Get the Top, Local stories delivered to your inbox! Click here to join the daily Vernon Matters newsletter.
By Corey Fischer
Road Widening Completed

Road Widening Completed

Dec 3, 2018 | 9:47 AM

A road widening project on a section of Westside Road has been completed.

The upgrade took place in an area with steep embankments down to Okanagan Lake between La Casa Resort and Muir Road, which is about 30 kilometres north of the Highway 97 intersection.

“The new improvements delivered 1.3 kilometres of lane widening and straightening to improve sight lines and visibility, the installation of guardrails to reduce the potential for vehicles leaving the road and a paved shoulder to create more room for cyclists and pedestrians,” says a Ministry of Transportation news release.

The $7-million project also included crossing improvements to increase safety for pedestrians at the intersection of Westside Road and Barcelona Drive, which were completed in May.

Other Matters

Poor air quality
Wildfire smoke blankets region
It may be a stay-inside kind of summer day in the Okanagan - but not because of the heat.Thick wildfire smoke has settled over the valley, with a special air quality advisory in effect across much of B.C., including the Central Okanagan. Environment Canada says conditions in Kelowna are currently rated moderate, but th...
49m ago
Read More
Hopes for headway
Cautious optimism from BC Wine growers after multi-provincial agreement
Wine Growers British Columbia have welcomed the agreement reached by nine provincial Premiers to expand direct-to-consumer alcohol sales across Canada.But they caution that it will not, by itself, create a truly open national market as it would also allow provinces to impose liquor board markups, fees, and other charge...
5h ago
Read More
Commemorative Crosswalk
Veteran crosswalk to be installed in Vernon
A crosswalk in Vernon will be painted to honour those who have served the nation.City Councillor Teresa Durning put forward a motion at Monday's meeting to install a Veteran's crosswalk at the intersection of 31st Avenue and 30th Street.The commemorative crosswalk would be located near Cenotaph Park and installed with ...
19h ago
Read More
Safety First
Vernon RCMP urge parents not to allow kids to ride e-dirt bikes on roads
Local Mounties have asked parents to step up and try to stop dangerous activities on local roads.Vernon North Okanagan RCMP said they have seen an influx of youth riding e-dirt bikes on public roads, but these vehicles do not comply with Motor Vehicle Act regulations and cannot be insured or registered, and therefore a...
20h ago
Read More
$700K up to $1.4M
Rising costs double price of flood protection work at Vernon Water Reclamation Centre
The price tag for a flood protection project at a key city asset has doubled.The City of Vernon had planned a flood protection project for the Vernon Water Reclamation Centre, as the facility was found to be vulnerable during high flow events, posing operation and flood risk concerns for the centre and the downstream c...
20h ago
Read More
Potential Fire Bug
Police seek suspect after three suspicious fires in West Kelowna
West Kelowna RCMP are looking for a suspect believed to be connected to three suspicious fires set early Saturday morning.Police say firefighters were called around 4:25 a.m. July 18 after a portable toilet caught fire at a park in the 3100-block of Shannon Lake Road. The flames spread to a nearby structure before bein...
21h ago
Read More
Crime Concerns
Kelowna crime severity declines, but safety concerns remain
Crime severity in the Kelowna area declined in 2025, according to new Statistics Canada data, but many residents say they still have concerns about public safety.The Kelowna Census Metropolitan Area, which includes Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country and Peachland, ranked ninth highest among Canada's 41 metropolitan ar...
Jul 22, 2026
Read More
Found Safe
Missing man found safe after overnight search near Mission Creek
A coordinated search involving RCMP and Kelowna Search and Rescue crews ended with a missing man being found safe late Tuesday night.Search and Rescue said it received a call around 7 p.m. asking for assistance in locating the man in the Sutherland Hills area behind Mission Creek.More than a dozen team members responde...
Jul 22, 2026
Read More
Abducted Four-Year Old
Amber Alert for West Kelowna child cancelled
Police cancelled the Amber Alert issued shortly after midnight Wednesday for a missing West Kelowna boy.At 12:03 p.m. July 22 the RCMP cancelled the alert.Police said multiple tips led to the child being found in Vernon."We would like to thank the public, the media, and our policing partners for their assistance,&...
Jul 22, 2026
Read More

What Matters

Safety First
Vernon RCMP urge parents not to allow kids to ride e-dirt bikes on roads
20h ago
$700K up to $1.4M
Rising costs double price of flood protection work at Vernon Water Reclamation Centre
20h ago
Abducted Four-Year Old
Amber Alert for West Kelowna child cancelled
Jul 22, 2026
Supply for Ag Uses
Vernon still considering using reclaimed water for agricultural purposes
Jul 22, 2026
Home Invasion and Homicide
Police investigating murder in Salmon Arm
Jul 21, 2026