UPDATE:The regional district says no injuries or damage has been reported after the landslide that shut down Westside Road North around 10 p.m.last night.The closure is between Main Street and Denison Road. Traffic has to detour via Hwy 97 through Vernon and Kelowna.A post by multiple agencies shows an aerial image of ...

A B.C. Highway Patrol police dog was instrumental in making Okanagan roads safer.An operation involving the B.C. Highway Patrol Integrated Impaired Driving Unit and the Traffic Safety Unit - Police Dog Service in the Central and South Okanagan, including West Kelowna and Penticton, saw 27 files involving drug and contr...

A local federal candidate believes Canada should cave to the U.S.'s trade demands.Arsh Dhillon is the People's Party of Canada candidate in the Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee riding.Speaking with Vernon Matters Dhillon said Canada should sit down with the United States and rework the trade deal in an effort to stop the t...

The New Democratic Party (NDP) has formally announced its candidates for the Kelowna area for this month's federal election.Trevor McAleese will run in the Kelowna riding while Harpreet Badohal will contest the race in the Okanagan Lake West-South Kelowna constituency.In a media release from the party, McAleese is desc...

The owner of the land that includes the Kelowna Springs golf course on Penno Road in the Reid's Crossing area, has unveiled a website illustrating their plans for the large business park they aim to build there. The proposed plans, to be submitted for approval to Kelowna City Council soon, also call for extensive outdo...

Kelowna RCMP has received several reports that the detachment's non-emergency phone number has been used for multiple fraudulent calls where the caller is posing as an officer with a fake badge number.The fraudsters are then telling their potential victims they're being investigated for a criminal offence and should pr...

The new digital scoreboard for Prospera Place - which will be part of the plus $5 million upgrades ahead of the 2026 Memorial Cup - is coming from an American company.The new scoreboard is part of an additional $1.3 million approved by council for various equipment. That also includes new ice-making equipment and sound...

Kelowna RCMP are reporting a bust earlier this month during which three handguns, a semi-automatic rifle, ammunition, drugs, and drug paraphernalia were seized.Police said 25 other weapons including realistic replica handguns, knives, crossbows and brass knuckles were also found March 13 when the Proactive Enforcement ...

The local Green Party of Canada candidate is sure the party can address key concerns while also handling threats from south of the border.Blair Visscher is the Green Party federal candidate for Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee riding.Speaking with Vernon Matters, Visscher said the party had a platform focused on environmen...

Former Liberal MP for Kelowna, Stephen Fuhr is back in the national political game calling the current trade dilemma with the United States, and uncertainty about the longer term, a key moment in the country's history."It's an all hands on deck moment for the country; we all realize that now, " he said. "...

A new Chief has been selected to lead the Okanagan Indian Band.The OKIB Band Council election was held Monday, March 31, and, according to the Band's website, Dan Wilson was elected as the new chief.He replaced Byron Louis, who had served in that role for 14 years.The election also saw several new faces join council as...

Seven amazing restaurants have created mouthwatering sandwiches for the 'Professional Grilled Cheese Competition' in Armstrong. We stepped up as 'professional' grilled cheese judges. It's a tough gig It's all part of The Big Cheese Annual Cheese Festival in Armstrong Spallumcheen! It's on until Saturday, April 12t...

The city of Kelowna has announced the top three finalists across all the categories for the 50th annual Civic & Community Awards.People and organizations will be honoured at a community gala in early May in categories such as volunteers, artists, coaches, athletes, businesses, and non-profits.And of course there is...

A Kelowna man has been arrested on almost two dozen counts of theft.Kelowna RCMP said a team of investigators charged a man with 21 counts of Theft Under $5,000 from a single local business after collecting evidence including banking records, video surveillance, and statements.On March 24, a 37-year old Kelowna man was...

The Township of Spallumcheen will host an informative event about emergency topics.The Emergency Preparedness and FireSmart Open House will be held at Spallumcheen's Municipal Hall from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 8.The event will see Mayor, council and staff provide members of the community with information about work ...

The executive director of Hadgraft Wilson Place, the five-storey apartment block damaged and then hastily evacuated a year ago in the downtown, says he's excited by the creation of a task force aimed at finding a solution.Alan Clay with Pathways Abilities Society says it's a complicated issue but all options are being ...

The province will host a series of budget consultations in the summer, including one in Vernon.The Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services will host public consultations on the next provincial budget and make recommendations based on the feedback collected on key priorities.As part of those consult...

A joint task force of the three parties involved in the future of downtown Kelowna's Hadgraft Wilson Place (HWP) said they are working to develop a sustainable and long-term solution. However it was not immediately clear what that solution is.Eighty-four residents living in HWP had to be evacuated last April 2024 due t...

The mayor of Kelowna says the changes made at the outdoor shelter site for homeless people along the rail trail this week were for public safety. Tom Dyas said in recent months there had been a rise in criminal activity at the location between Ethel and Richter, creating safety concerns for those living in the tent enc...

The Liberal Party now has a runner in next month's federal election race.Biologist, Dr. Anna Warwick Sears, who calls herself a political centrist with sound policy ideas, has been acclaimed by the party for the Vernon - Lake Country - Monashee riding.She was the NDP candidate in Kelowna - Lake Country - Coldstream for...

One of our local federal Liberal candidates for next month's general election is leaving no doubt about the focus of her campaign.Juliet Sicotte is the Liberal Party candidate for Okanagan Lake West-South Kelowna.Asked if more traditional bread and butter election issues were being sidelined because of the tariff and s...

It was quite the pleasant shock for one Kelowna resident.June Bakala thought she had won $2,000 on a Sparkling Riches Scratch & Win ticket - but a closer look revealed her winnings were far more than that."I was at home and thought I had won $2,000," Bakala recalled of the moment she discovered her win. &...

The City of Kelowna says the fencing they've put up at the designated outdoor shelter space - or tent encampment - does not make that area a concentration camp or cage.Community Safety Director Kevin Mead was responding to some criticism about the clean up of the site between Ethel and Richter streets Wednesday.Speakin...

A court case involving a helicopter crash in Shuswap River two years ago is moving along.Vincent Porteous was arrested in January 2025 following a 16-month investigation into a crash in the river near Mable Lake, east of Enderby, in August 2023.The helicopter's occupants were injured in the crash. Porteous was allegedl...

Lake Country RCMP are investigating potential criminal charges after a truck was driven across the trails causing damage to the new Lake Country Bike park earlier this week. Based on their investigation, police said an uninsured 2014 Dodge truck had gained access to the trails at 8865 Okanagan Center Rd West and was dr...

The local candidates for the 2025 Federal Election will take to the stage at an All-Candidates Forum next month.The Greater Vernon Chamber will host the event featuring the Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee riding candidates at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 17.The event, which w...

Recreational housing prices in the Okanagan Valley saw annual declines last year.That's according to year-over-year data from Royal LePage.North Okanagan Housing Types2023 Median Prices2024 Median PricesAnnual ChangesSingle Family$725,000$720,000- 0.1 per centSingle Family, Waterfront$1,850,000$1,660,000- 10.3 per cent...

A Kelowna man is facing a series of serious charges following the dramatic incident on the William R. Bennett Bridge earlier this year. Roy Winter, 61, has been charged with arson, explosives-related offences, and more, after the Jan. 27 event shut down the bridge for many hours. Winter is alleged to have parked a van ...