Okanagan
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...
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...
Interior Health hospitals middle of pack
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - People in the Interior are more likely than other Canadians to drink heavily but they are also more likely to be active, according to recent statistics for the Interior Health Authority that ranked the region in the middle of the pack across the country. A new website compares hospitals, health regions, provinces and...
Fire bans open up as autumn weather settles in
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Fall does not just mean sweater weather, it also means open fires are again allowed throughout the region as temperatures continue to drop. Open fires will be allowed in the Salmon Arm Fire Zone as of Wednesday, Oct. 1. The ban was lifted for the Clearwater Fire Zone on Sept. 15. B.C. Wildfire...
Groundbreaking training will help Vernon search and rescue help you
VERNON - Members of Vernon Search and Rescue are trying something new as they huddle around a helicopter watching a teammate dangle a few feet off the ground. The apparatus they're using is called a winch, and it will allow qualified technicians the ability to descend as much as 300 feet to the ground to...
If you see this actor around the North Okanagan, be sure to call him ‘sir’
VERNON - The stars are aligning for Hollywood’s return to the North Okanagan. Okanagan film commissioner Jon Summerland says it’s looking like the Hollywood movie Go With Me, based on a best-selling book, will be filmed in the region. Oscar winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins has already signed on to star in the thriller. “We’ve...
Prolific fraudster at it again
KELOWNA - A man known as a serial scammer is believed to be behind the latest string of reports in Kelowna. Police investigators say it appears a 40-year-old Kelowna man with a long list of convictions appears to be at it again, often using the story of a broken down truck or claiming he's a...
Final weekend of summer bringing the heat
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The first day of fall is around the corner, but before it arrives, we get the chance to bask in the final weekend of summer. The autumnal equinox falls on Tuesday, Sept. 22 in our part of the world, marking the end of summer and the beginning of fall. Before that can happen...
Summer still afloat in Armstrong
ARMSTRONG - It may be fall, but there’s still time to enjoy a popular summer activity in Armstrong. The outdoor pool in Memorial Park is open for another week. Historically shut down the week of the Interior Provincial Exhibition at the end of August, Armstrong Spallumcheen Parks and Recreation is now offering an extended pool...
Stronger showing of northern lights expected tonight
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - We’re getting a second chance at the northern lights tonight thanks to a second blow from the sun, and this one could be even stronger thanks to the storms combining as they hit the Earth. The National Space Weather Prediction Center says a ‘moderate’ storm hit Earth late Thursday night (in the Pacific...
Keep your eyes to the sky Thursday night
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If the skies stay clear, and they are supposed to, we could be in a for a great northern lights show Thursday night. The National Space Weather Prediction Center says a ‘moderate’ storm is expected to hit Earth late Thursday night (in the Pacific time zone) before downgrading to a ‘minor’ storm in...
Return to the wild: Okanagan bear doesn’t look back
VERNON - From the top of a power pole, to a rehabilitation shelter, Polaris the black bear has had quite a journey in her young life, and now she’ll be continuing her adventures in the wild. The year-and-a-half old black bear found perched on a power pole in Lumby last fall was taken in by...
Enjoy warm weather while it lasts
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Enjoy the weekend while it lasts — another blast of heat is coming our way this weekend but there'll be a significant drop in temperatures Monday. Temperatures will reach as much as 30 Celsius in the region and the sun in expected to shine throughout the weekend. Kamloops will see the warmest temperatures...
This ‘Floating island’ on Okanagan Lake could be yours
OKANAGAN – It’s the size of a small island, has multiple bedrooms and bathrooms like a cottage, but it can take you across the lake at 65 km/h. A luxury sport yacht owned by Penticton resident George Speirs was listed for sale on Kijiji this past weekend. The price tag for the 63’ Sea Ray...
What you can do to prevent bear conflicts this fall
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Hide your picnic baskets and tuck away your garbage cans, it’s high season for bears as they look to take in about 20,000 calories per day before settling in to hibernate for the winter. WildSafeBC Provincial Coordinator Frank Ritcey says bear sightings in the month of August were more than the four previous...