West Kelowna News

A 23-year-old West Kelowna man with an extensive criminal record, was arrested during a break and enter spree early Tuesday morning.

Gregory Floyd Eli was nabbed in the area of Bentley and Auburn roads about 4 a.m. Tuesday after a neighbour alerted police of intruders in her backyard.

Constable Steve Holmes says a 24-year-old woman was found in the back yard of the home and arrested.

"A police services dog tracked a scent from a vehicle that had been broken into in the area to a 23-year-old man less than a block away," says Holmes.

"In the suspects' possession police found items that had been taken from vehicles in the neighbourhood."

He appeared in court Tuesday charged with theft under $5,000 and possession of stolen property.

Eli has an extensive record, dating back almost six years.

He has been convicted of break and entry on seven different occasions and possession of stolen property once, dating back to May 15, 2004, just two and a half weeks after his 18th birthday.

Eli was also convicted of breach of probation on 10 separate occasions between August 29, 2006 and November 4, 2007.

He spent a total of 92 days in jail for the breach convictions and just over 16-and-a-half months for the various break and enter and possession charges.

Because of his record, Eli was remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear in court, via video conferencing, next week.

The woman was released on a promise to appear. She faces a charge of trespassing at night.

RCMP in West Kelowna are looking for a man who flashed a couple of girls Thursday afternoon.

Police say the man stood in front of a car parked in front of the Buck-Or-Two store in the Westbank Town Center at about 2 p.m.

The man exposed and fondled his genitals in front of two children sitting in the back seats, then walked away before the parent returned from the store.

The children described the man as average height and build, Caucasian, clean shaven, short dark hair wearing a light brown coat, dark pants, no glasses or hat, likely middle aged.

If anyone has information about this incident please contact the West Kelowna RCMP detachment.

Kelowna is doing it -- now West Kelowna is looking at it as well.

The 'it' in this case is offering citizens the ability to increase the size of their yard waste carts by 50%, free of charge.

The City of Kelowna, responding to complaints from some residents, are allowing people to obtain a one-time upgrade of their yard waste carts from 240 litres to 360 litres.

The city will in turn waive the $55 purchase fee. Residents will, however, have to pay a yearly fee of $6 for the larger cart.

DWK Director of Engineering, Gary O'Rourke, says the municipality is now looking at the possibility of doing the same thing.

"I think it is something that we are going to be talking about at a senior staff level and determine a course," says O'Rourke.

"Obviously it is a council decision as to whether it wants to offer that service. Kelowna sort of jumped ahead of the pack and offered it, so we need to look at what the implications are and take a recommendation forward."

If a recommendation does come forward, mayor and council will have to decide whether it will offer the same 'free' upgrade, meaning the municipality and its taxpayers would have to eat the cost.

O'Rourke says while he has not personally received any requests, he does know of some emails that have come in inquiring about potential upgrades.

Council next meets Tuesday evening, however, it may be too late for staff to meet and get a recommendation together in time for that meeting.

In light of current conditions and the lack of precipitation over the winter months, fire officials with the District of West Kelowna have decided to suspend all open burning within the District of West Kelowna effective March 19, 2010.

No further permits will be issued from the Fire Department and all current permits will become void as of the effective date.

Open burning will again commence in the fall of 2010.

The decision to suspend open burning comes just 24 hours after two fire fighters were forced to deal with two small brush fires in the municipality.

It is believed both were the result of legal burning efforts that got away due to the high winds.

At the time, assistant fire chief Kerry Klonteig indicated it may be time to re-visit the idea of opening burning due to the dry conditions prevalent in local forests.

For further information on open burning, please contact West Kelowna Fire Rescue at (250) 769-1640 extension 4.

Three West Kelowna residents are cooling their heels in jail after they were arrested at an 800 plant marijuana grow residence.

On March 16th at 3:23 p.m., members of the Kelowna RCMP Drug section executed a search warrant at a residence in the 2400 block of Boucherie Rd.

Along with the grow, police found loaded stolen handgun, small quantities of crack cocaine, heroin and crystal meth. Also found was over 540 Ecstasy tablets, 46 methamphetamine tablets and over 180 grams of, what is believed to be, powdered methamphetamine.

The accused, 40 year old Eoreca Moyan, 45 year old Tammy Blackie, and 46 year old Allan Lehman, all appeared in court Wednesday.

They are facing charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking, production of a controlled substance, theft of electricity, possession of a restricted weapon, unsafe storage of a firearm and possession of stolen property.

Fire officials in West Kelowna wonder if it is time to talk about putting an early end to open burning season after two brush fires in the municipality Wednesday afternoon.

Two wind aided fires, both believed to have started as legal, controlled burns, kept West Kelowna firefighters hopping shortly after noon.

The first fire was on Pettman Road just off Westside Road while the second, which started about an hour later, was about 10 minutes away on Hayman Road near Boucherie and Highway 97.

"It's dry out here and of course it's burning season, which is supposed to come to an end at the end of April, but with conditions the way they are, we may have to reconsider that," says Assistant Fire Chief Kerry Klonteig.

