Penticton
City catching up with big snow
PENTICTON - Communications Officer Simone Blais said it’s too soon to say how much this week’s heavy snowfall will cost Penticton residents. “Operations staff will have to submit time sheets, all the vehicles, equipment and supplies used will have to be identified and these reports will take weeks to come through,” she said. Blais said...
See the Thompson-Okanagan like you never have before
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – A video posted to YouTube over the weekend gives a truly birds-eye view of some of the most spectacular features of the Thompson-Okanagan. Emile Beaulieu is a Kelowna resident whose passion is paramotoring. Using a parachute and what is essentially a large powered fan strapped to his back, he performs breathtaking fly-bys of...
Highway 1 remains closed because of avalanche risk
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A storm system that left behind upwards of 40 centimetres of snow in our region and closed some schools for two days has also shut down Highway 1 in several spots. Avalanche control took place between Craigellachie and Revelstoke Monday because of the high risk and that section of highway was again shut...
There is an end in sight to the snow
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – It’s been a long time since the Thompson-Okanagan received such a massive dump of snow in such a short time. “It has been quite an amazing snowfall so far,” Environment Canada meteorologist Lisa Coldwells says. By 10 a.m. Monday, we were looking at amounts which ranged from 25 centimetres in the South Okanagan,...
City work crews having a tough time keeping up with snowfall
PENTICTON - The City of Penticton reported this morning crews were being kept busy just keeping main arteries, emergency routes, steep hills and main transit routes open as snow continues to pound the city and region. “Given the significant snowfall, it’s likely crews will have to circle back and do these routes again before moving...
Gold medal game on a snow day
COULD IT BE MORE CANADIAN? THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - You watched them come out on top in every game so far, including a win over the United States on New Year’s Eve, but today, as an unprecedented snow day shuts down schools across the Southern Interior, many of us are preparing to cheer on Team Canada during...
Singing the stories of the Southern Interior
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Our region has long been a destination spot in Canada, and back before the Internet made it easy to share stories and pictures of your travels, music was used to share the beauty of our land. Tourism companies put out records with a single on the region, or even a specific city, while...
Second round of Ebola tests negative
KELOWNA - A second set of Ebola tests being conducting on an Interior Health nurse practitioner have returned negative, but a third and final test will still need to be done before she is given the all clear. Patrice Gordon returned from helping to treat Ebola patients in Sierra Leone on Christmas Day and it...
UPDATE: Police investigating fire at Pass Motor Inn
PET BELIEVED DEAD IN FIRE PENTICTON - Penticton firefighters battled a blaze that broke out last night at the Pass Motor Inn, located at 2307 Skaha Lake Road. Firefighters were called to the scene at roughly 8:30 p.m., Dec. 30, according to a media release from RCMP. The building was evacuated while firefighters worked to...
Library, pool and arena busy over holidays
PENTICTON - Penticton’s public institutions saw increased usage over the holidays, with the library alone seeing double the usership it normally does on a Monday. Penticton Public Library’s Systems Librarian, Shelley Murphy, said after being closed for four days usership doubled what was usual for a Monday. “It was amazingly busy yesterday. We had line...
Avalanche warning extended
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If backcountry play is in your New Year’s plan be prepared, an avalanche warning issued to the public on Christmas Day has been extended to include the Whistler and Pemberton area, and is now in effect until Sunday, Jan. 4. Throughout our region avalanche risk is considered moderate below the treeline but increases...
Weather warming up for new year
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - We’ll still be facing temperatures below seasonal normals, but it will be several degrees warmer for New Year’s Day than it has been over the past few days in the Southern Interior. According to Environment Canada temperatures will reach a high of between -8 Celsius and -5 C today and by the first...
Team Canada prepares for New Year’s Eve battle
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - On Wednesday afternoon all eyes will be on the World Junior Championship tournament in Montreal as Team Canada takes on Team United States in the final round robin game for the two teams. Canada is 3-0 in the first three games and went 2-1 during exhibition play after an overtime loss to Russia...
UPDATE: Highway 1 near Golden reopens after fatal crash
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - One person is dead and another in critical condition after a serious crash involving two tractor trailers that shut down Highway 1 from Golden to Revelstoke overnight. United Towing was called out to a head-on collision between two semis west of Golden just before 11 p.m. Both units were on fire at the...
Cold weather and wind move in
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Pull the scarves and gloves back out, the cold weather is back and by tonight much of the region will be at least 10 degrees lower than seasonal normals. According to Environment Canada, temperatures will drop to -10 Celsius by this afternoon in Kamloops and winds will increase to 50 gusting to 70...