The District of Coldstream has announced its annual crack sealing program will start this weekend.The first phase will be from May 4 to 12 which will be conducted by Sealtec."We ask that the residents be mindful of the crews as their work may create traffic delays," a district news release said. "Because...

People looking to enter the housing market are seeing some positive trends.Data from the Association of Interior Realtors (AIR) shows housing prices declined on an annual basis last month.AIR's data indicated the benchmark price for a single family home was $738,500 in April, down 4.6 per cent from the same month in 20...

Grade 12 students from School District 22 packed the Vernon Recreation Centre on Friday to showcase their passions in a bid for scholarships.The annual Scholarship Showcase featured 88 local students displaying projects in the Creekside Conference Room that ranged from arts and culture to trades, community service, fas...

Police are seeking information on a missing senior as the search for the man continues.RCMP said Allan Allan Francescutti, a 79-year-old Kelowna man, went missing on April 16.Police said Francescutti was considered "high-risk" and asked the public for assistance in locating him on April 23.That same day, his ...

The Vernon North Okanagan RCMP is asking the public to help find a missing Enderby resident.Thomas Hart, 65, left his residence on Enderby-Grindrod Road around noon on Thursday, May 2, and has not been heard from since. "He is believed to be travelling on foot and may be hitchhiking, trying to make his way to Albe...

Motorists will have to deal with some detours on a busy Vernon street next week.Part of Alexis Park Drive will be closed to allow crews to upgrade underground utility services in the area.The road will be closed to to northbound traffic between 39 and 42 Avenues from Monday, May 6 to Friday, May 10. Northbound motorist...

Large fires won't be permitted for the next several months.Effective at noon today (Friday, May 3), Category 3 open burnings will be prohibited throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre, including in Vernon, Kelowna, and the entire Okanagan."This prohibition is being enacted to help prevent human-caused wildfires and pr...

It's still early in 2024 -- but the City of Vernon is already starting work on its 2025 budget.Residents and business are invited to take part in an online survey to outline what they think the spending priorities should be for next year."The budget survey is an important source of information for Vernon, providin...

The Regional District of North Okanagan and Interior Health have lifted a boil water notice issued on April 30 to some customers supplied by Greater Vernon Water along Shantz Road. The RDNO said bacterial testing results and disinfection levels are within normal drinking water standards in the distribution system. Boil...

Children and youth that are having difficulties at home now have a new place to go in Vernon that offers a safe, supportive short-term placement.North Okanagan Youth and Family Services held a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday for Cedar House, the newest addition to the society's specialized homes support services.NOYFS...

The B.C. government is taking steps to open more housing opportunities.Premier David Eby said secondary suites can be viable housing options for people, but there are financial barriers to homeowners to build those dwellings."Today, I am very proud to announce that we are launching a three-year pilot program where...

Vernon and the Okanagan saw precipitation levels that were well below average last month.Brian Proctor, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, told Vernon Matters April was an "interesting month" following the El Nino winter, as it was drier than normal."For Vernon, at the auto-stati...

Geotechnical work is underway today (May 2) on the site of the future Greater Vernon Cultural Centre in downtown Vernon.An engineering crew is conducting soil testing in the south end of the City of Vernon parking lot on 31st AvenueDue to the work, the daily and hourly parking spots in that lot will not be available fo...

UPDATE 3 p.m.Police remind the public to check the conditions of their vehicles following the car fire on Highway 97 Thursday.Lake Country RCMP said in a release that there was no indication of the cause of the vehicle fire on the highway north of Oyama, but did state that people should "conduct routine maintenanc...

The Armstrong Regional Co-Op is looking for charities to support with its annual fundraiser.As part of its Fuel Good Day initiative, 10 cents of every litre of fuel sold at the Armstrong Regional Co-op (ARC) gas bars on Sept. 17, 2024, will be donated to a local registered non-profit or charity within its market.ARC ha...

The BC Hockey league has unveiled the winners of its year-end awards for the 2023-24 season.The winners were decided by a vote between the 17 B.C. head coaches and general managers.Vern Dye Memorial Trophy (Most Valuable Player)Caden Cranston (F) - Surrey EaglesCranston finished as the BCHL's leading scorer in 2023-24,...

A North Okanagan business organization has received provincial funding to help local businesses grow and attract more customers.The Armstrong-Spallumcheen Chamber of Commerce said the $72,300 is from the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program as part of the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development, and...

RCMP say they believe a Kamloops man who went missing last month was the victim of a homicide. In a news release issued Wednesday (May 1), Cpl. Crystal Evelyn said a man's body was discovered near Big White Resort and reported to Kelowna RCMP on April 20. Evelyn says Kamloops Mounties were informed Tuesday that the bod...

British Columbians are being advised to stay safe behind the wheel by not going too fast.The Insurance Corporation of B.C. (ICBC) and police throughout the province have launched a new campaign to encourage people not to exceed speed limits.Data from ICBC shows going just five kilometres per hour over the limit increas...

The province is funding numerous initiatives to bolster certain segments of the health care workforce.Health Minister, Adrian Dix announced a provincial investment to strengthen the health care system, with a special focus on health sciences and allied health care professionals."To support the implementation of th...

A Vernon family is making a name for itself in the Canadian Football League.Brad Hladik was selected by the Edmonton Elks in the second round, 18th overall, in the CFL Draft on April 30.Hladik, a 6-4, 235 pound tight end, played high school football with the Vernon Secondary Panthers before joining the Okanagan Sun and...

The Vernon Recreation Centre will be shut down to most of its users for one day next week.The City of Vernon said the closure on Thursday, May 9 is to allow BC Hydro to complete scheduled maintenance at the complex."The outage is necessary for the replacement of an aging transformer and will commence at 9 a.m. and...

A Grammy-nominated band is among the performers set to join the festivities at Rock the Lake this summer. Daughtry has been added to the festival lineup. They will be joined by Southern California's Hoobastank, Canada's Texas King, and the retro metal group Lynam in hitting the stage for the three-day event in Kelowna....

The host team was competitive, and the community got behind it.Those two comments sum up how the Esso Cup went last week in Vernon.Six teams took part in the Canadian women's under 18 club hockey championship, a Hockey Canada event, held at Kal Tire Place from April 21-27.The Regina Rebels took home the gold medal, def...

Efforts to protect local waterways from invasive mussels are being ramped up by the province's partners. B.C. Hydro is supporting B.C.'s Invasive Mussel Defence Program (IMDP) with a new five-year commitment of $900,000 in annual funding beginning in 2024 "Invasive mussels pose an increasing and significant risk n...

Students from the Vernon School District will be showcasing their projects at an event this week, hoping they will be worthy of securing scholarships for future learning.School District 22 is presenting its Scholarship Showcase at the Vernon Recreation Centre May 2 and 3."There will be over 80 grade 12 students fr...

The B.C. government says residents of manufactured homes will get more notice of rule changes within their parks, under new protections announced by the province."Currently, some owners of manufactured homes have difficulty knowing what rules are in effect, because there is no limit to how often owners of manufact...

Work is ongoing to ensure the slope along Highway 97 where a major rockslide occurred last summer is safe.Blasting at the site of the August 28 rockslide north of Summerland has been ongoing periodically since the debris came down on the highway, though the final phases of that work is scheduled to be completed soon.&q...