Penticton news
ELECTION 2015: Liberal candidate hopes to be unifying force in new riding
PENTICTON - The Liberal candidate for the new federal riding of South Okanagan-West Kootenay feels her party is ideally situated, ideologically, to represent the area in Ottawa. Connie Denesiuk says Liberals have a history of bringing people together, something she is also noted for. “This is a huge, diverse riding containing 40 communities, every one...
Osoyoos RCMP get their man for possession of stolen property
PENTICTON - A man well known to Osoyoos RCMP, who was caught at the scene of a break and enter, has been convicted today for possession of stolen property. Osoyoos RCMP say Cameron McRae, 44, was arrested on January 18 at an Osoyoos winery where police found McRae trying to smash through a fence on...
KF Aerospace announces more layoffs in the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - Rebranding the company hasn’t helped KF Aerospace avoid the turbulence of the marketplace which has forced the company to cut jobs in both Kelowna and Hamilton. President Tracy Medve was not available for interviews Friday as the Kelowna-headquartered company announced layoffs equivalent to eight per cent of its workforce. However, Medve said in...
Woman killed crossing Penticton street identified
PENTICTON - The B.C. Coroners Service has identified the woman struck and killed at a pedestrian crossing in Penticton last week. Colleen Esther Mary Brennan, 48, died of injuries sustained after she was struck by a pickup truck at approximately 4 p.m., Aug. 18, while crossing Maple Street. The Penticton resident was rushed to Penticton...
Kamloops dental surgeon continues work while awaiting penalty for causing brain damage to patient
KAMLOOPS - A local dental surgeon continues to work at his practice while he waits to hear what penalty a professional panel imposes for a series of failures which led to a patient’s cardiac arrest during surgery. A team of investigators for the Inquiry Committee of the College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia examined...
Temporary closures anticipated during salmon restoration effort
PENTICTON - A salmon restoration project will impact road, trail and channel users this fall, as the Okanagan Nation Alliance Fisheries Department moves ahead with plans to restore salmon habitat in the Okanagan River channel beginning in September. Biologist Natasha Lukey told the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen Board of Directors about plans to build...
Wildfire smokes Rock Creek music festival
PENTICTON - The Rock Creek fire has claimed another victim, this time in the form of an annual music festival. Ponderosa Music and Arts Festival organizers have announced the Rock Creek event will not take place this year. They explain in a media safety concerns have been raised by local government officials due to the...
Kelowna man who died while rafting lived and loved ‘all in’
"DON'T FORGET HOW LUCKY YOU ARE TO LOVE YOUR LOVED ONES SO MUCH IT HURTS" KELOWNA – They were high school sweethearts planning their dream Kelowna wedding when Rene Bourgault’s life was cut short in a tragic rafting accident last weekend. Friends, family and everyone who has been touched by his life are mourning his...
Penticton city councillor forced to flee Washington State wildfires
"IT WAS VERY, VERY SCARY" PENTICTON - A camping trip turned into a nightmare for a Penticton couple thanks to the wildfires raging in Washington State. Penticton city Coun. Helena Konanz and her husband Adam were forced to cut short the mid-week holiday when wildfires had them beating a hasty retreat from Winthrop yesterday, August...
Improvements could be coming to vacant Three Gables Hotel property
PENTICTON - A long standing vacant lot in Penticton’s downtown core has attracted the attention of Penticton's city councillors. The owner of a series of vacant lots on Main Street which used to contain the Three Gables Hotel approached city council this week with a request for a variance in order to operate a parking...
First phase of Trail of the Okanagans nearing completion in Summerland
PENTICTON - Construction is nearing completion on the Trail of the Okanagans connection between Summerland and Trout Creek. Founding Director of the Trail of the Okanagans, Don Gemmell, says the link is nearly finished, as workers perform clean up work on the corridor. The connection, which links Lakeshore Drive in Summerland to Landry Crescent in...
Volunteer appreciation evening planned in Oliver
PENTICTON - The Town of Oliver is preparing to show its appreciation to the many volunteers who worked tirelessly to manage emergency efforts last weekend during the worst of the Wilsons Mountain and Testalinden Creek fires. An appreciation event is planned for Thursday, August 20, starting at 6:30 p.m. at Oliver Community Park. Emergency Support...
Local man documents entire CN rail corridor for posterity
KELOWNA – An Okanagan man with a passion for local history has begun work on a video he hopes will preserve the significance of the CN Rail corridor for generations to come. Alan Gatzke spent dozens of hours and thousands of dollars from his own pocket to modify his pickup so it could be used...
A&W claims first ever ‘float-thru’ on Penticton channel
PENTICTON - A&W sent an actor and crew to Penticton recently to film a commercial for its Facebook page. The series of ads feature a float-thru rather than a drive thru on the Okanagan river channel through the Peach City. There were no shortage of floaters ready for a free burger. Too bad no one...
UFC extends contract with Kelowna fighter
KELOWNA – Local UFC welterweight Matt Dwyer has had his UFC contract extended by four fights. Dwyer, 25, a Kelowna resident since he was two years old, fights out of Toshido MMA in Kelowna. He was signed to a remarkably rare four-fight contract with the UFC in 2014. Although his first appearance resulted in a...