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politics
ELECTION 2014: Advance polling stations open next week in Penticton
PENTICTON - Advance polling stations will be open for two days next week for any Penticton residents needing or wishing to cast their votes a little early. The City is opening two polling stations on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at City Hall from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Thursday, Nov. 6 at Cherry Lane...
MP’s remarks were ‘uninformed and disappointing’: Vernon homeless shelter
‘I WISH I HAD CONFIDENCE THAT I HAVE SUPPORT FROM MY MP’ VERNON - The executive director of a local organization committed to getting Vernon’s homeless people off the streets says recent comments made by the region’s MP are misinformed, especially considering the high number of deaths on its streets the past two years. Barbara...
Penticton open for business: ranking
PENTICTON - Penticton has been ranked as one of the province’s top three entrepreneurial cities, and amongst the top 20 in Canada. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business released a report called Canada’s Entrepreneurial Commutities which studied municipalities with populations of 20,000 or more and ranked them based on 14 indicators including, industrial diversity, representation...
Complementary enterprise pitched for Vernon visitor centre
VERNON - A local politician wants to bring Vernon’s arts and culture to a main pit stop on any tourist’s jaunt through town. Expressions of interest are being accepted for a vacant section of the new visitor centre on 39 Avenue, and City of Vernon councillor Mary-Jo O’Keefe sees it as an opportunity. “I would...
ELECTION 2014: A night out with the candidates
PENTICTON - Election candidates and Chamber members have a chance to get to know each other better at a members-only speed campaigning event. It's a chance for Chamber members to have one-on-one conversations with the candidates and ask any questions they like during the five-minute period. Each member will have a chance to meet each...
Three trustee spots secured, race continues for others
PENTICTON - Three school trustees already have their spots on the board secured, but the race continues for Penticton area candidates. There are three electoral areas for School District 67: Penticton (four seats), Summerland (two seats), and surrounding rural areas (one seat). Ginny Manning will hold her spot on the board since she has no...
Get your questions ready for the mayoral candidate forum
PENTICTON - Mayoral candidates will take the stage this week to discuss their goals and answer citizens’ questions at a public forum. The forum, organized by the Chamber of Commerce and the Penticton Herald, will be held on Thursday Oct. 30, 2014 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Lakeside Resort. Each candidate will...
Citizens organize forum to educate community on Penticton election issues
PENTICTON - Local citizens are taking the election campaign into their own hands and educating themselves about the candidates and the issues in the upcoming civic vote. Members the community Facebook group Educate Encourage Empower Penticton have organized two candidate forums; one for the candidates for council and one for mayoral candidates. Candidates must RSVP...
Kamloops Imam denounces attacks in Ottawa
KAMLOOPS – Imam Mazhar Mahmood was on his way to the Adam’s Lake salmon run on Wednesday when he heard of the shooting in Ottawa. “I was literally in tears,” he said. Upon his return to the mosque, the tears continued once local Muslims finished their prayers. Mahmood, who manages the Kamloops Islamic Association, said...
ELECTION 2014: Which candidates will step down from high-ranking community groups?
PENTICTON - A handful of council hopefuls may have to leave their high-ranking board positions with community organizations if they are elected next month. Max Picton, Chairman of the Tourism Penticton board, and Campbell Watt, President of the Chamber of Commerce, have both said they will leave their respected positions if they are successful in...
UPDATE: Signs point to political scandal in Osoyoos
OSOYOOS – An Osoyoos man thinks he knows why the mayor of Osoyoos has withdrawn his candidacy in the municipal election campaign and he wants to make sure the people of the community are aware. In an email sent to local media outlets, Oliver Betz outlines a trespassing and theft case involving Mayor Stu Wells...
Residents will see much-needed infrastructure improvements on their streets
PENTICTON - Residents of Corry Place will see much-needed infrastructure improvements on their street, however council is concerned the cost ratio split between residents and the city could set a precedent for similar projects in the future. Garry Gratton, Corry Place resident and council candidate, spoke to council at Monday night’s council meeting about the...
