Summerland News  

Summerland duo scores $1 million Dragon's Den investment for de-alcoholized wine

Local biz attracts a Dragon

Photo: CBC

Co-founders of Ones de-alcoholized wines in Summerland appear on CBC's Dragon's Den

A Summerland duo selling de-alcohlized wines made an impression on the Dragon's Den, enough to earn a major investment.

Chris Pagliocchini and Tyler Harlton of Ones winery create small batch sugar-free wines made by fermentation then removing the alcohol by reverse osmosis after it is made, leading to an eventual 0.5 per cent alcohol content beverage.

They pitched an investment in their winery to the Dragons on the popular CBC television show in Toronto, pouring some glasses and asking for $900,000 for 10 per cent of their business.

The pair, who both have backgrounds in the Okanagan wine industry, explained the business is profitable, with their wines being offered at over 550 Canadian retailers.

"I'll be honest, when Tyler first pitched me on the idea, I didn't think it was very good. The next week, we sat down again. This time we had the world's best non-alcoholic wines in front of us as we tasted to them. They tasted like pop. Everything had sugar or juice added. I knew that there was something missing in the market. We had an opportunity here," Pagliocchini told the Dragons.

Now, years later with a line of successful products that the Dragons agreed tasted great, the duo wants to take it to the next level.

While many of the Dragons bowed out, they caught the eye of Manjit Minhas, who is the co-founder of Minhas Breweries, Distillery and Wineries with a global reach.

After some discussion, they landed on a deal of $1 million for a 15 per cent.

Watch Ones' pitch on Dragon's Den online here.

Summerland businesses warned of counterfeit cash in community

Warning over fake cash

Photo: File photo

Summerland RCMP warn of counterfeit currency.

Counterfeit currency is being circulated in Summerland.

RCMP are warning businesses to be aware as police continue to investigate the fake money, typically $20 or $50 bills.

"Investigations are on going and police are working to identify those responsible. Business owners and staff are encouraged to carefully check cash received, particularly during busy periods," a press release issued Friday reads.

Information from the RCMP regarding how to protect yourself from frauds and scams can be found online here.

Summerland grassroots initiative started as a gathering space for grief over United States actions

Vigil for U.S.A. situation

Photo: Kathleen Estabrooks

Vigil of Hope running in Summerland every Friday

A candlelit vigil has been running every Friday in downtown Summerland for the past three weeks, to share grief over civil unrest and political turmoil in the United States.

Kathleen Estabrooks started the gathering at the Summerland Cenotaph Square, hoping to provide a safe space.

"The first week 12 people attended, the second week 16 people. This past Friday, 25 people attended," she shared with Castanet.

"This past week, the Songcatcher singers reached out asking to lead us in song, so they and their leader Yanti led us in song."

Estabrooks said one person said that she told her friends in Minneapolis, which is the site of major protests and two recent killings of American citizens by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, that the gathering was happening.

"The degrees of separation are fewer than we think," she said.

The Vigils for Hope takes place every Friday at 5 p.m. Attendees are invited to bring a candle and share a few words.

Summerland ranks high on Globe and Mail list of 'most livable small-sized cities'

Rising on 'most liveable' list

Photo: District of Summerland

View from one of Summerland's local mountains.

Summerland is celebrating its growing position on The Globe and Mail newspaper's Most Liveable Cities List.

The District of Summerland announced on Thursday that its position has increased by 170 slots on the Canada-wide ranking of 454 cities.

Summerland now sits in the top 100 cities in Canada, with an overall ranking of #80. When ranked against other small cities, Summerland’s position jumps up to #27.

One of the major highlights, the district said, was that they have ranked #5 in all of Canada in the “Community” category.

"Being recognized as one of the Canadian communities with the biggest jumps in livability is really great for our town; I believe it’s the result of all Summerlanders embracing what our town has to offer - from safety to our natural environment to social activities - and creating a sense of belonging and community," Deputy Mayor Erin Trainer said in the news release.

