West Kelowna

Suspect in string of armed robberies faces judge
KELOWNA – A man initially charged with robbing one West Kelowna drug store a year ago has now been charged with six other robberies that took place in the months prior. Brandon Oswald, 23, was arrested within moments of a robbery at Shoppers Drug Mart on Dobbin Rd just before 10 p.m. March 10, 2014....

Suspected Tim Hortons robber arrested after public tips
WEST KELOWNA - RCMP on the Westside have arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with a robbery at the Tim Hortons on Carrington Rd. Saturday night, March 28. According to RCMP spokesman Cpl. Joe Duncan, the suspect is alleged to have covered his face and gone into the the restaurant with a weapon where he...

Regional district budget down this year, but could have dropped further
KELOWNA - The Central Okanagan Regional District will spend $59.4 million of your tax dollars this year and you’re welcome to say something about it. “There is an opportunity for the public to address the board regarding the 2015-19 financial plan,” said spokesman Bruce Smith. “They don’t have to preschedule or anything. There is a...

Lots of smoke but not much fire; health inspectors clear Valoroso Foods of serious violations
KELOWNA - If Joe Valoroso is bitter about his specialty food store being called out for label tampering and other minor food safey infractions, he’s now showing it. “No one is entitled to judge anybody else,” he simply says. In fact, the president of Valoroso Foods seems quite forgiving about having his name dragged through...

Armed robbery at West Kelowna motel
WEST KELOWNA – Staff at the Super 8 motel in West Kelowna were held up early this morning by an armed man who got away with some cash. RCMP say the robbery happened at about 2:50 a.m., March 27, at the motel on Westgate Road. A man with a weapon and with a black t-shirt...

Breast-feeding supporters crowd West Kelowna council
MAYOR ASKS FOR PROTOCOL TO DEAL WITH FUTURE DELEGATION REQUESTS KELOWNA - Crying and cooing babies provided the soundtrack as proponents of breast-feeding crowded West Kelowna council chambers tonight to show their displeasure at what they said was a lack of support for their cause. Breast-feeding mothers nursed their babies inside and outside of council...

Valoroso Foods faces second verification inspection later this week
KELOWNA - Valoroso Foods was open for business today even as officials from the health protection branch of the Interior Health Authority say they will be conducting a second inspection to ensure the company has taken action on violations it found during an inspection last Friday. “We will be going back at the end of...

West Kelowna breast-feeding protest to go ahead as planned
WEST KELOWNA - The West Kelowna Feed-In is going ahead as scheduled despite a bit of damage control by the district. The group declared they would protest at the March 24 council meeting after a delegation from the Interior Health Authority and UBC Okanagan asking council to help them promote breast-feeding were turned away at...

Carriage house survey shows support for secondary dwellings in West Kelowna
WEST KELOWNA - Westside residents could soon see a sight their Kelowna counterparts have seen for quite a few years — carriage houses popping up on lots where one house already exists. The latest results are in from the district’s extensive public consultation on the subject and three-quarters of West Kelowna people feel carriage houses...

Video surveillance policy under scrutiny in West Kelowna
WEST KELOWNA - The district is updating its video surveillance policy to ensure compliance with the provincial Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. “With video surveillance cameras, obviously there are concerns with privacy,” says Erin Goodwin, facilities manager for West Kelowna. “There are standards that we have to follow.” The district does not...

UPDATE: Power restored to 4,000 in West Kelowna
UPDATE: 7:31 a.m., March 20, 2015 Power has been restored. B.C. Hydro says the cause was a tree that had fallen across the wires. WEST KELOWNA - More than 4,000 West Kelowna customers are waking to no power on the first day of spring. B.C. Hydro reports power is out to 4,016 customers because of...

Breast-feeding supporters plan West Kelowna ‘feed-in’
WEST KELOWNA - A group of breast-feeding supporters are planning a mass 'feed-in' at the next West Kelowna council meeting, dissatisfied with the reception given by councillors to a delegation promoting breast-feeding at the last council meeting. Last week, as part of a class project, a delegation of UBC Okanagan nursing students and a public...

West Kelowna declines request to support breast-feeding initiative
WEST KELOWNA - A delegation from UBC Okanagan seeking support for a breast-feeding initiative got a rough ride from West Kelowna council, despite its support from other local governments. The group was seeking council’s endorsement for the Baby Friendly initiative, plus a pledge to make district facilities breast-feeding friendly and educate employees and local businesses...

West Kelowna takes aim at medical marijuana dispensaries
WEST KELOWNA - Enquiries about setting up a medical marijuana dispensary on the Westside have prompted the district to close what they describe as a loophole in their business licensing bylaw. “We are adding a sentence into the bylaw that essentially says a business must be in compliance with both the Criminal Code and the...

Child luring warning issued for Central Okanagan
WEST KELOWNA - Two incidents similar to one in Kelowna last month have led the RCMP to issue a child luring warning for the entire Central Okanagan area. The incident happened just before noon on Tuesday, March 3, when two 15-year-old boys were walking in the area of Westlake Road and Stevens Road. The man...