Several thousand dollars are going to support outdoor projects in the North Okanagan.The Regional District of North Okanagan's Board of Directors approved funding through the Greater Vernon Trails and Natural Spaces Project Gran Program to three recipients.A grant of $50,000 was approved for the North Okanagan Cycling ...

The City of Vernon will be getting using some outside support to protect the community from fires.The Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) approved a grant request from Vernon for $400,000, with up to $200,000 given annually over a two year period, through the 2024 FireSmart Community Funding and Supports funding stream...

Construction of a new traffic control measure in Vernon will begin in the coming months as a contract has been signed.The City of Vernon awarded the contract to build the roundabout at the intersection of Silver Star Road and Phoenix Drive to Chapman Industries Ltd.Construction of the roundabout will begin in the sprin...

A GoFundMe has been launched to support a family that lost their home in the Okanagan Indian Band reserve.The fire reportedly broke out at a residence on Westside Road on Monday and totally destroyed the home.OKIB Fire Department has not responded to a request from Vernon Matters for comment on the cause of the fire.Th...

The proposed budgets for select Regional District of North Okanagan services show the individual totals mainly rising.Reports presented to the RDNO Board of Directors outlined the proposed budgets to be endorsed for six services in 2025:ServiceProposed 2025 Budget2024 BudgetAnnual Change Greater Vernon Water $40,465,64...

The Regional District of North Okanagan is still awaiting approval before supporting the enhancement of local cycling trails.The RDNO Board of Directors provided the North Okanagan Cycling Society with $11,350 in 2024 to rehabilitate and build new trails at Vernon Hill.The funding was part of a total of $50,000 that wa...

Vernon North Okanagan RCMP are again calling on the public to assist in finding a man who has been missing for over a year.Robert Lee Baines, 83, was reported missing after leaving on foot from a residence on Ponderosa Way in Coldstream on January 2, 2024.Extensive searches were done in the surrounding area, including ...

An application will be submitted for a grant to review the quality of a North Okanagan water source.At the regular meeting Wednesday, Jan 22, The Regional District of North Okanagan Board of Directors endorsed an application to the Okanagan Basin Water Board's (OBWB) 2025 Water Conservation and improvement Grant.The re...

A letter from a member of the public has called on the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) to improve school zone safety.The letter from a citizen who's name was redacted asked the RDNO to change all school zones in the region to 30 kilometres per hour all day, rather than just between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 ...

The local college will host open houses to prepare students for the evolving workforce.Okanagan College will host open house events to showcase how the local educational programs "empowers learners to adapt, innovate, and thrive in a world reshaped by technology, societal changes, and the future of work."The ...

A decision in a retrial of a sexual assault of a minor case will be handed down at the end of January.The B.C. Prosecution Service said Keith Chase will be in Vernon court to hear a trial judge's decision on January 31, 2025.Chase is accused of sexually assaulting an underage girl while he was her hockey coach in 2004....

Hundreds of life-saving organ donations were made in British Columbia last year.A joint statement from the Provincial Health Services Authority, B.C. Transplant, and the Ministry of Health, stated that 209 organ donors were able to save 481 British Columbians in 2024.Those included 309 kidney, 92 liver, 47 lung, 25 hea...

The organizer of a society that helps feed people was named the 2024 Good Citizen of the Year.The Vernon Chapter of Junior Chamber International (JCI Vernon) named Diane Fleming as the winner of the award.Fleming is the Good Food Box's program coordinator and has helped run the program for the past 25 years.The Good Fo...

Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation's annual fundraiser was a big success.The Light a Bulb campaign raised over $1-million from community donations towards a new and expanded Ultrasound department at the hospital (VJH)."To say we were blown away by this outpouring of generosity is truly an understatement," Kat...

A record number of travellers came through the Central Okanagan's airport last year.Kelowna International Airport (YLW), said it set a new record with 2,133,582 passengers going through the airport in 2024.YLW also set a record high monthly passenger volume with 211,493 people travelling through the airport in December...

A group that promotes road safety is warning drivers of icy conditions on highways in the Okanagan.Road Safety at Work said sub-zero temperatures in the Okanagan could create slick road conditions, and warns motorists to be cautious when behind the wheel."When the roads are icy you not only have to watch yourself,...

One person suffered minor injuries in a collision on Alexis Park Drive Tuesday morning.Vernon Fire Rescue Services and RCMP responded to the 3900-block of Alexis Park Drive around 8:30 a.m., Jan. 21, for reports of a collision.VFRS said a Volkswagen SUV was stopped for pedestrians at an intersection when it was rear-en...

The dilapidated Tim Hortons in Vernon has been torn down.The restaurant on Highway 97/32nd Street was being torn down Tuesday, Jan. 21, and the rubble trucked off the site of the Tim Hortons that closed in 2020. The restaurant reportedly closed down and remained shuttered due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, staffi...

The two men charged in relation to an armed robbery and assault will learn their sentences in April.The B.C. Prosecution Service said Stewart Tkachuk and Edward Coghill appeared in Vernon court Monday, Jan. 20, where they learned they would be sentenced on April 14, 2025.The pair face a number of charges related to the...

The local birth rates declined on an annual basis in 2024.Vital Statistics, B.C.'s data collection agency, reported a total of 354 births in the Vernon Centre/Coldstream health area last year.That figure was down from 2023's total of 429 births, and was the lowest figure on record when compared to the previous five yea...

Short term rental operators in British Columbia must register their properties.The B.C. Government launched a registry portal for all short term rentals (STRs) in the province Monday, Jan. 20, with the goal of further cracking down on speculators and freeing housing for people."We are taking action to help more pe...

The Regional District of North Okanagan is developing an Accessibility Plan, and wants to gather input from the public.The RDNP launched an Accessibility Survey for the region in December, and asked people to provide their feedback through the survey as the participation rate had been low so far."We want to unders...

Greater Vernon and the North Okanagan saw death rate figures decline in 2024.Vital Statistics reported a total of 734 deaths in the Vernon Centre/Coldstream local health area, which was down from the previous year's total of 787 deaths.The local figures for 2024 was also the lowest death total for the area since 2020, ...

Environment Canada and Interior Health have issued an air quality statement for Vernon and the North Okanagan.The weather agency said Friday, Jan. 17, that there was high concentrations of coarse particulate matter in the air, particularly around busy streets and industrial areas.The advisory will remain in place until...

Housing construction in Greater Vernon saw significant declines in 2024.The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) reported seven housing project starts locally in December, 2024, bringing the yearly total to 265 starts. Those projects were all single family homes.The starts last December were down from the nin...

A service that resolves conflicts and crimes will continue to be offered in Vernon.The city has signed an agreement to provide the Canada Mental Health Association with $44,858 so it can maintain it's Restorative Justice program in Vernon.The contract calls for the services to be maintained through 2025, with the optio...

A man who was arrested on warrants after trying to flee from police will be back in court at the end of the month.Dale Babiy, was arrested in Vernon on Dec. 30 after police responded to a suspicious vehicle. Police used a spike strip to stop the car, but the suspect attempted to flee on foot, only to be caught by offic...

Firefighters in Coldstream responded to over 330 calls for service last year.The yearly report presented to the District of Coldstream Council showed the Coldstream fire hall responded to 240 service requests in 2024.Alarms, ambulance services, motor vehicle incidents, brush and gras fires, and burning complaints were ...