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West Kelowna
Westbank private hospital still a go despite financial problems, says band chief
KELOWNA – The Westbank First Nation has confirmed its private for-profit hospital project has been…
Behind the line at the Shelter Cove wildfire
KELOWNA – The Shelter Cove wildfire along Westside Road continues to grow, however Wildfire B.C. says homes and other structures are not threatened and they are confident they will have it under control soon. The fire, which was first reported Monday afternoon, is not yet contained and continues to burn roughly 430 hectares of dry,...
West Kelowna considering lifeguards in Gellatly Bay
WEST KELOWNA - Lifeguards could soon be watching over swimmers at the CNR wharf in Gellatly Bay. West Kelowna staff have outlined in an information report possible options and the cost of hiring lifeguards to watch over the popular swimming spot during the busy summer months. The wharf was reconstructed in 2014, adding in jumping...
Intense 2014 fire season changes mindset in West Kelowna
WEST KELOWNA - Most municipal mayors, when given the chance, will trumpet the achievements of council and staff, but in the preface to its 2014 annual report, West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater talks mainly about one thing — how last year’s fire season affected the outlook of city council and staff. “We had two major...
Motorcycle crash kills West Kelowna man
WEST KELOWNA - A man is dead after losing control of his motorcycle on Boucherie Road Sunday afternoon. A 30-year-old man from West Kelowna was seen 'passing unsafely and exceeding the speed limit' on his blue Harley Davidson around 1:15 p.m., July 5, according to an RCMP release. He was driving his motorcycle southbound on...
West Kelowna boy run over by work van released from hospital
KELOWNA – The eight-year-old West Kelowna boy who was run over and seriously injured by a work van in his neighbourhood on June 22 has been released from hospital. Candice Loring, the mother of the boy, says in a Facebook post the family will return home Tuesday. “Doctors said it was a miracle that he...
Dancing and playing highly encouraged in local parks this summer
KELOWNA - With summer full on, expect a lot more activity in urban parks around the Central Okanagan. The City of Kelowna wants locals to bust a move with the Dancing in the Park program, now in its fifth year and held each Wednesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Stuart Park. All ages and...
Cracks were showing in Westbank First Nation’s private hospital plan last year
WESTBANK FIRST NATION - Despite assertions from the partners behind Canada’s first for-profit private hospital that it is proceeding as planned, documents show the deal to develop the Lake Okanagan Wellness Centre was in disarray last year. When it became clear in October 2014 that Ad Vitam Health Care was out of money and unable...
West Kelowna becomes province’s 51st city
WEST KELOWNA - Premier Christy Clark recognized the former District of West Kelowna at a brief ceremony this afternoon as the province’s 51st city. “I think most of you would agree this has been a city for some time in all but name,” Clark says. “There is 30,000 residents and 1,400 businesses. It’s time to...
Beading a path through the Okanagan
PENTICTON - An Okanagan artist and entrepreneur turned a daydream into a unique business opportunity which continues to grow with each new tourist season. Karen Griggs was looking for a way to make a living while following her passion when she came up with the idea of the Bead Trail. According to her blog, a...
Two arrested following Kelowna crime spree
KELOWNA - A day-long crime spree in Kelowna and West Kelowna ended after two men were arrested in a stolen pickup truck earlier this month. Several people and businesses were hit during the one day crime spree on June 3, Cpl. Joe Duncan says in a media release. The spree started with the theft of...
UPDATE: Crews hit brush fire in West Kelowna hard
WEST KELOWNA – Firefighters have knocked down a brush fire in West Kelowna off Westside Road this afternoon. Calls came into 911 at around 3:45 p.m. about several trees burning in a ravine at the edge of Bear Creek Road near Scott Crescent. West Kelowna fire chief Jason Brolund says his crews were taking no...
UPDATE: Two men stabbed in West Kelowna
WEST KELOWNA – Two men were taken to hospital and a suspect is still at large after a stabbing in West Kelowna Sunday morning. RCMP say two men with stab wounds were taken to a walk-in clinic at around 10:50 a.m., June 7. Both men went from the clinic to Kelowna General Hospital with serious...
First Nations hotel and conference centre in the works for West Kelowna
WEST KELOWNA – If Grand Chief Ron Derrickson gets his way, West Kelowna could become a major destination for First Nations business people across North America. He is in the early planning stages of a luxury hotel and conference centre on his 5.5-acre property next to Two Eagles Golf Course off Carrington Road in West...
West Kelowna faces signifcant water and sewer rate hikes
WEST KELOWNA - It’s going to cost more for water and sewer service on the Westside after a decision this week to increase utility rates. Citing significant cost pressures, West Kelowna council gave first and second readings to its fees bylaw, which will see an increase of 20 per cent to district sanitary sewer user...
Solar Road stabbing victim identified, murder charges laid
WEST KELOWNA – The man who died after being stabbed in the chest during a fight in West Kelowna April 29 has been identified and charges against the suspect upgraded to second-degree murder. Jose Amestica, 50, will appear in court June 2. He was originally charged with aggravated assault until the victim, Kevin McNally, 44,...
Westbank cemetery to see new life under expansion plan
WEST KELOWNA - The District of West Kelowna is considering spending $694,000 on the expansion of the Westbank Cemetery. In a report to council, parks supervisor Stacey Harding is recommending the district award the expansion contract to Arterra Construction, the low bidder on the plan to expand the graveyard which opened in 1925. Harding says...
Traffic calming construction could cause delays and detours in West Kelowna
WEST KELOWNA - Local residents should soon be enjoying the results of a traffic calming study conducted two years ago in the South Boucherie neighbourhood of West Kelowna. Within a couple of weeks, crews will begin installing decorative medians along portions of Gregory and Mission Hill Roads, which could cause temporary delays and possible detours....
Second crossing 20 years out but planning now is essential, transportation ministry says
WEST KELOWNA - If you ask project director Murray Tekano, the current study about where to put a second Okanagan Lake crossing is not just a public relations exercise to be seen doing something. Tekano says 20 years for planning a major infrastructure project such as the second bridge is standard for the industry and...
Westside Road shooter could get dangerous offender status
KELOWNA – The man who shot at police as he and two accomplices fled from police along Westside Road in 2012 will be evaluated by a psychiatrist to determine if he is a dangerous offender. In late February, Michael Ellis, 41, was found guilty of unlawful discharge of a prohibited weapon, armed robbery, attempted robbery,...
Children with big hearts found charity to help homeless in Kelowna
KELOWNA – The Doty sisters say the inspiration for founding the B.C. Halo Project came from the love of making blanket forts at their grandma and papa’s house. Hanna and Lauren Doty, who are in grade four and grade one respectively, have created the non-profit foundation as part of their effort to collect used and...
$1.4 million to train Okanagan Aboriginal workers for “in-demand” jobs
VERNON – The province is spending nearly $1.4 million dollars to train 50 Aboriginal workers to be heavy equipment operators it says are in-demand. The program will be run in partnership with the Southern Interior Construction Association with workers from the Splatsin First Nation, the Okanagan Indian Band and the Westbank First Nation will take...
West Kelowna water supply vulnerable if drought continues
WEST KELOWNA - If you were able to visit West Kelowna’s Rose Valley reservoir right now, you would find it full, water lapping right to the edges of the man-made storage water facility. However, if you were to judge the district’s water health as normal by that same measure, you would be wrong as the...
Province to hold public meetings on second Okanagan Lake crossing
KELOWNA - It’s at least twenty years before it will be built but the province still wants to hear what you have to say about a second lake bridge in the Central Okanagan. A press release from the Ministry of Transportation says two open houses are scheduled next week, one in Kelowna and the other...