Okanagan

Smoke in sky from fires in northern B.C.

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Several large fires in the northeastern part of the province are causing a haze across much of the Southern Interior today. B.C. Wildfire Provincial Fire Information Officer Erin Catherall says most of what we can see is likely from the Prince George Fire Zone where two large fires and several smaller ones are...

Record heat on the way

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Records could fall this weekend as the hot, dry weather trend continues. The expected heat wave will last for at least the next 7 days. In Kamloops temperatures are expected to reach 37 Celsius on Saturday and then around 38 C for the next three days. Record high temperatures are currently 38.6 C...

A proposal on the big screen under the stars, in front of hundreds of people

ENDERBY - Risking public humiliation before a massive crowd if she said no, Tony Tomson popped the question. The dramatic moment played out at the Starlight Drive-In July 2, the same place Tomson and his girlfriend Stacey Lamont finished their first date three years ago to the day. It was a hard first date to...

Caution advised after Armstrong mail boxes broken into

ARMSTRONG - Police are asking the public to watch for unusual activity after a set of mail boxes were broken into in the Armstrong area. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says numerous mail boxes at the corner of Lansdowne Road and McLeery Road in Armstrong were tampered with Monday morning. The damage was reported around 8...

Keloha music festival takes the stage this weekend

KELOWNA – The annual Keloha music festival is back for the third year in a row, and organizers have managed once again to secure some of the top up-and-coming names in indy, alternative and rock music today. The three day festival features more than 70 live acts, but Wet Ape entertainment director Kelly Shepherd says...

Farriers not a dying breed, just a hidden one

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - During the horse and buggy age, farriers were as common as mechanics ensuring travellers had four on the floor to get from point A to point B but today, they're an elusive service provider. Anyone with a horse likely uses the service of someone specializing in horse feet. One local farrier says while...

Tropical Tuesday comes close to records

VERNON TOPS PREVIOUS HIGH THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - With temperatures soaring into the mid-30s yesterday, it was a close call for many communities but Vernon was alone in setting a new record. With temperatures reaching a high of 34.8 Celsius, Vernon beat the previous record of 34.4 C, set in 1920. Vernon will be a bit cooler...

Diner en Blanc Okanagan is back for the second year

KELOWNA  – The second annual pop-up picnic known as Diner en Blanc is back in the Okanagan and bigger than ever. Diner en Blanc is a worldwide event where guests dressed all in white gather to be whisked off to a secret location where they dine, drink and socialize. Event organizer Alison Love says 850...

Sun and heat brings ‘very high’ UV ratings

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - After a brief stumbling block this weekend Mother Nature is returning with the full force of the sun behind her, bringing us temperatures well into the 30s over the next week. Temperatures dipped a little closer to normals for a few days heading into the weekend and were followed by a bit of...

Hot, dry June could lead to more fires in July

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Hot, dry and stormy. June was not an ideal month throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre and concerns July could be a very active fire season are still very real. Overall temperatures were slightly above normal and slightly less rain fell. Combined with periods of lightning activity this led to more than 40 new...

Bike camp gives new lease on life

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A young man says a mountain bike camp aimed at helping those affected by substance abuse came at just the right time to save him from himself. “The past two years have been really hard for me, I got suicidal…. I was on lots of pills,” Cameron Model, 25, says. “This camp is...

Higher speeds coming to a highway near you

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Three highways will see speed limits increase to 120 km/h today and another 1,300 km of highways will see the increase later this summer. Over 9,100 km of highways were surveyed during a Rural Highway Safety and Speed Review and Minister Todd Stone says several key points are now being addressed — speed...

Inflatable downtown water park opens to public

KELOWNA – Just in time for Canada Day weekend, Kelowna’s newest water attraction is open to the public. Consisting of interlocking inflatable modules with a maximum capacity of 60 at a time, Wibit Water Park is anchored approximately 20 metres off the shores of City Park. City councillors approved the attraction earlier this month, granting...

Expect a hot Canada Day

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - After a mix of rain and cloud much of the weekend Mother Nature has decided to smile down on Canada Day with a lot of sun and heat. The entire Interior will be drenched in temperatures between 32-35 C on July 1 and then Wednesday will also be around 34 C but neither...

Quebec cheese pulled form B.C. shelves

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A cheese possibly containing a toxin produced by Staphylococcus bacteria has been pulled from the shelves of B.C. retailers this week as a food recall warning is expanded. The original recall was issued on June 20 for Le Moutier Goat Cheese out of Quebec and Thursday the recall was expanded to include the...