"We take care of each other, acknowledge our challenges and celebrate our achievements together.”

This annual list analyzes data from 454 Canadian cities using variables across a number of categories and variables, including economy, housing, demographics, healthcare, safety, education, transportation and public amenities like parks and public spaces.

Read more about the Globe and Mail’s list of Canada’s Most Liveable Cities online here.

Judge taking time to decide judicial review for controversial Summerland gravel pit mine

Gravel pit battle not over

Photo: Garnet Valley Tourism Association

Aerial view taken in the summer of Garnet Valley gravel pit, where heavy equipment has moved onto the site and the operation's test hole

Residents fighting to halt a provincially approved gravel mine in a rural area of Summerland will have to wait to hear whether their advocacy before the courts worked.

The Garnet Valley Tourism Association has been working to have a review of the provincial decision to permit a gravel mine at 27410 Garnet Valley.

On Tuesday, counsel for the association presented their arguments to the courts, using the documents from the environmental review, highlighting concerns about the mine's location and claims of retroactive justification for the decision-making.

More than a dozen residents came out to the courtroom Wednesday, among them local MLA Amelia Boultbee, to hear counter-arguments from the government and show their support for overturning the decision.

The petitioners are seeking costs and are seeking to reverse the issue of the authorization for the mine.

Representatives for the other side took their turn to present arguments on Wednesday, which included the Chief Permitting Officer (CPO) for the Ministry of Mines and the gravel pit mining company.

Ministry argued it did its job

Monica Salt spoke as defence counsel for the CPO, and said their submissions address four main components: the legislative scheme, the proponents' application, the public comment, and the permit decision.

Salt said when the ministry received the 341 comments during the public feedback opportunity, the division was consistent with the ministry's experience that "the vast majority of public comments typically oppose proposed mining projects."

In response to the claims of retroactive justification, Salt said the inspector had been finalizing the document in October, always intending to provide a more fulsome account of how their decision when the district requested written reasons.

She said this was after a table summarizing the public comments was received and setting out the inspector's general response was provided to members of the public in August.

She also pointed out that a lot of affidavit evidence was filed, including hundreds of pages of exhibits.

"Some of the evidence will be clearly admissible. Some evidence will be clearly not admissible," Salt said.

"If it's properly on the record, then it's admissible, provided it is relevant, and of course, goes to the issues on the grounds for judicial review."

Regarding the issue of procedural fairness, Justice Gregory Koturbash inquired about the letter emailed to the Penticton Indian Band Chief indicating that the project was not going to proceed.

Salt's team said the letter is not part of the record and evidence.

"This letter is related to consultation efforts, and so really it's not going to be an issue that's for this court," Salt said.

"This affidavit and this evidence are about consultation, which is why it's not part of the record, it's not part of the evidence."

Took comments into consideration

Salt went on to say that the court has to determine what level of procedural fairness was owed to practitioners.

"After conducting that determination, the court looks at the procedure that was applied, the information that was given, and determines whether it met the standard that was identified."

Salt argued that a low degree of procedural fairness applies to this decision.

"Our submission is that the concerns expressed by members of the community do not rise to the level of significant impact or exceptional importance to an effective party sufficient to warrant this higher degree of procedural fairness," she said.

Salt argued the procedural fairness requirements were satisfied.

"Based on what was provided and the process employed, people were certainly able to identify their interests, make submissions and have those submissions considered," she said. "The process worked."

Salt said if the court decision is that the CPO's decisions should be set aside, then, in terms of an appropriate remedy, a suggestion is that it can be referred back to the original decision-maker for review.

She added that costs are not typically awarded in a judicial review.

Ryan W. Parsons, the lawyer for the gravel mine pit company, said it has been made clear that "the CPO took a large number of factors into consideration in making her decisions."

