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Penticton news
Forestry crew mopping up wildfire near Okanagan Connector
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – A human-caused wildfire sparked south of the Okanagan Connector Saturday afternoon is being mopped up by a Wildfire Management crew today. Fire information officer Kayla Pepper says an initial attack crew of 13 firefighters responded to the blaze which grew to 11-hectares in size near Starshine Way Road, north of Missezula Lake yesterday...
BCHL FINAL: Clippers stun Vees in OT
PENTICTON - The Penticton Vees find themselves down 2-0 in the best-of-seven Fred Page Cup Final after the Nanaimo Clippers picked up a stunning 2-1 overtime win Saturday at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Brett Roulston made quick work of the extra period, as the Clippers’ forward buried his sixth of the playoffs just twenty-seconds...
KOOPMANS VERDICT: Guilty of second degree murder
PENTICTON – A majority of the 12 jurors who on Saturday convicted John Ike Koopmans of two counts of second-degree murder believe he should serve consecutive prison sentences of at least 15 years.
More snow falling on Coq and Hope-Princeton
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – A dump of snow on the Coquihalla and the Hope-Princeton highways overnight is being following with another heavy snowfall today. A vigorous cold front passed through the Southwest Interior overnight dropping 10 to 15 centimetres of snow on the Coquihalla Summit and the Allison Pass, according to a Special Weather Statement from Environment...
Penticton business stands firmly opposed to national park amid increasing favour
PENTICTON - There is increasing support for a national park in the Okanagan-Similkameen but not everybody is impressed by the idea. Prospects for a national park in the area arose following a feasibility study conducted in 2004. Strong local opposition to the proposal by ranchers and other stakeholders resulted in revisions to the size of...
BCHL PLAYOFFS: Clippers take Vees in Fred Page Cup opener
PENTICTON - The Penticton Vees will be looking back on an eleven-minute stretch in the second period as their ultimate undoing, in a 5-2 loss to the Nanaimo Clippers in game one of the Fred Page Cup Final at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Nanaimo scored four goals in eleven-minutes in the second, to quickly...
Low snowpack could mean a dry Okanagan summer
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Current snowpack levels suggest the Okanagan could be in for a dry year, while the South Thompson should fair better. According to Tobi Gardner with the River Forecast Centre, snowpack is at 76 per cent of normal in the Okanagan — the lowest in five years. “What that translates to is a lower...
Dangerous section of Hope-Princeton getting $27-million upgrade
PENTICTON - A winding, dangerous portion of the Hope-Princeton Highway is slated for upgrading thanks to a multi-level funding commitment. Provincial and federal governments have announced funding for a $27.65 million upgrade to Highway 3, west of Princeton. A five-kilometre stretch of the roadway will be relocated and straightened to remove a two sharp curves...
Penticton dad calls for pit bull ban after dog bites daughter
PENTICTON – The father of a young girl who was bitten by a pit bull last weekend wants to see the breed banned in B.C. Seann Gentray was at a friend’s house with his daughter Haley, 9, on Saturday, April 4 when the pit bull, which belonged to the friend, lunged at her, acccording to...
Over $2-million worth of waterfront improvements proposed in Penticton
PENTICTON - The details surrounding a major waterfront improvement along Lakeshore Drive in Penticton are out as the SS Sicamous Master Plan moves forward. Consultant Ed Grifone presented the plan to city council, Tuesday, April 7, and the counsellors endorsed the plan with first reading of a bylaw intended to incorporate the plan into the Official...
How council ended up in a two-day meeting
PENTICTON - Tuesday’s council meeting may have been a record-setter for length, thanks to three public hearings that pushed the meeting into a second day. Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit said he suspects the six-and-a-half hour meeting that ended at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday broke some kind of record; it was certainly the longest meeting in his...
Daycare needs highlighted in Penticton debate
PENTICTON - Residents of a south Penticton neighbourhood made their feelings, good and bad, known about a proposed daycare this week. The zoning amendment application for 96 Yorkton Ave. first came before council Jan. 12 where it was read for a first time and forwarded to a public hearing three weeks later. Opposition to the...
