Kelowna News‹ Jun 25 to Jul 1, 2017 ›
Canada Day in Kelowna
Families were out and about in the hot July heat Saturday, celebrating the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation. Celebratory events were held across the...
Clark plans to stick around
Following dissolution of the legislature Thursday, Christy Clark says she plans to remain as the MLA for Kelowna West and as the leader of the BC Liberal party....
Celebrating 150 years
Despite the postponement of the fireworks this years, Canada's sesquicentennial celebrations are going off around Kelowna. Waterfront Park will be packed...
Nothing can stop him
Ian Wright has been playing Power Soccer for 13 years and will be representing Canada along with his teammates in a national championship. "I was born...
Guilty in violent Verve B&E
A two-month road trip to Kelowna ended in six serious convictions for a young man from Winnipeg. Alexander Laramee was found guilty Friday morning of six...
Naloxone kits in schools
Secondary schools in the Central Okanagan will be equipped with overdose prevention measures next school year. At its final meeting of the current school year,...
Totalled back of car
Two vehicles collided south of Winfield by Turtle Bay Crossing just after 7:15 p.m. RCMP and emergency vehicles are on scene. Send your photos and videos to...
Evening Update June 30
Castanet's Evening Update for Friday, June 30, with reporter Wayne Moore.
Threats to Premier in court
The woman charged with uttering threats against former premier Christy Clark and former speaker Steve Thomson had her first appearance in court Friday, but her...
Can we swim in it?
Despite the strange weather and massive flooding across the Okanagan this spring, Interior Health and the City of Kelowna say there is no cause for concern...
Another Highrise on Ellis?
A juicy piece of real estate just hit the market in Kelowna’s cultural district, and is being touted as a possible site for the next highrise development...
Beaches, launches open
The City of Kelowna has opened more beaches and boat launches in time for the Canada Day long weekend. While lake levels remain more than 55 centimetres above...
Castanet Kid Report
Castanet's Kid Report for June 30 with junior correspondent Ariella Amato.
RCMP lease old home
The old Kelowna RCMP detachment on Doyle Avenue won't be turned over to the city anytime soon. While the RCMP officially vacated the old building earlier...
Lake down, fire danger up
As the flood danger lessens with each passing day, the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre is reminding residents the fire danger is high. Heading into...
Are documents admissible?
Rental car documents that link one of the accused in the murder of Jonathan Bacon to a vehicle similar to one that was driving around the Delta Grand Hotel...
App tracks broken docks
A new tracking app is being used by the Central Okanagan Emergency Operation Centre to track the location of 1,500 damaged docks across Okanagan Lake. The...
Mayhem on Rio Drive
UPDATED: 6:00 p.m. Despite several live power lines being dragged to the ground on Rio Drive Thursday afternoon, no one was injured in the incident. Cpt. Dave...
Evening Update June 29
Castanet's Evening Update for Thursday, June 29, with reporter Wayne Moore.
Beaches finally see action
Cleanup crews are working to open up more beaches and parks for the weekend, even though there might not be a lot of space to lay a towel. At Kelowna City Park...
Fixing over 1,200 docks
Recovery efforts are underway to fix an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 damaged docks on Okangan Lake. Provincial government staff are assisting local governments,...
Fireworks shake residents
Loud bangs and booms woke up several Kelowna residents near midnight Wednesday. Castanet received numerous emails from people wondering what the noise was all...
Castanet buys Juice FM
Castanet has struck a deal with Vista Radio to buy Kelowna’s Juice FM 103.9. The CRTC announced today the proposal is now set down for a hearing in Ottawa...
Lake inches toward 343m
Okanagan Lake continues to inch its way down to a level we haven't seen in more than a month. The lake dropped another 1.5 centimetres since Wednesday...
Visitor centre grant boost
Kelowna's new $2.8-million visitor centre has received a $500,000 grant from the provincial government. A development permit was issued by the city on...
Reminder to boaters
As boaters flock to the Okanagan, it is important to remind people that lake levels remain the highest seen in decades. A new wake guideline has been created in...
