West Kelowna News

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 find it a loving home in Canada, but the price is extreme - about $3,000 CND - due to the rule that the dog must be quarantined for six months.

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 spend his quarantine time at the base in Shiloh, MB, before being adopted out.

"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.

The West Kelowna Jays?

It could be a reality by 2011.

The Kelowna Jays, who currently play out of Elk Stadium, are looking for a new home.

Club president Bill Bayne spoke before West Kelowna Council Tuesday, exploring the possibility of moving the club to the Mount Boucherie ball field for the 2011 season.

Bayne says the team has been working with municipal staff and West Kelowna Minor Baseball and will play several games at the park this coming season.

Included in the schedule will be some overflow games from the teams' annual Canada Day long weekend tournament.

"We are very happy playing in Elk Stadium in Kelowna and over the years have been a major contributor to its upkeep, upgrades and to the Kelowna economy," says Bayne.

"We are not the major tenant there, the Kelowna Falcons are and we are gradually losing good park times there. At this point, it is the only facility in the area where high calibre teams can operate, the main reason being it has field lights."

Bayne says under the current conditions, the Jays cannot advance their program but says he sees 'great possibilities' in West Kelowna.

In order to play games at Boucherie this season, about $10,000 worth of upgrades would have to be made, including moving the outfield fence, adding bleachers and improvements to make the backstop safer.

Long term improvements, which would include installation of lights, would be much more expensive.

Bayne did not have exact figures, but indicated the club would be willing to help with the long term costs of upgrading the facility.

"We sort of struggle with an identity for our area and I would love us to be known as the sports capital of the Okanagan," says Councillor Rosalind Neis in supporting the baseball club.

"I will absolutely back your organization to come here this summer, try it out and enter into negotiations with staff as far as costs of upgrades and how that funding can be applied. I applaud you for what you are doing."

The Jays run both a junior and senior baseball program. The Jr. Jays play in the BC Junior League while the Sr. Jays play in an 11 team Pacific International League.

Bayne says the team also hosts a number of minor baseball instructional clinics which will be of benefit to players in minor baseball in West Kelowna.

Council unanimously agreed to continue working with the Jays and asked staff to come back with short and long terms costs of upgrading the field at Boucherie.

A former employee of the Westside Warriors hockey club has filed a complaint of sexual harassment with the B.C. Human Rights Commission.

Marie Carrothers lodged the complaint against the hockey club, its parent company Vision Sports Group LLP and Brent Fournier, a volunteer with the hockey club.

Carrothers claims she was sexually harassed by Fournier on two separate occasions in 2008 and 2009.

The allegations came to light two days after she was fired by the Warriors on January 19, 2009.

Carrothers alleges that in August of 2008, Fournier was returning money he borrowed from her and her husband and stuffed it in her bra.

She further contends that on January 14, 2008, he kissed her when they were locking up the office.

Fournier contends neither incident took place. He says he handed her the money, which was in a bank envelop, under a desk and further claims he was in Vernon when the second incident is said to have taken place.

He adds that Carrothers and her husband invited him for Christmas dinner after the first incident is said to have taken place.

The Warriors, Vision Sports Group and Fournier all asked that the complaints be dropped on the grounds there is no reasonable prospect she would succeed and that the complaint or part of the complaint was filed for improper motives or made in bad faith.

Human Rights Tribunal member Judy Parrack heard arguments in June of last year and allowed the complaint to be heard.

A hearing is scheduled for April 6 to April 9 in Kelowna.

West Kelowna Council announced today that it will assume the operation and maintenance of the local sewage collection system within West Kelowna boundaries by May 15 from the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO).

Currently, West Kelowna residents pay user fees to RDCO for maintenance of the 25 lift stations and approximately 200 kilometres of sewer pipe within West Kelowna boundaries.

As of May 15, the District will assume this function and West Kelowna taxpayers will pay the fee to the District instead of RDCO.

“This is our infrastructure as indicated in our Letters Patent issued by the Ministry of Community Development at the time of Incorporation in 2007, but we haven’t had the resources until now to assume its operation,” says Mayor Doug Findlater.

“This is an opportunity for the District to address the level of operation and maintenance we intend to dedicate to this important amenity.”

To that end, Council agreed to hire two full-time employees who will be fully dedicated to operation and maintenance of the local sewer collection system.

The District has earmarked $869,332 in its 2010-2014 Financial Plan for this new service and this move does not impact the projected property tax increase of 2.35%.

The service fee to be charged to West Kelowna residents is still under review.

The District also pays a user fee to RDCO for its share of the regional Wastewater Treatment Plant service. RDCO currently charges a combined fee for the local sewage collection system service and the treatment plant.

The District and RDCO are working together on establishing the new fees which will appear on upcoming utility bills – one from the District for sewer collection system service and one from RDCO for the treatment plant service.

The District will formally notify the Regional District of Central Okanagan of its intention to assume this function.

Not in our community!

That was the message delivered Tuesday by West Kelowna Council when asked to support a road rally race on Glenrosa Road.

The road rally would have forced the closure of Glenrosa Road from the fire hall to Crystal Mountain.

Event organizers want to run the one day rally on roads in Summerland, West Kelowna and Joe Rich/Big White.