No change in park status for south Penticton streets
PENTICTON - It may have been an innocent initiative put forward by a Penticton city staffer, but the citizen backlash resulted in the biggest turnout to a public hearing and regular council meeting Penticton’s present council has seen. Several hundred residents packed council chambers and other rooms on the second floor of city hall Tuesday,...
Naturist group appeals for respect and cooperation
PENTICTON - A local naturist group is appealing for calm following the latest debate over Three Mile Beach. The Okanagan Naturist Association issued a plea for naturists to be respectful following Penticton council’s decision not to endorse clothing optional use of Three Mile Beach. In a press release issued April 8, the Okanagan Naturist Association...
Local electronics retailer expands as big box stores close shop
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If Andre Blanleil gets any satisfaction from the demise of his retail competitor, electronics giant Future Shop, he doesn’t show it. “They were good competitors. They did a good job for the market they were going after,” the president of Andres Group of companies says. The regional chain operates 21 locations under the...
PUCKER UP: RCMP members suck limes for a good cause
PENTICTON - Penticton RCMP members were told to suck it Wednesday, but it's for a good cause so they played along. Penticton RCMP members took the Lyme Sucks Challenge April 8 as they attempted to kick off a national Lyme Sucks Challenge amongst the nation’s RCMP detachments. In an effort to raise awareness and money...
KOOPMANS TRIAL: Key witnesses can’t be trusted: Defence
PENTICTON - The lawyer for John Koopmans attacked the credibility of key Crown witnesses—including one of the complainants—telling jurors they can’t be believed. Don Skogstad got his chance in Penticton Supreme Court today, April 7, to make some sense of six weeks of evidence the 12-member jury heard in the double murder trial. John Ike...
Naturist issue at Three Mile Beach back before council
PENTICTON - Three Mile Beach is back at the table Tuesday as staff are set to present a number of options on how to deal with the contentious issue of naturists using the Penticton beach. Staff will be presenting a number of options to council members at a meeting tonight, April 7, and some do...
Stolen vehicle rams police cruiser in Osoyoos
OSOYOOS - A stolen car being pulled over rammed the police vehicle making the stop before fleeing the scene Friday night. Osoyoos RCMP say an officer pulled over a 1994 Toyota Camry in Osoyoos just before midnight on Friday, April 3. As the member pulled in behind the car the suspect put the vehicle in...
Lumberjacks coming to Peachfest
PENTICTON - A group of unlikely television celebrities are set to return to Penticton this summer. The West Coast Lumberjacks will bring their show to Okanagan Lake Park during the Penticton Peach Festival Aug. 5 to 8. The group have recently become television celebrities, appearing on Bachelor Canada, the Amazing Race and Canada’s Got Talent....
Striking employees at Naramata Centre reach agreement
PENTICTON - After 11 months of labour dispute and the closure of the Naramata Centre earlier this year, the long strike by union staff at the centre has finally come to an end. The Naramata Centre Society and CUPE 608 announced an agreement today, April 7, noting they have finally come to a 'mutually agreeable...
Penticton French school wants deal on use of city recreation facilities
PENTICTON - A school in Penticton may be able to offer French immersion programming, but it doesn't have a proper gym or playground and needs help offering recreational activities to students. Up until about four years ago the city considered Ecole Entre-Lacs to be part of School District 67 and the school was able to...
Regional District looks at transit future in South Okanagan
PENTICTON - The future of transit in the South Okanagan and Similkameen includes more connections to Kelowna and increased ridership. B.C. Transit staff have been busy meeting with local politicians across the province about the developing Regional Tranist Future Plan and made a stop in Penticton on April 2 to update Okanagan Similkameen Regional District...
Industry insiders getting down to specifics of B.C. wine regions
PENTICTON - B.C. wines continue to grow in sophistication. The province recently announced the formation of a task force to make recommendations on ways to improve the B.C. appellation system for wine produced from 100 per cent B.C. grapes. An appellation is a legal means of describing the location of where grapes are grown in B.C....