Kelowna and West Kelowna News‹ Last 7 days ›
West Kelowna fire crews douse fire outside fast food restaurant
West Kelowna fire crews quickly doused a fire burning behind some dumpsters off Highway 97 on Tuesday. Witnesses say the fire started behind the bins outside...
Interior Health fights back against vaccine exhaustion
Interior Health held its second public vaccination event in a month Tuesday amid slumping childhood vaccine statistics post-pandemic. The health authority...
Kelowna RCMP continue search for missing senior
UPDATE: 2:25 p.m. Kelowna RCMP say a search is underway in the area around Beaver Lake and Dee Lake roads for Allan Francescutti. RCMP say officers and members...
Kelowna, West Kelowna on new provincial housing target list
The Ministry of Housing has unveiled its second list of B.C. "priority communities" identified to receive housing targets. Kelowna and West Kelowna...
Kelowna woman wins $675,000 in Set for Life lottery
Maureen Lee was speechless after learning she had hit it big in the Set for Life Lottery. The Kelowna retiree won the lottery's top prize of $675,000. Lee...
Arkells and Evanesence planning tour stops in Kelowna
A pair of concerts were announced Tuesday morning for Kelowna's Prospera Place. Canadian rock band the Arkells will be playing Prospera on Nov. 14, 2024....
Ballet Kelowna reprises its full-length adaptation of 'Macbeth'
Back by popular demand, a Shakespeare classic is returning to the Kelowna Community Theatre. Ballet Kelowna is set to close its season with the return of...
RDCO open burning season set to wrap up April 30
The wildfire season is off to an early start in B.C., but open burning is not being curtailed ahead of schedule in the Regional District of Central Okanagan....
Some risk ahead for Kelowna's water supply
The planning manager for Kelowna's utilities is painting a less than rosy outlook for Kelowna's water supply. While Rod MacLean says the drinking water...
West Kelowna council holds final meeting in temporary digs Tuesday
West Kelowna city council will bid a not-so-fond farewell to the temporary digs it has called home since the COVID-19 pandemic. With occupancy of the new city...
UBCO business students win simulated business competition
A group of UBC Okanagan business students came home with the top prize at the Argus Cup business challenge recently. The Peachland Andrews team of Kelly...
Local Canadian Home Builders' Association starts scholarship for female students
The Central Okanagan chapter of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association has launched a scholarship to help female students who are taking a...
3 Kelowna councillors fail in bid for remuneration vote do-over
The final vote on adoption of a new Kelowna council remuneration package will stand — unanimous, despite attempts by three councillors for a do-over....
West Kelowna man, 92, reaches walking milestone with dog
A West Kelowna senior and his dog are still going strong after surpassing his latest walking milestone. Dudley Booth, 92, and his dog Loki have been walking...
Gallagher’s Canyon community prepares for fire season
A resident of Kelowna’s Gallagher’s Canyon says its a matter of when, not if a wildfire affects the community. Regan Borisenko is the emergency...
Watermain flushing prompts water quality advisory in parts of West Kelowna
Residents of the Shannon Woods, Shannon Heights and Tallus Ridge neighbourhoods of West Kelowna have been placed under a precautionary water quality advisory...
Homicide investigators called in after body found in creek east of Kelowna
The Southeast District RCMP’s major crime unit has taken over the investigation after a man's body was found in a creek near a forestry road off Big...
Rotary takes over performing arts festival from Kiwanis Club
The Kelowna Kiwanis Festival is no more, but in name only. After nearly a century, the showcase of local youth performers has a new title sponsor, the Rotary...
Interior hotel, GM and chef up for BC Hotel Association awards of excellence
The Thompson-Okanagan has three nominees for BC Hotel Association Awards of Excellence that will be revealed early next month. The finalists for the seven...
Okanagan Clinical Trials is looking for Type 2 diabetes patients for study
If you're living with type 2 diabetes and are between the ages of 19 and 75, Okanagan Clinical Trials would like to hear from you. Okanagan Clinical Trials...
West Kelowna to say thank you to wildfire responders
Final preparations are underway for a wildfire responder gratitude event next weekend in West Kelowna. The Okanagan Responders Gratitude Event takes place...
Local MBSS student organizing walk for mental health fundraiser
For the second year in a row, students at Mount Boucherie Secondary are holding a Walk for Mental Health next month. The inaugural event was organized last...
