Maple leaf wearing football fans will gather in Lumby for some special watch party events these coming weeks.The White Valley Community Centre will see football fans convene to catch the action as they screen the Canada versus Qatar game Thursday, June 18.The match goes at 3 p.m., and people can register to view or vol...

A local organization that supports school children is celebrating its ninth year of operations.In the 2025-26 school year, the Okanagan Learning Foundation:Provided 90 students with weekly meals to ensure they were well fed over weekends through their six Food for Thought pantriesProvided grants to students and educato...

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...

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 city of Vernon is taking out its last big chunk of funding for the Active Living Centre.Vernon City Council approved borrowing the final $44.5 million from the Municipal Finance Authority (MFA) of British Columbia to fund the construction of the new recreation hub.The city had previously borrowed $31.5 million in 2...

A local writer has put pen to paper and published a children's book with a focus on neurodivergence.Christian Armstrong, who was born and raised in Vernon, has published his book, "YES I CAN, my own way."The book tells the story of Eli, an autistic boy, who feels overwhelmed by the anxiety of school, friendsh...

A new book has been penned that tells the tale of Vernon's pioneer history.The Vernon and District Family History Society partnered with local authors to write and self-publish a new book, Echoes Beneath the Earth: The Forgotten Souls of Vernon's Pioneers."When we started our investigation, we found records pertai...

Davison Orchards is celebrating the grad class of 2026.In a release, the local orchard said it was taking time to recognize and celebrate local students from elementary school, high school and college who reached the milestone and were graduating."We love seeing graduates and their families celebrating this time o...

Greater Vernon Water (GVW) has taken steps to preserve the local water supply while supporting area agricultural properties.GVW said Friday, June 12, that it was temporarily switching the water source for Lavington area properties from the Duteau water source to the Antwerp Deep Well. The properties moved from the Dute...

Vernon bars and restaurants saw a good turnout of fans cheering on Team Canada in their debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.The national team hit the pitch in Toronto at noon local time to take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in their opener of the international soccer tournament, and many fans were out cheering on the players ...

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 ...

People looking to cool off in the North Okanagan will need to wait for a new amenity to open.The Enderby Outdoor Pool at Barnes Park was expected to have a soft open Friday, June 12, but the city said it had to delay the opening due to essential work that still needed to be done on the pool and building."Once we h...

The Rail Trail along Kalamalka Lake has reopened to the public a week earlier than expected.The trail was closed between Kick Willie Road and Kekuli Bay Provincial Park June 1 for erosion prevention work in a section spanning from the 4.5 km to the 5.6 km mark of the trail.The work was expected to be done by June 19, b...

Vernon residents are being asked to share their ideas and input on recreation programming offered at the new Active Living Centre (ALC).The new recreation facility is slated to open in the fall, and the city wants to gather community feedback that would help guide programs and services to ensure they reflect the intere...

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...

Vernon Jubilee Hospital will be getting a new piece of equipment to treat premature and critically ill babies.The Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation (VJH Foundation) raised over $135,000 through its spring fundraiser and will be using the money to purchase a Giraffe.A Giraffe involves state-of-the-art incubators that s...

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...

Several butterflies will take flight at the Allan Brooks Nature Centre this weekend as people gather to remember and celebrate loved ones who have passed away.The North Okanagan Hospice Society's (NOHS) annual Memorial Butterfly Release on June 13 offers families and friends a chance to honour those they have lost whil...

Vernon has come up with a new fee structure for accessing recreation services.At the regular meeting Monday, June 8, Vernon City Council was presented with a refined recreation admission fee report, that outlined changes to how much people would pay to access the facilities and programs.The changes included:Removal of ...

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...

A fundraiser has been launched to support readers, young and old, in Vernon and the surrounding area.The Literacy Society of North Okanagan is running its School's Out for Literacy fundraising initiative, with the goal of raising $5,000 to support local literacy programs. The society provides free reading, writing, dig...

A local park will be closed and traffic will be congested for an event in Vernon this weekend.A 5K Foam Fest fun run will take place at Kin Beach and at the Disc Golf Course and Marshall Fields Dog Park on Saturday, June 13.The Foam Fest will see participants run a five-kilometre obstacle course including tons of bubbl...

The City of Vernon has committed thousands of dollars to support local groups.The City will be distributing money through three funding streams to support local non-profits, and other groups to support their initiatives.Council Discretionary Grants Association of Nigerians and Africans in Okanagan - $1,500 for the 2nd ...

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 free, family-friendly event will be held to mark the end of the school year and the onset of summer.Ellison Elementary's Parent Advisory Council will hold a barbecue event at the school from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 11.It will feature a number of activities for children, and if they participate and fill out a "...

A project that was completed locally almost two years ago has been celebrated by the province.In December of 2024, the City of Vernon completed work naturalizing and reducing flood risks in Vernon Creek near the Vernon Wastewater Reclamation Plant, and also rebuilt the bridge on 43rd Street and a multi-use path that co...

The scope of a local school expansion has grown, prompting a new fundraising campaign to support the project.Vernon Christian School is expanding with a new gymnasium, enlarged common spaces, additional classrooms and other teaching areas.As construction progressed, a decision was made to add a second storey to the exp...