Tourism
What you need to know if you’re coming to Boonstock
PENTICTON - If you’re heading out to Penticton this weekend for the Boonstock Music and Arts Festival you may have some questions about the grounds, booze, and what to do in town while giving your liver and ears a break. Here’s the low-down: ACCESS The festival grounds can only be accessed from the North side...
Tourism marketing succeeds in Penticton despite funding setback
PENTICTON - Tourism officials say tourism is not in danger this season despite a pending court decision for the lawsuit between the City and the Penticton Hospitality Association regarding provincial funds. Earlier in the season, provincial hotel tax funds were frozen because of an ongoing dispute with the city and the hospitality association about how...
PHA wants to move forward, work with city
PENTICTON - The Penticton Hospitality Association plans to move forward with a positive attitude now that the lawsuit is over between the association and the city, but directors are not impressed with how the city dealt with the matter. In a press release, association directors said the city has been out to get them since...
Penticton airport expansion delayed
PENTICTON - A new bidding process for the planned expansion project at the Penticton Regional Airport is in place after the first one was considered unsuccessful. There is no deadline for when the process will be complete, however Public Works and Government Services Canada, and Transport Canada are working to complete the design and the...
Wine documentary rolls out the red carpet for Okanagan premiere
SOUTH OKANAGAN - A documentary that follows three South Okanagan wineries through a season is rolling out the red carpet for its premiere showing in Oliver in two weeks. Local production artists and videographers Jon Hunwick and Kenton Gilchrist of Asymetriq Productions Inc. are ready to release their latest film titled Ventures in Wine Country,...
Okanagan Valley wineries propose new designation area
SOUTH OKANAGAN - Okanagan Valley wineries may receive a new official designation after a study revealed that an original agricultural landscape is a contributing factor to the production of unique wines. Golden Mile Bench wineries, located near Oliver, have submitted a proposal to become the first official sub-Designated Viticultural Area of the Okanagan Valley DVA....
Thompson-Okanagan Tourism Summit heads to Penticton
PENTICTON - The tourism industry is about to get a major boost thanks to a tourism summit expected to draw close to 200 industry leaders comes to town in December. The two-day Thompson Okanagan Tourism Summit held at the Lakeside Resort will host international and national speakers who will cover best practices for boosting the...
Jukka Laurio takes second attempt at mayoral seat
PENTICTON - The mayoral race just got a little tougher with local business owner Jukka Laurio filing to become the third candidate. Laurio is no stranger to city politics, having run for mayor in 2011, but he says he’s more focused this time around. “I’m going to give Penticton a job,” he says. He explained...
Litke still has a few tricks up his sleeve
PENTICTON - With two months left in office, Mayor Garry Litke hopes to accomplish a few more things before he walks out the doors of City Hall for good. Before he became mayor, Litke was a city councillor for eight years. Being a part of the team that created the South Okanagan Events Centre was...
The Fintry Queen is coming to Penticton
PENTICTON - The Fintry Queen has found a new home on the south shore of Okanagan Lake, after spending years docked in a Kelowna bay. The city of Penticton agreed to a license with Fintry operators, the Okanagan Lake Boat Company, on Monday night. The five-year agreement will cost a total of $70,000 for moorage...
Wine festival a ‘grape’ success
OLIVER - Hundreds of people gathered in Oliver this weekend to test some wines, enjoy the sun, and make a mess stomping grapes at the Festival of the Grape. Wineries from all over the Okanagan set up to sample some of their best vintages, which were well recieved by festival attendees, judging by the comments...
WestJet encourages winter season in South Okanagan
PENTICTON - The arrival of WestJet in Penticton is encouraging the City, tourism and other organizations throughout the South Okanagan to focus on what the region as to offer in the winter season. AirCanada will no longer be the sole airline flying out of Penticton once WestJet joins the ranks at the end of October,...
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...
Cycling: the Penticton tourism industry’s next target
PENTICTON - Cycling is a popular hobby and sport in the South Okanagan but it could soon be a major tourism driver. City representatives introduced the idea of Penticton as a province-wide cycling destination to provincial ministers at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Whistler last week. But Tourism Penticton, an entity of the city, already...
Wine sensory lab officially open at Okanagan College
PENTICTON - Wine and viticulture courses at the Okanagan College are about to get a sensory overload with the official opening of the B.C. Wine Information Society Sensory Centre. The Centre is having its grand opening today thanks to a $300,000 donation form the B.C. Wine Information Society that made construction of the facility possible....