He says any discussion about a premature end to open burning would likely come from meetings between the regional fire chiefs.

Klonteig says it would not make any sense for one municipality to ban burning while others kept it in place.

The woods are dry due to a lack of precipitation over the winter and Klonteig says Wednesday's wind did not help matters.

He says there was a legal burn taking place in the area of the fire.

"This was a legal burn. They have been doing fuel mitigation in here as well," adds Klonteig.

"It's been going well over the last couple of days but the investigator is on scene to take a look at it. Right now it's too early to tell if one just got away or this is a deliberate one."

Klonteig says the fire was a rank one ground fire about three-quarters of the way up a hill.

It covered approximately two hectares.

Forestry crews were called in to help with the mop up.

While crews were mopping up at Pettman Road, a second fire erupted on Hayman Road just before 1:30 p.m.

Neighbours in the area say a property owner had been burning at the time the fire started, however, fire officials were unable to confirm that.

"When we arrived it was about a 50 X 50 rank one grass fire. We have it contained to where it started and we're just doing mop up right now," says Captain Trevor Bredin.

He agrees with Klonteig that it may be time to discuss shutting down open burning.

"That's the choice by the District of West Kelowna but that is something they are obviously going to have to look at with conditions being as dry as they are."

Bredin says it is alarming to see fires this early in the season.

"These are drier than normal conditions for this time of year so it is alarming. Hopefully we'll get some rainfall in the spring and wet things up for us."

Klonteig adds people need to be extra careful.

"In windy conditions like this people have to be very careful of how their burning conditions are going."

Link: View more photos in our gallery.

Northbound traffic along Highway 97 near Boucherie Road was detoured for about a half hour Tuesday following a four car wreck at the intersection.

One man was sent to Kelowna General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries as a result of the crash, which occurred about 12:15 p.m.

Police say a southbound GMC pickup was waiting in the left turn lane at the intersection of Hwy 97 S and Boucherie Rd. The left turn lane has a dedicated light, which signals for left turns only.

The light was red, however, it appears that the 79 year old driver mistook the green light, meant for the through traffic, and decided to make the left turn across the northbound lane of oncoming traffic.

A northbound white Subaru, piloted by an 89 year old male, traveled through the intersection, on a green light, and was struck by the white GMC pickup that was turning left. The Subaru was spun into the center of the intersection where it hit the center median that housed the left turn light standard, shearing it off.

The Subaru also hit two vehicles, that were in the same left turn lane the pickup had been in. The Subaru first hit a white Ford pickup, being driven by a 51 year old male. The second vehicle, a black Acura, was struck by both the Subaru and the light standard. The Subaru finally came to rest after hitting the Acura, that was driven by a 21 year old male.

In the aftermath, only the Ford pickup was able to be driven away, with moderate damage. The others, sustaining major damage, were towed away. The driver of the Subaru was taken to Kelowna General Hospital for treatment of non life threatening injuries.

The driver of the GMC was charged under the Motor Vehicle Act for Failing to yield on a left turn at a Red light. The ticket carries a $167 fine.

Traffic in the northbound lane had to be detoured, for the better part of an hour, while emergency crews sorted the vehicles out at the scene. Maintenance crews remained to replace the traffic standard.

Editor's note: For security reasons, full names and information that identifies precisely where a solider is serving in Afghanistan are not publishable unless given permission by Canada's media liaison office, which can take several days. Since Castanet wanted to get this story out as soon as possible, we have chosen to run the story without full names.

A West Kelowna couple is trying desperately to raise money to rescue a puppy currently in Afghanistan.

Andrew, who works and lives in West Kelowna, says his fiancé is currently serving as a medic near Kandahar. Andrew says she and her platoon came across a month-old puppy one day when it wandered into a camp kitchen a few months ago.

A Facebook page has been started to help drive donations to pay to bring the puppy home. "Guts was originally rescued by an American platoon south of Kandahar city," information on the page states.

"When it was time for them to move out it was decided by their chain of command that they could not take Guts with them.

"Lucky for him we happened to be in the camp for the day. Guts wandered into the kitchen tent and, not to some peoples liking, we fed him alot of bacon. He ate so much that his stomach was bloated (hence the name Guts)."

Andrew and his fiancé are hoping to rescue the puppy to bring it to Canada, but the price is extreme - about $3,000 CND.

Andrew says leaving Guts behind gives him little chance of survival, noting that in Afghanistan, dogs are considered dirty creatures and can be treated very inhumanely.

The money is being raised through Nowzad Dogs, an internationally recognized charity (registration No. 1119185) dedicated to rescuing dogs from Afghanistan and promoting animal welfare in the country.

Now three to four months old, Guts' time is running out as the platoon's time of duty is up soon. So far, about $1,300 CND has been raised towards his rescue. He will apparently live at the base in Shiloh, MB.

"Guts is still a member of our platoon. He is between three and four months old and everyone is hoping to get him back to Canada as soon as possible."

