Mayors and First Nations leaders from across the Okanagan have renewed a call for secure and mandatory care for people with complex mental health and addiction issues.Gathered outside the Okanagan Correctional Facility near Osoyoos on Friday, the local leaders said people facing these challenges cycle through the emerg...

West Kelowna city offices will be closed Monday for the Labour Day statutory holiday.City Hall and administrative offices will reopen at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, while essential services including fire rescue, police, water, sewer and waste collection will continue.Curbside collection will run on its regular schedule Monday,...

The area labour force saw some modest gains in August.Statistics Canada reported that the Thompson-Okanagan economic region, which included Vernon, had an unadjusted unemployment rate of 7.2 per cent in the latest reporting month.That was down from the rate of 7.5 per cent in July, though still well above the 5.1 per c...

Regional leaders from across the Southern Interior are gathering in Oliver Friday to push for secure and mandatory care for people dealing with severe addiction and mental-health issues.The joint media event is scheduled for 11:20 a.m. outside the Okanagan Correctional Centre at 200 Enterprise Way.Kelowna Mayor Tom Dya...

Construction is underway on a new activity centre in Kelowna's Mission neighbourhood, with the project set to add recreation, community and child-care space to the Mission Recreation Park campus.The City of Kelowna held a groundbreaking ceremony for the facility, which will be built between the H2O Adventure + Fitness ...

The Kelowna Rockets will play four preseason games ahead of the 2026-27 Western Hockey League season, including two at Prospera Place.Kelowna opens exhibition play Friday in Kamloops against the Blazers before hosting Kamloops the following night.The Rockets will then face the Penticton Vees twice, travelling to the So...

Housing prices mainly declined as sales fell in the North Okanagan last month.The Association of Interior Realtors (AoIR) said there were 111 housing sales across the region in August, down from 162 in July and from 167 sales in August of 2025.In the latest reporting month, the AoIR reported 60 single family home sales...

Three youths are facing court after an alleged bear spray attack in downtown Kelowna early Sunday morning.R-C-M-P say an adult was sprayed after a brief verbal exchange on Abbott Street.The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries.The youths were arrested nearby, then released to their guardians."Bear spray i...

With the Labour Day long weekend approaching, B.C. officials are reminding residents and visitors to plan ahead as wildfire season continues across the province.There are currently 160 active wildfires burning in B.C., including 18 considered out of control.Travellers are encouraged to check the BC Wildfire Service map...

Power has been restored to nearly 1,000 customers in Kelowna's North End after an early-morning outage Thursday.FortisBC reported 976 customers lost power shortly before 7 a.m. The cause of the outage has not been confirmed.Service was restored just before 9 a.m.

The recent rain and cooler weather has decreased the regional drought level, but water scarcity issues remain a concern.The B.C. River Forecast Centre said in its weekly report that the southern interior received some significant precipitation over the past several days, resulting in the Drought Rating to decrease to L...

Okanagan residents are being urged to secure garbage, pet food, fruit and other attractants as bears enter their most active feeding period before hibernation.The Regional District of Central Okanagan and WildSafeBC say recent wildfires have disrupted bear habitat and reduced natural food sources, potentially pushing b...

West Kelowna RCMP carried out a two-day operation in August targeting shoplifting and retail crime. More than 30 people were arrested, with charges laid and thousands of dollars worth of stolen goods recovered. Police also arrested an impaired driver, charged two prohibited drivers and seized more than 150 grams of sus...

The summer party on Bernard Avenue is coming to an end, with just days left to enjoy downtown without the usual traffic.Meet Me on Bernard closes Tuesday, September 8th, marking the seventh year of the popular pedestrian program.It began in 2020 as a pandemic response to support downtown businesses, turning sections of...

Uber drivers in Kelowna and across the B.C. Interior are joining a union, giving them new protections and a bigger voice on the job.Drivers in the Okanagan, Cariboo and Kootenay regions are now covered by an agreement first reached by Uber drivers in Victoria.The deal includes health benefits, bonuses, higher fees and ...

A 27-year-old woman has died following a two-vehicle collision Tuesday night on Highway 97 in Lake Country.Lake Country RCMP were called to the collision near Lodge Road at about 8:30 p.m. Sept. 1.Police say a northbound Toyota Tacoma was attempting to turn left into a pullout across from Lodge Road when it was struck ...

Construction is set to begin in early September on the Hollywood Road extension, a 2.1-kilometre transportation project connecting John Hindle Drive with Sexsmith Road.The project is expected to improve access to the Gateway District, UBC Okanagan, Kelowna International Airport and the future Regional Transit Centre.Th...

Kelowna city council is getting its final report card before the current council term comes to an end.The city says it added 34 RCMP officers, 17 bylaw officers and 18 firefighters, while creating 180 rapid housing units for people experiencing homelessness.The report also points to major road projects, 715 subsidized ...

Police in Kelowna have two recovered bikes that they would like to get back to their owners.A Talaria e-dirt bike was found abandoned in July, while a Kona bicycle was recovered during a break-and-enter investigation in August.Anyone who can prove they own either bike should contact the Kelowna RCMP.

The City of West Kelowna has lifted a swimming advisory for Marina Park Beach after water quality tests showed bacterial levels had returned to acceptable levels.The city, in consultation with Interior Health, announced Monday that recent test results met the standards outlined in the Canadian Recreational Water Qualit...

Kelowna's mayor and council took a walk through the city's newest pedestrian project Monday, getting a look at the progress firsthand.The South Art Walk will connect the Queensway Transit Exchange with Doyle Avenue and extend the existing North Art Walk.The southern section of the walkway is already open to pedestrians...

Bald Range wildfire is under control.The B.C. Wildfire Service reclassified the fire status Monday, August 31, as it was no longer expected to grow beyond the boundaries.The fire sparked next to Summerland August 7 and quickly spread, leading to Evacuation Orders for the entire community.Some of the orders were previou...

The nomination period for Kelowna's 2026 municipal election opens at 9 a.m. Tuesday, September 1st.Candidates have until 4 p.m. Sept. 11th to file their papers, with council hopefuls requiring 10 eligible nominators.Kelowna voters will elect a mayor, eight councillors and four school trustees on October 17th.

Got a pile of old tires taking up space? They could also be giving mosquitoes a place to breed.The RDCO is holding a free tire recycling event Saturday, September 12th, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Okanagan College in Kelowna.Vehicle tires, bike tires and inner tubes are accepted, and vehicle tires can be on or off the rim...

Kelowna Coun. Mohini Singh is seeking another four-year term, announcing Sunday that she will run in the Oct. 17 municipal election.Singh was first elected to council in 2011 and has spent the past 15 years representing Kelowna residents at city hall.In announcing her campaign, Singh pointed to housing affordability, c...

Drivers in north Kelowna should expect overnight closures on Sexsmith Road and Valley Road North starting Monday.Paving between Longhill Road and Union Road will run from Aug. 31 to Sept. 12. The roads will be closed between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. during each phase of the work, with signed detours in place.During the day, t...

There are some serious allegations after an incident in West Kelowna Tuesday night .West Kelowna Mounties are seeking witnesses who may not have already come forward in relation to an ongoing investigation into an alleged kidnapping and aggravated assault.The incident happened in the area of the Chevron Gas Station, in...

Progress has been made containing the massive wildfire bordering Summerland.The B.C. Wildfire Service said the Bald Range wildfire was Being Held as of Friday.The fire sparked Aug. 8 and forced the evacuation of the community as the fire grew and burned an estimated 252 square kilometres of terrain.The change to the cl...