A little less housing but more happy residents for Scott Avenue
PENTICTON - The residents of Scott Avenue can breathe a sigh of relief knowing an undesired rental property will not be built on their street. Council made a decision this week to nix a plan that’s been in the works for over two years. A third public hearing was held at City Hall Monday night...
Development director leaves city job to take over campus position
PENTICTON - The city will lose one of its greatest assets when development planner Anthony Haddad heads north to work on the expansion of the UBC Okanagan campus. Haddad leaves for his new position as the director of campus planning and development at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna, in a few weeks time. Haddad has been...
ELECTION 2014 FORUMS: Time to quiz your candidates
VERNON - Dates have been set for area voters to learn more about their municipal candidates. The Vernon Performing Arts Centre will host two forums, one for City of Vernon candidates and the other for District of Coldstream nominees. Both will provide an opportunity for candidates to state their platforms, and for the public to...
Still no RCMP invoice for Boonstock
PENTICTON - It’s been almost three months since Boonstock weekend and festival organizers still have not received a copy of the RCMP expense report, which outlines additional costs incurred over the four-day festival. Forty officers were scheduled to work the festival weekend and racked up a $200,000 bill paid for by Boonstock. But in September,...
ARCHER: Do signs mean anything?
If you left your house at all this week, you’ve seen all the election signs that went up after nominations closed last Friday. They come in all sizes and colours, some with photos, others with their catch phrases. They are all trying to catch the attention of community members—the electorate—and make a name for themselves....
Crowd funding websites weren’t on Elections B.C. radar
KELOWNA – When the B.C. Government introduced new regulations covering municipal election campaign donations in May it appears they didn’t take into consideration the latest, greatest way to raise money—crowd funding. Many candidates taking part in the civic election campaigns across the province have turned to crowd funding websites like gofundme.com or kickstarter.com. Sean Upshaw...
No takers: Olalla water commission gets appointed
SOUTH OKANAGAN - The Olalla water commission race has been deemed a ‘non-election’ since no nominations were submitted for the four available positions. There has been a challenge in retaining elected officials in the Olalla community since 2008, says Christy Malden, chief elections officer for the Regional District of the Okanagan-Similkameen. It has been difficult...
Mayoral candidate says his crimes are in his past
PENTICTON - Mayoral candidate Jukka Laurio says his time spent in jail for sexual offence is in the past and people should focus on what he’s doing now to improve the community. Laurio, who announced he was running for mayor of Penticton last week, has a serious criminal record including drug trafficking and possession conviction...
ELECTION 2014: Plenty of choice in Kelowna civic election
KELOWNA – With 29 candidates declared for Kelowna city councillor, the only thing for certain is... there will be a lot of election signs. Candidate nominations closed at 4 p.m. on Friday. Six candidates vie for mayor, 29 for city councillor and nine for school trustee. Former mayor Sharon Shepherd and councillor Colin Basran are...
ELECTION 2014: West Kelowna candidates finalized
WEST KELOWNA – Three candidates are confirmed for mayor of West Kelowna, including incumbent Doug Findlater. Challenging Findlater for his job are Stephen Johnston and Mary Mandarino. The nomination period for the Nov. 14 civic election closed at 4 p.m. on Friday. Thirteen people are seeking one of six seats on council: - Joanne Baker -...
Jukka Laurio takes second attempt at mayoral seat
PENTICTON - The mayoral race just got a little tougher with local business owner Jukka Laurio filing to become the third candidate. Laurio is no stranger to city politics, having run for mayor in 2011, but he says he’s more focused this time around. “I’m going to give Penticton a job,” he says. He explained...
Teens reclaim social media by spreading #cyberlove
PENTICTON - A couple of Summerland highschool students are encouraging their peers to spread the love online through a new campaign. Caitie Shaw and Dan Nixon started the #cyberlove campaign through the Youth Empowerment Project to connect with and empower youth all over the world to create positive change. The campaign kicks off on October 10—World...