Top Stories for November 23, 2022
Coquihalla Highway reopens but police investigation still 'active' and 'ongoing'
UPDATE 7:00 p.m. The Coquihalla Highway has reopened in both directions. “The incident that caused police to require the highway closure has come to a...
Trans-Canada conditions improve between Sicamous and Revelstoke, but still slow going: RCMP
UPDATE: 12:32 p.m. Traffic is moving slowly along Highway 1 between Sicamous and Revelstoke. A blast of winter turned the highway into a sheet of snow and ice...
Emotional end to Burnaby SkyTrain station standoff caught on camera
A Burnaby photographer captured the emotional end to a six-hour police standoff at the Metrotown SkyTrain station earlier this month. The photo shows a man...
Emily Ratajkowski is 'dating and having fun with it'
Emily Ratajkowski and Pete Davidson are having "a good time together". The 31-year-old model - who has Sylvester, 20 months, with film producer...
Attempted carjacker foiled by police dog in Penticton
An attempted carjacking at a Penticton car wash Tuesday prompted fast response from local RCMP, and a local man is now in custody. On Nov. 22 at 11:30 a.m.,...
New financial incentives launched for health-care staff in Grand Forks
Interior Health is now offering financial incentives in an effort to attract health-care staff in Grand Forks. “Grand Forks faces unique challenges to...
BC Tree Fruits board of directors survives attempt to force them out over closure of Lake Country packinghouse
The latest attempt to reverse a decision to close the BC Tree Fruits packinghouse in Lake Country has failed. “When it comes to the vote to remove all of...
World Cup fever takes over Kelowna brewery Wednesday morning
It was a packed house at Kelowna's Welton Arms Brewery Wednesday morning, as fans came out to cheer on Canada in their first men's World Cup game in 36...
Will you make a charitable donation this Christmas?
The Salvation Army has launched its Christmas Kettle campaign, collecting donations for families in need around the holiday season, which happens to be their...
'Polar vortex': The Weather Network forecasts frigid shift, snowfall for Metro Vancouver
Metro Vancouverites may see snowfall on several days in the coming weeks as temperatures are expected to plunge heading into the start of next month. After...
Upcoming early childhood educator and educational assistant programs cost no tuition at Sprott Shaw College
The need for early childhood educators and educational assistants is greater than ever in British Columbia, and upcoming government-funded programs through...
Kelowna man still missing after last being seen in Kamloops on Remembrance Day
Police continue to look for a Kelowna man last seen in Kamloops. Joseph Driscoll, 42, was last seen on Remembrance Day, Nov. 11. He was travelling in a black...
Province of BC collected less speculation vacancy tax revenue in 2021
The BC government raised less money from the speculation and vacancy tax in 2021, than it did in 2020. More than $78 million was raised last year through the...
Latest phase of Kicking Horse Canyon project wraps up a week early
The latest phase of the Kicking Horse Canyon Highway 1 project is wrapping up a week ahead of schedule. Beginning Friday at 6 a.m., motorists will once again be...
B.C. Premier Eby promises $230M in police funding for RCMP vacancies, new hires
British Columbia Premier David Eby says his government will spend $230 million over the next three years to hire 277 RCMP officers to serve across the province...
Avian flu leads to B.C. turkey shortage ahead of Christmas
Christmas dinner in British Columbia could look a little different this year as nearly two dozen farms across the province slaughter hundreds of thousands of...
Lumby woman adjusting to life after losing both legs in separate incidents
A Lumby woman is adjusting to life after losing both her legs in separate incidents. Friends have organized a GoFundMe campaign to get Katherine Wilson back...
Vernon senior shoved during attempted carjacking
An Ontario man is in custody after an 81-year-old woman was assaulted during an attempted carjacking in Vernon, Wednesday. Shortly before 10 a.m., Vernon RCMP...
Money laundering ring tied to Vancouver real estate alleged by police group
Police in Alberta and B.C. have arrested seven individuals who allegedly formed a multimillion-dollar, nationwide money laundering ring tied to real estate in...
Choose deer and drought-resistant hedging
Deer, deer everywhere. Wow, does the deer population of the valley seem to have exploded recently. With the sudden early snow limiting grazing options for them...
Journey Home's new tool designed to improve shelter access
A new online tool designed to make it easier for those living on the streets to access shelter beds and social wellness resources in Kelowna, is now available....
RCMP investigating after antique gas pump stolen from Spallumcheen area
Thieves have made off with an antique gas pump from a property in Spallumcheen. North Okanagan RCMP are investigating the theft, which occurred on a rural...
