Okanagan

It’s all about safety on Halloween

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The first thing that comes to mind on Halloween is safety, at least for parents. Kids are only thinking about the candy and costumes, but there are ways to help keep them safe on Halloween night, even if it’s the last thing on their minds. Always make sure young children are accompanied by...

Video showcases Canadian lack of tolerance… for racism

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Canadians have come together over the past week to not only remember the lives of two soldiers who were killed in cold blood on Canadian soil, but to defend the rights of Muslims across the country. Prime Minister Stephen Harper was quick to call the man who shot Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at the...

Be leery of this email targeting education support payments

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Parents looking to get the $40-per-day temporary education support payment promised by the government during the B.C. teachers’ strike are advised to be aware of a fraudulent email which includes a link to a false Canada Revenue Agency website. A Maple Ridge woman contacted the RCMP after receiving an email which linked to a site...

Why wildland firefighters keep coming back

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - It can feel like warfare; heading into a fire, in the middle of nowhere for days on end at the mercy of Mother Nature. Yet something about being on the battle lines draws in wildland firefighters season after season. For Jarvis Manuel, a 14-year veteran with B.C. Wildfire, it’s the people. For Thomas...

Get ready for the snow

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - There have been small amounts of snow on mountain passes already this fall, but it hasn’t lasted long or accumulated enough for many people to really take note. Thursday morning Highway 97C saw warnings of slushy and slippery sections near the Pennask Summit and Environment Canada issued a special weather statement warning of...

Penguins fans sing Canadian anthem

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - National Hockey League fans showed their love and support for Canada Wednesday night at a game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers. The team flooded the arena with red light, images of the Canada flag and maple leafs while the words to the anthem were posted on the large screens so...

Students across province prepare to vote

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Students across the province will get a chance to take part in the democratic process this November, from meeting candidates and hosting forums to reading about election issues and casting votes. In Kamloops Westsyde Secondary School students will once again be participating in Student Vote, a program aimed at getting young people involved...

Don’t forget, it’s flu season

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - While the public's attention has been on Ebola and enterovirus D68 recently, Interior Health is preparing for flu season, rolling out influenza vaccines to clinics and phamacies around the region. Dr. Robert Parker says they start getting calls in September but early November is when they typically start offering vaccinations to the general...

Just call it Autummer as high temperatures approach records

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - People in the Shuswap enjoyed a record breaking day Sunday and for much of the Thompson-Okanagan region it was a warm day, just not quite hot enough to break records. In Salmon Arm, a temperature of 20.8 Celsius was enough to break a 40-year-old record and was well past the seasonal normal of...

Facebook page offers a window into Vernon’s past

VERNON - History fanatic Deena Lehoux admits one of her reasons for creating a Facebook page all about old photos of Vernon was a selfish one. “I wanted to see what everybody else had,” she says. “I’ve always been fascinated with the history of Vernon. I can’t drive downtown without trying to envision the way...

Open burn ban to be fully lifted

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The Kamloops Fire Centre received calls of open burns in areas still under prohibition this long weekend, but staff are happy none led to wildfires. Fire Information Officer Kayla Pepper says a 13.7 hectare fire just north of Lytton this weekend is believed to be human-caused, but not a result of open burning....

Nurses union sounds alarm after third care-home death

SALMON ARM - The dementia patient who attacked a fellow resident at a Shuswap care home had already assaulted people at the facility, including a nurse, and was flagged as aggressive, says a spokesperson for the B.C. Nurses Union. That patient’s name has not been released, but the name of the man who wandered into...

Watch this sneak peak of Disney’s Tomorrowland

VERNON - The scene actress Britt Robertson is transported to when she touches a magical pin in a trailer from Tomorrowland looks like any number of farmer’s fields in the North Okanagan, and in this Disney film, it very well could be. Parts of the $250-million film, which co-stars George Clooney and Hugh Laurie, were...

Government paves over safety feature because of ‘noise complaints’

OYAMA - The Ministry of Transportation is removing a safety feature on the new highway in Lake Country to spare nearby residents an associated rumbling sound. Rumble strips, the grooved edges found on most highways, were installed on the new $78-million section of Highway 97 through Oyama but it seems the feature had an unpleasant...

HELSTON: Don’t be afraid to call the conservation officer

Residents across the Interior contacted the conservation service over the past year to report wildlife encounters ranging from simple sightings to bizarre and in some cases, tragic extremes. There was a cougar found inside a Vernon home chewing on a squeaky toy, a pack of wolves that killed a woman’s dog in Merritt, aggressive coyotes...

The Okanagan as seen from the eyes of someone falling from the sky

OKANAGAN - They look like sky ninjas or superheroes soaring above the clouds, and you might recognize their birds eye view of the ground below. Skydiving enthusiast Chris Ellom captured some incredible footage of his favourite sky dives this past August and September taken as much as 11,000 feet above the Okanagan Valley, high enough...

The Okanagan’s connection to popular new movie Gone Girl

KELOWNA - A Kelowna born actress has a cameo role in the new movie Gone Girl, starring Ben Affleck. Lauren Glazier plays a ‘fashionista’ in the mystery thriller about a missing woman and the husband suspected of killing her. It isn’t Glazier’s first time on the silver screen. She’s appeared in a range of short films...

Your chance to see a blood-red moon this week

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Not only do we get to view a full moon and a minor meteor shower this week, we will also be treated to a total lunar eclipse that will give the moon a blood red colour. In our end of the world, the eclipse is expected to be visible from start to finish,...

What does a school board trustee do?

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Most people have heard of a school board, and school trustees, but what exactly is the role of a trustee? Nominations have opened in advance of the municipal elections throughout the province on Nov. 15. Keep in mind that school districts are a huge employers with big, taxpayer-funded budgets, so even if you...

Okanagan Regional Library eyes staff and service cuts

OKANAGAN - The union representing Okanagan Regional Library workers is sounding the alarm over proposed staff and service cuts at branches throughout the valley. Deb Dolman, vice president of CUPE Local 1123, says an alarming 375 staff hours at 19 branches are on the chopping block as part of the regional library’s plan to improve...

Half of all wildfires caused by people this year

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A total of 169, or 49.9 per cent, of all wildfires in the Kamloops Fire Centre have been human-caused this year. Kayla Pepper of B.C. Wildfire says of the 339 fires in the fire centre we are about as close to half as you can get right now, though usually lightning fires outnumber...

So you want to be a city councillor? Here’s what it takes

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Most people realize there is a city council in place to help run the city, but few understand just what goes into being the mayor or a councillor. While the roles can change significantly depending on the city, the council member and the needs of the community at that time, we decided to...

Risk of frost in the forecast

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Cover your fragile plants and get your ice scrapers ready, fall is officially here and with that comes a risk of frost. With highs of 13-15 Celsius Thursday and temperatures expected to dip as low as 2 C overnight at airports throughout the region Environment Canada is calling for a risk of frost...

Snow tire season is upon us

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Slushy sections hit the Connector for a brief time Tuesday afternoon and as of Wednesday morning winter tires are a requirement on most B.C. highways. While winter does not officially start until late December snow can fall, especially on mountain passes, a lot earlier and as a result provincial regulations require winter tires...