Penticton news
Okanagan diners reap the rewards of an early spring
OKANAGN – The early spring across the Okanagan this year is not only good for your tan but for local restaurants and family kitchens as well. Across the valley, farmers are busy harvesting crops which normally wouldn't be ready for weeks. Fruits, berries, veggies and field crops all got a jump start this year, which...
South Okanagan provincial parks name change reflect aboriginal culture
PENTICTON - Two South Okanagan parks have been renamed to reflect traditional First Nation place names. Environment Minister Mary Polak and Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie made the official announcement, renaming Haynes Point and Okanagan Falls Provincial Parks. The name changes coincide with the Osoyoos band taking over management of the two parks. McIntyre...
Early spring both good and bad for local farmers
OKANAGAN – The early heat felt across the Okanagan this year has local farmers springing into action. Producers of vegetables, fruit, hay and alfalfa crops say the warm weather came at least two weeks early this year, meaning they can plant earlier, expect higher yields and very likely harvest earlier as well. At the Kelowna...
Penticton pickleball players to get their own courts
PENTICTON - Pickle ball and tennis don’t go together well, so they will get courts of their own. Penticton City council learned that lesson at its meeting earlier this week. The game which combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong has become quite popular in the city, but with no dedicated courts, those who play...
Okanagan Correctional Centre stimulates local economy
PENTICTON - The $200 million Okanagan Correctional Centre has entered it's second year of construction with a completion date in the fall of 2016. The facility is rapidly taking shape as one of the three cell “pods” nears completion and the prison’s administration building begins to take shape. More than 375 people have worked on...
Hot dog calls on rise as weather heats up in Southern Interior
THOMSON-OKANAGAN - Though summer isn’t even officially here, the unseasonably warm weather in the Interior is already prompting concerned calls about dogs left unattended in cars. “We’ve had three or four already this morning (May 22) and yesterday we had half a dozen before lunch,” Cam Buksa, spokesman for the Central Okanagan branch of the...
Bumper crop of itchy, scratchy poison ivy in South Okanagan
PENTICTON - There’s a good reason for outdoor enthusiasts to stay on the trail when hiking in the South Okanagan this spring. Cyclists and pedestrians using the Kettle Valley Railway trail are noticing an abundance of poison ivy this year, particularly on the trail between Penticton and Kaleden. Regional District Okanagan Similkameen parks coordinator Justin...
Jump in fatal motorcycle crashes has South Okanagan RCMP concerned
PENTICTON - A huge jump in the number of motorcycle crashes — and the number of fatal crashes — has prompted members of the RCMP South Okanagan Traffic Service into action. Sgt. Harold Hallett says up to 2013 the region averaged a single fatal motorcycle crash each year. In 2013, there were two and last...
Penticton man found badly beaten on side of road
PENTICTON – A man is in police custody after what police are calling “a serious assault” that left a Penticton man badly injured on the side of the road Thursday morning. According to a release, Penticton RCMP were called to the 3 km mark on Shingle Creek Road off Green Mountain Road shortly after 8:30...
Penticton paving stone sales provide funds for hospital care tower
PENTICTON - A city waterfront revitalization project is providing homeowners with an opportunity to get a bargain on their building materials and help fund a worthwhile fundraising effort at the same time. Paving stones currently being removed from the Rotary Park walkway project will be offered for sale by the city in a two week...
Penticton lawyer fined for professional misconduct
PENTICTON - A Penticton lawyer recently found himself subject of a disciplinary hearing by the Law Society of British Columbia. Charles Louis Albas—father of Okanagan-Coquihalla MP Dan Albas—was cited for preparing a will for a client, naming himself as a beneficiary, and in another instance prepared a will naming his wife as beneficiary. The incidents...
Study at UBC Okanagan seeks breast cancer survivors
OKANAGAN - A researcher from UBC Okanagan is hoping to find survivors of breast cancer for a study on the effects of increasing physical exercise after treatment and rehabilitation. Cristina Caperchione, an assistant professor with the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, is leading ProjectMOVE which has secured a $200,000 research grant from the Canadian...
Second crossing 20 years out but planning now is essential, transportation ministry says
WEST KELOWNA - If you ask project director Murray Tekano, the current study about where to put a second Okanagan Lake crossing is not just a public relations exercise to be seen doing something. Tekano says 20 years for planning a major infrastructure project such as the second bridge is standard for the industry and...
Canucks to host Young Stars Classic in Penticton
PENTICTON – For the fifth year in a row, Penticton will play host to the Vancouver Canucks Young Stars Classic. The four teams taking part in the tournament at the South Okanagan Events Centre in September are made up of prospects from the Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets. “We have great fans...
You have a few more months to register your off-road vehicle
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Good news for the estimated 200,000 trail riders across the province as the government has pushed the deadline to register off-road vehicles from June 1 to Nov. 1. According to a press release sent Wednesday, May 20, the deadline change will give users more time to prepare for the mandatory registration as well...