Burlington, Ont., establishing six-week indoor mask requirement for city employees
The mayor of a city west of Toronto says municipal employees will have to wear masks for the next six weeks amid rising illnesses among staff and in the wider...
B.C. New Democrat housing legislation moves toward third reading after Tuesday votes
The first two pieces of legislation proposed by Premier David Eby are expected to be passed Thursday, despite testy exchanges in the legislature about the...
Emotional end to Burnaby SkyTrain station standoff caught on camera
A Burnaby photographer captured the emotional end to a six-hour police standoff at the Metrotown SkyTrain station earlier this month. The photo shows a man...
Crash brought hydro lines down across Highway 97A near Enderby
UPDATE: 11 a.m. BC Emergency Health Services says paramedics assessed the driver in a crash that closed Highway 97A near Enderby overnight, but the patient did...
Vehicle maintenance is up this winter due to cost of living, availability
A new survey from BCAA says the high cost of living and car unavailability has B.C. drivers investing in their vehicles in order to keep them longer. According...
B.C. RCMP charge suspect accused of hitting residential school marchers with pickup
RCMP in British Columbia say a suspect has been charged after several people taking part in a residential school march were struck last spring by a pickup...
Woman shot dead in Prince Rupert murder-suicide worked for Children's Ministry
British Columbia officials including Premier David Eby have paid tribute to an employee of the Ministry of Children and Family Development who was shot dead in...
Unexplained wealth orders will make life harder for B.C. criminals: compliance expert
Plans by the British Columbia government to confiscate suspected proceeds of crime with "unexplained wealth orders" are drawing praise from an expert...
Federal Liberal cabinet minister from Alberta concerned with proposed sovereignty act
A federal Liberal cabinet minister from Alberta says he's concerned that Premier Danielle Smith is moving forward with her proposed sovereignty act. Tourism...
Fundraising efforts for inclusive playground closing in on goal
Julia's Junction is getting closer to becoming reality by the day as fundraising efforts to build the inclusive playground in West Kelowna move past...
Power outages in Ukraine, Moldova after more Russian strikes
A punishing new barrage of Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure on Wednesday caused power outages across large parts of the country as well as...
Mental health of woman accused in Vancouver stabbing an issue, says lawyer
The mental health of a woman accused in a fatal Yaletown neighbourhood stabbing could be an issue as her case continues in Vancouver Provincial Court, a judge...
B.C. human rights tribunal awards $150,000 in child welfare discrimination case
An Afro-Indigenous woman has been awarded $150,000 in compensation by the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal after her children were wrongfully seized by a...
BC government seeking public input on employment standards for gig workers in the ride-hailing and food-delivery sectors
The BC government is seeking public input on possible new employment standards for workers in the gig economy, specifically those who work for app-based...
Jewish groups 'horrified' by video showing Montreal driver hitting baby in carriage
Jewish groups in Quebec say they are deeply disturbed and horrified after a driver was video-recorded hitting a baby in a stroller that was being pushed along a...
Man arrested on third warrant in a month after trying to hide in a dumpster
A man who was wanted on a warrant has been arrested by Kamloops RCMP, after trying to hide in a dumpster. Around 8:28 a.m. Wednesday morning, frontline RCMP...
Shaw CEO tells Competition Tribunal that company needs merger with Rogers
Shaw Communications Inc. says it doesn't have the scale and size to give customers the services and products they want, which is why it made the decision to...
Belgium spoils Canada's World Cup return with 1-0 win
AL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — Kevin De Bruyne threw his hands up in disgust as another pass went astray. Eden Hazard was easily knocked off the ball. Michy...
Penticton Salvation Army hit by yet another suspicious fire
Penticton's Salvation Army was hit by another fire behind its thrift store on Sunday night, this time damaging their sea can contents. Assistant fire chief...
B.C. man convicted of killing his four- and six-year-old daughters denied appeal
The British Columbia man who killed his two young daughters on Christmas Day in 2017 has been denied an appeal by the province's highest court. Andrew Berry...
Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery helping less fortunate this holiday season
An Okanagan distillery is getting into the 'spirit' of Christmas. Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery in Vernon and Kelowna will kick off its annual...
Pickleball Depot ready to serve the booming sport at its Kelowna and Vernon locations
About a decade ago, Bryan Banerd would tell anyone who would listen that pickleball was going to be the “next big thing.” One of the many people who...
Canadian teen killed as twin blasts shake Jerusalem, wounding 18
Two blasts went off near bus stops in Jerusalem at the height of morning rush hour on Wednesday, killing a Canadian teenager and injuring at least 18, in what...