Tick season has arrived in the Thompson-Okanagan
Tick season is here, and although Lyme disease isn't the dominant tick-borne illness across the Okanagan, it is becoming more prevalent. Janet Sperling,...
Kelowna RCMP searching for missing senior
Kelowna RCMP are asking for the public’s help locating a missing senior. Mounties say an 80-year-old man has been missing since April 16. Family is...
Elvis tribute concert raises $3.5K for Central Okanagan firefighter societies
It was a rockin’ good time on March 8 in West Kelowna, where a pair of Elvis Presley tribute artists raised $3,500 for the Kelowna and West Kelowna...
Man finds body in a creek on forestry road near Big White Saturday
A deceased person was found in a creek near a forestry road off Big White Road Saturday afternoon. Big White resident Eric Bergeron was riding quads with his...
Kelowna's Summit insurance company raises $3.5 million during seed round
A Kelowna commercial insurance brokerage and risk management firm has generated $3.5 million during its seed round of financing. Summit, which was founded in...
Hockey fans believe Canucks are favoured to beat the Predators
The Vancouver Canucks face the Nashville Predators in Round 1 action of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It's their first time playing playoff hockey in front...
Castanet Event Calendar with Brayden Ursel
A sneak peek of upcoming events in the Thompson-Okanagan this week.
Kelowna business Lomi will pick up your food waste as part of new recycling program
A Kelowna company that created a countertop composter is now offering to pick up the waste that the devices produce. The Lomi Food Waste Recycling Program will...
Const. Lacy Browning remains employed by RCMP, but on leave for unknown reasons
The Kelowna RCMP officer who was caught on surveillance footage in 2020 assaulting a young nursing student while she was experiencing a mental health crisis...
Gas bar proposed for store at KLO and McCulloch roads
Owners of the convenience store at the corner of KLO Road and McCulloch Road in Kelowna are hoping to get city approval to add a gas bar at the front of the...
Kelowna man to bike across Canada for people facing food insecurity
A Kelowna father of three will be biking across Canada over the next couple of months to raise money for families and children facing food insecurity. Chris...
Non-profit society formed to help support displaced Ukrainians in the Okanagan
A new non-profit society has been formed to help provide humanitarian support to newly arrived Ukrainians in the Okanagan, and to help those who remain in...
Wine Country Writers' Festival returns for fourth straight year
Sharpen those pencils because a writers festival is officially open for submissions in Kelowna. The Wine Country Writers Festival is back for the fourth annual...
Man burned in fire at gas station, restaurant in Kelowna
A man has been transported to Kelowna General Hospital Saturday afternoon after a fire broke out at a gas station and restaurant located at the corner of...
Two vehicle accident with crash into bank on Hwy 33 snarls traffic through Rutland
UPDATE: April 20, 3:33 p.m. According to the husband and father of two people involved in the crash Friday night, two pedestrians were caught in the accident...
Kelowna Fire Department holds traditional 'push-in' ceremony for new fire engine
The newest addition to Kelowna's fleet of fire trucks was unveiled at Station 7 Saturday morning. The shiny new Fire Engine 7 was on display outside the...
Central Okanagan domestic violence unit receives $100K
The Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society has received $100,000 from the provincial government to support women and children living through domestic violence....
Two significant rental developments come before Kelowna council
Kelowna city council will review two rental apartment applications when it sits Monday afternoon. If ultimately approved, the developments would add 192 units...
Not much support for 70-lot subdivision proposed north of Fintry
Interior Health, BC Parks and staff with the Regional District of Central Okanagan have come out in opposition to a new subdivision proposed around the Valley...
Kelowna cannabis tour company could go up in smoke if regulations don't change
More than five years after cannabis was legalized in Canada, many in the industry are struggling to survive. When the Cannabis Act came into force in October...
Small shop weekend underway in downtown Kelowna
This weekend is the perfect opportunity to do some local shopping as the Downtown Kelowna Association has set up three days of shopping opportunities that help...
Dyas excited for Kelowna to host Canadian Country Music Awards
Nashville North? One can always dream, right. That's the level of excitement Kelowna's mayor is showing as the city begins more than a year of...
Classical Valley International Chamber Music Festival coming to Kelowna in May
The Classical Valley International Chamber Music Festival is back for its third season, this time with a series of concerts in the Kelowna region. The festival...
UBC Okanagan awards researcher of the year
The University of British Columbia Okanagan is celebrating three faculty members who have received worldwide recognition in their fields. The school's...