"We say that the petitioners are essentially taking a position that they get to decide, for this expert decision maker, what is a key issue or what is key evidence, and they get to decide what she must address," he said.

Parsons argued that the CPO's decision was procedurally fair.

He also took the time to go through a map of the property and went through the limitations on the total area that can be mined at any one time.

As well, Parsons said that the statutory requirements imposed the duty on every owner "during the life of the mine to carry out a program of environmental protection and reclamation in accordance with standards."

He went through details of the mine's plans that upheld permit conditions, which require a wildlife vegetation survey, the requirement of progressive reclamation, and concerns about slope stability, groundwater flow, and environmental impact were addressed.

"Parsons said their argument about retroactive justification is "speculative."

"There is no evidence that the CPO was aware of any public pressure ... [or] was influenced by that pressure to provide additional reasons or explanations she made nearly four months later," Parsons said.

He also argued whether the letter to the PIB could be considered, saying that the ministry had previously reached out to speak with the band on the matter and had not gotten a reply to arrange a date.

Petitioners argue back

The judicial review petitioners' lawyer, Julia Riddle, spoke in reply to the defence's submissions on Wednesday afternoon.

Riddle said the main issue of residents getting very little insight into the CPO's decision-making process remains.

They said the government's position of a low degree of procedural fairness is not a fair assessment.

"This isn't like the other gravel pit cases," Riddle said, referencing decisions the defence used to dismiss arguments.

At the end of the day, Riddle said they argue that the process wasn't followed properly in the mine's approval.

"That's what we're asking for here, a chance to do this again, if it needs to be done. A chance to have this quashed and have any decision about this valley being on a proper record, with proper input and a carefully reasoned decision," Riddle said.

As the lawyers' remarks closed out the court day, Judge Gregory Koturbash called proceedings to an end to arrange a date for a final ruling date in early March.

Judicial review for controversial Summerland gravel pit mine begins in Penticton court

Courtroom battle over pit

Photo: Garnet Valley Tourism Association

Aerial view taken in the summer of Garnet Valley gravel pit, where heavy equipment has moved onto the site and the operation's test hole

A Summerland-area tourism group's fight to halt a provincially-approved contentious gravel mine has reached the courts.

The Garnet Valley Tourism Association has been working to have a review of the provincial decision to permit a gravel mine at 27410 Garnet Valley for months.

On Tuesday, they had their first day in Penticton court.

Lengthy battle against mine

Permits for the aggregate mine were approved by the B.C. government in July 2024, following widespread opposition from First Nations, local governments, and community groups.

The Penticton Indian Band, along with the Lower Similkameen Indian Band, the District of Summerland, the Penticton Chamber of Commerce, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, the B.C. Wildlife Federation, and others, have all spoken out against the project.

The District of Summerland asked for the ministry of mines to overturn the decision to approve the gravel pit "in a highly sensitive habitat area at the end of Garnet Valley within the district’s municipal boundaries."

Last June, documents obtained by the Garnet Valley Tourism Association through a Freedom of Information request revealed that an environmental review from the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship strongly recommended against the authorization of the proposed mining operation.

The email to the Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals inspector stated that there are "significant risks of impact to both the habitat and multiple species at risk."

Locals have raised concerns about the impact on infrastructure, the environment, tourism, and geotechnical issues.

Review argues flaws

The first day of the judicial review in court consisted of presentations from the judicial review petition's lawyer, Julia Riddle, who used the documents from the environmental review as a key part of their argument on Tuesday.

Riddle's litigation team pointed out that the biologist said the negative impacts would be "irreversible regardless of the level of mitigation attempted," but that the ministry went ahead anyway.

"There are a number of questions about how that decision could have been reached," they said.

Riddle pointed out that the ministry's response to the environmental concerns was to put in place conditions and mitigations, along with wildlife sweeps.

