Arrest in Osoyoos part of regional organized crime enforcement
The arrest in Osoyoos of Afshin Maleki Ighani on Feb. 13 was part of a larger enforcement effort by the RCMP’s anti-gang agency, it said yesterday.
Category: Regional
$100,000 gift enables creation of a ‘sacred space’
For years, Penticton Regional Hospital has lacked a sacred space – a dedicated area where individuals can grieve, reflect, or find solace in difficult times.
Lower Similkameen Band gifted $480K for conservation
The sməlqmíx, the syilx people of the Similkameen Valley, have received a USD 350,000 (CAD 482,240) donation to help with conservation efforts by enabling the Lower Similkameen Indian Band (LSIB) to acquire a unique piece of land south of the border.
Modernized Treaty would go beyond flood control
The Columbia River Treaty won’t get ‘modernized’ unless it reduces impacts on Columbia Basin communities and ecosystems, says the team representing Canada at the negotiation table.
Western wildfires may foretell difficult season
It’s a grim — and familiar — start to wildfire season in Western Canada as tinder-dry forests go up in flames.
Okanagan Nation celebrates grizzly bear reintroduction plan
Grizzly bears are set to return to the North Cascades Ecosystem after decades of advocacy and collaboration crucially involving the Syilx Okanagan Nation have resulted in the approval of a restoration plan.
Oliver arena gets $3.8 million rehab boost
Almost four million dollars in rehabilitation work has been approved for the Oliver & District Arena by the Regional District of the Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS).
Pocket Guide
Get your jingle on and head down to the pow wow
This year’s 14th annual School District 53 (SD53) Pow Wow is being hosted by Osoyoos Secondary School (OSS) with organizers encouraging everyone, particularly those who have never been to a pow wow, to come out and experience the fun.
Invasive mussels preoccupy Okanagan water board
The recent meeting of the Okanagan Basin Water Board saw discussions preeminently focus on the problem of invasive mussels, how to keep them out of Okanagan waters and what to do should they be introduced into the Okanagan basin.
Snowbird ‘heartbroken’ over theft of his motorcycle
An Alberta snowbird couple has had their annual winter sojourn in Osoyoos soured after a favourite motorcycle was brazenly stolen from the parking lot of the Richter Pass Beach Resort in the wee hours of the morning on March 20.
Emergency dept closed Friday night Saturday morning
Oliver, Osoyoos and area residents are advised of a temporary closure of the emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital due to limited physician availability.
‘Zombie deer’ disease in BC requires rapid response
A widespread plague of the dreaded “zombie deer disease” in B.C. can only be controlled by ramping up surveillance, testing and disposal methods for infected animals, wildlife experts say.
Emergency department closure Saturday morning
Oliver, Osoyoos and area residents are advised of a temporary closure of the emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital due to limited physician availability.
Plan to amend Land Act stirs hornets nest
A plan to amend BC’s Land Act which governs Crown land across the province has stirred up some degree of controversy as the government appeared to quietly slip the issue into the public space with little media or public engagement.
Pocket Guide
‘Catastrophic’ grape losses from extreme cold event
January’s polar vortex which sent temperatures plunging well below -20°C throughout the Okanagan Valley has devastated grapevines with estimates of 97-99 per cent crop loss.
OIB, Mercer Celgar partner over waste wood utilization
The Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) and pulp and paper mill Mercer Celgar (Celgar) are collaborating to rethink conventional practices around what has traditionally been considered uneconomical wood fibre.
Okanagan hockey players return from “amazing experience”
Medals were not in the cards for Canada’s men’s hockey team which placed fourth at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games after Finland outshot Team Canada 5-4 in a tie-breaking shootout for the bronze medal at the Gangneung Hockey Centre on Jan. 31.
BC wine industry ‘targeted’ by Alberta for political gain
A long fermenting trade dispute between BC’s wine industry and Alberta’s liquor regulator has reared its ugly head again with bureaucrats threatening to bar wine shipments from BC wineries.
Letter lays out multiple concerns of municipalities
The province’s new proposed Emergency and Disaster Management Act needs more funding commitments and the Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) regulation needs to be “completely revamped”, a draft letter to the province outlines.
Okanagan water board calls out feds on invasive mussel funding
The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) has decried the potential cutting of funding by the federal government which supports invasive mussel inspections in BC calling it “unacceptable and unjustifiable”.
Hospital emergency department closed overnight Saturday
South Okanagan General Hospital’s emergency department will shut down temporarily overnight due to limited physician availability.
$4 million donation largest ever for foundation
The Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen (CFSOS) has received a substantial $4 million donation from its founding donor, John Pankiw.
Migrant workers go to court to fight for rights and $500 million
Last year, nearly 12,000 workers travelled from Mexico, Guatemala and across the world to work on B.C. farms.