North Okanagan

ELECTION 2015: Conservative Mel Arnold leads in North Okanagan-Shuswap race

VERNON - When North Okanagan-Shuswap MP Colin Mayes announced he wasn’t seeking reelection, the riding was guaranteed a brand new representative out of the 2015 federal election. That new representative was chosen tonight. The riding has been a Conservative stronghold for many years, and tonight's results show that tradition will continue for another term.  Conservative...

New officer takes the reins at Vernon RCMP detachment

VERNON - There’s a new top cop in the City of Vernon. Insp. Jim McNamara has been the acting superintendent of the Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP since Reg Burgess retired in March 2015, and on Wednesday, Oct. 14, he was officially promoted to the position. "On behalf of Council and the staff of the City of...

Cattle poaching problem continues in the North Okanagan

VERNON - Another cow was found killed and left to rot over the weekend. It was found Saturday, Oct. 10, on the Aberdeen Forest Service Road in Lavington. The cow appeared to have been shot, but no meat was taken. It’s the fourth cow to be found dead on range land leased by the Coldstream...

ELECTION 2015: New polls paint different pictures in North Okanagan-Shuswap

VERNON - Hot on the heels of a poll released by local citizens, two other groups have commissioned surveys and the findings show mixed results. The latest poll, conducted by Mainstreet Technologies and funded by Liberal candidate Cindy Derkaz’s campaign team, found 38 per cent of decided voters plan to vote for Conservative candidate Mel...

Construction sign heist hits North Okanagan highway

LUMBY - Police are scratching their heads after numerous traffic signs went missing from a highway construction project in the North Okanagan. RCMP Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says Controlling Traffic Limited has reported roughly 30 signs stolen from an area on Highway 6 between Lumby and Lavington where paving work is being done. The signs, which...

Ranch offers reward for information about cow poaching in the North Okanagan

VERNON - Poachers are shooting cattle in the North Okanagan and either taking the meat, or leaving the animals for dead. Pete Wise, a wildlife control specialist in Vernon, says at least three cows have been shot since September on range land leased by the Coldstream Ranch. “Somebody is intentionally targeting them,” Wise says. In...

Watch this North Okanagan apple grow; incredible one minute time lapse

VERNON - A Vernon orchard has captured the magic of an apple’s growth from blossom to fruit in a one minute video. Davison Orchards put a camera on a single Honeycrisp apple in March and watched it grow. You can see the incredible transformation in the time-lapse below. The video has already been shared 1,878...

ELECTION 2015: Candidates, voters make voices heard at North Okanagan-Shuswap debate

VERNON - Close to 500 people packed the Vernon Performing Arts Centre Monday night, not for a ballet or a concert, but for political discourse. The all candidates forum was anything but dull, and like any good show at the performing arts centre, parts certainly got people going. All four North Okanagan-Shuswap candidates were grilled...

Thousands of Thompson-Okanagan renters mired in affordable housing crisis, new index says

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - About a quarter of all renters in the Thompson-Okanagan are facing an affordable housing crisis, according to a new study. The new Canadian Rental Housing Index is an interactive map which offers a snapshot of rental housing conditions across the country. You can search by city or electoral area riding, and find the...

ELECTION 2015: Voting basics in the North Okanagan-Shuswap

VERNON - Before you head to the polls this October, you’re going to want to know who your candidates are, where to vote, and what you need to bring with you. We’ve got you covered. Consider this your North Okanagan-Shuswap voter’s kit. We’ll introduce you to your candidates, fill you in on advance polling, and...

ELECTION 2015: Mel Arnold vows to keep the North Okanagan-Shuswap strongly Conservative

VERNON - A big buzzword in the 2015 federal election is ‘change’ but if you’re looking for a politician who will keep the North Okanagan-Shuswap riding on the Conservative course, candidate Mel Arnold is your ticket. A local businessman, Arnold was born and raised on a dairy farm in Notch Hill, a small community near...