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Peachland  

Controlled burn south of Peachland highly visible Saturday

Smoke from controlled burn

A controlled burn south of Peachland is highly visible across the Central Okanagan Saturday afternoon.

The 25-hectare planned burn got underway Friday, and will continue through the weekend. It's being conducted about four kilometres southwest of Peachland by the BC Wildfire Service, Penticton Indian Band and the Regional District of the Okanagan Similkameen.

Friday, crews conducted “blacklining” around the controlled burn area, pre-burning fuels around the prescribed burn area to ensure the burn won't spread beyond its boundaries.

The 25-hectare burn this weekend is one part of a larger 40-hectare project.

“This prescribed burn will be controlled and closely monitored by personnel and will provide critical cross training opportunities for the Peachland Fire Department, Penticton Indian Band and BC Wildfire Service,” the BC Wildfire Service says.

“This project reduces fine fuels and buildup of dead grass within the area, supports ecosystem restoration and improves community protection through fuel load reduction, thus reducing fire hazard in the community.”



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Controlled burn underway southwest of Peachland

Controlled burn underway

A controlled burn is now underway southwest of Peachland.

The BC Wildfire Service says the 25-hectare burn in Meadow Valley, about four kilometres outside Peachland, is being conducted in partnership with the Penticton Indian Band and the Regional District of the Okanagan Similkameen.

“Due to precipitation received on site earlier this week, crews will be completing blacklining today, March 15, in preparation for completing the Meadow Valley prescribed burn project this weekend,” BCWS said.

Smoke will be visible to the District of Peachland and surrounding areas, as well as travelers along Highway 97.

This project is intended to reduce fine fuels and buildup of dead grass in the area, reducing the fire hazard in the community.



Interim Peachland fire chief a longtime department member

Interim chief not a new face

Peachland’s interim fire chief is a longtime local firefighter, city council heard on Tuesday.

Wes Aigro was officially appointed to the top job – for now – at council’s regular meeting.

“He is a Peachlander. He’s got 16 years experience,” administrator Joe Creron told council. “Since 2006, Wes has been a volunteer. He’s been a a firefighter 2006 to 2013. He was a Peachland fire captain 2013-21. He was assistant fire chief 2021-2023. And recently, he was hired as our deputy fire chief.

“Looking at his resume, he’s got a lot of training – 38 fire-related courses he’s taken,” Creron said.

“I think a lot of people in Peachland will be very happy, because he’s like our former fire chief, he lives here."

Former chief Dennis Craig recently took a job with the Kelowna fire department.

“We’re going to be going through a process to hire a fire chief, and I suspect Wes will be an applicant,” Creron said.



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Peachland to support new car show with $7K grant

Car show needs tax dollars

Organizers of Peachland’s new May long weekend car show need $7,000 from the municipality to get their first show going.

The money is needed for security and traffic control, council heard on Tuesday. In the future, it’s hoped the show will make enough money each year to cover such expenses the following year.

“As the car show quickly approaches, the costs are continuously adding up and our cash flow is becoming an issue,” the Peachland Chamber of Commerce wrote in a letter to council. “We would like to ask for a one-time start-up donation of $7,000 to assist in making this car show a success for our community.”

The chamber, with council’s support, took on organizing a new car show after the long-running World of Wheels show made plans to move to West Kelowna.

“It’s my understanding this money is going to the safety people that are going to be there,” said Mayor Patrick Van Minsel, who attended the meeting by video while Coun. Keith Thom sat in the mayor's chair. “It’s a pretty high number, $7,000-$8,000 just for the safety to be there, so I think this is to cover that.”

Director of Community Services Cory Labrecque elaborated: “This is specifically to cover the cost of providing and hiring professional traffic safety company to look after traffic control, parking and the parade that’s happening after. Essentially, the car show cannot happen without that company in place.”

It’s about insurance, added Coun. David Collins: “The one thing that makes this event challenging is the insurance requirement, which stipulates you have to have a certain amount of flag people, safety people for road, traffic, pedestrians and all that stuff. I know the chamber has wrestled with how to get enough funds to pay for that.”

Council voted to provide the show with the funding.

The Peachland Classic Car Show will take place on May 19.



Peachland development off Hwy 97 gets final approval

Development gets go-ahead

Almost a year after receiving conditional approval, a 14-unit Peachland development got the final go-ahead from council on Tuesday.

The units are to be built on one-acre property on Highway 97 near Lilly Street.

“Council gave this application third reading in April of 2023. All of those zoning conditions that were established at that time have now been satisfied,” said Darin Schaal, Peachland’s planning director.

The project was slow to receive the approvals over concerns about the speed limit on Highway 97 and the condition of a nearby intersection.

At third reading last year, council heard the developer had promised to pay for intersection improvements at Lilly and Highway 97, where left turns will no longer be allowed.

“Right in, right out,” was how the intersection was described to council.

On Tuesday, Coun. Terry Condon wondered whether barriers will be put in place to make sure illegal left turns can’t be made.

“There will be a triangle concrete median that will prevent, or try to prevent, cars from turning left out of Lilly,” said Schaal.

Condon suggested a barrier in the middle of the highway. Schaal responded that would be up to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, but Peachland would recommend a solid barrier.

Peachland is hoping a speed limit reduction on Highway 97 south of Princeton Avenue can be extended, Mayor Patrick Van Minsel said.

The development is described as a multi-storey, multi-unit residential strata that will be built all at one time.



Peachland council excited about new transportation plan

Transportation plan cheered

Peachland councillors were so impressed by a draft transportation plan presented to them on Tuesday that they wanted to skip final revisions and adopt it immediately.

But administrator Joe Creron put a damper on their enthusiasm.

