Enderby's water restrictions have been partially lifted.All properties connected to the City of Enderby drinking water system have been downgraded to Stage 1 water restrictions.Under the designation, people may use a sprinkler system to water their lawns a maximum of two hours a day between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. or 6 p.m. ...

Mayors and First Nations leaders from across the Okanagan have renewed a call for secure and mandatory care for people with complex mental health and addiction issues.Gathered outside the Okanagan Correctional Facility near Osoyoos on Friday, the local leaders said people facing these challenges cycle through the emerg...

The Mayor of Coldstream will have her name back on the ballot.Ruth Hoyte announced she would run to retain her seat in the fall municipal election.Hoyte was elected as mayor in 2022, following one term serving as a Coldstream Councillor, but said her community-first service of record also stretches outside the council ...

A constituency advisor for the local MLA will look to make a name for herself in local politics.Amy Klassen announced she will run for a seat on Vernon City Council in the fall municipal election.Klassen has lived in Vernon for nearly two decades and said, if elected, she would turn her attention on affordability, thou...

Vernon's new recreation hub is still on track to be open in the late-fall.A city staff report stated construction of the Active Living Centre had entered the final stages of construction, testing, commissioning and inspections.Included in those stages will be filling the pools at the ALC to test the aquatic mechanical,...

The area labour force saw some modest gains in August.Statistics Canada reported that the Thompson-Okanagan economic region, which included Vernon, had an unadjusted unemployment rate of 7.2 per cent in the latest reporting month.That was down from the rate of 7.5 per cent in July, though still well above the 5.1 per c...

Plans to reduce the amount of personal waste going into area landfills saw even more gains in 2025.The Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) said the average waste produced by a person was 444 kilograms in 2025, which was the lowest amount of waste generated since tracking began in 1979 and marked the fourth strai...

Housing prices mainly declined as sales fell in the North Okanagan last month.The Association of Interior Realtors (AoIR) said there were 111 housing sales across the region in August, down from 162 in July and from 167 sales in August of 2025.In the latest reporting month, the AoIR reported 60 single family home sales...

A former mayor and current councillor in Coldstream will look to retain his seat.Jim Garlick announced he will run in the fall municipal election.Garlick served four terms as mayor of Coldstream and two non-consecutive terms as a council member, as well as on the Regional District of North Okanagan board of directors a...

Police are investigating a suspicious death in Vernon.On the evening of Monday, Aug. 24, frontline officers responded to a basement suite on 24th Avenue where the body of a 54-year-old woman was discovered.Criminality was suspected of being a factor in the woman's death."The Vernon North Okanagan RCMP's Serious Cr...

People will be able to garner some insight into the status of the local economy as the Greater Vernon Chamber will hold its Annual General Meeting later this month.The AGM will feature an Economic Outlook Presentation, featuring guest speakers from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) who will detail macroecon...

An Enderby Councillor is looking to serve a second term to tackle the issues facing the population.Sarah Yerhoff announced she will run to retain her seat in the fall municipal election.Yerhoff, first elected in 2022, said in a release she cares deeply about the community where she has spent her whole life and wants to...

A banker and involved community member will throw his hat into the ring for a seat on Coldstream Council.Scot McNair announced he will run for the role in the fall municipal election.McNair, a fourth-generation North Okanagan resident with 38 years of banking experience, said he has been a strong advocate for community...

The recent rain and cooler weather has decreased the regional drought level, but water scarcity issues remain a concern.The B.C. River Forecast Centre said in its weekly report that the southern interior received some significant precipitation over the past several days, resulting in the Drought Rating to decrease to L...

The four-term Director of RDNO Area B will have his name back on the ballot.Bob Flemming says he will run in the fall election in a bid to retain his seat representing the Swan Lake Commonage area.First elected in 2011, Fleming said a lot has been accomplished under his watch. Recently those include seeing construction...

The local Member of Parliament had some strong words in response to the social media post from the U.S.'s Secretary of War.On Monday, Pete Hegseth reposted an image from the Vernon Cadets, implying they were unfit for service. In his own social media post, Scott Anderson had some fiery words of his own for Hegseth.READ...

Local campfire bans are about to be extinguished.Effective at noon on Thursday, the bans on smaller campfires on private properties in Vernon, Coldstream and Enderby will be lifted.The end of the bans come as recent rainfall and cooler temperatures have decreased the risk of wildfires. They also align with B.C. Wildfir...

The two-term representative for the BX/Silver Star area will have her name back on the ballot.Amanda Shatzko announced she would run for re-election as RDNO Director of Area C for a third term in the fall municipal election."I've had the privilege of representing the communities of BX and Silver Star for the past ...

Vernon RCMP are again reminding people that electric bikes should be used responsibly after a crash involving a youth.At around 10:45 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, a youth riding an e-bike failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with a vehicle at the intersection of 39th Avenue and 25th Street."Fortunately, the youth ...

A long-time North Okanagan resident and involved community member is throwing her hat in the ring for the fall municipal election.Wendy Sherman announced she will look to win the seat of Director of RDNO Area D, Rural Lumby."If elected, my intent is to listen to what the constituents have to say and represent thei...

Paddleboarders faced rain, winds, whitecaps and cold temperatures to raise money for local youth mental health resources.The ninth annual Stand Up For Charity fundraiser saw paddleboarders travel the 18-kilometre length of Kalamalka Lake on Saturday, Aug. 29.Sisters Kristin Holomis and Linsey Johannson, along with thei...

A man has been charged in connection to the two fires started in the grass lands north of Vernon near Swan Lake.The fires sparked in the grassy fields near the Highway 97 onramp and near the southern edge of Swan Lake's nature trail around 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, and local and provincial firefighters were quick to res...

Local fire crews had another busy day extinguishing two large grass fire Tuesday.The fires sparked around 3 p.m. September 1 near the Highway 97 onramp on Vernon's north end, and quickly spread across the dry, grassy terrain.Vernon, BX/Swan Lake and B.C. Wildfire Service crews were quick to respond to contain and douse...

A Coldstream Councillor is looking to continue work as an advocate for the citizens and community.Jeremy Levy said he will run to retain his seat in the fall municipal election."You welcomed in a city kid as one of your own," Levy said."You gave me the opportunity to represent you, invited me to coach yo...

A Vernon City Councillor is stepping down after one term.Brian Guy announced he would not run in the fall municipal election, ending his time in local politics after being first elected in 2022."It has been an honour and a pleasure to serve the people of this great city for the past four years," Guy said in a...

The U.S. Secretary of Defence has targeted the Vernon Cadets in a social media post.On X, Pete Hegseth reposted an Instagram image from Vernon Cadets saying, quote, "this is real" with a Canadian flag emoji.The post, showing a youth receiving an award from a Cadet instructor, implied Canadian Armed Forces wer...

Vernon RCMP are asking for the public's help as they investigate a theft from a hotel over the August long weekend.Around 11:20 p.m. on Aug. 3, Mounties received a report from a guest staying at a hotel on Anderson Way about a theft. The victim said the key card to their room didn't work, so they went to the front desk...

Update 10:15 a.m. September 1 The cause of the fire that significantly damaged a church in Vernon is under investigation. The City of Vernon said, on behalf of Vernon Fire Rescue Services, that the fire department and Vernon North Okanagan RCMP were on the scene of the Alliance Church fire Tuesday, September 1, investi...