"Those are not reconcilable positions. You cannot have evidence that says 'This is irreversible damage that can't be solved by mitigation,' and say 'It's okay, I'm going to solve it by mitigation,' and that's our problem here," they said.

"Bluntly put, this conflict is quintessential unreasonableness."

Riddle said the decision maker could have argued that the loss of habitat is justified, or commissioned a second study with another expert report that shows why the mine would be a fine addition.

"Given the lack of, frankly, competing evidence, that is somewhat an irreconcilable problem for us on this judicial review."

The permit issued for the mine is for a 30-year term, lasting until 2054.

In their summary of the province's approval, Riddle said the decision makers wrote that effectively, they are dismissing the concerns because "local zoning, land use and bylaws are not relevant."

"You look through the rest of this chart, and we don't have anything that says, 'Well, here's how I'm going to consider the impact on the community,'" Riddle said.

They argue that entirely dismissing Summerland's Official Community Plan is a legal error and the failure in justification that flows from that.

Landslide worries remain

Another part of locals' worries about the gravel mine relates to the location, sitting above an organic farm and family homes.

Riddle argued that while the ministry was provided a geotechnical assessment assuring the area was stable, the evidence is, in their submission, lacking.

"We recognize that a small project in a small community, it's a gravel pit activation that, you know, we're not talking about a mountain collapsing on a community of 1,000 people, but we are talking about a hill collapsing on a handful of residents who do live there," Riddle said.

"We don't have anything from the decision maker, again, that actually has data, that has an expert, or that has someone who says, 'I looked at this hill, and here's how I know it's not going to be another landslide.'"

Riddle argued there were clear gaps with no comprehensive review in the record of the approval for the mine.

Retroactive justification

Just after the mine decision was made in July, and up until October, Riddle claimed the provincial authorities came out with arguments for their decision that had not been laid out before.

Following months of public pressure before, Riddle claimed the ministry only presented more information when the District of Summerland and the SnPink'tn (Penticton) Indian Band said they would be pursuing legal action.

"Within a few days, they see reasons for the first time, and at no point prior to that was the possibility of reasons being issued."

Riddle said that the decision should be set aside due to a reasonable apprehension of retroactive reasoning.

Riddle's co-counsel, Noah Ross, argued that the inspector's decision-making process was procedurally unfair, since members of the public were not provided with copies of the permit application materials

He said that the permit application materials, which included hundreds of pages of plans, were not available at one of the key locations in Summerland for review, and there is no evidence of any public meetings or open houses being held to discuss the project.

Those who requested further information on the project were told to submit an FOI request.

At one point, the Penticton Indian Band received a letter indicating that the project was not going to proceed.

"Unclear from the record, why such a letter was sent to the band, " Ross said, "Yet again, it's the integrity of the process the court's concerned with, and the integrity of the process has been undermined here."

The petitioners are seeking costs from both respondents, and are seeking to reverse the issue of the authorization for the mine.

Court proceedings continue on Wednesday, with representatives for the defence taking their turn to present arguments, which include the Chief Permitting Officer for the Ministry of Mines and the gravel pit mining company.

No decisions have yet been made in court

Summerland moving its online building permit application process to provincial building hub

Switch to provincial hub

Photo: Castanet file photo

District of Summerland moves Building Permit Hub, an online provincial permitting platform.

The District of Summerland announced that as of Tuesday, its online building permit application process is heading to the provincial Building Permit Hub.

Summerland said they are among the first municipalities in BC to adopt this new platform.

"This secure, province-wide platform is designed to make applying easier for residents, businesses, and contractors, while offering long-term reliability and consistency across British Columbia," the district said.

As of Feb. 3, 2026, all new building permit applications must be submitted through the provincial hub, since the current CityView system will no longer be used after this date.

The district said they will have a one-year transition period from CityView to Building Permit Hub, "which will ensure continuity, and all existing applications and records will be retained. No information will be lost as part of this change."

Applicants with active permits before Feb. 3 have been notified directly.