Parks open for weekend
The Regional District of Central Okanagan has opened several waterfront parks and beaches for the July long weekend. While park and beach areas may be open to...
Kelowna's Spidey jam
Kelowna-raised and world-renowned DJ Stickybuds has a new song that is featured in the new Spiderman movie trailer. "Our track that's in the trailer...
Van Gilder a free man
For Tammey Van Gilder, the mother of the man found not guilty of manslaughter Tuesday, her year-long nightmare is finally over. Cory Van Gilder was released...
Evening Update June 28
Castanet's Evening Update for Wednesday, June 28, with reporter Wayne Moore.
Damaged plane lands safely
A plane with just one engine landed without incident at Kelowna International Airport Wednesday afternoon. A call came into the tower shortly after 2:30 p.m....
Thoughts on Canada 150
Canada Day 150 is fast approaching. Although Kelowna's Canada Day celebrations will not end with the usual bang there is still plenty of fun to be had...
Crash causes traffic delay
Firefighters and police are responding to a multi-vehicle collision on Wednesday. It appears there are three vehicles involved in the crash at Springfield and...
Flight diverted to Kelowna
An Air Canada airliner made an unscheduled landing at Kelowna International Airport Wednesday after passengers reported hearing strange noises. Flight 8570...
Lake drops another 1.3cm
UPDATE: 11:15 a.m. Flood protection measures are being removed from a few lakefront areas in advance of the July long weekend. In Peachland, the bladder dam and...
Winemaker hits the stage
A local winemaker does more than just make wine – he makes music too. Jason Parkes is the winemaker at The Hatch, Perseus Winery and Indigenous World...
Finding beauty in flood
A Kelowna filmmaker used Kelowna's flooded waterfront to artistic effect in his latest project. Clayton Arnall shot the short film "Flooded" with...
Simpson to lead foundation
A former Kelowna city counsellor is going back to college. Sharron Simpson is taking on the role of president and board chairperson of the Okanagan College...
Indigenous garden at OC
On Tuesday, June 27, more than 100 people attended the grand opening of the na’Ê”k’Ê·ulamÉ™n garden, a new Indigenous garden located at...
Supportive housing a go
Kelowna city council has said yes to a land use change to make way for a new supportive housing complex. The 154-unit development is proposed for 1350 and 1370...
Fence conceals witnesses
A new addition to Kelowna's downtown has been described as “hideous,” but staff at the Kelowna courthouse say it's only temporary. Over the...
Three-generation freefall
Three generations are taking the plunge together on July 8. An 85-year-old Summerland woman will jump out of an airplane over Vernon with her daughter and...
Party all day in Lake Country
Lake Country will celebrate all day on Canada Day for the first time. Activities will take place at Swalwell Park from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Things kick off with a...
Park and play this summer
Kelowna’s parks will soon be filled with bouncy castles, games and entertainment as the Park & Play program returns for another summer of free family...
Not guilty of manslaughter
Cory Richard Eric Van Gilder has been found not guilty of manslaughter in the one-punch death of Zachary Gaudette. The jury returned its verdict just after 5...
Native garden unveiled
A new, indigenous garden was unveiled Tuesday at Okanagan College in Kelowna. Launched in partnership with Westbank First Nation and the City of Kelowna, the...
Bloody scene at motel
UPDATE: 5 p.m. Police are staked out at a Kelowna motel as the investigation into a 38-year-old man being assaulted continues. A motorcycle is parked directly...
Evening Update June 27
Castanet's Evening Update for Tuesday, June 27, with reporter Wayne Moore.
Great news for beachgoers
UPDATE: 4:10 p.m. In preparation for the long weekend, crews will begin removing flood-protection measures where safe to do so, along parks and beaches in West...
Stabber's sentence slashed
A Kelowna man convicted of stabbing a fellow drug dealer in the neck and forcing him to steal a TV to repay a debt has successfully appealed the length of his...