Space diversity: Europe's space agency gets 1st parastronaut
The European Space Agency made history Wednesday by selecting an amputee who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident to be among its newest batch of astronauts...
Robbery, chase, shooting, crash mayhem in Coquitlam
A search is underway for two people linked to a violent series of events that brought the Tuesday evening rush hour to a standstill along a section of Highway 1...
Squamish is the least religious community in B.C.
Squamish is the least religious community in B.C., according to the latest release of census data from Statistics Canada. The data dump containing this...
HIV-positive heart donor's family, recipient meet
Brittany Newton’s family grieved last spring when her life was cut short, at age 30, by a brain aneurysm. But they got to feel close to her again this...
Fans inspired despite Canadian loss in first World Cup appearance since 1986
For Canadian soccer fans, the excitement of seeing their country play in the men's World Cup for the first time in 36 years gave way to disappointment Wednesday...
Kelowna businesses team up to help Indigenous families this Christmas
A Kelowna medical aesthetics company and a fitness provider are teaming up for a worthy cause this Christmas. Kelowna Medical Aesthetics and SpinCo have joined...
Fatal stabbing at Surrey high school, 18 year old dead
An 18-year-old man was fatally stabbed in a Surrey school parking lot, Tuesday. Shortly after noon, RCMP responded to the scene at Tamanawis Secondary School...
Westside Daze announces Battle of the Bands will return for a second year
Following the success of last year's inaugural competition, the Westside Celebration Society will host a second Battle of the Bands in 2023. The competition...
Lametti began preparing for use of Emergencies Act several days into convoy's arrival
A public inquiry into the federal government's use of the Emergencies Act during the "Freedom Convoy" protests has learned that Justice Minister...
Feds file judicial review of $40B Indigenous child-welfare settlement
UPDATE 2:26 p.m. The federal government is asking a judge to review some aspects of the $40-billion settlement agreement over discrimination in the Indigenous...
Vancouver city council approves funding for more police, mental-health nurses
Vancouver City Council approved up to $16 million for 100 new police and 100 mental-health nurses Tuesday, part of the campaign platform of newly elected Mayor...
Ontario asks family clinics to work nights, weekends to help overwhelmed hospitals
Ontario has asked thousands of family health-care workers to work evenings and weekends to help ease the burden on overwhelmed children's hospitals, a...
Trudeau elaborates on what Chinese 'interference' he discussed with Xi Jinping at G20
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has offered his most detailed explanation yet about what kind of "interference" he brought up with Chinese President Xi...
One in three Ukrainians with visas has reached Canada as applications approach 700K
Government statistics show fewer than one-third of Ukrainians approved for temporary Canadian visas have arrived in the country, even as hundreds of thousands...
Oil and gas drilling sector expects activity to pick up in 2023
The organization representing Canada's oil and gas drilling sector says it expects more activity in 2023, even as it continues to push the federal...
Labour groups allege workers at Canadian Tire supplier factories paid poverty wages
Canadian Tire Corp. has failed to ensure garment workers in its South Asian supplier factories are paid a living wage, labour groups allege in a complaint filed...
B.C. auditor highlights costs of 2021 disasters, pandemic relief payments
An annual report from British Columbia's auditor general says the province is owed millions by people who were ineligible for COVID-19 relief grants and...
West Coast LNG project warns curious sea lions could slow construction
Construction on the Woodfibre liquefied natural gas project in Squamish is set to take off in 2023, but the “curious and gregarious” nature of sea...
Stolen vehicle report leads to multiple firearms seizure in Kamloops
A stolen vehicle report led to the seizure of multiple firearms in Kamloops – including one that was loaded. Just before midnight Nov. 16, officers...
City of Kamloops budget talks begin, 2023 provisional budget includes 5.6% tax increase
The newly elected Kamloops council got its first look at the 2023 provisional budget on Tuesday, including a proposed property tax increase of 5.6 per cent....
Penticton woman pleads guilty to possession of drugs with intent of trafficking
A Penticton woman has pleaded guilty to possession of controlled substances with the intent of trafficking. Naomi R. Toole, born in 1972, appeared in Penticton...
Kelowna's Tree of Hope lit Friday, live streamed on Castanet
The 25th annual Tree of Hope light up is just days away. The giant LED Christmas tree, erected each year to stand as a beacon of hope and goodwill for the...
Remember to breathe when staring at computer screens
Do me a favour right now; take a breath, a deep breath. Remembering to take a breath is needed more today than in days gone by. A day in front of a computer or...
Canadian workers say they face barriers amid growing union push at Starbucks
Unionization among Canadian Starbucks employees is starting to gain traction, organizers say, but much like their U.S. counterparts, workers face barriers and...
