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municipal government

Over $2-million worth of waterfront improvements proposed in Penticton

PENTICTON - The details surrounding a major waterfront improvement along Lakeshore Drive in Penticton are out as the SS Sicamous Master Plan moves forward. Consultant Ed Grifone presented the plan to city council, Tuesday, April 7, and the counsellors endorsed the plan with first reading of a bylaw intended to incorporate the plan into the Official...

Falling loonie could impact Vernon’s plan to buy new fire truck

VERNON – City council had promised Vernon Fire Rescue a new water tender for firefighters at the Okanagan Landing fire hall, but the falling value of the Canadian dollar is impacting the price tag. Council approved the purchase of the new fire truck last fall, but since then, the loonie has taken a beating on...

How the city is going to try to make it easier for tourists in downtown Kelowna this summer

KELOWNA - Summer in downtown in Kelowna is going to be all about construction, traffic congestion and scarce parking as the city deals with an unusual number of big, building projects. “The biggest concern is construction during the summer when the volumes are highest and parking stalls are used the most,” Purvez Irani says. He's...

Rebuilt West Kelowna landmark grabs heritage award

WEST KELOWNA - The $537,000 CNR Wharf Project in West Kelowna has won a Central Okanagan Heritage Society award. It was determined by District council in 2010 the CNR Wharf was in need of reconstruction having deteriorated to the point it put the public at risk. The popular swimming area was closed to the public...

Big improvements coming for Rutland Centennial Park

KELOWNA - Rutland Centennial Park was officially aquired by the City of Kelowna recently as part of the memorandum of agreement with Rutland Park Society. The purchase price of the park, and right-of-way through the existing parking lot beside Centennial Hall, rang in at $800,000, according to a City of Kelowna media release. The City...

Why West Kelowna council balked at a $100,000 gift to community

WEST KELOWNA - They don’t mind having it, just not where B.C. Hydro wants to put it. That’s the reaction of West Kelowna council to the utility’s proposal to install a fast charging station for electric cars at the Mt. Boucherie complex. “They liked the idea just not where they want to put it,” communications...

Parking the tipping point for micro-suite apartment approval

KELOWNA - For such small suites, Kelowna city council has some big problems with a high-density apartment building proposed for Dickson Avenue near the Landmark complex. Designs submitted by the developer Dickson Avenue Holdings call for 90 suites, about half of which would be 29 square metres with one parking space included for each unit....

Councillor wants city to be more transparent about expenses

PENTICTON - Coun. Helena Konanz is looking to make the city more transparent by publicly posting councillor expenses more than once a year. It will be easier to answer questions from media and public about expenses on a more regular basis, rather than having to refer to notes from conferences attended over a year earlier,...

Vernon councillors backtrack on mixed martial arts ban

VERNON - Vernon councillors are backing down on a decision to ban mixed martial arts events. There’s concern the wording of the ban would prohibit youths from participating in competitions, which was not the initial intent. “We have many young kids that are involved in various martial arts, almost like gym classes they do downtown,”...

City paves paradise and doesn’t bother making it a parking lot

PENTICTON — The downtown lot that was not too long ago a teaching garden, is now a patch of levelled land. The city recently took back claim of the property after a temporary use license was not renewed by a local gardening organization. The property at Ellis Street and Nanaimo Avenue was formerly the home...