West Kelowna RCMP are sharing information after a major operation by the Emergency Response Team on Thursday. The drug section, with support from various other units made an initial arrest at City Park in Kelowna. That prompted them to execute a search warrant at a residence on Scott Crescent in West Kelowna and that i...

A fatal crash occurred on Highway 1 east of Revelstoke Friday morning.RCMP responded to a report of two semis that collided head-on on the highway at approximately 9:20 a.m., Dec. 12.First responders attended and one of the drivers was declared deceased at the scene, while the other was taken to hospital in critical co...

Charges are not being pursued against an officer involved in a fatal crash in Nakusp.The B.C. Prosecution Service (BCPS) says an investigation was launched into an incident that occurred on November 25, 2024, when a member of the Nakusp RCMP spotted an alleged stolen vehicle.The member followed the vehicle and activate...

Kelowna and the surrounding Central Okanagan region are now facing the highest apartment vacancy rate of any major city in Canada.That is according to the latest data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.The area-which includes Peachland, West Kelowna, Kelowna, and Lake Country-saw its rental vacancy climb ...

British Columbia's Lower Mainland is facing flooding, severed highways and evacuations due to the double impact of an atmospheric river and cross-border water flows. Here's an explainer of why the area has been repeatedly hit by similar disasters.WHAT IS AN ATMOSPHERIC RIVER?A long, thin, horizontal "corridor"...

Okanagan College is offering a program to get internationally trained welders working in Canada.The National Welder Competency Assessment and Skills Training (NWCAST) program allows people who learned the trade outside fo the country get Canadian certification and connected to meaningful jobs.The program is tuition fre...

The City of West Kelowna is issuing a final call for public input as the engagement period for its Draft 2026 Budget closes Friday.Residents have until Dec. 12 to review the proposed spending plan and share feedback that will help guide council decisions on funding for city programs, essential services, maintenance and...

Nothing has been decided yet but a proposed major residential development in West Kelowna has taken a step forward.On Tuesday, City Council gave first reading to a Zoning Bylaw amendment for Brown Road that, if adopted, could allow for a major mixed-use residential development of 400-plus units in townhomes and/or four...

The highway connecting B.C. and Alberta was closed Wednesday for two separate purposes.RCMP say a semi truck was travelling on Highway 1 east of Golden at around 6:22 a.m. Dec. 10 when it spun out and crossed the centre line. The truck was then struck by another semi and a car.Investigators determined the snowy weather...

Recent and upcoming weather patterns could cause water levels to rise in the local rivers and streams.The B.C. River Forecast Centre has issued a High Streamflow Advisory for the Okanagan and other parts of the Southern Interior.The advisory comes as a series of atmospheric rivers have brought rainfall to the region, w...

Highway 1 will be closed today between Revelstoke and Golden for avalanche control in the Rogers Pass area, according to DriveBC.Closures are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Pacific Standard Time and are expected to last until midnight, though times could change depending on conditions.Eastbound commercial vehicles will ...

An extraordinary $170,000 was raised through the ever-popular Parade with a Purpose Saturday in downtown Kelowna.All funds raised will support solutions to the region's growing mental health crisis both in the hospital and in the community, through the KGH Foundation. Donations will help open up a new Canadian Mental H...

Kelowna city council has approved a development permit for a six-storey Hyatt House hotel proposed for Highway 97 near McCurdy Road.The project includes 125 rooms along with a restaurant, fitness amenities and function rooms. City staff say the design meets the Official Community Plan guidelines for industrial and serv...

Backcountry adventurers are advised to be cautious and aware of avalanche risks this winter.The B.C. Government asked people planning to explore the backcountry be mindful of hazards, have a plan, stay informed about avalanche safety and risks, and have the proper equipment and training needed to go out in the wilderne...

Crews have been on site Tuesday morning assessing a section of Highway 97 near Summerland after a minor rockfall affected the roadway.Officials from the Ministry of Transportation say the area will undergo a more detailed geotechnical investigation to ensure the slope is stable. For several hours late Monday night and ...

More than 150 residents in West Kelowna spent Tuesday morning without electricity after two separate incidents involving trees falling on power lines.The first outage affected 31 customers when a tree came down across the wires. Crews were dispatched to the scene to address the damage.A second, larger outage impacted 1...

The mayor of Kelowna says waiting to address important infrastructure projects would cost taxpayers more in the long run.Speaking to the city's first ever plus-$1 billion budget, submitted to council last week, Tom Dyas said the ten-figure dollar amount reflects and manages the growth of a city that will add 50,000 peo...

One person died following a collision on the Trans Canada Highway.RCMP say a Buick sedan was heading west on Highway 1 when it crossed the centre line and collided head on with a tractor trailer.Mounties said the driver of the truck attempted to get out the way, but was unable to avoid the collision, which occurred sho...

The Regional District of Central Okanagan has announced a controlled pile burning operation in Rose Valley Regional Park as part of ongoing wildfire recovery efforts. The work, scheduled to take place from December 8, 2025, through January 31, 2026, will proceed only under safe weather and venting conditions.Crews will...

Environment Canada has issued multiple weather alerts across the Okanagan and B.C. Interior as a strong Pacific frontal system moves through the region. Five alerts and warnings are in effect, including high winds along the Okanagan Connector from Merritt to Kelowna and heavy snowfall on the Trans-Canada Highway near R...

The City of West Kelowna has a draft budget of $133-million for 2026 featuring a possible 7.6 per cent increase.Two days of deliberations this week saw council reduce the staff-proposed operational budget by $480,000 and further reduced capital spending by $2.8 million.The focus of the budget is public safety, building...

The economic region that includes Vernon saw another unemployment spike last month.Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey showed the unadjusted unemployment rate for the Thompson-Okanagan rose to 8.1 per cent in November.That was up from the rate of 7.3 per cent in October, and the highest it has been since April of 2...

Kelowna city council was presented Tuesday with an overview of community safety investments proposed in the city's preliminary 2026 budget, including continued work to address crime, social issues and emergency response capacity.The spending plan maintains funding for the Journey Home strategy, additional bylaw service...

Kelowna will be at the centre of the curling world this month as the Olympic Qualification Event gets underway at the Kelowna Curling Club.The competition runs Dec. 5 to 18 and will determine the final entries for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Two Olympic spots are still available in each of ...

John Rustad has resigned as leader of the Conservative Party of B.C., saying he quit to avert a "civil war" in the Opposition ranks.His departure came one day after he refused to resign in the face of a caucus revolt in which 20 MLAs representing a caucus majority said they had lost confidence in his leadersh...

Kelowna residents can expect some festive fun and traffic delays this weekend as the 6th annual Parade with a Purpose takes over downtown. The parade, which supports youth mental health through the KGH Foundation, will start at City Park at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, and travel down Bernard Avenue to Bertram Street be...

More families in Kelowna will soon have access to affordable child care, with 182 new spaces coming to activity centres in Glenmore and Mission. The provincial and federal governments are investing more than $16 million to help lower costs and reduce waitlists. The new centres will serve children from infants to school...

Okanagan College is launching two new programs aimed at filling the thousands of specialist construction jobs expected in B.C. over the next decade.The one-year Sustainable Construction Management certificate and two-year Sustainable Design and Construction Management diploma are designed to train people to build safer...