South of the Eldorado Hotel there are three towers of 19, 15 and 12 stories that make up the new community of the Aqua Development on the lake shore. There are 6.75 acres of land being used for this condominium project being developed by the Mission Group. A total of 450 homes are also planned as well as a boardwalk, park, public pier, spa and a first class restaurant on the water. It is a long-term project for the developer with a beginning date in 2009, to be completed in 2012. This development group is very good at making every inch of space work for them...

I certainly am not the biggest donor they have but I do commit to an amount every year for the SPCA. I do however have real problems writing a cheque for the BCSPCA and not the local group because I don’t have a clue what happens to the money. Does it ever end up in the local coffers?..

The U.S. does a monthly study on their airlines for late arrivals, baggage handling and complaints. Last year was the worst for operational performance in almost twenty years. Out of the sixteen airlines that were scored, our connection to Seattle, Horizon Air’s big brother Alaska Airlines, is listed at seventh place. That is up two from ninth spot in 2006. Demand for air travel is at historic high levels, leading to fuller planes and tighter schedules...

Spring clean your medicine cabinet. I just looked at some of the items in mine and I do have some that are out of date and some I don’t use anymore. Don’t flush the stuff down the toilet or throw it in the garbage. Take it to your drug store...

JJ Barnicke Commercial Real Estate is coming back to the Okanagan with an office in Kelowna. The company had an office here in the early part of 2000. The Toronto company was started in 1959 and now has seventeen offices across the country in commercial real estate. London, England based DTZ Holdings has just purchased the company. When I first met Joe Barnicke he was the sales manager for O’Keefe Brewing Company. Remember the brand Old Vienna? This company has been involved in some very large commercial sales in this country...

I keep seeing reports on the price of gasoline across the country and it seems that we once again are one of the costliest places in Canada to buy fuel for our vehicles. Toronto $1.14, Halifax $1.22 a litre. According to MJ Ervin & Associates, the Calgary-based research company, the national average is $1.16. As we have written many times before, Canada has not built a new refinery in the last twenty years and south of the border they haven’t built one in thirty years. They’re costly for sure and it’s difficult to understand how the investment could make sense today...

I just read a story in the Toronto Star about buying an $11 book on eBay and by the time it arrived in Canada it had cost the buyer $50.31. The cost of the same book ordered in Canada is $41.99. The transaction for the $11 book was handled by PayPal, which is owned by eBay. That cost was $29.92 in Canadian dollars. Shipping by U.S. first class mail $26.20 and postal insurance $10.50. If this is what it costs, should we be taking a second look at what we buy south of the border?..

In the last month we have heard about a criminal database in the province. We find out now that there actually is one and police across the province have access to this information. There is no excuse now that an order against someone for beating up his wife will go unnoticed in the future. Do you believe that?..

Ever since his visit to Kelowna, American Ambassador, David Wilkins has been sending out the message that nothing will happen to NAFTA. He believes the Canada-U.S. ties are on a solid footing. He personally believes nothing will be changed. He says we have all this rhetoric during a campaign. He believes the American people support NAFTA and believes the majority of congress support it as well...

Taste of Kelowna, the annual show hosting food and drink in Kelowna, made a huge contribution to the community with an $8,000 donation to the Okanagan Boys and Girls Club, YMCA-YWCA Strong Kids campaign and Kids Care. In 19 years of these very popular food shows $140,000 has been raised for the charities. Congratulations to the Kelowna restaurants and food suppliers. It was once a again a terrific show with good people looking to make a difference...

There are lots of rumours around Sun-Rype products these days since the company is back in gear filling the shelves of the super markets around the country. Supposedly Jim Pattison and Glen Clark will join the board of directors. Pattison now owns just fewer than fifty per cent of the company. Apparently this year’s AGM will not be in Kelowna but rather in Vancouver. Are there some big changes coming in the food company in the next twelve to eighteen months? Those that seem to know these things are saying yes and growth certainly is one of them.