Housing construction in Greater Vernon saw significant declines in 2024.The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) reported seven housing project starts locally in December, 2024, bringing the yearly total to 265 starts. Those projects were all single family homes.The starts last December were down from the nin...

A service that resolves conflicts and crimes will continue to be offered in Vernon.The city has signed an agreement to provide the Canada Mental Health Association with $44,858 so it can maintain it's Restorative Justice program in Vernon.The contract calls for the services to be maintained through 2025, with the optio...

Firefighters in Coldstream responded to over 330 calls for service last year.The yearly report presented to the District of Coldstream Council showed the Coldstream fire hall responded to 240 service requests in 2024.Alarms, ambulance services, motor vehicle incidents, brush and gras fires, and burning complaints were ...

Members of the RCMP in Kelowna will be equipped with body-worn cameras in the near future.The body cams will be rolled out slowly, starting at the end of January 2025."Body Worn Cameras have become the National Standard and the Kelowna/Central Okanagan RCMP are excited to be among the first RCMP detachments in Bri...

The British Columbia government outlined the massive potential impacts of tariffs on goods heading across the border.Premier David Eby and Finance Minister Brenda Bailey held a press conference Thursday, Jan. 16, where it was stated that an economic assessment of the proposed 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods go...

The B.C. Government is supporting several forestry projects across the province, including two in the Okanagan.The province announced an investment of $5.1-million to support seven forest-sector capital projects and five planning projects Wednesday, Jan. 15.Included in the investments was a committment of up to $100,00...

Detecting eye disease far earlier than ever before is now a reality through artificial intelligence, and IRIS has started incorporating it into their exams. Doctor Mark Langer from IRIS Optometrists and Opticians in Vernon spoke about the technology. "It's just another tool that we can use to make sure we're not m...

Heated floors are popular for good reason, but they're not for everyone. Dennis from Arden Tile laid out some of the pros and cons of heated tile for your bathroom, and how to decide whether they're worth the investment. First things first "My first question to my clients is always whether or not they like the fee...

When your vision is good and your eyes feel fine, it might seem like there's no reason to see an eye doctor. For people 65 and over, that's not the case. "This is a big misconception," stated optometrist Dr. Mark Langer. He said a lot of the major eye conditions that can cause significant vision loss later in...

VANCOUVER - A residential market sales forecast by Greater Vancouver Realtors says the impact of possible tariffs from the United States would likely be short-lived. The annual report from the association that represents 15,000 Realtors says its preliminary investigation and economic modelling shows a drag on sales cou...

VANCOUVER - Below-seasonal temperatures are expected in parts of British Columbia this weekend, a year after a bitter cold snap that sent wind-chill temperatures plummeting to -20 C in Metro Vancouver and as low as -50 C in other parts of the province. Environment Canada meteorologist Lisa Erven says the coldest air ma...

VICTORIA - A mother killer whale whose calf died more than two weeks ago has recently been spotted still carrying the newborn's carcass in waters off Victoria. The Center for Whale Research says in a Facebook post on Thursday that the mother, known as J35 or Tahlequah, was seen pushing the remains on Jan. 10 between Va...

OTTAWA - The federal Liberals are running their first leadership race in more than a decade to replace the departing Justin Trudeau. Candidates must declare by Jan. 23 and pay a $350,000 fee to enter the race. The winner will be named on March 9. Here's a quick look at who's in and who's out. Who's in Chandra Arya Arya...

MONTREAL - The Supreme Court of Canada will announce next week whether it will hear a challenge to Quebec's secularism law, known as Bill 21. The groups seeking leave to appeal say they have been informed the country's highest court is expected to publish its decision on Thursday. In 2024 the Quebec Court of Appeal uph...

OTTAWA - An organization advocating for people with disabilities says the new federal disability benefit could be delayed beyond the promised July 1 payment date because the government still hasn't approved the regulations. March of Dimes Canada is launching a campaign today urging Persons with Disabilities Minister Ka...

LAVAL, Que. - Figure skating phenom Lia Cho broke her own Canadian junior women's record on Friday. The 12-year-old from Calgary captured junior gold at the Canadian figure skating championships. Cho scored 188.79 points, eclipsing the 186.50 set at the Skate Canada Challenge on Dec. 1 in Winnipeg. She cleared silver m...

TORONTO - New head coach Robin Fraser added to his coaching staff Friday with Toronto FC making a deal to pry loose two of his former assistants from the Colorado Rapids. To get assistant coach Neil Emblen and video coach Jase Kim on board, Toronto sent its first-round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft to the Rapids. As ...

NEW YORK - The NHL suspended forward Maxim Tsyplakov of the New York Islanders three games Friday for delivering an illegal check in a game. Tsyplakov received the ban for hitting Philadelphia forward Ryan Poehling in the head during the first period of the Flyers' 5-3 win Thursday night. Tsyplakov will forfeit US$14,8...