West Kelowna city council has approved $1.15 million in early capital spending to maintain key services while the 2026-2030 financial plan is finalized.The funding will support parks, protective services, public safety, and ongoing water and wastewater projects. City officials said the money will come from reserves and...

The Association of Interior Realtors (AoIR) has issued a call for a review of the legislation that guides stratas.The AoIR said the demand for smaller, more affordable housing has grown in B.C., with current estimates of the number of British Columbians living in strata housing around the 1.5-million mark.With more and...

The Okanagan saw a major decline in its snowpack through January compared to the previous month.The B.C. River Forecast Centre said the local area's snowpack was at 67 per cent of normal as of February 1st. That was down from 90 per cent of normal on January 1st.The River Forecast Centre said the low snowpack indicated...

A drug alert has been issued for the entire Interior, including the North Okanagan.Interior Health said a substance found in the region that comes in multiple colours and could be either chunks, pebbles or powder, was being sold as down, dope, tranq, or fentanyl.However, testing shows these substances also contain fent...

Central Okanagan Public Schools is expressing sympathy and solidarity with the community of Tumbler Ridge following a tragic and deeply traumatic event that has reverberated through school communities across British Columbia and beyond.In a statement, the district said its top priority remains the safety and well being...

Interior Health is reminding residents across northeastern British Columbia and the wider Interior that mental health supports are available following the deadly tragedy in Tumbler Ridge.In a statement released Tuesday, Interior Health said its thoughts are with the Tumbler Ridge community as people cope with the emoti...

The developer behind the industrial park proposed for the Kelowna Springs Golf Course lands has thanked city council for their consideration.Denciti Corp was speaking about a planned public hearing that is set for next month before council can consider a rezoning request that could forever change those lands. Half will...

The Regional District of Central Okanagan has begun controlled pile burning in Rose Valley Regional Park as part of ongoing wildfire recovery efforts. The burns, which will continue as conditions allow throughout the open burning season, are helping remove leftover debris from the 2023 McDougall Creek wildfire and redu...

Kelowna apartment owners in select areas may soon be able to legally operate short-term rentals again under updated city rules. The city is introducing a new Short-Term Rental subzone that allows eligible properties, including units that were already renting before May 1, 2024, to become principal short-term rental pro...

More discussion is needed when it comes to determining the future of Kelowna Springs Golf Course.Kelowna City Council voted Monday to send a rezoning proposal to a public hearing. Developer Denciti Development Corp. is asking to rezone about 22 hectares at 480 Penno Road for an industrial business park, while keeping t...

The Okanagan Basin Water Board is continuing its work in support of an early-detection system for invasive mussels.The water protection advocacy group will be applying to the Canada Water Agency's EcoAction Stream 2: Freshwater Sustainability and Innovation program, in a bid to garner financial support for its eDNA det...

The Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission says our area demonstrated continued resilience and forward momentum in 2025.That's despite a year marked by global trade uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and shifting economic conditions.The commission said the data shows growth in labour force participation, sust...

A new report from Rentals.ca says apartment rental asking prices in British Columbia continue to lead the country in declines, down 4.7% in January compared with January 2025.In Kelowna, two-bedroom asking rental prices fell 10.8% from this time last yearIn Vancouver, one-bedroom apartment rental asking prices have fal...

A handful of arrests have been made after West Kelowna RCMP executed a search warrant at a so-called "problem residence" on Applegreen Court. The search was carried out on February 4 following repeated complaints from neighbours about criminal activity.The two-month long investigation, led by the RCMP Crime R...

Kelowna city council will review the RCMP's 2025 Year in Review report Monday, highlighting trends in crime, public safety initiatives, and policing priorities across the city.Overall property crimes dropped slightly last year. Business break and enters fell more than 50 per cent since 2022, residential break-ins decli...

Another year and another record for Kelowna International Airport.It welcomed 2,315,432 passengers in 2025.In a media release issued Friday, YLW said it also reached a record high for monthly passenger volumes with over 220,578 travelling through the airport in December 2025, surpassing the previous record set in Augus...

A Kelowna court has revoked the bail of a chronic repeat offender accused of multiple crimes in the downtown.Curtis McNaught is currently facing five separate cases involving multiple counts of break and enter, theft, mischief, and possession of stolen property.The alleged offences all happened over the last six months...

Local organizations are getting a financial boost through the Community Gaming Grants.The program is providing a combined more than $882,000 to 44 Vernon- and Coldstream-based sports, arts and culture, Parent Advisory Councils, and other community groups through the 2025 intake process. VernonNorth Okanagan Youth Socce...

A flood-damaged section of the Kettle Valley Rail Trail near Princeton will be permanently decommissioned.The process will start in the spring of 2026, according to the Ministry of Environment and Parks.The 67-kilometre stretch between Princeton and the Coquihalla Highway has been closed since November 2021 after heavy...

The economic region that includes Vernon saw a bit of a bounce back to its labour force in January, but it's still struggling a bit.Statistics Canada said the Thompson-Okanagan area had an unadjusted unemployment rate of 6.8 per cent last month.That was down from the rate of 7.4 per cent in December, but still up compa...

Kelowna residents had their say on community safety Thursday evening at The Revelry, where nearly 100 more people showed up compared to a similar event just 10 days ago. Attendees raised concerns about property crime, increased night patrols, and challenges in the Rutland area related to homelessness. Mental health acc...

A local winery has been targeted in an arson attack.It happened in the early hours of Wednesday at Frind Winery in the 3700 block of Boucherie Road.Police said first responders quickly dealt with the fire and there was no damage.CCTV footage shows two unidentified individuals pouring an accelerant and lighting it on fi...

Kelowna RCMP have released an image associated with their investigation into the death of an 18-year-old man last month near Springfield Road and Benvoulin Court.The victim died from injuries after what police called a targeted assault on Saturday Jan. 24. The incident happened around 8:20 p.m.The image appears to show...

An RCMP raid in Rutland Wednesday morning, supported by the armoured Emergency Response Team, netted a big bust.On Thursday, Kelowna RCMP stated their Crime Reduction Unit and Gang Enforcement Team worked together to identify the target location prior to warrant execution.About 3.2 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1.3 kil...

Prices at the pumps across the Okanagan have been jumping up and down over the past few weeks, and that has been tied to broader activities around the world. Patrick De Hann, the Head of Petroleum Analysis for the fuel price tracking website GasBuddy, told Vernon Matters that Vernon and the Okanagan had seen gas prices...

Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas is calling on federal lawmakers to move forward on legislation aimed at tightening bail and sentencing rules for repeat offenders. On Wednesday, while speaking to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, Dyas highlighted the growing frustration among business owners an...

City crews are working to repair an unexpected water leak on Spall Road, causing lane closures and traffic disruptions between Enterprise Way and Enterprise Court.The City of Kelowna said crews will be on-site throughout the day, working in both northbound and southbound lanes, with repairs expected to be completed by ...

The North Okanagan saw a slight dip in housing sales this past January, and housing prices reflected the market slow down. The Association of Interior Realtors (AoIR) said there were 79 units sold in the area last month. That was down 1.3 per cent compared to January of 2025.The North Okanagan's dip in sales, broken do...