Link: Click here to donate Link: Bring Guts home Facebook page

Residents living on the westside of Okanagan Lake will have several opportunities to learn more about the future plans for services at the Westside Landfill.

Communications Coordinator Bruce Smith says five public information open houses are planned during April to bring residents up to date as the Regional District progresses on developing a temporary convenience solid waste disposal and recycling centre at the site along Asquith Road.

"The landfill’s active life is nearing an end and we plan to stop burying garbage by mid-year. At that point we’ll continue to offer an outdoor, residential drop-off for self-hauled garbage, recycling, yard waste, wood waste and appliances and will be open four days each week, which reflects customer use for disposal service," says Smith.

He says instead of burying the garbage in the landfill, once it’s closed they will be transporting garbage and yard waste for disposal at the Glenmore Landfill which will be the only active landfill in the Central Okanagan.

The sessions will also update residents on the costs associated with operating the temporary Westside Residential Waste Disposal and Recycling Centre for the convenience of people living in West Kelowna, Peachland, Central Okanagan West Electoral Area and Westbank First Nation reserves.

"As well, those attending will learn about what the landfill will look like when it is closed and the Regional District’s ongoing responsibilities for environmental monitoring. They’ll also have the opportunity to make suggestions about possible future uses for the landfill site and provide feedback on options for the Residential Waste Disposal and Recycling Centre operations."

Information Open Houses are scheduled for:

Monday, April 12 in Peachland at the Peachland Recreation Centre, 4450 6th Street – 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Tuesday, April 13 in West Kelowna at the Westbank Lions Hall, 2466 Main Street – 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. (a second meeting date and location will be scheduled and advertised)

Wednesday, April 14 at Killiney Beach Community Hall, 514 Udell Road – 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Thursday, April 22 at Wilson Landing Fire Hall, 2396 Westside Road – 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

“Those attending the open houses will have the opportunity to fill out a questionnaire and enter a draw to win a free backyard composter. Reports and information regarding the meetings will also be available on the Westside Landfill Closure page of the Regional District website.”

Once this pre-closure phase is complete, a final closure plan must approved by the Ministry of Environment.

The following are highlights from the District of West Kelowna Council meeting Tuesday, March 9, 2010.

Okanagan Basin Water Board Update - Anna Warwick-Sears, Executive Director for the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) provided Council with an update on recent OBWB activities. OBWB’s jurisdiction includes the entire Okanagan Basin from Armstrong to Osoyoos. The Board is currently conducting a Water Supply & Demand Project for the entire basin and have partnered with many levels of government, post-secondary institutions and water associations to complete this project.

3111 Thacker Drive - Council rescinded third reading and re-read the zoning bylaw a third time as amended to rezone a property from Country Residential to Single Detached Housing located at 3111 Thacker Drive. Council proceeded with the adoption of the zoning amendment bylaw.

1049 Hudson Road - Council gave first and second readings to an Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw and a Zoning Amendment Bylaw for 1049 Hudson Road. The application is to amend the zoning from Institutional and Assembly to Single Detached Housing in order to permit the continued residential use of the property.

Secondary Suite Policy - Council provided staff with further direction on Key Policy Considerations in the development of the District of West Kelowna’s Secondary Suite Policy. Council provided staff with the following direction:

To create and include alternate life safety standards for existing suites

To include confirmation that a property manager has been secured to manage properties where the property owner does not occupy the residence.
Staff will include Council’s direction in the next draft of the secondary suite policy.

Central Okanagan Aggregate Task Force Update - Council endorsed District of West Kelowna staff participation in an Aggregate Supply and Demand Update and approved funding up to $10,560 from Council discretionary funds for the District’s share of study. The District will participate in the study along with the City of Kelowna, District of Peachland, District of Lake Country and Regional District of Central Okanagan.

Safe Premises Bylaw-Bylaw Contraventions - Council directed staff to place a Notice of Title for a property at 2730 Guidi Road and 955 Rumney Road in West Kelowna. Both properties are in contravention of the District’s Safe Premises Bylaw due to a number of health and life safety issues resulting from the presence of grow operations.

Sewer Servicing Extension Strategy - Council authorized the use of an additional $800,000 from the District’s sewer reserves for the first stage of the sewer servicing project which will reduce the local service area tax per property to $8,400 from $10,193.23. Council further set the local service area tax for the second stage of the sewer project at $8,400. District staff has estimated savings in the Ranch Road phase of the sewer servicing at $617,000.

Delegation of Authority-Tender Approval for the 2010 Sewer Servicing Strategy - Council gave three readings to a Delegation of Authority Bylaw to allow the Chief Administrative Officer and the Chief Financial Officer to award the construction contracts to the low bidders of the pre-qualified contractors for the 2010 Sewer Servicing Strategy Program. The delegation of authority will expedite the award of construction contracts and aid in achieving the completion of the project efficiently.

Tourist Accommodation in Residential Areas - Council deferred consideration of information on Tourist Accommodation in Residential Areas and will discuss it at their next meeting. Council is welcoming comments from residents regarding this topic at info@districtofwestkelowna.com.