Progress continues to be made at the site of Vernon's new recreation hub.The project leads took media and select stakeholders on a walk through of the ALC Wednesday, September 9, where the attendees got to see the pools, which were being tiled; the gymnasium; the change room area; the main entryway and hallways; and th...

A more precise timeline for the opening of Vernon's new recreation hub has been disclosed.During a special tour of the Active Living Centre (ALC), Wednesday, Dustin Suurhoff, Project Executive at Clark Builders, said the facility should be substantially completed, meaning it's ready for it's intended use, by October 30...

A man with a history in retail and project management is looking to bring his experience to Armstrong city council.Stephen Zopf announced he will run for a seat in the fall municipal election. Zopf said he believes in listening to residents and bringing forward fresh and thoughtful ideas to create attainable long-term ...

People looking to give back to their community will be able to gain some insights into local opportunities.The Vernon Volunteer Fair will be held at the Vernon Recreation Centre's Dogwood Gym 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12.The fair will feature booths from 24 local organizations looking for volunteers and represe...

One person has been arrested in connection with the fire that sent smoke billowing over Swan Lake Monday.The fire erupted over the noon hour Labour Day and quickly engulfed and destroyed a farmhouse, outbuildings, a vehicle and equipment on a Goose Lake Road property.Vernon North Okanagan RCMP attended the scene where ...

The budget and size of a major multi-use pathway project has been increased, but most of the costs won't be put on Vernon taxpayers.Vernon City Council amended its Kalamalka Lake Road Multi-Use Pathway project Monday.The work was originally planned to establish a multi-use pathway alongside the road between 14th Avenue...

Job seekers will have a chance to learn about local career opportunities at a special event this month.WorkBC's Job-A-Palooza is scheduled to happen at the Prestige Lodge from 1 to 4 p.m. September 24.The event will feature over 30 booths from local employers presenting to those exploring new career avenues and opportu...

An involved community member and entrepreneur is throwing his hat in the ring for a seat on Enderby City Council.Ryan Sheepwash announced he will run in the fall municipal election."Over the years I've learned that the best communities are built by people who are willing to get involved, listen to each other, shar...

An Armstrong councillor will look to retain his seat for the next four years.Mark Wehner announced he will run in the fall municipal election."When I first ran for council, my goal was to help foster the strong sense of community that makes Armstrong such a great place to live. I also wanted to ensure our infrastr...

People looking for a late-summer cool down can take a dip at the Enderby Outdoor Pool.To mark it's first season, a community celebration and free swim will take place at the pool and lazy river from 3:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 9.The event will also see elected officials, dignitaries, funders, donors, and...

Kids are back at school, and the RCMP is urging caution around the institutions.Vernon North Okanagan RCMP said in a social media post that 30 km/h school zones came back into effect Tuesday, Sept. 9. In Vernon and Lumby, the school zones are in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., while they are in place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m...

UPDATE: 12 p.m. TuesdayThe fire that sent plumes of smoke above Swan Lake and Vernon posed some challenges to fire crews.At around 12 p.m. Monday, flames and thick black smoke erupted from a farmhouse on Goose Lake Road.BX/Swan Lake Fire crews, assisted by Vernon Fire Rescue Services and Armstrong Spallumcheen Fire Dep...

Maintenance has been completed at six creek crossings in Vernon, though one needs more work.The maintenance involved concrete rehabilitation, erosion protection and vegetation management at the crossings of Vernon Creek and Lower BX Creek. A city staff report stated that, during the work, extensive deterioration was un...

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...