A precautionary Water Quality Advisory was issued for a few properties in the Rise neighbourhood Thursday morning.Greater Vernon Water said a water main break led to a loss of pressure in the system and the advisory was being issued for addresses between 104 to 108 Silverstage Terrance, and for 300 to 312 Silversage Bl...

A man lost his life in a crash on the highway near Polson Park Thursday morning.Vernon North Okanagan RCMP responded to a report of a deceased person in the eastbound lanes of the highway near the intersection of 27th Street at 7:25 a.m. Feb. 12, and investigators determined the pedestrian was in the "travel porti...

The Okanagan saw a major decline in its snowpack through January compared to the previous month.The B.C. River Forecast Centre said the local area's snowpack was at 67 per cent of normal as of February 1st. That was down from 90 per cent of normal on January 1st.The River Forecast Centre said the low snowpack indicated...

The City of Vernon lowered its flags to honour those lost in the shooting in Tumbler Ridge.As of the latest RCMP report the shooting at the Northern B.C. community caused the death of nine people, with another 25 people injured.The City of Vernon said the shooting was a devastating event and has had deep impacts on com...

A Water Quality Advisory and a Boil Water Notice have been issued in Vernon following two water main breaks.Greater Vernon Water said the Boil Water Notice was issued for properties from 8550 to 8620 Harbour Heights Road Wednesday, Feb. 11, following a water main break and a loss of water pressure. This will be in plac...

A drug alert has been issued for the entire Interior, including the North Okanagan.Interior Health said a substance found in the region that comes in multiple colours and could be either chunks, pebbles or powder, was being sold as down, dope, tranq, or fentanyl.However, testing shows these substances also contain fent...

The Greater Vernon school district is offering supports in response to the killing of 10 people in Tumbler Ridge.In a release, School District 22 said it was saddened by the news of the killings, and acknowledges that many students, staff and families may be experiencing a range of emotions.SD22 affirmed that local stu...

The local branch of the agency that provides mental health supports for people said its understandable that the shooting in Tumbler Ridge that killed at least 10 people is being felt elsewhere.The Vernon and District branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA Vernon) said "violent incidents ripple far ...

The man known as the voice of the Vancouver Canucks for 30 years has died.Legendary broadcaster Jim Robson began his run as the Canucks' play-by-play announcer in 1970, when the team debuted as part of an N-H-L expansion.During his career, he called some of the franchise's most memorable moments including the team's ru...

TUMBLER RIDGE - Condolences are trickling in from around the world this morning as police continue to investigate a pair of shootings that left 10 people, including the suspect, dead in a tiny community in northeastern British Columbia.Politicians including Ontario Premier Doug Ford, French President Emmanuel Macron an...

Residents, businesses and developers are able to more easily access municipal services.The City of Vernon has expanded its digital permitting system to now include business licenses, sign permits, property information requests, and road usage permits."Over the past year, the City's Business Improvement team has ma...

The City of Vernon is looking at ways to make the Vernon Regional Airport more self-sustainable, while also keeping it available for other programs and uses.The airport is owned and managed by the city, which leases out the structures on site to 35 general aviation and 19 commercial businesses. Through those leases the...

A local high school teacher is facing some penalties after being caught up in a cheating incident.The B.C. Commissioner for Teaching Regulation said in a report that Tasha Whitney was employed as a high school teacher within School District 22 in 2024, when she was approached by a student and asked that another person ...

The Okanagan Basin Water Board is continuing its work in support of an early-detection system for invasive mussels.The water protection advocacy group will be applying to the Canada Water Agency's EcoAction Stream 2: Freshwater Sustainability and Innovation program, in a bid to garner financial support for its eDNA det...

The local library had a busy year in 2025.Danielle Hubbard, the Okanagan Regional Library's (ORL) Chief Executive Director, said the Vernon branch was well used over the course of the year."Vernon is one of very busiest branches. In 2025, Vernon ran a total of 1,494 public programs, and they registered 2,483 new l...

Local police have been keeping a close watch on some repeat offenders.Vernon North Okanagan RCMP said in its report on police activities during the fourth quarter of 2025 that there were 11 prolific offenders living within the jurisdiction."Of those [individuals], four are currently in custody and seven are not in...

The 66th annual Vernon Winter Carnival launched with the public's favourite events.The Balloon Glow went Friday, Feb. 6, at the Village Green Shopping Centre mall, followed by the Vernon Winter Carnival Parade down 27th Street Saturday, Feb. 6.Both events were very well attended, with massive crowds at the mall parking...

Construction of Vernon's new recreation hub is moving along as planned, or even better.A city staff's quarterly report said the Active Living Centre's (ALC) design and construction team were "on target to deliver the project on time and on budget."The report went on to say the project's final target cost in J...

The trial of Peter Visintainer is being halted for the next several weeks.The B.C. Prosecution Service said the trial in Vernon saw the cross-examination and re-examination wrap up Friday, Feb. 6.The trial will resume with the defence continuing to make its case on March 23.Visintainer is charged with first degree murd...

Local organizations are getting a financial boost through the Community Gaming Grants.The program is providing a combined more than $882,000 to 44 Vernon- and Coldstream-based sports, arts and culture, Parent Advisory Councils, and other community groups through the 2025 intake process. VernonNorth Okanagan Youth Socce...

The District of Coldstream is proposing a change to how agricultural properties are taxed.The municipality said all farm properties fall under the same Class 9 tax classification, whether they are small-scale, light-impact, or large-scale, intensive industrial farm operations.Coldstream suggests the Ministry of Finance...

The economic region that includes Vernon saw a bit of a bounce back to its labour force in January, but it's still struggling a bit.Statistics Canada said the Thompson-Okanagan area had an unadjusted unemployment rate of 6.8 per cent last month.That was down from the rate of 7.4 per cent in December, but still up compa...

The annual Vernon Winter Carnival begins Friday.The 66th edition will begin with the Best Decorated Contest, the Balloon Glow, the start of the Downtown Gold Rush, and many other activities. The Winter Carnival calendar can be found online here.The Winter Carnival parade will take place Saturday, and will reflect the t...

Vernon RCMP are hoping the public can help them find a woman who has been missing for almost three weeks.Police say 34-year-old Brittany Kelly was last seen in Vernon on Jan. 19, and there are concerns about her well-being.Kelly is described as 5'7" (170 cm) tall and weighing 119 lbs (54 kg). She has green eyes an...

Prices at the pumps across the Okanagan have been jumping up and down over the past few weeks, and that has been tied to broader activities around the world. Patrick De Hann, the Head of Petroleum Analysis for the fuel price tracking website GasBuddy, told Vernon Matters that Vernon and the Okanagan had seen gas prices...

The local group that helps people learn and improve their reading has a new leader in charge.Michelle Bylow has been appointed as the new Executive Director for the Literary Society of the North Okanagan.The Society said Bylow has "more than 10 years of executive leadership experience, with a strong background in ...

A free Hockeyville skate is being offered in Lumby Thursday afternoon.The Pat Duke Arena will be open to a free family skate from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. Feb. 5.There will also be a crew from Kraft Hockeyville on site for the skate.The free event is being held to mark 10 years since Lumby was named the 2016 Kraft Hockeyville...

The North Okanagan saw a slight dip in housing sales this past January, and housing prices reflected the market slow down. The Association of Interior Realtors (AoIR) said there were 79 units sold in the area last month. That was down 1.3 per cent compared to January of 2025.The North Okanagan's dip in sales, broken do...