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politics
Environmental response on Ajax ‘not good enough for the city of Kamloops’
KAMLOOPS — Council united in frustration Tuesday afternoon as they approved two separate motions asking for the Environmental Assessment Office to step up and help the residents of Kamloops better understand the proposed Ajax mine. Back in May, city councillors asked the office to host a public session to provide clarity on the process for Ajax...
Learn more about the Wiltse Area development plan
PENTICTON - A development plan that has been in the works for several years has been brought back to council, and soon, the public will have a chance to say a word or two. There will be an open house on July 16 at the Penticton Public Library for the Wiltse Area development plan. A...
STAHN: Penalties govern highway speed, not traffic signs
Last week the provincial government announced it was increasing the speed limit on more than 1,300 kilometres of highway. I’m sure the cry around the province was ‘Yay! I get to drive faster… legally.’ But how much does the posted speed limit really affect driver habits? Transportation Minister Todd Stone said more than 85 per...
ARCHER: Holding government leaders accountable
Government bodies get a bad rap when it comes to spending money, and sometimes the facts prove our tax dollars are not being well spent. But when government officials show us what's in their pockets, it becomes easier for the public to trust their leaders and the decisions they make on behalf of the community....
Residents make formal complaint about beach-going nudists
PENTICTON - A formal complaint has been made to RCMP about nudists at Three Mile Beach making other beach goers uncomfortable. A group of people who live near the beach brought their complaints to Mayor Garry Litke Tuesday who passed them on again to Supt. Kevin Hewco. “Local residents are feeling intimidated about using the...
Boonstock a go: Organizers have security covered, prepare for economic opportunity
PENTICTON - Boonstock Music Festival organizers have a new security company and are adamant the show will go on August long weekend with or without a liquor license. Boonstock organizers including Barb Haynes and Colin Kobza told a small crowd in Penticton at a public forum Tuesday night they reached an agreement with 24-7 Security...
Penticton considering spreading advanced polling stations around city
PENTICTON - Voters may get more options as to where they can cast their ballots in the upcoming municipal election. Staff recommended council consider changing locations for one of two days of early voting, to better accommodate people living on the south side of town. Ballots have previously been cast at advanced polling stations set...
Have a question about Boonstock? Here’s your chance to ask it
PENTICTON - If you have questions about Boonstock, you’ll have a chance to speak with organizers directly at a public forum Tuesday night. Boonstock organizers will hold a panel discussion at the Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce, Tuesday July 7 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The public can ask organizers questions about...
Councillor wants city to be more transparent about expenses
PENTICTON - Coun. Helena Konanz is looking to make the city more transparent by publicly posting councillor expenses more than once a year. It will be easier to answer questions from media and public about expenses on a more regular basis, rather than having to refer to notes from conferences attended over a year earlier,...
‘Everything’s up to chance’ with Boonstock: RCMP
PENTICTON - Police continue to have serious concerns about a lack of security at Boonstock but are powerless to intervene. Add Penticton RCMP to the list of organizations kept in the dark about festival plans, now only three weeks away. Staff Sgt. Kurt Lozinski, the officer in charge of RCMP involvement in the festival, says...
Province questions Kinder Morgan
KAMLOOPS — Kinder Morgan has not been providing sufficient information about how it plans to mitigate concerns in Kamloops and elsewhere and the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office is not pleased. The province submitted more than 70 information requests, specific to spill response, prevention and recovery systems as part of the National Energy Board’s review of...
Penticton gets to decide how latest provincial grants will be spent
PENTICTON - New funds are rolling into the City’s bank account from a provincial fund and Penticton gets to choose how it will be distributed within the community. More than $423,000 will be given to the City and surrounding area — just a portion of the $74 million of Strategic Community Investment Fund money being...
$45K temporary tax office a ‘failure’
KAMLOOPS — One of the councillors who spoke out against spending $45,000 on a temporary tax office says the pilot project was a 'failed experiment' after only about 2,600 people used the alternative office. About a quarter of city property owners still pay in person instead of online but only seven per cent of property...
ARCHER: Hey Boonstock, just tell us what’s going on
Hey kids! Boonstock is only three weeks away! Nothing but fun and sun and music and culture and stuff! It’s all good all the time! Just please don’t look behind the curtain. I know I’ll be accused of being the grumpy old parent shushing the teenagers on their three-day sleepover, but I wish I didn’t...
Boonstock vows to continue despite security setback
PENTICTON - Boonstock organizers say the show will go on even without definite security plans, since the private company they hired quit one month before the weekend long concert. Boonstock officials have been difficult to reach at the best of times, but since International Crowd Management has backed out of the event hit the news...
City salaries remain steady
KAMLOOPS - With the number of city employees making more than $100,000 remaining steady at 62 and the amount spent on salaries only increasing by two per cent there wasn’t a lot of surprises in the financial statements this year. In total the city paid out nearly $54 million in salaries in 2013, up $1.17...
Boonstock in doubt as security firm backs out
PENTICTON - Boonstock faces a major setback after the private security company hired to work the festival weekend backed out of the deal. International Crowd Management terminated its agreement with Boonstock organizers, just one month before the festival comes to Penticton on August long weekend. There have been security and safety concerns about the festival...
Teachers union, province too far apart for mediation
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The teacher’s union and the province are too far apart for mediation to be productive, a potential mediator has decided, and the union is blaming the province. B.C. Teacher’s Federation President Jim Iker says exploratory discussions with B.C. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Kelleher and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association saw the government...
Council’s tour of Boonstock grounds eases concerns
PENTICTON - Progress on the Boonstock festival grounds this morning appears to be winning over skeptical Penticton City councillors who toured the property again this morning. It still looks like barren land, but organizers assured they are on track for a safe and fun weekend Aug 1 to 3. Not all councillors were invited to walk through...
City officials to take tour of Boonstock grounds
PENTICTON - Boonstock organizers have arranged another walk-through of festival grounds this weeks for city officials who either missed out or were not invited to the last tour on June 13. Coun. Helena Konanz confirmed her attendance at the walk-through and said she is excited about the festival and the 8,500 people it will bring...
Summer programs at risk
KAMLOOPS - Not only are summer school programs at risk due to the ongoing teacher strike action but now summer programs held on school property are also at risk. The B.C. Teacher’s Federation announced this week teachers would picket outside of schools hosting summer school programs if a deal is not reached by June 30....
VIDEO: ‘Our Voice Our Teachers’
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Two independent film makers under the name TNT Creation have joined the political battle in support of teachers this week with a video showcasing why and how Kamloops residents support B.C. teachers. The video, shot over two days, features Timo Sargent in front of the camera and Tim Unaegbu behind it. In a...
ARCHER: Trustees take a stand for students
If you’ve been following the teachers’ strike over the past few weeks, you know negotiations between the provincial government and teachers' federation have not been going… at all, really. We all feel helpless waiting for them to figure it out but think of school board trustees who are used to having some power and control...
Local school board putting pressure on both sides in teachers strike to settle
PENTICTON - The local school board is writing to provincial education officials urging them to come to a settlement agreement. The board held a special meeting this morning to discuss what information trustees want included in the letter to be sent to the Ministry of Education and the B.C. Teachers’ Federation. The idea of a...