Lake Country's Chris Buck Band releases new song featuring Gord Bamford
A singer from Lake Country has teamed up on a new song with one of Canada’s biggest names in Country Music. The Chris Buck Band collaborated with multiple...
Crown seeks six-year jail sentence for Kelowna bookkeeper in $1.35M fraud case
The former bookkeeper of a publicly-funded Kelowna company is facing up to six years in jail and a possible court order that she pay back the more than $1.35...
Expect some traffic disruptions along Kelowna's Harvey Avenue between Abbott and Pandosy
Motorists can expect some traffic disruptions on a portion of Harvey Avenue beginning Monday. In a news release the city says sidewalk, signal and utility work...
Water restrictions for all Kelowna water users coming amid drought
The City of Kelowna is contemplating wide ranging water restrictions that would affect both residential and agricultural users. With the region experiencing...
Westside resident startled out of sleep by tree falling onto apartment building
UPDATE 12:37 p.m. A West Kelowna woman who lives on the third floor of an apartment building on 3401 Old Okanagan Highway says she and her partner were rudely...
Kelowna beer scene getting recognition
A number of breweries in Kelowna walked away with awards from the Penticton Fest of Ale last weekend and people in the industry believe the Central Okanagan is...
Kelowna-area fruit packer fined another $78K for failed septic system
A Kelowna-area fruit packing plant has been fined another $78,368 for discharging effluent into a failed septic field. Neighbours of Sandher Fruit Packers on...
Okanagan Forest Task Force hosts second annual fundraiser Saturday
The Okanagan Forest Task Force expects to collect over one million pounds of trash from the backcountry this year. That work comes with a cost, so the...
B.C. cannabis firm sues Kelowna-based transporter for $834K after U.S. border seizure
A B.C. cannabis company is suing a transport firm for $834,901 after a shipment was seized at the U.S. border. In an April B.C. Supreme Court notice of civil...
’Never seen a crop this low’: Okanagan cherry farmers having a terrible year
A budding disaster is unfolding across the Okanagan-Similkameen. Now that blossoms are starting to appear, cherry growers are realizing they face a significant...
Kelowna winery alleges former employee stole $450k over 30 months
The owners of a Kelowna winery allege a former employee stole nearly $450,000 over a 30-month period. A recent BC Supreme Court judgment outlines the...
Naked Cafe, Kelowna plant-based restaurant, up for sale
The Naked Cafe is up for sale. The well-known downtown Kelowna plant-based restaurant shared the sale on Facebook Marketplace earlier this month. The restaurant...
Canadian Armed Forces holding an open house at the Brigadier Angle Armoury Saturday
If you ever wanted to know what goes on behind the doors at the Brigadier Angle Armoury in downtown Kelowna, here's your chance. The Canadian Armed Forces...
Aberdeen Hall opens $12.5M athletics and wellness centre
Aberdeen Hall Preparatory School in Kelowna has announced the opening of its new $12.5 million athletics and wellness centre. The addition to the campus will...
Kelowna developer donates $100,000 to help fight hunger for next three years
The Central Okanagan Food Bank got a big financial boost from an Okanagan developer. The Callahan Property Group, owned and operated by Bruce & Bob...
Kelowna Gospel Mission celebrates more than 130 volunteers who help change lives
Kelowna’s Gospel Mission is celebrating volunteer appreciation week by recognizing the contributions of more than 130 regular volunteers. These volunteers...
Crime Stoppers event in Kelowna takes aim at illegal tobacco sales and organized crime
Crime Stoppers is hosting an organized crime training conference in Kelowna with a focus on the sale of illegal tobacco. Organizers say there is a strong...
Joe Rich garage fire deemed not suspicious
The Joe Rich Fire Department responded to a fire in the 5600 block of Goudie Road Wednesday night. Fire chief Greg Robson tells Castanet his firefighters...
Barriers installed at Kelowna homeless camp to help create clear spaces for tents
A total of 30 concrete barriers are being installed along the rail trail at tent city. Kelowna bylaw services supervisor Nick Bonnett tells Castanet that the...
Crashed Kelowna motorcycle rider had failed to stop for police: RCMP
Police say a motorcycle that crashed in front of a Kelowna RCMP cruiser on Monday had failed to pull over for a traffic stop. The incident, which was partially...
BC Transit adds on-demand transit in Kelowna's Crawford neighbourhood
BC Transit is getting ready to launch on-demand service in Kelowna’s Crawford neighbourhood, giving residents an opportunity to catch a ride when and...
