Penticton news

Tile upgrading means no pool in Penticton for the summer

PENTICTON - Penticton residents will have to make do with the two lakes if they wish to swim this summer as the city deals with slippery pool tiles. The Penticton Community Centre Pool will be closed for a seven-week period beginning July 27 in order to have the pool deck’s tiles replaced. It is expected...

Police confirm identity of Black Mountain murder victim but still no arrests

KELOWNA – RCMP have confirmed the identity of the man found murdered in his home on Black Mountain earlier this week. The body of Amardeep Singh Ahluwalia, 47, was found in his home on Feedham Avenue in the early morning hours of July 7. Police have said very little about the cause of death but...

Similkameen Barbecue King tantalizes taste buds this Saturday

PENTICTON - A premier food and wine event will take place at a local winery this weekend. The 2015 Similkameen Barbecue King gets underway at the Grist Mill in Keremeos, beginning at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 11. Eight chefs from throughout the South Okanagan and Similkameen will compete to provide the most crowd pleasing...

Penticton pilot’s cross-country flight an adventure

PENTICTON  - A local pilot made an adventure out of his trip east to retrieve a new aircraft. Mark Humbke of Naramata recently completed a cross-Canada trip in his brand new, German made Auto-Gyro, an unusual looking aircraft that uses a  helicopter style rotor for lift and an engine powered propeller to provide thrust. The...

Early warning to Penticton boaters: obey rules or air show will be cancelled

PENTICTON - As preparations get underway for the return of Canada’s premier aerial aerobatic team to Penticton, boaters are being warned to obey the rules or lose the show. The committee overseeing the performance of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds team, which will be in Penticton Aug. 5, is advising boaters wishing to view the show...

Regional district study leaving Okanagan Falls incorporation out of discussions

PENTICTON  - A study looking at the possibility of a new form of governance for Area 'D' in the Okanagan-Similkameen is underway. Last November the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development approved a $50,000 governance study for Electoral Area 'D' of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen. Area director Tom Siddon says six interest groups,...

Cyclists taking over Penticton this weekend

PENTICTON - Penticton and area roads are filling with cyclists this week, and it’s not just because of the great weather the South Okanagan has been experiencing. The city’s motel and hotel rooms promise to be filled to capacity again this weekend as the area hosts the fifth annual Prospera Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan. The...

Why Penticton police hope the city hosts more events like Ribfest

PENTICTON - Penticton RCMP resources are feeling the pressures of increasing call volumes and depleted ranks as this year’s crime statistics defy normal patterns. Staff Sgt. Kurt Lozinski describes the call volumes as “wonky” this year, as seasonal call volumes in the off season winter months this year reached summer volumes at times. Lozinski says...

$110,000 pontoon boat stolen from Kelowna business turns up in Alberta field

KELOWNA – Thanks to social media a luxury pontoon boat that was stolen from a Kelowna business last weekend has been recovered in Alberta. The boat, a 2015 Campion Biltmore worth more than $110,000, was taken from Banner Recreational Products some time Sunday. Amanda Jefferson, Marketing Co-ordinator at Banner Recreation and Marine, says the suspects...

Report clears way for new Penticton BMX track application

PENTICTON - A 10-acre parcel of city owned property at 630 Munson Mountain Rd. received a failing grade for farmland use, allowing Penticton City Council to move forward in its quest to locate a BMX track and other cycling facilities there. Public Works Manager Len Robson says results of a recently commissioned agrologist’s report revealed...

Missing documents for Westbank audit mysteriously resurface

WHAT IT MEANS TO RECALL PETITION FOR CHIEF AND COUNCIL | In February, Westbank First Nation members demanded an audit of band dealings in the Lake Okanagan Wellness Centre after they found themselves on the hook for $7.9 million. When they failed to get it, they pursued the recall of Chief and council. In our ongoing...

Pilot in critical condition after suffering burns in Osoyoos crash

OSOYOOS -  A 46-year-old Surrey man lies in critical condition in a Vancouver hospital a day after crashing his single engine Beechcraft plane on Highway 97 just north of Osoyoos. The pilot has been identified as Todd Lewendon of Surrey, a husband and father with three daughters. He is a veteran pilot with nearly 20...

