Penticton

Highways closed, smoke fills the sky as wildfires take over Interior

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A hot, dry week followed by a lightning storm that moved through the region has led to an increase in aggressive fire activity in the Kamloops and Southeast Fire Centres today. Currently Highways 33 and 3 are closed because of a 350-hectare wildfire that is growing rapidly near Rock Creek. The fire was...

New weather record set in the Okanagan; heavy rain on the way

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - It only took until mid-afternoon for Kelowna to tie the high temperature record for Aug. 13, and within the hour a new record was set.  By 4 p.m. Environment Canada was reporting a temperature of 37.3 Celsius, just above the 36.7 C record set in 1990. At 36 C, Vernon still has a...

Gas prices going up in the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - Gas prices are rising throughout Canada and the Okanagan is no exception. According to GasBuddy, an online tracking system for gas prices, only about a dozen stations remain below 130 cents per litre this afternoon, Aug. 13, in Kelowna while about seven stations sit at 129.9 cents per litre. Many stations have jumped...

Kelowna councillor seeks change to council meeting schedule

KELOWNA - City councillor Charlie Hodge needs more homework time and wants to move council meetings to another day. “This is what I get Friday morning in my agenda package,” Hodge says, brandishing a three-inch thick stack of reports. “I’m supposed to know all this by Monday morning or at least have an understanding of...

Feast of Fields has new location for farm to table festival

KELOWNA – The 7th annual festival celebrating locally grown food is happening in Kelowna this weekend. Okanagan Feast of Fields is one of three chapters started by FarmFolk CityFolk, a Vancouver organization dedicated to celebrating sustainable, local foods. Feast of Fields, which also takes place in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island, is a four-hour wandering gourmet...

Premier meteor shower to light up the sky this week

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - One of the best meteor showers of the year is set to peak this week, sending up to 60 shooting stars through the sky every hour. The Perseids meteor shower is visible from July 17 to Aug. 24 every year and is set to peak overnight Wednesday, Aug. 12 this year. Environment Canada...

Okanagan set to break record temperatures this week

OKANAGAN - Grab your sunscreen, hat and a cool drink, we have a hot, sunny and likely record-breaking week ahead of us in the Okanagan. Temperatures soared above the 30 Celsius mark over the weekend, well above the 27 C seasonal normal high for this time of year, but we can expect things to get...

Fat bikes, new terrain coming to Silver Star this winter

VERNON – The ever growing Silver Star Mountain Resort has announced several big changes this year, including more than 100 acres of new skiable terrain. Tree skiing for intermediates and experts will get more than 90 acres of new terrain to try and areas from Putnam Creek to Silver Woods will also be expanded. In...

Big fires down but not out in Kamloops Fire Centre

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The only two wildfires of note in the Kamloops Fire Centre have been downgraded to patrol status. Shelter Cove fire off Westside Road near Kelowna and Bolean Lake fire near Falkland were downgraded August 5 and will now be monitored by crews of five firefighters. “Patrol status means they are done active fire...

VIDEO: Be the ball with this new sport

KELOWNA – Soccer just got a whole lot safer, and a whole lot more fun, with a sport which lets you feel what it’s like to be the ball. Bouncing Soccer Kelowna is behind the Okanagan’s newest and craziest outdoor sport. Started by Kelowna residents Rebeca Espinosa and her husband David Corbo, Bouncing Soccer lets...

Warm, sunny weekend on tap for the Okanagan

OKANAGAN - After a break from the heat we will need to again dig out the sunscreen for a hot and sunny weekend. While temperatures were in the low- to mid-20s the last two days, just below seasonal normal highs of 27 Celsius, and were accompanied by up to eight millimetres of rain, we can...

Whooping cough on the rise across Interior Health region

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - An increase in cases of whooping cough across the Interior Health Authority, but primarily in the Central Okanagan, has prompted a warning from public health officials. Medical health officer Dr. Kamran Golmohammadi says in 2015 there has already been 58 confirmed cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, with 36 of them...

Drought levels worsen in Okanagan and North Thompson

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Drought conditions are worsening in the region, enough according to the government to increase the drought rating for both the Okanagan and North Thompson regions by one level. The Okanagan Region is now enduring level four drought conditions while the North Thompson is facing level three, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources....

Penticton stray cat found with bullet debris in knee has leg amputated

PENTICTON - A four-year-old tabby cat was brought in as a stray with a limp from an old injury, and an X-ray showed he still had debris from a bullet in his knee, which was causing pain, swelling and chronic arthritis in the young cat. Sunny was brought to the South Okanagan-Similkameen SPCA shelter as...

New film ‘The Orchard’ shooting in the Okanagan

KELOWNA – An independent film company has chosen the Okanagan for an upcoming production that starts filming this weekend. Vancouver-based Mutant Films, Inc. starts shooting The Orchard, on Aug. 10 The film stars Matt Angel of R.L Stine’s The Haunting Hour, CSI Miami and CSI NY, and Morgan Taylor Campbell of Super Natural, Spooksville, and The Killing. It is written and...

Hot start to August in the Okanagan

RAIN EXPECTED THIS WEEK OKANAGAN - It was a hot and sunny August long weekend in the Okanagan but expect things will cool off a bit during the week. Temperatures easily soared above the 30 Celsius mark every day this past weekend and while today, Aug. 4, will see the mercury hit just above seasonal...

Run away from your smoking addiction

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A new program is popping up around the country which will help you run away from your problems. The Running Room is launching a Run To Quit program, which will be backed by federal funding and support from the Canadian Cancer Society. The program is designed to help smokers quit by incorporating running...

ELECTION 2015: MP’s brag about accomplishments as early election expectations mount

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – With a federal election less than three months away, local MP’s are ramping up their push to promote their accomplishments over the past year. It’s not unusual for politicians to send releases to the media to show the work they do and the money they’ve secured for their areas, but a breakdown of...

Urgent dredging at busy boat launch put off until fall

KELOWNA - A mechanical failure in specialized equipment has forced the City of Kelowna to reschedule urgent dredging at the Cook Road boat launch. The city announced just two days ago it’s largest boat launch would close for a week at the height of the boating season, but now says the work will have to...

Province pulls plug on Coldwater River water use

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - In a bid to help struggling salmon populations, water use reduction measures have been imposed on the Coldwater River. The province issued the restriction today, July 31, banning all water use or diversion from the Coldwater River and its tributaries from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. effective immediately. The restriction escalates to a...

Okanagan to enjoy a sunny and hot long weekend

OKANAGAN - It looks like Mother Nature will be showing off again this weekend, with hot temperatures and lots of sun expected for the August long weekend. Following highs in the low-30s Thursday, Environment Canada is calling for temperatures to reach 36 Celsius in Vernon and Kelowna today, July 31, and 34 C in Penticton....