South Okanagan

Thousands of Thompson-Okanagan renters mired in affordable housing crisis, new index says

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - About a quarter of all renters in the Thompson-Okanagan are facing an affordable housing crisis, according to a new study. The new Canadian Rental Housing Index is an interactive map which offers a snapshot of rental housing conditions across the country. You can search by city or electoral area riding, and find the...

Forecast heat wave prompts warning for people to be prepared

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Hot desert air moving into the Southern Interior this weekend is behind a Special Weather Statement warning people to get ready. Record breaking high temperatures of 40 Celsius are forecast for Saturday, June 27, and Sunday, June 28, in the South Thompson, Nicola and South Okanagan. In the statement, issued today, June 25,...

UPDATE: Severe thunderstorm watch ended for South Okanagan

PENTICTON – A severe thunderstorm watch for the South Okanagan, including the city of Penticton, has been end by Environment Canada. Conditions are no longer favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms. The watch continues further to the east in the Boundary, Arrow Lakes, Slocan Lake, West Kootenay, Kootenay Lake, East Kootenay and Elk Valley...

Rainfall warning for South Okanagan

PENTICTON - Residents of the South Okanagan are advised to get prepared for possible flooding over the next couple of days as Environment Canada issues a rainfall warning.  Forecasters are calling for rainfall amounts between 25 and 40 millimetres tonight and tomorrow, with the rain expected to be heavy at times. An upper disturbance moving...

South Okanagan provincial parks name change reflect aboriginal culture

PENTICTON - Two South Okanagan parks have been renamed to reflect traditional First Nation place names. Environment Minister Mary Polak and Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie made the official announcement, renaming Haynes Point and Okanagan Falls Provincial Parks. The name changes coincide with the Osoyoos band taking over management of the two parks. McIntyre...

Beekeepers on the hunt for swarming bees

PENTICTON - Beekeepers are asking for your help to spot swarming bees so they don't become a nuisance and local beekeepers can use them to create new colonies. Uncaptured swarms can sometimes mean problems for homeowners, according to a media release. If they find small openings in roofs, they can establish themselves, resulting in a...

Golden Mile Bench is a thing; dream becomes reality for some Okanagan wineries

OLIVER – Soon, when you open a bottle of wine from one of 11 select wineries in the South Okanagan, you will notice something new on the label. The Golden Mile Bench sub-geographical indicator, or sub-appellation, is a first in B.C. meant to mark wines grown in a specific region with at least 95 per...

Boonstock will not return to Penticton

PENTICTON – The controversial Boonstock music festival will not be back in the South Okanagan this summer. In a posting on its Facebook page, Boonstock Productions has announced it will not be returning to Penticton in 2015. Macklemore headlined the first and only Penticton Boonstock music festival on the August long weekend last summer. There...

Mount Baldy to reopen this season

PENTICTON - South Okanagan ski enthusiasts should be rejoicing after hearing Mount Baldy will be re-opening this season. Baldy Capital Corporation, a Calgary based company, made the announcement this week after recently reaching a Memorandum of Understanding to purchase the resort. The company has reached an interim financing and management agreement with newly appointed receiver...

Mount Baldy expected to reopen for skiing this season

PENTICTON - Mount Baldy may be up-and-running this season despite financial setbacks that kept the ski resort closed last year. The company that has been handling the Mount Baldy foreclosure account, G-Force Real Estate, says the only thing left to do is assemble all the required pieces to re-launch the resort this upcoming season. A...

I spy: Have you seen these endangered species of the South Okanagan?

PENTICTON - The South Okanagan is a vast land full of rare, strange and interesting creatures. And it is known as one of the most at risk regions in all of Canada, according to the South Okanagan-Similkameen Conservation Program. Most at-risk species can be divided into four categories: Wetlands, grasslands, forests and riparian areas. Here’s...

Career criminal commits to cleaning up his act

PENTICTON — A career criminal faces a less severe sentencing after telling a judge he is committed to improving his behaviour through rehab and counselling programs. Nicholas Paul Mazzone, 43, will serve 15 months in prison after his sentence was reduced from 30 months for time served in jail prior to a conviction. Mazzone pleaded...

Wildfire regulations to limit open burning

KAMLOOPS - Wildfire Management Branch is cracking down on open burning regulations, to help reduce the risk of wildfires in the Kamloops region. The size of open fires will be restricted starting at noon on May 15, 2014 in most areas of the Kamloops Fire Centre. Clearwater and Salmon Arm Fire Zones are excluded from...