Kelowna officer failed to perform wellness check on gravely ill man who was found dead
A Kelowna RCMP officer who was tasked with performing a wellness check on a gravely ill person gave up after trying to access his apartment building for two and...
West Kelowna group appeals permit allowing aerial spraying over school
The West Kelowna chapter of Kelowna Citizens Safety Association have filed an appeal of a permit granted to the Ministry of Forests for aerial spraying over an...
K.L.O. Farm Market invites Kelowna to first tulip festival
No need to travel to the Fraser Valley to take in a tulip festival. A Kelowna business is launching its own celebration of the spring-blooming flowers. K.L.O....
Staff proposal on beach booze expected in front of Kelowna city council next month
Warm, sunny spring days are here, and many have likely been cracking open a cold one on the beach to celebrate. But for now, public consumption of alcohol on...
Kelowna to continue advocating for more complex care beds
The City of Kelowna will continue to lobby the province for more complex care beds within the city. This comes as the province announced another 20 complex care...
Judge approves sales process for redevelopment of Kelowna mobile home park
One of Kelowna's last mobile home parks is one step closer to being sold and developed after a judge recently approved a sales process for the property. The...
Plans unveiled for new housing development within Kelowna's Guisachan Village
A new rental housing development is being proposed for Gordon Drive and Cameron Avenue within Kelowna's Guisachan Village Centre. An application now being...
Kelowna country artist to release new song next week
Kelowna musician Teigen Gayse is getting ready to release her latest single "Better Mistake." After releasing back-to-back top 30 singles for Breakout...
Seasonal schedule changes coming to Kelowna transit
BC Transit will be making a seasonal service change in the Kelowna Regional Transit System, effective April 28, 2024. With the end of the secondary school...
Grizzly spotted on the slopes at Big White near Gem Lake Wednesday afternoon
A grizzly bear has been spotted on the snow covered slopes of Big White Wednesday afternoon. Michael J. Ballingall, vice-president at Big White Ski Resort,...
Kelowna Yacht Club to celebrate Earth Day this weekend
The Kelowna Yacht Club is teaming up with organizations across downtown Kelowna to engage together on Earth Day. Running from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday,...
Rutland Secondary School drops Voodoos, students choose Thunder as new nickname
Rutland Secondary School sports teams will have a new name going forward. After a student vote, the school dropped the Voodoos nickname and adopted the Rutland...
Kelowna RCMP appeal for witnesses related to motorcycle crash
Kelowna RCMP are asking for witnesses after a motorcycle crashed in front of one of their police cruisers on Monday. The crash, which was captured on dashcam...
Python stolen from Rutland pet store returned by remorseful girl
UPDATE 2:40 p.m. Kelowna RCMP will not be pursuing charges after three youths who stole a python from a Rutland pet store were identified by police. The trio...
City of Kelowna doing spring cleaning at tent city along rail trail
Now that the weather has warmed up, the City of Kelowna is doing spring cleaning in tent city, along the rail trail. “We’re here to clean and sort...
Kelowna continuing flood protection along Mill and Mission creeks this year
The City of Kelowna plans to spend upwards of $7 million in flood protection and habitat restoration projects this year. Part of that is a continuation of the...
Bear wanders into backyard in Upper Mission
A Kelowna woman has shared a video of a black bear that wandered into her yard Tuesday evening. Heather Ross, who lives on Chute Lake Crescent in Upper Mission,...
Okanagan film commissioner says B.C. budget has killed local animation industry
The Okanagan film commissioner says it took 17 years to build up Kelowna's thriving animation industry and just one decision by the provincial government to...
'Go and live your life': Two-time liver recipient from Kelowna living life to the fullest
A Kelowna resident has a new lease on life after receiving not one, but two liver transplants. Matt Scaife was in liver failure back in 2000 due to an...
Construction underway on Big White staff housing as 60th ski season ends
It is full speed ahead on construction for new staff housing at Big White as the resort says goodbye to its 60th ski season. The resort is spending $12 million...
Kalamoir Regional Park to close Wednesday for tree removal
Tree removal is taking place at Kalamoir Regional Park on Wednesday, April 17, forcing a full day closure of the entrance at Benedick Road near the Casa Loma...
Kelowna philanthropist Tom Budd backs YMCA fundraiser
The Payton and Dillon Budd Memorial Fund is the new presenting sponsor for the YMCA of Southern Interior BC’s largest fundraiser. The 17th annual Cycle...
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