Pnaug1715

The danger of drones in wildfire zones

PENTICTON - One of the members of the B.C. Wildfire aircrew who spotted the drone flying over the Testalinden Creek fire near Oliver Sunday says it was pure luck they saw the unmanned aerial vehicle or UAV. The errant drone prompted an immediate grounding of eight helicopters and five planes, and as a result, the...

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...

How does a local Penticton company one up an A&W float-thru? One word: Relvis

PENTICTON - Earlier this week, the massive burger chain A&W produced a commercial about a stunt on the Penticton channel. Now a home-grown competitor has one-upped the big guys in style: Elvis style. Ralph "Relvis" Ramsay, owner of Houndogs at the mid-way point on the Penticton channel produced a high-quality commercial celebrating ten years in...

Structure fire at Oliver business

PENTICTON - Oliver has been rocked by another major fire, this time a structure fire to a business. Following two major wildfires near the town last Friday, August 14, the Oliver Fire Department is fighting another fire this afternoon. Members of the Oliver Volunteer Fire Department have been fighting a blaze that broke out at...

Rafting accident claims life of Kelowna man ahead of wedding

KELOWNA – Less than a month before he was set to be married, a young Kelowna man has drowned while white-water rafting near Golden over the weekend. Rene Bourgault was rafting with three other people in Kicking Horse River Sunday, Aug. 16 when the group was thrown into the water roughly ten kilometres east of...

Okanagan First Nations develop new business with sustainable sockeye initiative

PENTICTON - Years of hard work and dedication by the Okanagan Nation Alliance to re-establish the Okanagan sockeye has resulted in a new and emerging interior fishery, as well as a new business opportunity for local First Nations. The Alliance reintroduced sockeye fry into Skaha Lake in 2003, entering into cooperative water sharing agreements with...

North Thompson hits level four drought rating

NORTH THOMPSON – As drought conditions persist and stream flows decrease around the province, the North Thompson region has joined the ranks of many others at a level four drought rating. Conditions in the region are still extremely dry even after the past weekend’s rainfall. Further declines in stream, lake and aquifer levels could lead...