Local
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...
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...
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...
Sentence reduced for 63-year-old man convicted of bringing cocaine to Kelowna
KELOWNA – A 63-year-old Kelowna man convicted of conspiring to traffic cocaine from Vancouver to Kelowna in 2008 had his sentence reduced in Vancouver Court of Appeal Monday, June 1. RCMP wiretaps revealed Thanh Hai Tran, 41, of Vancovuer was trying to find “good-quality cocaine” for King Ting Yung, 63, to bring to Kelowna. On...
Get bare in the air for breast cancer research
KELOWNA – Get ready, get set, get naked. It’s time for Naked Ziplining at ZipZone in Peachland, where participants will strip down in support of breast cancer research. Women of all shapes and sizes who raise at least $200 for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation will get bare in the air for this important event....
Mom trying to give parents of stillborn babies a few extra days together
WEST KELOWNA – Kristin Esmail and her husband didn’t find out until she was in labour their son, Richard James, was stillborn. After 39 weeks in utero, finding out that they would not be able to take him home was almost too much pain to bear. “It was such a shock,” the West Kelowna resident...
Pup with broken leg needs your help
PENTICTON – A 10-month-old puppy who was hit by a car needs a little help from the public to get back on all four paws. Jodi, a black and white Labrador retriever mix, was brought into the South Okangan-Similkameen SPCA with a broken femur and in need of more than $4,000 worth of medical treatment....
First Nations hotel and conference centre in the works for West Kelowna
WEST KELOWNA – If Grand Chief Ron Derrickson gets his way, West Kelowna could become a major destination for First Nations business people across North America. He is in the early planning stages of a luxury hotel and conference centre on his 5.5-acre property next to Two Eagles Golf Course off Carrington Road in West...
United Airlines drops service to Kelowna
KELOWNA – After less than a year of service between Kelowna and San Francisco, United Airlines has departed for good. The carrier first started service to Kelowna in October of last year and according to airport spokesperson Jenelle Hynes had already decided in December that it just wasn’t economically feasible to continue the once-daily flights...
Local woman uses social media to find long lost father
"IT'S GOING TO BE MY FIRST FATHER'S DAY IN 46 YEARS WHERE I ACTUALLY KNOW WHO MY FATHER IS." KELOWNA – A local expert in social media found out the power of Facebook last weekend when she used it to find and meet her father for the first time in 46 years. And even though...
Hot weather ahead for the Thompson-Okanagan
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Dig out your sunscreen and your flip-flops because B.C.’s Interior is in for some unseasonably hot weather over the coming week. Although the average temperature for the region is in the low 20s from Kamloops all the way south to Penticton, residents can look forward to highs of 29 C with only occasional...
Heroes welcome for Kelowna Rockets
KELOWNA – Around 100 fans lined the VIP entrance to Prospera Place this afternoon to welcome home the second best team in Canadian Hockey League. The Kelowna Rockets charter bus rolled up to their home arena Monday, June 1 just before 2 p.m. to throngs of flag-waving, jersey-wearing fans of all ages. As they got...
Welcome home the Rockets at Prospera Place this afternoon
KELOWNA – The end result of the 2015 CHL Memorial Cup may not have been exactly what they were hoping for but fans of the Kelowna Rockets are sure to be on hand this afternoon to welcome home the second best team in the league. The Rockets lost 2-1 in overtime Sunday, May 31, despite...
VIDEO: Spring car cruise attracts automotive fans from across B.C.
OKANAGAN – An annual car cruise which started a few years ago as a way for friends and car enthusiasts to show off their rides, has grown to include hundreds of 'tuners' from across the province. Tyson Noel organized the first Kelowna Spring Cruise and has seen it go from fewer than 50 cars to...