Hotel Eldorado raising funds for Food for Thought with Tree of Dreams
For the second year in a row, The Hotel Eldorado is hosting the Tree of Dreams fundraiser this December in the fight against child hunger. The initiative will...
Young Canadians look to splurge on gifts this holiday season, cut other costs
Young Canadians feeling the pinch of inflation want to splurge on holiday gifts for loved ones — so they're cutting back on other festive costs...
A look back at soccer star Alphonso Davies' time at a Burnaby high school
Alphonso Davies may be an international soccer star playing on the world’s biggest stage, but there was a time when he walked the halls of a Burnaby high...
Organizers excited for return of Vernon Winter Carnival without pandemic restrictions
Excitement is building for Vernon's 63rd annual Vernon Winter Carnival. Carnival brochures have just hit the street, with 10,000 being distributed across...
Man who barricaded himself in motel room ordered to spend one year on probation
A Kamloops man who last spring barricaded himself inside a motel room on Columbia Street West moments after being released from jail has been ordered to spend...
Jared Davidson scored twice as Seattle upended the Rockets 4-2
The Kelowna Rockets modest two-game winning streak came to an end Wednesday night in Seattle. Kyle Crnkovic snapped a 2-2 tie midway through the second the Reid...
Downtown Kamloops businesses to open for two late shopping nights
The owners of downtown Kamloops shops Far and Wide and the Botanical Scene have planned a series of late shopping nights in hopes of bolstering support for...
Fed at last meeting saw few signs that inflation was easing
Federal Reserve officials at their last meeting saw “very few signs that inflation pressures were abating” before raising their benchmark interest...
Salvation Army sets $850,000 goal in Kelowna
The Salvation Army has launched their Christmas Kettle campaign, collecting donations for families in need around the holiday season, which happens to be their...
Emergency crews called to collision on College Way in Coldstream
Traffic is being impacted by a collision on College Way in Coldstream. RCMP, firefighters and ambulance crews are on scene, near the Vernon campus of Okanagan...
Kamloops RCMP release surveillance images of robbery suspect
Kamloops RCMP are seeking the public's help to identify a robbery suspect. About 10 p.m. Nov. 10, officers responded to a store on Seymour Street after a...
BC staycationers warming up to holiday getaway with month of daily prizes and chance to win downtown Vancouver holiday
Imagine walking across a breathtaking bridge suspended 230 feet above a river gorge and adorned with a million glittering lights … walking through a...
Vernon Olympic freestyle skier battling back from injury
An injured Vernon athlete is getting stronger every day. “I definitely have more defined quad muscles,” Elena Gaskell says. It’s been almost...
Haunting of Falkland a hit, raises $10,000 for charities
The Haunting of Falkland brought in record profits this Halloween. More than 3,600 people were brave enough to walk through the event grounds in the Halloween...
Eby announces dedicated B.C. housing ministry, as Opposition seeks audit of providers
The housing crisis in British Columbia will receive the attention of a dedicated place at the government's cabinet table, new Premier David Eby announced,...
Giving Tuesday will generate even more funds for Vernon Jubilee Hospital CT scanner campaign
Donations to the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation's annual Light-a-Bulb campaign are getting a boost from the Galbraith Family Foundation. All donations...
BC Interior Community Foundation to distribute $400k to local non profits
The BC Interior Community Foundation has been chosen to help distribute hundreds of thousands of dollars in new grant funding from the federal government to...
Town of Osoyoos hosting hunt for hidden Christmas elf with chance to win prizes
A sneaky Christmas elf is back in Osoyoos this holiday season, but where is she hiding? The popular family-friendly "Elf in the Park" hunt will take...
Carla Fox hired as TNRD's new chief financial officer
Carla Fox has been named as the Thompson-Nicola Regional District’s new chief financial officer. The TNRD has been recruiting to fill the position since...
Brendan Shaw Real Estate offering $2,000 in prizes for Christmas giveaway
Brendan Shaw Real Estate is offering Castanet Kamloops readers the chance to win a Christmas giveaway packed with prizes contributed from a number of local...
Dress as Santa, go for a run: Popular Santa Rec Run back in Penticton this weekend
The jolliest fun run in the South Okanagan is back this weekend. The annual Santa Rec Run, presented by Hoodoo Adventures, will take place Saturday, Nov. 26,...
Kamloops Blazers scored four unanswered goals in a convincing win in Tri-City
The Kamloops Blazers made the most of a brief trip south of the border. Daylan Kuefler broke open a tight game in the final minute of the second period, leading...