals selling drugs out of a rental apartment downtown. Last Friday plainclothes officers conducted...

Comedian Russell Peters to perform in Kelowna

KELOWNA – Get ready Kelowna, you gonna laugh real hard. Russell Peters, the Canadian comic known for his hilarious takes on Indo-Canadian life and his catch phrase “You gonna get hurt real bad,” is coming to Prospera Place this fall. He has appeared on countless T.V. shows over his 25 year career, including The Tonight...

Vernon man sues Aeroplan over cancellation of points

KELOWNA – An Vernon man claiming thousands of dollars in damages as a result of a consumer loyalty program that cancelled his points, will have to wait for another lawsuit to be settled before his case can be heard. John David Romanchuk alleges Aeroplan, a program where members accumulate points for making purchases, unilaterally cancelled...

Chinese buyer snaps up Lake Okanagan Resort

WEST KELOWNA – Lake Okanagan Resort has been sold to a Chinese buyer. The 300 acre property north of West Kelowna was previously owned by Calgary based Northwynd Resort Properties. It includes a nine-hole golf course, 158-slip marina, tennis courts, a 240 room hotel and 15-acres of undeveloped land. It also has the only beach on...

WIND WARNING ENDED: Squall was expected to bring strong winds

UPDATE: The wind warning has been rescinded. THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Much of the Southern Interior will be under a wind warning later today with expected wind gusts of up to 90 km/h for Kelowna, Vernon and Penticton and 80 km/h for Kamloops as a squall line crosses into the region. Environment Canada issued a special weather...

Law society to vote on Trinity Western University

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - B.C. Law Society members will vote on June 10 to decide if Trinity Western University’s recent accreditation should be overturned.  The purpose of the meeting and vote is to determine a resolution in declaring Trinity Western University as an unapproved faculty of law for the purposes of the Law Society’s admission program. The...