politics
Local rep says Greater Vernon Water referendum failed for all the wrong reasons
'I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK THIS WAS A POLITICAL POSITION TO TAKE WITH THE ELECTION COMING UP' VERNON - A local politician is speaking out against the results of the failed Greater Vernon Water referendum. Electoral Area C director Mike Macnabb believes it failed for all the wrong reasons. “I think the $70 million was...
Outgoing council has tearful goodbye at last council meeting
PENTICTON - There were tears around the council table during the meeting Monday night as goodbye speeches were made by three outgoing members, all of whom have served Penticton for nearly a decade. Coun. John Vassilaki, who has been a councillor for twelve consecutive years, went first, listing council’s accomplishments over the years and giving...
ELECTION 2014: Vote recount not necessary, according to city
PENTICTON - Members of the community are asking for a recount after voter turnout was lower than anticipated, however the city is not planning a recount request. Only 8,424 of the 26,806 eligible voters submitted their ballots for the 2014 election— almost two per cent fewer voters than in 2011. The community had high expectations...
Penticton council would be completely different if students voted
PENTICTON - Penticton students took part in a province-wide program to choose who they thought should be on city council and the results are very different than the results of last week's civic election in Penticton. The vote was part of Student Vote Day 2014, a program offering students a chance to learn about the...
ELECTION 2014: Who won in the South Okanagan
SOUTH OKANAGAN - You voted and the results are in for the mayors and councils of the South Okanagan who will start their four-year terms in December. Summerland welcomes new mayor Peter Waterman, who won with 1,197 votes. Joining him on council is Toni Boot with 2,819 votes; Erin Trainer with 2,214 votes; Erin Carlson...
ELECTION 2014: Jakubeit new mayor of Penticton
PENTICTON - The votes are in and Andrew Jakubeit is the new mayor of Penticton, beating out former councillor and colleague John Vassilaki and local businessman Jukka Laurio. Jakubeit won by more than 2,000 votes with a total of 5,126 votes. “I just want to say thank you,” he said after the win. “The whole...
ELECTIONS 2014: Vernon voters have their say
VERNON - Local residents are having their say on who they want as city mayors, councillors, school trustees and regional district representatives. Many voters have already cast their ballots. Over the three days of advance voting, a total of 1,957 people cast their votes, up several hundred from the 2011 election. Those numbers suggest Vernon...
Cyberlove campaign back for anti-bullying week
PENTICTON - Summerland teens are challenging people all over the world to spread positive messages on social media during anti-bullying week. Caitie Shaw and Dan Nixon, two high school students from Summerland and founders of the Youth Empowerment Project, started the #cyberlove campaign, which kickstarted earlier this fall. The goal of the campaign was to...
Faux campaign signs spark a laugh during tense election time
PENTICTON - There's a local man known by friends for his random acts of kindness, whether it’s sticking a ten dollar bill in a library book, or making fake election signs to get a laugh from his friends. Rylan Hernberg’s signs are mixed in with the other hundreds of election candidate signs around town, but...
Free bus rides on election day
PENTICTON - The City and Transit B.C. are offering free bus rides on voting day to encourage Penticton residents to come out and vote, free of charge. All regular route buses and HandyDart rides will be free for passengers heading to the polls on Saturday, Nov. 15. The General Election will be held at the...
Penticton rapper gets on board with voting campaign
PENTICTON - A social media campaign to encourage Penticton residents to vote in the municipal election this weekend is using locally made music videos to reach the younger voters. The Get Out and Vote Penticton campaign raised over $300 at a pub night fundraiser last week, with proceeds going to online marketing to encourage people...
Centre at Naramata risks being shut down
PENTICTON - The Centre at Naramata risks a chance of shutting down unless the organization can raise $500,000 by the end of the month. The Centre has had financial difficulties, which became known to the public this past spring when 30 CUPE workers, employed by the Centre went on strike. A statement released earlier this...
Votes cast at advance polls break records
PENTICTON - Attendance numbers from the advance polls earlier this week have broken records for number of ballots cast. On the first day of advance polls, 746 ballots were cast, and 1,147 ballots were cast on the second day, for a two-day total of 1,893—1,103 more votes cast than in 2011. The Local Government now...
Penticton is invited to Rock the Vote
PENTICTON - One election candidate is taking the issue of voter turnout into his own hands by organizing a Rock the Vote event to spread the word about the importance of voting. Mayoral candidate Andrew Jakubeit arranged an event for Thursday Nov. 6 at the Barking Parrot Bar and Grill that includes live music and...
Remember to vote, local marketing agency uses social media campaign to spread the word
PENTICTON - A local marketing company is lending its services and expertise to the Rock the Vote campaign encouraging Penticton residents to get out and vote next weekend during the general election. Dave MacCoubrey, owner of SIRF Marketing and Spotted in Penticton has been collecting video footage, photos and comments from election candidates over the...