Police are investigating a suspicious radio transmission heard in the Cherryville area.Vernon North Okanagan RCMP said it received a report of a mysterious transmission around 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 28.A person was working in the 6km area of Currie Creek Forest Service Road when they heard what sounded like a person i...

Vernon City Council will discuss a proposed major development at a special meeting Monday.Kerkhoff Develop-Build has a plan to build a 3,571 unit housing development, roughly 1,400 would be set at attainable prices, at a property off Commonage Road. The plan was rewritten multiple times to reduce the development's foot...

People in the Okanagan and beyond are being asked to help shape the future of B.C.'s child care services.The province launched a B.C.-wide survey to gather input, feedback and ideas on how to deliver child care from families, child care operators and early childhood educators.The survey can be found online here.In 2018...

Greater Vernon Water customers are being asked to conserve water as drought risks persist in the area.On May 7, the RDNO put Stage 2 Water Restrictions in place, limiting the time and type of watering people can do with their yards and gardens.The District of Coldstream stated in a release Friday, May 29, that the cond...

The Okanagan starting the season off with the highest drought rating possible has a water conservation advocate urging people do their part.The B.C. River Forecast Centre issued a Level 5 drought rating for the Okanagan Thursday, May 28. That was the highest rating possible, and the Okanagan was the only basin in B.C. ...

Agencies that support people in Vernon and the surrounding area are getting a boost.The province is distributing money through its Civil Forfeiture Grant program, which redirects proceeds of crime into communities by funding service and program providers.The province is distributing a total of nearly $8-million to agen...

The Okanagan opened the drought reporting season with the highest rating possible.The B.C. River Forecast Centre released its first report on drought conditions in the province Thursday, May 28, in which the Okanagan was given a rating of Level 5.The local basin was the only one in B.C. to receive the highest drought l...

Vernon Search and Rescue (VSAR) has gotten a boost thanks to a local initiative.Cheryl and Jody Lambert held the fourth edition of the SOS for VSAR golf fundraiser at the Vernon Golf and Country Club Saturday, May 23.The event raised $34,063, which VSAR said in a social media post would be put towards renewing its vehi...

Vernon may be getting some new equipment to monitor conditions at a local stream soon.At the meeting Monday, May 25, Vernon City Council tasked staff with entering into agreements with Environment and Climate Change Canada for the installation and operation of hydrometric gauges along BX Creek.The gauges would be set u...

After a seven year hiatus, the awards program recognizing women in Vernon and the North Okanagan has returned.Organized by the group Vernon Women in Business, the Women of the Year Awards were relaunched to recognize those who create a meaningful impact across the region through their business, leadership, advocacy, me...

RCMP impounded three vehicles and issued multiple tickets during a traffic enforcement operation Tuesday targeting speeding in high-risk areas, including one motorcycle clocked at 167 km/h in a 100 km/h zone and another travelling 128 km/h in a 60 km/h zone.A frontline officer ran the operation May 26 on Highway 97A an...

Local Mounties are warning about fraudsters using convincing scams to target seniors.Vernon North Okanagan RCMP said fraudsters use scams to create fear, urgency or false trust so the victims send money or share personal information.The most common form of these is the "grandparent scam," where the caller pre...

The annual bike ride fundraiser supporting mental health services in the North Okanagan has been cancelled.The Vernon branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA Vernon) said it would not be running its Ride Don't Hide event on June 7."This decision was made after careful consideration of ongoing logist...

For the second year in a row, the Youth Climate Corps will have a team in Vernon.Youth Climate Corps is a province-wide initiative offering youth paid, hands-on opportunities to work on climate action projects.In Vernon, the youth will primarily focus on expanding active transportation through a community bike ride ini...

Junior rowers from Vernon and the Okanagan had some great results in the first races of the season.The Vernon Rowing and Dragon Boat Club (VRDBC) took part in the Delta Deas Scholastic Regatta, and the local junior athletes were able to row their way to some hardware.Anthony Masys took the gold in the Under 15 Men's Si...

Locals and visitors will have upgraded amenities when recreating in the North Okanagan's back country.The B.C. Government is supporting two trail enhancement projects in the North Okanagan through its Off-Road Vehicle (OFV) Trail Fund.The Vernon Snowmobile Association is being gifted $13,692 through the program to do t...

The MLA for Vernon-Lumby has called for the government to support people in rural communities using private wastewater facilities.On Monday, May 25, Harwinder Sandhu introduced a motion in the legislature to establish means to oversee and regulate these utilities in B.C."For decades, residents in Silver Star commu...

Housing construction in Greater Vernon is trailing a bit compared to last year.Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation said there were 10 housing projects started locally in April, bringing the year to date total to 56 projects.Comparatively, April 2025 saw eight projects started locally, though there were 64 started d...

The Mayor of Vernon is asking the public to make sure they have filled out the census, even though the deadline has passed..Victor Cumming made the plea ahead of the regular council meeting Monday, May 25.Following the meeting the mayor reiterated the importance of filling out the form when speaking with Vernon Matters...

The agency that advocates for the protection of local water sources has a new plan to follow over the coming years.The Okanagan Basin Water Board has developed its 2026-2030 Strategic Plan.The plan has three core focus points, and those each have a number of key priorities:Advancing Science, Environmental Monitoring, a...

The plan to revise Vernon's recreation rate structure is going back to the drawing board.At the regular meeting Monday, May 25, Vernon City Council was presented with a revised plan to modernize its rec fees.This involved selling only one-day passes, 10-visit passes, and monthly and annual memberships. It also maintain...

A cyclist was injured in a crash on Highway 6 Monday morning.Emergency Health Services said paramedics were called out around 8:43 a.m. after receiving a report of a cyclist being struck by a vehicle on the highway near Middleton Way.RCMP said the cyclist entered into the intersection against the red light and was stru...

The trial of a man accused of killing his ex-wife is underway.Vitali Stefanski faces a charge of second-degree murder in the death of Tatjana Stefanski.Tatjana went missing from her Lumby home in April of 2024, and the following day her body was located in a remote area.Vitali was found in the general vicinity of the m...

The infrastructure project along the road outside the new Active Living Centre and Kal Tire Place is moving along.A staff report on the 43rd Avenue Corridor Improvement project said the work installing deep underground utilities, such as water and sewer, had been completed.As of the update, city crews were working with...

The City of Vernon has acquired two more electric vehicles.City staff have purchased two slightly-used fully electric service vans, a 2024 Ford E-Transit and a 2025 Ford E-Transit, for a total of $133,000 plus tax.The city had allocated $180,000 for the purchase of the vehicles, and the remaining funds will be used to ...

A collision on Highway 6 Friday afternoon resulted in two people going to hospital.Emergency Health Services said it was called to the scene of the crash near the Veggie Pro building between Coldstream and Lumby at around 2:50 p.m. May 22.RCMP said the collision involved a passenger sedan that attempted to turn from Ka...

The main artery in and out of Vernon's south end will see traffic delays all next week.Starting at 6:30 a.m. Monday, city crews will be doing underground utility infrastructure maintenance and upgrades along Hospital Hill.The work will require Highway 97/32nd Street to be reduced to a single alternating lane between 15...

Vernon's new Active Living Centre is set to open this fall, and the city is considering changes to its fee structure to go along with the new facility.The city has proposed modernizing and simplifying the recreation admission fees by offering only single visit passes, 10-pass, and both annual and monthly memberships.Th...