No, you can’t do that in B.C. right now

‘SOMEONE IN AN INTERFACE AREA WAS USING A BLOW TORCH TO GET RID OF THEIR WEEDS’ KELOWNA – This hot, dry summer makes beach days all the more necessary, but it has taken at least some of the fun out of other favourite Thompson-Okanagan pastimes. By now we should all know that, during fire season...

Concern over safety for proposed hospital parking in Penticton

PENTICTON - More information on safety issues is needed before a temporary use permit for hospital parking on Camrose Street will be granted. City planner Blake Laven explained the request at Monday’s council meeting, where concerns were raised by citizens and counsellors over safety issues stemming from a large number of pedestrians crossing Industrial Avenue,...

B.C. Wildfire crews find weed in the Okanagan wild

PENTICTON - A grow-op in the woods above Naramata was discovered by B.C. Wildfire crews who were called to the area to fight a small wildfire yesterday. RCMP Staff Sgt. Kurt Lozinski says members were called after firefighters tending a small wildfire made the discovery on Tuesday afternoon, July 7. The firefighters were in the...

Local produce retailer caught in competitive Penticton grocery market

PENTICTON - Penticton lost another small business last week, just as seasonal farm producers begin looking for local outlets. The Old Town Farm Market, located at 104-2100 Main St., closed its doors July 1. Market owner Dave (Doc) Willoughby says the rise of big box stores made the location uneconomic. He says the store got 'tons...

South Okanagan gets on board with transit plan

PENTICTON - A plan to see transit improved in the Penticton area is moving forward after getting the green light from city council this week. The Okanagan Similkameen Transit Future Plan received thumbs up from Penticton City Council, clearing the way forward for initial steps in the implementation of a plan that attempts to project...

Vehicle thief handed nine months jail for stolen truck, ATVs

KAMLOOPS - A 22-year-old with a taste for stolen vehicles will spend the next four-and-a-half months in jail after pleading guilty to possessing a stolen pickup truck and two all terrain vehicles last spring. Justice Gary Weatherill handed Waylon Faulhafer a nine-month sentence yesterday, July 6 for his involvement in two separate stolen property files....

The power of information during electrical failure

WHO HAS IT, WHO DOESN'T THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - When the power goes out, so do most of the things we depend on for life and business — lights, refrigerators, internet, air conditioning, point-of-sale machines, cash machines — and depending on which power company you use, so does information. The Thompson-Okanagan is divided between Fortis B.C. and...

Court case could determine naturist use of Three Mile Beach

PENTICTON - The impasse over naturist use of Three Mile Beach could be decided by the courts with Penticton RCMP recommending public nudity charges. RCMP Staff Sergeant Kurt Lozinski says police responded to a public nudity complaint at the beach on July 1. They arrested an individual for obstruction and public nudity after the person...

If you missed the deadline on your favourite Okanagan produce this year, you weren’t alone

SO EARLY, IT'S UNHEARD OF OKANAGAN - Many crops in the Okanagan have come and gone much earlier than normal, and that’s leaving consumers with mixed emotions.  Cheryl Rohrer with Good ’N’ Plenty Produce in Armstrong says some customers are thrilled to see their favourite foods out earlier than usual, while others are left disappointed...

UPDATE: Pilot survives small plane crash on highway near Osoyoos

OSOYOOS - A pilot is burned but alive following a small plane crashed on Highway 97 near Osoyoos and then burst into flames earlier this evening. As of 8 p.m., Tuesday, July 7, emergency crews have left the scene of the small plane crash but the highway remains closed, according to Osoyoos Fire Chief Rick...

Smoky skies advisory issued for entire Thompson-Okanagan region

THOMPSON OKANAGAN – If the visible smoke in the sky wasn't enough to warn you, a smoky skies advisory has now been issued for a large portion of the Southern Interior. The Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Interior Health Authority, has issued a smoky skies advisory for the Thompson, Shuswap, Nicola, Fraser Canyon,...