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politics

Free parking in downtown Vernon adding up to concerns

VERNON - There’s concern that free parking is coming at too high a cost in downtown Vernon. Vernon city council has approved a number of free parking days for special events and initiatives, adding up to a total of approximately 15 days of free parking, Coun. Catherine Lord said at a meeting Monday, Jan. 11....

New water woes add to concerns at the Vernon art gallery

VERNON - The Vernon Public Art Gallery has sprung yet another leak. Water started dripping from the ceiling of the storage and permanent collections area sometime over the night of Jan. 5 to 6, according to executive director Dauna Kennedy Grant. It’s the latest in a string of leaks at the gallery over the past...

North Okanagan-Shuswap MP opens doors to constituency office

VERNON - Constituents will soon be able to visit their member of Parliament in Vernon. North Okanagan-Shuswap MP Mel Arnold’s constituency office opens Thursday, Jan. 14, on 29th Street. It’s the same office former MP Colin Mayes used. "I am very excited to officially open my office in Vernon," Arnold says in a media release....

Longer Service B.C. hours in Vernon start today

VERNON - People will have an extra hour to stop by Service B.C. in Vernon as part of a pilot project starting today. Service B.C. is testing out extended hours in response to requests from local residents, the province said in a media release. The pilot project will see the Vernon office stay open from...

City of Vernon gives its website a major facelift

VERNON - The City of Vernon has a new online look. It unveiled a new website today, Dec. 22, which has been over a year in the making. Vernon council approved a budget of $125,000 for the project in September 2014, and Upanup Design Studios from Victoria, B.C., was awarded the contract in July 2015....

Options of new welcome to Vernon signs ‘too bland’

VERNON - Vernon council trashed a series of design ideas for the city’s new welcome signs, calling for more playfulness and vibrancy. This week council was shown three options for the signs, which are being redone, but quickly sent staff back to the drawing board. The draft designs featured wood material, and a large white...

Central Okanagan director censured, sanctioned and stripped of most duties

KELOWNA - Regional politicians took a rare step today in censuring and sanctioning one of their own, demanding she write an apology and stripping her of the ability to represent her area on several committees. All but three Central Okanagan Regional District directors voted to rebuke Central Okanagan East director Patty Hanson and have her...

Vernon council exploring options for largely empty downtown parkade

VERNON - Concerns around safety might be deterring people from using downtown Vernon’s parkade. The parkade only has about 35 per cent usage, council learned on Monday, Dec. 14, leading Coun. Catherine Lord to question why it's not better used.  “We need to do something to make it more attractive for people, especially if we...

Questions and concerns over proposed cutblocks near Vernon

VERNON - A proposed cutblock in the Coldstream area has the City of Vernon asking more questions. The city received notice from B.C. Timber Sales in September regarding proposed cutblocks covering 261 acres within the BX Community Watershed, just east of Vernon in electoral area C.  The area is located on Vernon Mountain and while...

Merchants air mixed feelings about downtown Vernon market

VERNON - Vernon has some hard data on how downtown merchants feel about the summertime Avenue Market, and while it's not all good there is support to keep the market going. Survey results show businesses have mixed feelings about the market, which runs on Friday evenings on 30 Avenue during the summer. Of 143 surveys sent...

Mounties calling for more manpower to police Vernon streets

VERNON - More RCMP boots on the ground seems to be the answer to a recent wave of safety concerns in the downtown core, but mounties say more boots requires more bodies. Sgt. Kara Triance spoke of the need for an increase of two police officers during a presentation to Vernon City Council Monday, Nov....

Community group created to welcome refugees to the North Okanagan

VERNON - A group of community organizations, local residents and faith groups are coming together with a common vision — welcoming refugees and settling them in the North Okanagan. The recently created North Okanagan Refugee Committee is already mobilizing to bring international refugee families to the area. “It is important that refugees are welcomed, supported...

Vernon resort makes case for contentious marina on Okanagan Lake

VERNON - Those pushing for a new marina on Okanagan Lake say safety is at stake if the project is blocked. The proposal for a 72-slip marina for the Outback Resort has been a controversial one. A neighbourhood group called the Friends of South Bay are fiercely opposed, citing environmental impacts, water quality concerns and...

Kelowna-area politician’s loose lips have her facing possible penalties from colleagues

ALLEGEDLY GAVE UNTRUE INFORMATION; FILM COMMISSIONER FEARED LOSS OF JOB KELOWNA - A local politician is already in hot water with her colleagues, but tomorrow we should know exactly how much. Patty Hanson, a veteran director at the Central Okanagan Regional District, faces what amounts to a disciplinary hearing by her colleagues on the board....

Watch for whimsical pop up parks in Vernon

VERNON - A special surprise will be popping up in a Vernon park sometime this fall. It’s part of new city initiative to bring interest and excitement to underused spaces and will see a variety of temporary equipment — such as brightly painted Adirondack chairs, a piano, drums and a massive xylophone — installed in...

Bow hunting pitched as solution for Vernon deer population

VERNON - There’s talk about using bow hunting to help manage the deer population in Vernon. Coun. Brian Quiring made the suggestion at a council meeting Nov. 9, noting the city is overrun with deer. “There are so many deer it’s unbelievable,” Quiring said. He added the sheer volume of deer crossing city roads is...

Vernon cyclists want more wheels on the ground

VERNON - Cycling enthusiasts are gearing up to get a bit more organized in the Vernon area. The Greater Vernon Cycling Advisory Committee has been around for roughly a decade, but members say the current structure isn’t getting the job done. Representative Bruce Mol says they’re looking to reorganize and take a more aggressive approach...

Plans for huge new care home in downtown Vernon coming along

VERNON - The creation of a large, multi-storey care home in downtown Vernon is moving along, but there are concerns it won’t be much to look at. The City of Vernon supported several development variances for the project, which includes 90 residential care beds, 52 assisted living units, 72 one- and two-bedroom condo units, and...

Vernon residents still fighting resort’s attempts to build a marina

VERNON - A controversial marina proposal on Okanagan Lake has resurfaced. The Outback Resort has once again applied for permission from the provincial government to build a 72-slip marina in South Bay near Ellison Provincial Park and that’s put a local community group on the defensive. The Friends of South Bay has been boycotting the marina...