Council heard from both organizers and residents of Glenrosa. Resident's Association President Michael Trenn presented council with a petition with 138 names opposed to the closure.

"My concern like everybody else, is the local residents, the ones that get totally inconvenienced by being out of their homes for several hours and not being able to get back in," says Councillor David Knowles.

"There are also a lot of people that don't appreciate the noise that goes along with this."

Knowles, who says he enjoys motor sports and wouldn't object to the event personally, says the overriding issue for him, other than noise and inconvenience is the fire hazard.

"Knowing what we went through last year. We can't afford the fire risk. On that one basis, I'm going to vote against this."

Mayor Doug Findlater was also against the idea, partly from an environmental aspect.

"We are going into an era where we have to think differently and model differently. This is certainly not a green event," says Findlater.

"I won't be supporting this either where people are either stuck in or stuck out of their homes. If I lived up there I would be out on the side of the road with a protest sign."

Councillor Rosalind Neis who voted, along with Bryden Winsby, to allow the application process to continue, says she believes council needs more information before turning their backs on the event.

"There are a lot of issues that have been raised by residents in the area and I don't think the promoter has had the opportunity to address this," says Neis.

She says the promoter should be given the opportunity to meet requirements set out by the engineering department and also to try and appease the residents of Glenrosa.

Councillor Duane Ophus says regardless of what the applicant is able to do, he doesn't support the event.

"The bottom line for me is I wouldn't support it anyway. I think it's not a viable proposition in that neighbourhood on the kinds of roads and geography we have up there," says Ophus.

"I don't have any problem not supporting it from the outset."

West Kelowna Council voted 5-2 against allowing Targa Canada West from continuing to negotiate with staff in an effort to hold the event.

Event organizer Kelly Silverthorn left immediately after the decision was rendered in order to get to a meeting in Summerland.

He says they do have contingency plans in place.

"We have the flexibility to alter the routes (Summerland, Joe Rich and Big White) to get our competitors a full day of competition," says Silverthorn.

RCMP in West Kelowna have shut down what they call a significant marijuana grow operation.

Constable Steve Holmes says officers attended the home in the 1600 block of McNaughton Road about 2 a.m. Sunday after an anonymous tip suggested a domestic dispute was taking place within the home.

"A lot of loud noises were being heard from inside of this house and when police attended they found a door that was slightly ajar," says Holmes.

"They could then see and certainly smell the grow-op. At that point a warrant was obtained, police searched the residence and found all of these plants."

Holmes says more than 1700 plants were growing in two large rooms within the home.

He says a large bag of dried marijuana was found and a hydro bypass was also discovered.

"There were no occupants in the home, nor was there any evidence of a dispute."

Holmes says the grow-operation is one of the larger ones he's seen.

"Last week we did another marijuana grow-operation and that was over 900 plants which is considered large. This is certainly among the largest single operation we have taken out in a residence."

He says the average grow-op in a home is between 200 and 600 plants.

Holmes says police are still working on determining if the home was owner occupied or a rental.

The District of West Kelowna has launched a survey to gauge key issues, concerns and opportunities for economic development in West Kelowna.

Residents and businesspeople are encouraged to take the short 17-question online survey. Results of the survey will aid in the development of a West Kelowna Economic Development Strategy intended to strengthen economic development in the community.

“Council has placed the creation of an Economic Development Plan for West Kelowna as a top priority in this year’s strategic planning,” says Mayor Doug Findlater.

“Our long-term objective is to recognize the economic development assets of the region and capitalize on unique opportunities to improve the economic viability of the community. This survey is the first step in establishing what residents and business people think of the current economic climate and what directions West Kelowna should take.”

The online survey is available immediately via the District’s website at www.districtofwestkelowna.ca and participants have until March 31, 2010 to complete the survey.

The survey was developed for West Kelowna by Lion’s Gate Consulting working in conjunction with the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission.

The survey is one of many opportunities ahead for public consultation with plans underway for focus groups, interviews and planning workshops.

Link: Link to DWK survey

A recent open house was well attended by Peachland residents.

Approximately 86 residents came to learn more about Peachland’s Beach Avenue Roadway and Multi-use Pathway Improvement Project and provide their comments on the design drawings.

The open house gave residents the opportunity to review two different design options and talk with the project team.

“We were very pleased with the response from our community and with the feedback we received,” says Mayor Keith Fielding.

“We appreciate the wide range of ideas and suggestions we received, all of which will be considered in the final design.”

Those who attended were also invited to provide their opinion on one of two design options for the walkway.

An Exit Survey helped capture the feedback. The results show that a large majority support the “Option A” design, which minimizes the impact on the waterfront.

A summary of the Exit Survey responses can be found on the District of Peachland website.

“The next steps are to modify and complete the detailed design drawings over the next several weeks. The final design drawings will be presented for information at an open house later this spring.”

Once the drawings are complete, the construction project will be tendered in an open bidding process before construction can begin.

As required by the Federal and Provincial grant funding, the project must be completed by March 31, 2011.

As a result, the bulk of construction, including the repaving of Beach Avenue, will need to take place this summer and fall.

Link: Peachland website