Okanagan

Teachers agree to full strike

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — More than 28,000 B.C. teachers voted in support of moving to a full strike, a move that could come as early as next week. In total more than 33,000 teachers took part in the vote Monday and Tuesday, with 86 per cent voting in support of stage three action. “Thank you for standing...

Snow basins still high, flood threat low

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Recent snow basin numbers show there is a lot more snow than normal in much of our region even though rivers have begun receding throughout the rest of the province. The North Thompson snow basin now sits at a near normal 101 per cent though the South Thompson sits at 126 per cent....

Sunscreen and shades kind of weekend

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — Mother Nature has a treat for us this weekend—soaring temperatures and lots of sun. Highs of 24-25 C will be highlighted by sun for much of the day today and by Sunday the entire region will be seeing highs of 28 C with more sun. We can expect to see some cloud cover...

Teachers set for third week of rotating strikes

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — Teachers in B.C. are preparing for a third week of rotating strikes and they will also decide early next week whether they launch a full strike before the end of the school year. The B.C. Teachers’ Federation announced Thursday afternoon rotating strikes will take place Tuesday through Friday next week. In school districts...

WIND WARNING ENDED: Squall was expected to bring strong winds

UPDATE: The wind warning has been rescinded. THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Much of the Southern Interior will be under a wind warning later today with expected wind gusts of up to 90 km/h for Kelowna, Vernon and Penticton and 80 km/h for Kamloops as a squall line crosses into the region. Environment Canada issued a special weather...

Okanagan youth conflicted on provincial student walkout

OKANAGAN - As teachers strike in shifts across the province this week, it appears students have found a day to voice their own opinions. The B.C. Student Walkout for Students, launched by Surrey teen Victoria Barker, is set for Wednesday, the only day this week not scheduled to have strike action. A Facebook group created...

Wildfire season expected to heat up

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - With just 13 wildfires reported in May it was a ‘pretty average’ spring month for B.C. Wildfire but the amount of rain that falls over the next month will play a big part in whether predictions of a heavy fire year are correct. Melissa Klassen with the Kamloops Fire Centre says of the...

Heat coming your way this weekend

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — Get your sunscreen ready: the cool, wet week has a reprieve in store for us with higher temperatures for a water park or beach this weekend. Today highs will reach near normals of 21 C to 23 C across the region with a 30-40 per cent chance of thundershowers or storms this afternoon...

Dog control seeks owners of pig with pink painted toe nails

VERNON - She has painted pink toe nails, likes to follow you around, and squeals when you pick her up. That’s about all dog control knows about a small grey pig found wandering around the Vernon Golf Course. Pat Ellis, with K9 Dog Control, says the chubby, grey pig was turned in to the Vernon...

Teacher strikes to continue next week

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — If you have kids, be prepared to find alternate plans next week because the teachers’ union has announced a second week of rotating strikes, set to take place next week. Students in the Central and North Okanagan School Districts (SD23 and SD83) will be home Monday, June 2. On Tuesday, the strikes rotate...

UPDATE: Severe thunderstorm watch ended for Okanagan

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A severe thunderstorm warning for the Central and North Okanagan including Vernon and Kelowna has ended this evening though a chance of heavy rain remains for the entire region. Environment Canada says 10-20 mm of rain is expected by Thursday morning but there is a chance of localized thunderstorms that could bring at...

Snow on Coquihalla

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Winter has returned to the Coquihalla Highway and the rest of the region can expect heavy rain today. Drive B.C. is reporting slushy sections from the Great Bear Snowshed to the Coquihalla Lakes exit, water pooling north of that section and fog in the section of the Coquihalla Highway between Merritt and Kamloops....

Okanagan gone ‘batty’ over new program

OKANAGAN - The Okanagan has a new bat program to help with conservation, using the public’s help in detecting bat sites. The Okanagan Community Bat Project offers resources to the public, such as bat education and options for dealing with bats in buildings. References can be found online and questions can be called in to...

Study finds multi-million dollar benefits to Okanagan Rail Trail

OYAMA - Converting the rail bed between Vernon and Kelowna into a multi-use pathway would drive over $3 million in visitor spending in the first year alone, states a consulting report on predicted benefits. The Okanagan Rail Trail held a press conference Tuesday morning in Oyama to release the findings of a 70 page impact...

Road safety highlighted during Bike to Work Week

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - This week is Bike to Work Week, a celebration that kicks off a season of more cyclists on the roads, and both cyclists and motorists are being reminded to do their part to help keep everyone safe. ICBC notes an average of nearly 1,000 cyclists are injured during the warmer months of May...

Conservation group rallies for support with video

PENTICTON - A national nature group made a video to support turning Okanagan land into a national park, in order to protect endangered species and grasslands wildlife. There has been controversy in the last few months around the Okanagan grasslands and how to keep them protected. Earlier this spring, the Nature Trust of British Columbia,...

Trap catches excessive speeders on 97c

West Kelowna – More than half a dozen excessive speeders were stopped and their vehicles impounded during a speed trap in West Kelowna last Friday. Const. Kris Clark says seven vehicles were stopped by members of the Kelowna Integrated Road Safety Unit who were looking for aggressive drivers along Hwy. 97c  on May 23. “The...

Mapping Okanagan travel habits

KELOWNA – A survey of local travel habits reveals a number of insights into how Okanagan residents get where we need to go. Conducted by the City of Kelowna, City of Vernon, Districts of Lake Country, West Kelowna, Peachland, Westbank First Nation and the Regional District of the Central Okanagan, the survey shows the travel...

Burnt pallets add to list of suspected arsons

VERNON - Police and the fire department are burning for answers after responding to another suspected arson. A flaming pile of pallets drew firefighters to an industrial area in the 4600 block of 34 Street shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday. Authorities are calling the fire suspicious and investigating whether it is connected to a recent...

New meteor shower to put on a show tonight

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A new meteor shower is set to light up the sky around midnight on Friday and predictions are it could be quite the show. NASA says the shower could rival the well-known Perseids meteor shower that happens in August, even though no one has ever seen the Camelopardalids before. The Camelopardalids are caused...

Carjacking and stabbing may be linked

KELOWNA – A man who stopped to help what he thought were stranded motorists was instead beaten and had his car stolen Tuesday morning. RCMP Const. Kris Clark says the man stopped on Gordon Dr. at around 6 a.m. after he saw three men and one woman pulled to the side of the road. “When...

Trial date set for former Vernon mountie facing child porn charges

VERNON - A former Vernon cop will stand trial in B.C. Supreme Court next March. Ryan Hampton, 35, faces nine charges, including possessing and accessing child pornography. He was arrested in June 2013 and subsequently suspended from the force. He has since resigned from the RCMP. Hampton will be tried before judge alone starting March...

UPDATE: Teacher strikes begin Monday

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Teachers announced today they will conduct a rotating strike next week in an effort to move along negotiations with the province. The strike begins Monday, May 26 in School District 67 (Okanagan Skaha) and will be followed by the Central Okanagan (SD23) and North Okanagan-Shuswap (SD83) districts Tuesday. On Wednesday, May 28 teachers...

Wet weather won’t stop Kelowna’s weekend of events

KELOWNA – It’s the first busy weekend of the year for events in Kelowna, but those attending the Knox Mountain Hill Climb and Rutland May Days will want to bring jackets and umbrellas. Showers are expected Saturday through Sunday combined with lows of only 8 Celcius, but that won’t stop these two marquee Kelowna events...