politics
Vernon school board to hear community concerns over controversial pellet plant
VERNON - Parents will be given an opportunity to voice their concerns to the Vernon School District regarding a proposed pellet plant. The district called another meeting on Pinnacle Renewable Energy and Tolko’s plans to build a pellet plant near Lavington Elementary at a special board meeting Wednesday night. Residents asked the board to hold...
Grab your cameras and binoculars; Marina Way Lookout is open
PENTICTON - The Marina Way Lookout officially opens Thursday evening, revealing the newest view of Okanagan Lake with a celebration and historical tour. The reconstruction project was part of the city’s waterfront enhancement strategy. The vision was to transform the abandoned peninsula — formally used as a Canadian National Railway loading dock — into a...
Vernon teachers to escalate pressure this week
VERNON - Vernon teachers plan to intensify pressure on local and provincial government in the coming days. With school supposed to start next week and no deal reached with the province, the Vernon Teachers Association will picket outside the school board office Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week to push Premier Christy Clark, Education...
Kamloops federal Liberal Party candidates debate the issues
KAMLOOPS – It's your chance to check out the three federal Liberal Party nominees for the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo riding at an all candidates panel discussion Thursday night. Steve Powrie, Niki Remesz and Peter Mutrie will all share their thoughts on key issues and the party’s platform. Powrie is an elementary school teacher. Remesz owns her own...
Public meeting will focus on teacher strike, proposed Lavington plant
VERNON - A special meeting set for tonight will focus on two topics that have been in the news lately: The teacher strike and a proposed pellet plant in Lavington. The special meeting, called specifically by the school district to address the two issues, starts at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the board office on 15...
School district ‘extremely disappointed’ with labour strife
KELOWNA - The Central Okanagan Board of Education is ‘extremely disappointed’ in the lack of movement between the B.C. Teachers’ Federation and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association, which could result in schools not being open next week as planned. Trustees say they have been pushing the two parties to bring in a mediator to...
Budget talks begin early
KAMLOOPS - It is only August but Kamloops city staff are getting a jump on the 2015 budget discussions by asking council to approve several items for the upcoming budget requests. It does not mean these items will be be part of the budget, it simply means staff was asking council to approve them to...
Kamloops teachers back to picket lines
KAMLOOPS - The pickets are back up as we close in on the last week of summer break, and with that the hope of being able to start school on time is dwindling. After a break over the summer, teachers hit the pavement again Monday and plan to be there every day until a deal...
Farmers’ market now offering local brew
KAMLOOPS - A typical crowd formed during the Saturday morning farmers’ market but they weren't just lining up for fresh produce — it was the first time wine sampling was allowed at a Kamloops market and people were more than willing to stand in line for a sample. The farmers’ market was given the green...
Time to grab your election nomination forms
PENTICTON - Nomination packages for the uncapping municipal election can be picked up starting today at the Regional District offices and online. The packages include necessary forms and information to help candidates, such as dates, process and strategic plans. Candidates are required to have two qualified nominators sign their nomination. There is no nomination deposit...
This is how young people in Penticton are bringing awareness to mental health
PENTICTON - There's a group of five Penticton 20-somethings creating a plan for a new non-profit organization to help bring support and awareness of mental health to town — because of what happened to someone they know. They gather at a coffee shop on Main Street in downtown Penticton, their computer screens glowing, pages of...
Longboard park welcome addition to Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - A city-designed longboard track has been installed at an Aberdeen park and while some detail work is yet to be completed the longboard community is flocking to try out the long awaited track. “They’re a lot of fun,” boarder Ben Peacock says. “It’s also the world’s first longboard park as far as I...
Penticton Indian Band wants fairness in financial transparency
PENTICTON - The Chief of the Penticton Indian Band says he doesn't mind releasing his band's financial statements so long as the federal government treats band politicians and government politicians equally in terms of salary and pensions. The band posted its audited financial statements for 2013-2014 on its official website Wednesday, allowing anyone to see...
TCC repairs to be complete this fall
KAMLOOPS - Repairs to the leaky walls and ceilings at the Tournament Capital Centre Fieldhouse will be completed this fall, about a year after council committed to the repairs. The vapour barrier was identified as being ineffective and has been causing condensation when the outside temperature is just above zero Celsius. The water has then...
ARCHER: A lot of talk, how about some action?
The group TimeForChangePenticton has become a sort of phenomenon over the last few weeks. I “liked” the page early on and my Facebook feed has been blowing up with notifications of posts and pictures and comments. People are talking about issues that many argue were not being talked about (enough) before. All the talk is...