"The Building Permit Hub application portal provides a consistent experience for contractors, developers, and residents, particularly those who work in multiple communities. Secure access is provided through provincial authentication using a BC Services Card / BCeID."

For more information, head online here.

Summerland rescue has a bonded pair of cats with balancing energies seeking a home

Bonded pair needs a home

The Critteraid Animal Sanctuary in Summerland currently has two cats in foster care who are looking for their forever home.

Meet Callie and Othello, who Critteraid President Lori Huot-Stewart said have big personalities.

" Othello is the beautiful, all-black boy. He is about four years old, and he's going to bring the energy from the two," she said.

"He just loves to play. He chases a string. He likes batting stuff."

Whereas Callie, who is approximately six and a half, is on the calm side.

"She is really deeply affectionate," Huot-Stewart said. "In her foster home right now, she is showing she is a true lap cat, so she loves to be brushed."

At this time, the rescue does not know what they would be like with kids or other dogs at the moment.

"We do know that they are displaying that they would be wonderful companions in a calm and loving home, so we're open to it."

If you're interested in meeting these two, send Critteraid an email at [email protected], attention Callie and Othello, to arrange your appointment.

Photo: Contributed

Meet Callie & Othello

Summerland museum shares a look back at an snowy day in the 1930s with local family

Snowy day back in 1930

Photo: Summerland Museum & Archives Society

Rev H. A. Solly and his wife Dorothy Solly standing in deep snow with another couple, in front of St. Stephen's Anglican Church.

The Summerland Museum & Archives Society headed back nearly a century this week, to share a look at a "more typical Summerland January" day.

The museum's photo from c.1930 shows Rev Herbert Ames Solly and his wife Dorothy Solly, standing in deep snow with another couple, in front of St. Stephen's Anglican Church.

Herbert was born in 1864 in Kent, England and moved to Summerland in 1907 with his wife, Dorothy.

As the first Rector of Summerland, Herbert had responsibility for Summerland, Peachland, Westbank, and Naramata.

"Rev. Solly gave his first services at St Peter's Church, which was situated on Giant's Head Rd, where the Anglican Cemetery is located," the museum said in their post.

"In 1910, the well-known "stone church" St Stephen's, pictured here, was opened to accommodate the growing congregation, just in time for Rev. Solly's Easter service."

Rev. Solly would become Archdeacon of the Okanagan in 1933, a few years after this photo was taken.

"Dorothy, too, was an active member of the Summerland community. By 1921 she was president of the Ladies Hospital Auxiliary," the museum said.

"Other services she provided to Summerland were as member of the School Board and the Hospital Board. In 1940, Dorothy was recognised for her community work by being awarded 'Good Citizen of the Year.'"

The Summerland Museum & Archives Society shares photos and information from their archives every week for Throwback Thursday on their social media, which can be found online here.

Summerland's wastewater system major upgrade more than halfway done

Wastewater project halfway

Photo: District of Summerland

Summerland's wastewater system major upgrade is coming along

Work is reportedly over halfway done on Summerland's Primary Clarifier Upgrade project, which is being done to ensure a safe and efficient community wastewater system.

The treatment plant previously caused issues between staff and council, when it was not included for discussion by senior staff in the 2025 budget deliberations.

A special meeting of council was held as costs to install a second “clarifier” in the plant had nearly doubled from $2.8 million to $5.4 million, mainly due to a pump gallery addition.

The existing clarifier was reported as being near its end of life and could fail at any time. The clarifier is needed to properly treat effluent that is released into Okanagan Lake.

The district said last week that the project is 54 per cent complete based on the master schedule.

So far, the district reported that they have finished excavation, building a concrete base, done a splitter box tie-in, and completed concrete pours for the clarifier, splitter box, pump gallery, and blending box.

Crews will next be tackling the installation of the clarifier mechanism, civil piping, process mechanical work, and backfilling.