The third annual What Happens Upstream Youth Conference will be held Monday to teach young people some important life skills.Put on by the Okanagan Indian Band's Youth Leadership Council and the What Happens Upstream Planning Committee, the event will have the theme of kʷu ʔasəlʔ aʔspuʔús, meaning "We...

The Coldstream and Lavington firehalls will both be putting on fireworks shows to mark Halloween.The Lavington Fire Hall will host their event at Lavington Park Oct. 24.The celebration will feature a bonfire, barbecue, fireworks display, and a 50/50 raffle.The event will begin at 6 p.m. and the show will start at 8 p.m...

Vernon saw some modest gains in housing construction last month, though the sector has still seen a slow down on an annual basis.Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) said Vernon had 11 new housing projects started this past September. Those involved eight single family homes, two semi-detached houses, and one...

One person was taken to hospital after a crash occurred at a busy Vernon intersection Thursday.Vernon North Okanagan RCMP and B.C. Emergency Health Services responded to a crash at the intersection of 32nd Street and 39th Avenue around 3:30 p.m. Oct. 15.Police told Vernon Matters a sedan was making a left turn through ...

People looking to vote early for their Member of Legislature will have their opportunities over the next few days.ElectionsBC announced that advance voting in the provincial election will be available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the following locations and dates:Vernon-LumbyPeace Lutheran Church, Oct. 20 and 21Schubert Centre,...

Figure skating fans will get to witness a world class performance at the local arena.A special holiday-themed Stars on Ice performance will be held at Vernon's Kal Tire Place December 18.The event will be headlined by Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, who took bronze in the 2026 Olympics and are also five-time World Medal...

Vernon saw an uptick in early votes for this municipal election.The city confirmed that 2,964 ballots were cast in early voting opportunities for Vernon Mayor, Council and School District Trustees in the 2026 local general election. Those included 1,357 votes cast on October 7, and another 1,607 ballots submitted on Oc...

People are reminded to be safe and obey the law after a 55-year-old Coldstream man was allegedly caught speeding while intoxicated on the highway.B.C. Highway Patrol said an officer was driving on Highway 6 around 8:30 a.m., Sept. 26, when they were passed by a red Corvette going 120 km/h in an 80 zone.The officer turn...

Local leaders will hit the streets to meet with business owners and managers and learn about the local economy next week.Representatives from the City of Vernon, Community Futures North Okanagan, Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Vernon Association, and Okanagan College will hold the annual Business Walks Tu...

The Okanagan continues to be ranked as abnormally dry, increasing concerns for spawning season.The B.C. River Forecast Centre said the Okanagan had a High Water Scarcity rating and was at Drought Level 2 Thursday.The region was just one of three to have a drought rating that high, all of which were located in the South...

First responders converged at the scene of a death just outside Vernon's downtown core Wednesday morning. Vernon North Okanagan RCMP said officers and members of Vernon Fire Rescue Services were called to the scene of a warming fire in the 2400-block of 34th Street around 8:30 a.m., Oct. 14. Mounties told Vernon Matter...

A member of the Syilx/Okanagan Nation has been recognized for his artistic skills. Sheldon Pierre Louis was named the recipient of the Crabtree McLennan Emerging Artist Polygon Award in First Nations Art. Louis's work spans painting, murals, media art, carving, traditional Syilx materials, and traditional hand poke tat...

Fatal overdose incidents in Vernon continued to climb over the summer months.The B.C. Coroners Service reported seven more such deaths, including five in July and another two in August.There were also six deaths linked to illicit substances in Kelowna in July and another four in August.The deaths were part of 113 fatal...

Local realtors held their 17th annual Pumpkin Patch Day earlier this month in support of wildfire relief efforts.RE/MAX Vernon Salt Fowler held their event at the Pumpkin Patch in Spallumcheen October 3, which saw some outbuildings lost in the Bradley Creek fire over the summer, though owner's home and pumpkin patch wa...

A long-time local politician is hoping to secure a provincial seat, and is willing to lose his position in local government to fill it.Kevin Acton is running as the Conservative Party of B.C. candidate for Vernon-Lumby in the provincial election.Acton has been Mayor of Lumby for four terms, since being first elected in...

A self defense course is being offered to help train up and prepare women while supporting local end-of-life care.Sarah Draht and StrongHER, who won the 2026 Enterprize Challenge with Vernon's first women's only kickboxing and self defense academy, will host a community self-defense workshop Saturday, October 17. "...

The lodge renewal project at Sovereign Lake received a major contribution from local government last month.In late-September, RDNO Electoral Area C provided $150,000 towards the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club's Lodge Legacy Project.The day lodge is over 30 years old and serves approximately 45,000 to 50,000 cross country s...

Candidates running for mayor and council seats in Vernon have provided their insight into how they think the city should address climate change issues.Climate Action Now! (CAN!) North Okanagan put forward a non-partisan survey for local mayoral and council candidates in Vernon. This was based on a province-wide Vote4To...

A group of local women have raised thousands of dollars for charities.At their September meeting, the group 100 Women Who Care Vernon raised a combined $12,492.50 for local organizations.Of those funds, $11,567.50 will be gifted to Salvation Army Food Bank Vernon, $500 will go towards Turning Points Collaborative Socie...

A woman who ran for the federal Green Party has made a move to the provincial party.Blair Visscher is running as the B.C. Green Party candidate for the Vernon-Lumby riding in the provincial election.Speaking with Vernon Matters, Visscher said she was upset to hear a the call for a snap-provincial election, calling it &...

City crews will be out doing some critical paving work along 29th Street for the next two weeks.Starting Tuesday, Oct. 13, crews will be paving the road between Highway 6 and 30th Avenue.The work is expected to be completed by Oct. 24, weather and conditions permitting.Traffic control measures will be in place, and the...

Area non-profit Executive Directors, community leaders and others gathered this week to mark 20 years of the SharED Program.SharED was launched with the intent of having local organizations working collaboratively in bi-weekly peer sessions to share resources and solve problems. In the past that has included governance...

A tournament will be bringing some elite pickleball players to Vernon next week.The first ever Okanagan Open will be held at the Vernon Air Conditioning, Plumbing and Electrical Services Pickleball Complex at Marshall Field Oct. 15-18.The event will see over 400 players take to the courts, including some professional a...

The annual fundraiser in support of local hospice care was another major success.Dancing with the Vernon Stars gala was held Oct. 3, and featured a judged dance performance, dinner, live and silent auction, and raffle draws.In total, the dancing teams' fundraising efforts and the gala raised $202,668.65 for the North O...

The economic region that includes Vernon saw a slight decline in unemployment in the latest reporting month.Statistics Canada said the Thompson-Okanagan economic region had an unadjusted unemployment rate of 7.0 per cent in September.That was down from the rate of 7.2 per cent in August, but still above the 6.0 per cen...

A family home in a Vernon neighbourhood has been upgraded thanks to a program run by local businesses.Through the Community Give Back Program, KT Fairglass donated and installed a new window at a home in the East Hill neighbourhood.Lee Schultz, who lives in the home, was nominated for the program by her father, James B...

The recent cooler and wetter weather has had minimal impact on the ongoing drought conditions in the Okanagan.That's according to the B.C. River Forecast Centre, who stated the Okanagan was at Drought Level 2 and had a Water Scarcity Rating of High as of Thursday.The agency said the recent precipitation in the Okanagan...

Vernon North Okanagan RCMP are urging people to be safe on the roads as daylight hours are starting to shorten.Local Mounties reminded people that safety is the responsibility of both pedestrians, motorists and other road users.People walking, cycling or using other alternative modes of transportation were advised to b...