John Thomson's I Didn't Know That!

Every week I get emails from readers who are very supportive and help me with things they see around the valley. 

We have heard that there might be a new Costco in West Kelowna.
Have you heard where it might be located? We can't see any signs as we drive that stretch.
We enjoy your columns a lot.


Take a real good look at the marketplace and don’t blinded by those Miracle Miles of Shopping on the highway. After Costco Kelowna did the redesigning of their building a few years ago, they created a remarkable amount of space for new profit centres. This store is catering to a marketplace of four hundred thousand plus people from Princeton to Cranbrook to Salmon Arm. These people have their weekly or monthly shopping date for Costco.

This well-run operation does well over $2 million a week in this location.  This is a fun store to shop and once you hit that runway they got you.

We hear these stories every week. I had written a reply to a reader’s question and Ikea. I stated that a lot of property was needed for the store and the parking lot. Well one of my readers disagreed with me and went to Google and got the Coquitlam layout. Clipped and pasted it over the property on Springfield Rd across from Orchard Plaza.

It seemed to fit. That is very valuable  property.                                         

******

Speaking of Zellers/Target, did you know that they are letting the managers go? Unlike in Canada, store managers need a business degree in the US. Many managers in Canada get their job from work experience. This is not good enough for Target.

Too bad, because I like the newest manager there now. He always has time to chat.

******

Morning John. Just read your latest article about being pulled over by the dark blue SUV. I understand that is the “dog” section. I’ve seen them at a secluded park, (that didn’t allow dogs) letting their dogs out for a run. Yes their uniforms are slightly different, but still have the shoulder badge.

I didn’t even know we had an RCMP Dog Patrol on the streets.  My first stop by the RCMP, my first pull over and it’s the Dog Patrol. Nice guys and very accommodating.

******

Every month I receive a newsletter from the Centre for Science and Public Interest, and this week’s carried an item and I am going to quote from Health Marketing. 

I have always had some concerns about the marketing of those health symbols.  We know the companies pay big bucks to be included and it is a strong revenue source for the company or charity that controls the logo.

“Multi-Grain Cheerios boxes carry a health check from the Heart & Stroke Foundation.”

Does that make the cereal better for your heart? Nope. The Check only means the Multi-Grain Cheerios are low in fat (like most cereals) - and that a 30-gram serving has at least two grams of fibre (like so many cereals.)

I understand that Heart & Stroke doesn’t even require a cereal to have whole grains or intact fibre from whole grains.

Multi -Grain Cheerios have more whole-grain corn and whole- grain oats. So they don’t have enough soluble fibre to lower cholesterol even if you eat four bowls day.”

There is a lot of money changing hands here so what are supposed to believe?

******

A new listing for Colliers International in downtown Kelowna: The Paramount Theatre is for sale. Jeff Hudson has the listing on the landmark site. I have not been in there in years. I used to hold our staff Christmas party for the families in there every year.

The main theatre built in 1945 holds 427 seats and the two smaller theatres 179 and 144 seats.

It would be a perfect location for a church to expand their work in the Okanagan.  

With the new theatre opening soon on the Westside and the big ten-theatre location at McCurdy Rd. we will have 18 theatres full of the hit movies of the day.

******

I never go to Vernon without stopping into Helmut’s Sausage Kitchen and buying goodies for home. They do make wonderful sausage but there is so much more to the store.

Now Monica and Helmut West are opening a Kelowna location Hwy 97 N.

This is going to be something.

This second store will be billed as Bistro, Holistic Foods deli and market. A huge salad island where you can pick out your salad makings and pay by the gram.

This family is famous for their sausages, German delicacies and good stuff to eat.

They have hired a chef and assistants to cook up the food everyday and you just stop buy and get it packaged to take home.

******                                                                                                  

Many sites advertise free credit scores or free credit reports, but beware. Often you must sign up for a trial membership in their credit monitoring service, and if you fail to cancel, you are charged a monthly fee.

******

They have a lot to celebrate this year, George and Trudy Heiss, as their most successful winery Gray Monk Estate Winery is thirty years old. They have been growing grapes for forty years and this is their fiftieth wedding anniversary.

You really have to put Gray Monk on your list when visitors arrive this summer from all over country. Their Grapevine Restaurant is a classic and the view is tremendous. Give your visitors a treat.

******

You see an ad on TV or hear it on the radio or in the newspaper and to make the company selling something to the public, they print that they are members of the Better Business Bureau and of course a member if the Chamber of Commerce.

What does that do to make them honest and trustworthy?  How ridiculous when all you need to get membership is some money.