politics
STAHN: Casino relocation shows the power we hold
Let’s not fool ourselves about who holds the power when it comes to politics, especially at the municipal level. The casino debate at City Hall recently makes clear it's not city staff, it's not city councillors but you—the vocal voting public—who has the power. On Tuesday, I watched a procession of nearly 30 people take...
Pay by phone finally arrives
KAMLOOPS - Drivers now have another option for paying for downtown parking, their cell phones. The pay by phone system is aimed at offering convenience to drivers, but you’ll need to register with telepark.com before you can use it. Once registered you can text or phone in your start and stop times for downtown street...
Wine would be winning addition to markets
KAMLOOPS - The province now allows liquor to be sold at farmers markets but city staff are not quite ready to make the leap, suggesting council move to a public hearing first if they wish to explore the possibility. Shawn Haley, co-chair of the Kamloops Regional Farmers Market Society, is requesting the city approve a...
TimeForChange members to speak out at council
PENTICTON - Members of the “TimeForChange” Facebook group are taking the conversation offline and onto the streets this evening. They have organized to meet in front of City Hall at 5:30 p.m. Monday before the city council meeting. The goal of the congregation is to make sure city council knows the group is serious about...
Nudists on Facebook
PENTICTON - The conversation about keeping Three Mile Beach as a clothing optional space has moved online. And a lot of people are talking about it. The issue was most recently brought up on Monday by poster Darren Laughlin. He asked people their thoughts on the issue on the Time For Change Penticton Facebook group, a...
Options for back to school as strike continues
KAMLOOPS - As of Friday morning, B.C. teachers are still on strike and with only three weeks before back to school it’s time to start planning for what to do with your kids if a deal cannot be made before Sept. 2. Monica van der Meulen of the YMCA says the local group will be...
July good for multi-family housing
KAMLOOPS - While the number of permits for multi-family units was significantly higher for July 2014 over the previous year overall, units are still down quite a bit this year. Last month permits were issued for 60 new multi-family units, up from only 12 in July 2013, but that did help put a dent in...
Teens finalists in World Summit Youth Award for epilepsy support
SUMMERLAND - A group of young activists are finalists for the World Summit Youth Award for their work in epilepsy awareness. The Epilepsy Awareness Squad, created by high school students Caitie Shaw and Dan Nixon in June 2013, was among 1896 applicants from 138 UN countries for the award. The group uses its website and...
Casino public hearing set for Aug. 19
KAMLOOPS - If you have questions or concerns about the proposed relocation of the downtown casino to Aberdeen, next week is your chance to make yourself heard. Council decided late last month the public and the company behind the proposed casino relocation should get a chance to speak before any decisions are made as to...
Vassilaki considering trading his council seat for mayor
PENTICTON - Local businessman and city councillor John Vassilaki plans to run for mayor in the upcoming municipal election this fall. Vassilaki says he is considering running for mayor and will make a public announcement at the end of the month. He will have some competition for the hot seat, as current Mayor Garry Litke...
City encourages residents to take WaterWise pledge
PENTICTON - Residents and visitors will get a chance to learn how they can make water work at next week’s farmers’ market. City officials and regional partners will be at the market on Saturday, August 17 encouraging residents to take a pledge to conserve their water use. There are six different types of pledges residents...
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...
ARCHER: This one goes out to all the young people
Looking around the city council table, there are a lot of, how do I put this gently, wise faces, especially now that the youngest member, Wes Hopkin left for law school in Toronto. The 25-year-old councillor, who 22 when elected, brought a youthful spirit and fresh outlook to city governance. At his last council meeting...
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...
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...