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politics
Changes to foreign worker policy impacts local ski hills
VERNON - Crackdowns on Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program have put local ski hills in a bind. Ken Derpak, managing director for Silver Star Mountain Resort, says the process for hiring a temporary foreign worker now carries a $1,000 fee. Before the overhauls, it cost only $275 per person. Silver Star typically hires 20 international...
Councillor says Boonstock for “head-banging druggies”
PENTICTON - City Coun. Katie Robinson made an unexpected comment about Boonstock at last night’s council meeting, causing gallery members to gasp and other councillors to hold their heads in their hands. “I’m not a head-banging druggie, so I wasn’t interested in it whatsoever,” Robinson said of the festival. Robinson has been outspoken about her...
Here’s what the Osoyoos Indian Band chief and council are paid
OSOYOOS - Newly released Osoyoos Indian Band financial statements show a huge gap between First Nations and local governement when it comes to salaries and expenses. The 2014 financial documents, submitted as required by the new First Nations Financial Transparency Act, outline the earnings and expenses of Chief Clarence Louie and the band's five councillors....
Senior crossing gets more attention
KAMLOOPS - Though there are more than 110 signatures of support for a full traffic signal at Mayfair Street and Tranquille Road staff still believe the current system is safer. In a petition submitted to council this week residents, volunteers and staff at the RiverBend Seniors Community on Mayfair Street are asking for advanced left...
Hospital expansion gets approval from province
PENTICTON - Premier Christy Clark announced this morning Penticton will get the hospital tower expansion it has been waiting for. “As Penticton continues to grow, so does the demand on services Penticton families rely on, including the hospital,” Clark said in a press release. The Penticton Regional Hospital Patient Care Tower is bigger than originally...
Downtown intersection set to reopen
KAMLOOPS - After a year delay and several months of construction the work connecting access to Riverside Park and the downtown core is nearly complete. Last summer a the city backed off the project because the cost was higher than anticipated and money wasn't available in the capital plan budget to cover it. When it finally resumed,...
Garbage fees going up
KAMLOOPS - If you bring a load of garbage to the landfill you will be looking at higher fees but it should have little impact on the average homeowner who has garbage picked up curb side. Public Works Director Jen Fretz said the hope is increased fees will help divert waste, but it is also...
Labour council president running for city council
KAMLOOPS - The current president of the Kamloops and District Labour Council is the latest to announce his intention to run in the upcoming municipal election. Peter Kerek has been the president of the council since 2011 and earlier this week he used social media to announce his intention to run. The Kamloops Transit employee...
Council goes against staff on casino move
KAMLOOPS - The public will get to voice input on the proposed move of the downtown casino to the former Rona location in Aberdeen after a staff recommendation to deny the application was overturned by council Tuesday. “We need the opportunity to hear from the community, and casino people,” Coun. Tina Lange said. “(We have)...
Penticton Indian Band reinstates support for Boonstock
PENTICTON - The Penticton Indian Band has retracted a statement that was accidentally released earlier today withdrawing their support for Boonstock Music and Arts Festival this weekend. Chief Jonathan Kruger said organizers have now met all the band's requirements and they will continue to support the festival. Organizers had not yet provided the $200,000 bill...
Overlanders Bridge update moving forward
KAMLOOPS - The city is moving forward on the $9.3 million in repairs needed for the Overlanders Bridge deck and sidewalk, work set to take place in 2015. Originally the project was set to fix the bridge deck at an estimated cost of $6.12 million but early this year staff asked councillors to hold off...
Hopkin resigns as city councillor
PENTICTON - The youngest member of Penticton City Council, Wes Hopkin, announced he will be resigning as councillor in August, after one short term. Hopkin is moving East to attend law school at the University of Toronto and has to leave before his political term is over this fall because of school scheduling. The council...
Lack of communication, planning turned Boonstock into Drystock
PENTICTON - It's official: Boonstock will be dry. The Liquor Control and Licensing Board said today the Boonstock Music and Arts Festival organizers cannot appeal their decision not to issue a liquor licence, leaving the 8,000 or so fans per day to get creative if they want their booze. The board said organizers failed to...
Staff against moving downtown casino to Aberdeen
KAMLOOPS - Relocating the Lake City Casino out of downtown will potentially weaken the core area and require ‘significant’ improvements to traffic and transportation in the Aberdeen and Pineview areas. “The loss of the casino in the City Centre may have an impact on downtown's social and economic fabric,” Development Director Marvin Kwiatkowski said in...
Westsyde Road rehab to be complete by fall
KAMLOOPS - Westsyde Road will get a lot of new asphalt this summer and it will be done with a lower price tag than originally thought as well. The road will see more than 70,000 square metres of concrete surface milled and paved, as well as drainage improvements and replacement of all sanitary, storm, water...
Band chief works to bridge gaps in community
PENTICTON - Penticton Indian Band chief Jonathan Kruger hopes to involve locatees and the band community in development projects, including the new bridge that will be built over the Okanagan River channel. The project is part of Kruger’s big plans to improve the band’s economy and community. The bridge is just a gateway for some...
Penticton realtor easily wins Conservative nomination in new federal riding
PENTICTON – Members of the federal Conservative party in the new riding of South Okanagan-West Kootenay have picked Marshall Neufeld as their candidate in a landslide. The Penticton real estate agent grabbed 88 per cent of 649 votes cast at nomination meetings in Castlegar, Grand Forks, Osoyoos and Penticton. Neufeld handily beat his only challenger...
IN PHOTOS: Street art of downtown Penticton
PENTICTON - There are a handful of ways to deal with the city's tagging problem, and city officials are looking into them and will hopefully have a decision sooner rather than later as to how the problem can be fixed. In the meantime, here are some photos from around downtown Penticton of murals, graffiti and...
Council keeps neutral stance about Boonstock
PENTICTON - City Council remains neutral about endorsing Boonstock after a letter was sent by the Chamber of Commerce asking council to reconsider its decision. The Chamber has been an enthusiastic supporter of the music festival and said it’s good business to get behind a new business operation of this size. Campbell Watt, Chamber president...
Council looks at options to end the city’s tagging problem
PENTICTON - An end to tagging in downtown Penticton may be just around the corner, so long as council can agree on a feasible and effective plan to eradicate the vandalism. City Council was presented Monday with several solutions to the tagging problem that received a lot of attention in the spring. Already there are...
Farmers Market wants more space for wine vendors
PENTICTON - Local wineries and breweries are now able to sell liquor and hold tastings at Penticton farmers markets, but some concerns regarding space and competition are already arising. Council passed an amendment at Monday night’s council meeting to change the definition of an outdoor market to include the sale and tasting of wine and...
STAHN: Tax payers should find another way
The City of Kamloops spent $45,000 this year on a temporary tax office just to help residents who insist on paying their tax bills in person avoid the construction taking place outside of City Hall. Does that make sense in 2014? Only 2,600 people used the temporary office at McArthur Island working out to a cost...
Vernon mayor leaving the job to ‘someone a bit younger’
VERNON - A Vernon mayor praised for building relationships between local governments feels he’s finished what he started and is letting a younger person take the reigns. Rob Sawatzky, 62, has announced he won’t be seeking re-election this fall. He says he’s getting too old for the demands of the job and plans to spend...
VIDEO: What an Okanagan Rail Trail could look like
VERNON - A new video showcases the merits of converting the rail bed between Vernon and Kelowna into a multi-purpose trail. The 50 km stretch runs along Kalamalka Lake, Wood Lake and Duck Lake and past 22 parks. Canadian National has begun the process of selling off the line, whose former operator Kelowna Pacific Railway...