“Adoption means we’re going to do absolutely everything there,” explained Creron. “This is a very dynamic document that’ll take many, many years to do. If we receive as information, it still provides us as a guide.”

So with Creron’s comments in mind, council instead passed a motion that said the plan will serve as “a guide for district planning purposes.”

The plan, prepared by Urban Systems’ Kelowna office for the municipality, outlined future needs for four upland Peachland roads – Renfrew Road, Princeton Avenue, Ponderosa Drive and Trepanier Bench Road.

Some large developments are planned and approved along all the roads, although the report provided options that included all or just some of the developments actually getting built.

Improved sidewalks and multi-use paths were needed on most roads.

Princeton Avenue may require traffic and pedestrian lights in the future, the report said.

Renfrew Road may include some of a Westside trail in the future.

“The one-way section of Renfrew Road between Sherburn and Hardy Street is potentially going to become part of the Westside trail, which will likely also increase active transportation along this section of the corridor,” said Jasmine Smith, a transportation engineer with Urban Systems.

Ponderosa Drive will need improved signage.

Trepanier Bench Road will need a pedestrian pathway from Clarence Road to Highway 97, the report said.

The report also considered whether emergency accesses are sufficient.

Bulyea Avenue and Ponderosa Drive don’t meet current standards now and each needs another access, the report said.

Princeton Avenue around Sanderson and Vernon avenues, Clements Crescent and the New Monaco development, if it gets built, may need additional accesses in the future. The 2,000-unit New Monaco development, to be located between Highway 97 and Highway 97C on Peachland’s northern boundary, was approved in 2014, but construction hasn’t started due to access issues, council heard last fall.

The new transportation plan itself was highly praised.

“I think that this is a particularly valuable document,” said Coun. Terry Condon. “Using this to inform many of the other projects that we have in stream I think is going to be particularly useful.”

“Outstanding work on this, the final draft,” Coun. Alena Glasman chimed in next. “This was actually very enlightening reading. Some of the areas that were of concern to me have actually been addressed in here, which is really good. This actually is going to become an extremely valuable document.”

Attending by video, Mayor Patrick Van Minsel added: “This is a comprehensive, informative document. It will help not only our departments but also us at council to use as guidance when we deal with developments.”



Peachland to appoint interim fire chief after Dennis Craig's departure

Interim fire chief selected

Peachland’s deputy fire chief will take over management of the fire department on an interim basis.

District council is expected to appoint Wes Aigro as interim fire chief “for the time being,” according to Tuesday’s council agenda.

Outgoing fire chief Dennis Craig is leaving the role after a decade to take a position with the Kelowna Fire Department.

“The district is currently recruiting for a fire chief. Until such a time that a new fire chief has been hired, a temporary appointment needs to be made,” said the staff report to council.

Timelines for hiring a full-time replacement are not clear at this point.



Power lost in Peachland, West Kelowna as BC Hydro investigates

Peachland power back

UPDATE 10 p.m.

Power has been restored to more than 2,700 BC Hydro customers in portions of Peachland, Summerland and West Kelowna.

BC Hydro did not indicate the reason for the outage.


ORIGINAL 3:30 p.m.

Some people living in Peachland and West Kelowna have lost power Saturday afternoon.

According to BC Hydro, they are currently investigating an outage that's affecting 2,715 customers in the Peachland and West Kelowna area.

The outage is impacting residents West of Highway 97, North of Highway 97, South of Elliott Rd. and East of Princeton Ave.

Crews are currently on their way to site to complete the investigation.

Castanet will update the story when more information becomes available.



Nominations open for Peachland's civic awards

Outstanding citizens sought

The District of Peachland is in search of those citizens who went above and beyond to make a significant difference in 2023.

Nominations are now open for Peachland's 2023 civic awards which recognize excellence, lifetime service awards, the Citizen of the Year and Freedom of the City awards and more.

“Presenting these awards to such outstanding Peachlanders is truly one of the greatest honours we councillors enjoy. It’s a chance for us to celebrate the hard work and selflessness of so many of our residents, who go above and beyond for their community,” says Mayor Patrick Van Minsel.

“I encourage everyone to forward the name of a worthy citizen who has made a difference to others and their community and attend the gala in April to help us cheer their efforts.”

Click here for a list of category and to access nomination forms.

The nomination deadline is Friday, March 15.

The Spirit of Peachland Awards Committee reviews the submitted nominations and determines award recipients. The committee will consist of no less than five members of Peachland community groups and past winners of the Citizen of the Year award.

If you are interested in sitting on the Nominating Committee, please call 250-767-2133.

The civic awards are presented during a gala event Friday, April 26 at the Peachland Community Centre.



BCWS schedules prescribed burn just south of Peachland for early March

Prescribed burn scheduled

A prescribed burn that was postponed last fall because of weather issues will now get underway, possibly this week.

The BC Wildfire Service, Penticton Indian Band, and the District of Okanagan-Similkameen will be conducting a 25-hectare prescribed burn approximately four kilometres southwest of Peachland in the Meadow Valley area.

Preparation for the prescribed burn is already underway and the burn is part of a larger project that will encompass 40 hectares.

"Smoke from this prescribed burn may be visible to the District of Peachland and surrounding areas. Ignitions will only proceed if conditions are suitable, and the venting conditions will allow for quick smoke dissipation," says an email from the BC Wildfire Service.

The email says the prescribed burn will be controlled and closely monitored by personnel and will provide critical cross-training opportunities for the Peachland Fire Department, PIB, and BC Wildfire Service.

This project is intended to reduce fine fuels and buildup of dead grass in the area, reducing the fire hazard in the community.



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