politics
Kelowna chamber to press government on Okanagan corridor
VERNON - Another force is joining the fight to preserve the railway between Vernon and Kelowna for public use. The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce has passed a motion to encourage federal, provincial and municipal governments to preserve the railway in a way that benefits the Okanagan. “The concept of a public access use of the...
More savings for city in road rehabilitation
KAMLOOPS - Another road project ready to start, another $1 million in savings for the city. The lone bid for the rehabilitation of Windbreak Street came in at just under $2.3 million, well below the $3.3 million put aside in the 2014 budget for the project. It was originally thought the project just needed some...
Teachers and government ‘not even close’ to a deal
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — There is still a major gap between the teachers' union and the government when it comes to a new collective agreement and the education minister says as it sits the union’s proposal simply is not affordable. “We are not even close to where we need to be to get a negotiated agreement,” Peter...
STAHN: Who the strike is really hurting
‘This is not the way I wanted it to end.’ It’s a line I heard over and over again during the teacher strike. It’s applicable to both retiring teachers and the students who saw their school year end with less than 24 hours notice. Many of the students, abruptly told last Thursday would be their...
Celebrate a revitalized downtown at the city’s block party
PENTICTON - The City is hosting a block party next week to celebrate the newly revitalized Westminster-Martin western gateway. Revitalization of the 200 block of Martin Street between Westminster Avenue and Nanaimo Avenue was the first phase of the City’s Downtown revitalization plan. Construction began in late February and finished at the end of May,...
Chamber of Commerce on board for an Okanagan rail trail
VERNON – The push for an Okanagan rail trail is picking up steam. The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce has joined the movement to preserve the rail bed between Vernon and Kelowna as a recreational corridor. The chamber unanimously passed a motion to call on all levels of government to take a leadership role in...
Family, friends and day camps to fill void
KAMLOOPS - Unless things change drastically over the next few days teachers will be entering a full strike Tuesday and parents and child care facilities around the city are scrambling to figure out what to do with all the displaced students. For many parents it will mean digging a little deeper in their pockets to...
Teachers agree to full strike
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — More than 28,000 B.C. teachers voted in support of moving to a full strike, a move that could come as early as next week. In total more than 33,000 teachers took part in the vote Monday and Tuesday, with 86 per cent voting in support of stage three action. “Thank you for standing...
Full strike could begin Tuesday, no school Monday
OKANAGAN - This week could be the last week of school for many students, the teachers’ union announced this morning it will be moving to a full strike beginning Tuesday unless a deal can be reached on the collective agreement. An email was sent to teachers Thursday night and quickly news spread on social media....
City seeks guidance on golf course development
KAMLOOPS - An application to allow for a large multiple family development was turned down by the Agricultural Land Commission last year and while that means back to the drawing board for The Dunes the city is looking to move forward an amendment to help guide these types of development in the future. Currently The...
Former Kamloops judge seeks return to justice with NDP nomination
KAMLOOPS – Calling the Harper government “ruthless, arrogant and out of touch,” Kamloops lawyer Bill Sundhu made his pitch for a federal New Democratic Party nomination in a press release this morning. Sundhu cited several issues Canadians face - saying they are either “ignored or trivialized or worse – belittled.” He cites climate change, heath...
Rail trail a good, but expensive, idea: MP
VERNON - Federal, provincial and municipal governments are discussing the fate of the Okanagan rail corridor. Colin Mayes, Okanagan-Shuswap MP, says there was a meeting of elected representatives at the federal, provincial and municipal levels about the possibility of preserving the land for use as a recreational corridor. “I feel the corridor is very important...
Council approves Skaha Hills sewage connection system
PENTICTON - City council approved a sewage connection system agreement with the Penticton Indian Band for the new Skaha Hills Development. The joint-agreement project was first discussed by the Committee of the Whole in May and was approved at last night’s council meeting. The plan will cost the city $285,000 but will bring a return...
Sport facility naming program off to very slow start
KAMLOOPS — When a new city sports facility naming program rolled out just over a year ago the city had high hopes it would be a great way to help reduce the amount of fundraising local sports groups would need to do, but so far not one sponsorship has been sold. “The uptake is a...
Property tax time
KAMLOOPS — If you haven’t got it yet, you will soon. City property tax bills have been mailed out and it is up to you to make sure you have paid by July 2. City council agreed to a two per cent tax hike this year, about $35 to the average homeowner. Council was originally...