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Okanagan

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...

Flood risk continues to drop as snowpacks disappear in Okanagan

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - An early melt and a warm, dry May mean there is little to no snow left in many basins around the region, and that means a low flood risk. The River Forecast Centre says the warm month led to a rapid melt of the snow pack and about half of the province’s snow...

Record hot weather on the way for Okanagan

OKANAGAN - It was a hot weekend in the Okanagan and the hot weather is forecast to continue through this week. Environment Canada recorded temperatures reaching as high as 33.8 Celsius in Penticton on Sunday, a bit shy of the 35 C record set nearly 70 years ago. In Kelowna temperatures climbed to 33 C,...

The beetle is gone, now the hard work begins

WILDFIRES, JOB LOSSES, JEOPARDIZED WATERSHEDS THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - For the most part the small, yet devastating, mountain pine beetle has disappeared from the landscape of the Southern Interior, but the aftermath of its work will be felt for many years to come. The mountain pine beetle epidemic that crawled into B.C. in 2000 is recognized as...

Rain nearly over in Okanagan

NEAR RECORD HEAT ON THE WAY OKANAGAN - While it has not been record-breaking, it has been very wet throughout the Okanagan this week, with an average of about 25 millimetres of rain falling in the first three days of June alone. Heading just north of the Okanagan, Kamloops has received most of the rain...

Cool, wet weather to hit Okanagan

NEAR-RECORD HEAT EXPECTED BY WEEKEND OKANAGAN - The warm weather we’ve been having is about to step aside to make room for cooler temperatures and rain, lots of rain, over the next few days. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for all of the Okanagan Valley as well as the Shuswap, Nicola and...

B.C. firefighters heading to Alberta

KAMLOOPS - Fire risk in B.C. has lowered over the last several days and as a result B.C. Wildfire is sending crews to Alberta, where the province is under a province-wide fire ban as several large wildfires burn out of control. The Wildfire Management Branch said today, May 27, it would be sending 80 sustained...

More rain, thunderstorms in forecast for Kamloops

KAMLOOPS - Above normal temperatures are back, but they come with a chance of rain and thunderstorms over the next few days. After several days of off and on rain, and even a few thunderstorms, Environment Canada is still calling for a chance of rain through the end of the week. There is a chance...

More rain, thunderstorms in forecast for Okanagan

OKANAGAN - Above normal temperatures are back, but they come with a chance of rain and thunderstorms over the next few days. After several days of off and on rain, and even a few thunderstorms, Environment Canada is still calling for a chance of rain through the end of the week. There is a chance...

Enderby woman wins $1M with free play

ENDERBY - An Enderby woman is celebrating her birthday with the ultimate present — a $1 million Maxmillion prize. Tanya Williams, who celebrates her birthday this week, won a free play and $1 on a previous Lotto Max draw and used that to get another ticket. She found out she was a winner when she...

Severe thunderstorm watch underway in much of Southern Interior

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - After a wet and wild weekend in the Interior another round of thunderstorms could hit the region. Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the Nicola, South Thompson and Okanagan Valley regions for Monday, May 25. The weather office notes conditions are favourable for storms that could produce hail, strong wind...

UPDATE: Southern Interior severe thunderstorm watch expanded

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Environment Canada has expanded its severe thunderstorm watch to include the South Thompson, North Thompson and Nicola regions, including the city of Kamloops. The original watch issued early this morning, May 24, covered the Okanagan, Shuswap and Boundary regions, including Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon and Salmon Arm. Forecasters say conditions are favourable for the...

TNRD looks at options for regulating biosolids

KAMLOOPS - In response to recent concerns around biosolids the regional district is considering changes to regulations around commercial and agriculture composting. The Thompson-Nicola Regional District is reviewing a zoning bylaw to regulate commercial composting and to limit the scale of agricultural composting. In a media release, the district says if the amendment is supported...

Locally filmed Tomorrowland starring George Clooney hits theatres

VERNON - A movie partly filmed in the North Okanagan opens in theatres today. Disney’s Tomorrowland — starring George Clooney, Hugh Laurie and Britt Robertson — hits the big screen Friday, May 22 In Vernon, your first chance to see the film will be at Cineplex. The first showtime is 4 p.m. today. You can...

Hot Okanagan temperatures not quite record-breaking

OKANAGAN - Temperatures soared into the high 20s Wednesday, and will get even hotter Thursday and Friday, but it wasn’t quite enough for a record. According to Environment Canada, temperatures reached upwards of 28 Celsius in the Okanagan and 29.4 Celsius in Kamloops on Wednesday, May 20, but those numbers fell shy of records ranging...

Hot temperatures in Kamloops not quite record-breaking

KAMLOOPS - Temperatures soared into the high 20s Wednesday, and will get even hotter Thursday and Friday, but it wasn’t quite enough for a record. According to Environment Canada, temperatures reached upwards of 28 Celsius in the Okanagan and 29.4 Celsius in Kamloops on Wednesday, May 20, but those numbers fell shy of records ranging...

Numerous snake scares in the Okanagan

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Snake encounters have shaken up a number of Okanagan residents in the last few days — including one in an apartment building — and a wildlife control expert says in many cases, it has to do with the weather. Pete Wise runs a wildlife control service based in Vernon and says he’s had...

Kelowna RCMP searching for man linked to possible arson

KELOWNA - A fire at Boyd Autobody and Glass damaged four vehicles while a second fire on Bedford Avenue damaged a camper in April and now RCMP are looking to identify a man seen in surveillance footage from the area. In the early morning hours on April 10 the Kelowna Fire Department attended a fire...

Big White Ski Resort awarded for excellence

NAMED A TOP-PERFORMING SKI DESTINATION BY TRAVELLERS KELOWNA - Big White Ski Resort has received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award. Now in its fifth year, the award celebrates excellence in hospitality and is given to establishments that consistently achieve great reviews on TripAdvisor. Destinations must maintain a consistent high review from a minimum number...

B.C. ROAD TRIP: Where to go, when you need to go

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Road trips are a great way to see this magnificent province of ours but need to be planned out carefully, especially if you have little ones. Not only do you need to have snacks, drinks and activities to help keep them from getting cranky, you need to plan regular bathroom and stretching breaks....

What you should know about this delicious, and potentially poisonous, local delicacy

VERNON - You might have seen the bright, vibrantly green curlicues in classified ads or at the local grocery store recently and wondered what they are and where they come from. They’re called fiddleheads, and they’re found around the world, including the Thompson-Okanagan, for a few short weeks every spring. Those who have tried the...