Marching to new home
Dozens of passers-by stopped to take in the parade of Mounties in red serge, auxiliary constables, RCMP volunteers and civilian staff from the regional...
Massive price jump
The average waterfront recreational property in Kelowna now costs almost $1 million, a price that’s ballooned by almost 50 per cent since last year....
Threats against premier
B.C.'s Prosecution Service says a Kelowna woman has been charged with uttering death threats aimed at Premier Christy Clark and Speaker Steve Thomson. The...
Drugs: just don't do it
The Okanagan continues to see a spike in overdose deaths. There have been 50 OD deaths in the first four months of 2017 in the valley. “The number of...
Reunited with sailboat
UPDATE: Tuesday 10:45 a.m. The owner of a sailboat that was washed onto Rotary Beach after strong winds Monday night has found his boat and is assessing the...
Fire a wake-up call
Big White fire chief Jamie Svendsen called Monday's lightning-caused fire on the hill a wake-up call. A lightning storm passed through the area, sparking a...
KGH 'fire' just a drill
UPDATE: 9:40 a.m. Despite initial reports of a "confirmed fire" at Kelowna General Hospital, it has since been determined to be a fire drill at the...
Deadly 'sucker punch'
UPDATE 9:20 p.m. The jury has indicated it has concluded deliberations for the evening. A verdict will not be rendered Monday night. ORIGINAL STORY 5 p.m. The...
Funding for celebrations
Communities across B.C. taking part in celebrations for Canada’s 150th birthday have received funding from the Canada 150 fund and Celebrate Canada....
Lightning hits Big White
Several lightning strikes hit Big White Mountain Monday afternoon, sparking a pair of separate fires. According to Sr. VP, Michael J. Ballingall, several calls...
Moving on homelessness
UPDATE 6 p.m. Kelowna city council has unanimously endorsed the next step in the fight against homelessness in the city. The Journey Home task force is being...
Wrapping arms for God
While putting a box on your head and wrapping leather around your arm might strike some as peculiar, Kelowna's Rabbi Schmuly Hecht is looking to bring the...
Evening Update June 26
Castanet's Evening Update for Monday, June 26, with reporter Wayne Moore.
Body found in parking lot
Kelowna RCMP are working with the BC Coroners Service after the discovery of a dead body in a parking lot early Saturday. Just before 3 a.m., police responded...
Lake drops 4 cm
UPDATE: 1:30 p.m. Sandbag crews continue to take down protective measures where safe to do so in the Central Okanagan. The Emergency Operations Centre says...
Forecast: hot, hot, hot
The Okanagan didn't break any heat records over the weekend, but tourists and locals alike welcomed the first real summer heat of the season. Environment...
Kelowna's renaissance
Thanks to a thriving tech industry that has seen more than a 30 per cent growth in just two years, Kelowna has seen its demographics change drastically and its...
Beach walk for access
A group of Kelowna residents are fed up with the lack of access along the Okanagan Lake foreshore. To bring awareness to how bad the issue is, they plan to walk...
SUV flips in Kettle Valley
A dramatic single-vehicle rollover has reportedly left a person injured. Sunday evening, just before 6 p.m., a person driving a silver Nissan Murano flipped...
Pilots flock to Kelowna
The grounds east of the runway at Kelowna International Airport were buzzing with excitement this weekend, as people of all ages came out to view dozens of...
Be careful on the lake
Boaters should watch out for hazards in Okanagan Lake. Photos sent into Castanet Sunday showed the dangers left in the lake from flooding and storms, including...
Lambert wins byelection
Jeanette Lambert is Lake Country's newest councillor. Lambert won Saturday's by-election in the Carrs Landing ward with 130 votes. A total of 230...
Safety ambassadors at ER
New ambassadors will beef up safety at hospital emergency departments in Kelowna, Vernon and Kamloops. The new client service ambassador program will start next...
Summer jobs for students
The Canada Summer Jobs program will fund employment for 197 students in Kelowna-Lake Country this year. MP Stephen Fuhr says students can access a list of local...