Greater Vernon continued to see declines in the housing construction sector in the fifth month of 2026.Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) said there were 19 housing starts locally in May of 2026, which was down from 21 starts recorded in the same month the year before.The projects started this past May incl...

Kelowna voters heading into this October's municipal election will see a faster check-in process after the city adopted the provincial voters list for the first time.City council has approved the move, which allows election workers to verify voter information using Elections BC data instead of relying solely on local r...

Penticton's downtown camera program is being credited with improving public safety as officials prepare to expand surveillance coverage across key city corridors.The Remote Guard Camera Program, presented to Penticton council, is operated by the Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce with city funding support a...

B.C. The Highway Patrol (BCHP) is running a shorter impaired-driving campaign this summer. The crackdown on drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol began Monday, June 15 and will run to July 31, instead of going to Aug. 31 as it has in past years.BCHP said the change aligns with data that shows when people are ...

The man who was the subject of a widespread search has been located, deceased.Thirty-two-year-old Mitchell Gowing was last seen at his workplace June 9, and was reported missing by concerned family members who told police saying his disappearance was considered out of character.Kelowna RCMP said the body of the missing...

The City of Kelowna has shut down a downtown alley behind Lawrence Avenue for the summer, citing ongoing public safety concerns and heavy demand on emergency and enforcement resources.The closure began Thursday morning at 7 a.m. as city crews moved to restrict access to the area.In an email to media, the city said the ...

The Okanagan Basin Water Board is urging people to not let recent rainfall dissuade them from conserving water.The water protection advocates said the rain in May and early June was welcome, but also said it wasn't enough to replenish the local reservoirs or offset the slowing of stream flows.The OBWB pointed out that ...

Search crews are continuing efforts to locate a missing Kelowna man in the Lake Country area.Kelowna RCMP say members of Central Okanagan Search and Rescue resumed searching Friday morning between Pelmewash Parkway and Spion Kop Mountain after a vehicle linked to the missing man was found nearby.Thirty-two-year-old Mit...

Door-to-door mail delivery is being phased out in parts of Kelowna, West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation as Canada Post moves ahead with a national shift to community mailboxes.The change is part of a broader rollout announced June 11 that will see hundreds of thousands of addresses across Canada transitioned next ye...

There will be rolling road restrictions in southeast Kelowna Saturday morning.That's for the Kelowna Wine Country Half Marathon, beginning at the intersection of Rose Rd. and McCullough Rd. and finishing on the lakefront promenade outside the Delta Grand Okanagan Hotel.The course travels along a series of southeast Kel...

Vernon had its second month this year with no illicit drug deaths.The B.C. Coroners Service said there were no deaths linked to toxic drugs in Vernon in April, building off a February that also saw no such deaths.As of the end of April the North Okanagan city had seen just four deaths associated with illicit substances...

People looking to get into the trades will have more training opportunities in the Okanagan.The province announced, through its Look West strategy, Okanagan College's Kelowna campus would be adding 256 new skilled trades training seats in the 2026-27 school year.The new seats will allow people to train in key sectors a...

The Okanagan's drought level has come down, but conditions do still pose a risk heading into the summer.The B.C. River Forecast Centre said the Okanagan had a drought rating of Level 3 Thursday, June 11. That was an improvement from the Level 4 rating on June 4, and from the Level 5 rating May 28.Though improved, the a...

West Kelowna RCMP are asking for the public's help identifying a suspect in a mischief investigation dating back to New Year's Day.Police said an unknown man allegedly keyed a vehicle parked in the driveway of a home in the 2300 block of Thacker Drive at about 10:30 that morning.The suspect was captured on residential ...

Kelowna RCMP are investigating a shooting that occurred in the 2500 block of Gale Road Thursday morning. Police said the incident happened during the early morning hours of June 9. No injuries were reported.Few details have been released, and investigators have not said whether any suspects have been identified or arre...

West Kelowna council has adopted an updated Transportation Master Plan, setting a 20-year framework to guide how people and goods move through the city as it grows.Approved at the June 9 council meeting, the plan outlines a shift toward a more walkable, connected community through expanded active transportation, transi...

The Touchdown Kelowna festival, which sees the BC Lions play two regular season games in town, will include a major green initiative.The BC Lions and TELUS have announced they'll plant 20,000 in the Kelowna area.The Lions organization said they are proud to be leaving that legacy as part of the big event.The new trees ...

An extraordinary act of animal cruelty has been prosecuted in Kelowna court.Jayme-Jo Brooks has been banned from animal ownership for five years after injecting her cat with fentanyl in an attempt to euthanize it.A vet then had to humanely put the cat down.A subsequent search of Brook's home found two other cats had be...

The B.C. and Federal governments are bringing more people in the region better internet service.A joint investment of $63 million will bring high-speed, fibre-optic internet services to roughly 4,000 households in 50 Thompson-Okanagan communities.Among the communities benefiting from the investment are the Okanagan Ind...

RCMP in West Kelowna have issued more than $725 in violation tickets after a driver was caught on video allegedly failing to stop for a school bus with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended.Police say the incident came to their attention after video circulated online showing a vehicle passing the stopped bus. T...

The Mission Creek Greenway will be temporarily closed at KLO Road this month as work continues on the City of Kelowna's KLO Road Bridge Replacement Project.The closure, which runs from June 11 to June 26, will affect both sides of KLO Road, restricting public access through the area.City of Kelowna says the shutdown is...

The regional snowpack has almost completely dried up.The B.C. River Forecast Centre says the Okanagan's snowpack was at two per cent of normal as of June 1.That was down from the Okanagan's 16 per cent in mid-May, and well below the provincial average of 64 per cent on June 1.The agency said around 55 per cent of B.C.'...

A special weather statement remains in effect for the Okanagan Connector on Wednesday as Environment Canada warns of light snowfall and rapidly changing driving conditions along the high-elevation route.The advisory covers the stretch of Highway 97C between Merritt and Peachland, where forecasters say trace amounts to ...

Summer school holidays are nearly here and the City of Kelowna is reminding residents about their Parkinson Recreation Centre (PRC) Summer Youth Pass and Rec & Ride Combo Pass.These are affordable ways for kids and teens to stay active and connected July and August.The $25 Summer Youth Pass gives youth aged 6-18 ac...

The Uptown Rutland Business Association's (URBA) on-call street team returns to the community this summer.That's after a pilot project started in 2024 was paused last year. It's aimed at helping address local business concerns around loitering, littering, and street disorder.The organization said it's excited to return...

West Kelowna is putting the finishing touches on its seasonal Wine Route refresh, with crews set to carry out maintenance work along a key stretch of Boucherie Road later this week.The District says Boucherie Road between Hayman Road and Stuart Road will be closed Thursday evening from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. to allow crews ...

Kelowna is entering peak watering season under what city officials are calling unprecedented drought conditions, driven by an historically low snowpack across the Okanagan.The City of Kelowna said reduced winter snowfall has significantly limited water reserves, and residents are being asked to immediately reduce outdo...

A downtown Kelowna restaurant known for its Roman-inspired dining is preparing to serve its final dish as immigration complications force them to leave Canada. Roma Nord Bistro, a local establishment that has brought vibrant life into Kelowna's Rotary Centre for the Arts, will close permanently at the end of December, ...