Okanagan cherry farmers are on track for a record year, with the BC TreeFruits Cooperative predicting a 12 million pound harvest for 2018. BC Tree Fruits says the weather has been “ideal” so far during the growing season, adding to the boom from the increasing acreage in the valley being given over to cherries. “Mother […]

Kelowna’s mayor says he wants a chance to finish what he’s started. Colin Basran made official what most have known for months: he’s seeking a second four-year term as the city’s mayor. Basran says Kelowna’s economy is thriving, town centres are bustling, and arts and culture are blossoming. “I am not willing to risk this transformation,” Basran […]

The Women’s Enterprise Centre is teaming up with local tech founder and CEO Ashley Ramsay for a mentoring program it hopes will help other female founders break out in the industry. Over the next six months, Ramsay will facilitate a peer mentoring group with as many as eight women entrepreneurs who work in tech-related businesses. […]

More than 6,000 people have registered for early-bird access to homes in one of Kelowna’s largest residential tower developments. Units in the West Tower of the One Water Street development will go on sale this weekend and the developers say interest in the second tower is double what it was when East Tower units first […]

As contract negotiations continue between WestJet Airlines and pilots who’ve shown they’re willing to strike, Kelowna’s own discount airline has offered to take on skittish WestJet passengers itself. Flair Airlines took to Twitter last week, referencing WestJet’s own discount carrier, Swoop Airlines, in a tweet that said Flair was “swooping in” to help flyers nervous […]

The snow melted just in time for Silver Star Mountain Resort to begin installing its first gondola, yesterday. A massive, Kamov Ka-32helicopter flew in from Vancouver Island and placed 11 gondola towers into the ground in less than six hours. “It’s a milestone day here at Silver Star Mountain Resort,” said Wesla Wong, a meteorologist and […]

The original plan was for it to open last fall, but unexpected challenges forced the city to push back the opening date of the 29th Street parking lot for several months. But city officials assure parking relief is at hand in the downtown core with the lot expected to be open by July. Chris Ovens, […]

South Okanagan-West Kootenay MP Richard Cannings has been recognized for his support of Canadian forestry with an award from the Forest Products Association of Canada. Cannings is the recipient of the Forest Community Champion Award for his private-members bill C-354, which promotes the use of wood in federal projects. The bill has recently been modified by the […]

Farmers and food processors in British Columbia will have $14 million in federal and provincial government support over the next five years, to help them develop new products and processes that will support food production in B.C. B.C. farmers are already using computerized sensors, drones and wireless technology to monitor the growth and condition of […]

It’s been a long time since the Okanagan has seen solid sunshine and hot temperatures for an entire May long weekend. Although it may have felt like we broke records, Environment Canada says otherwise. “It was a pretty stellar weekend, but we didn’t break any records. From a subjective view, living in Kelowna for almost 20 years, […]

Plans are in the works for another residential infill project on a residential street just south of the Kelowna General Hospital. Developers are asking the city to rezone the property at 615 Francis Ave. to allow for a three-storey building that will house three, two-bedroom homes. In their request, developers say they feel the project […]

Mark Koch, the director of community services at the District of Lake Country, has been elected president of the Local Government Management Association of BC board of directors. Raised in South Africa, Koch moved to Canada to attend university in Vancouver. He later moved to Toronto to earn a Master’s Degree in Environmental Studies. He […]

A luxury car dealership in Kelowna hopes to upgrade its operations with a move to a new location. August Luxury Motors has asked the City of Kelowna to rezone a one-and-a-half acre property on Highway 97 to allow it to build a new facility. The dealership specializes in high-end luxury cars like Ferarris and Aston […]

After a lengthy public hearing for a proposed 52-unit supportive housing complex in Penticton, mayor and council voted to send the plans back to the drawing board. Council voted 5-1 to have city staff work with BC Housing on altering the current plan. Coun. Judy Sentes was the only vote to keep the plan as is, while Coun. Tarik […]

There isn’t a corner of the country that, at the very least, hasn’t heard of Kinder Morgan — the company that is behind the massive Trans Mountian Pipeline expansion project. From protests on Burnaby Mountain to a war of words between the premiers’ of B.C. and Alberta, the proposed project has in many ways divided the country. Kinder Morgan has set […]

Pawn shops in Penticton will now be required to electronically log and report all their purchases to the RCMP. City council approved the changes to its pawnbrokers bylaw Tuesday in an attempt to prevent the sale of stolen goods. Starting in June, the city’s six pawn shops will upload their purchases to a database shared with the RCMP, […]

UBC Okanagan researchers have developed a faster test for cannabis quality. With the coming legalization of cannabis, producers are increasingly looking for quick and accurate means of determining the potency and quality of their products. Researchers at UBC’s Okanagan campus developed a new method of measuring phytocannabinoids – the primary bioactive molecules in cannabis – that will […]

The Paisley Notebook’s Aman Dosanj is back again this year with her lauded local dinner series. Sourced is a pop-up dinner experience, taking place across the Okanagan this summer, that “is re-imagining what it means to eat with hyper-local dinners that tell one edible story at a time.” Each dinner features a surprise menu, crafted […]

A Maple Ridge company will soon be providing battery cells to a big-name tech company. At its annual Elevate Summit, Uber announced it has entered into a partnership with E-One Moli Energy that will see it purchase battery cells for the small, electric aircraft the company hopes to one day operate. Uber’s Elevate initiative has […]

Residents living around Kelowna General Hospital are invited to provide input into how the area known as the health district grows over the long term. With the area’s parking plan now put to bed, the city is focusing on regulations around the long-term land use of the health district and areas east of Pandosy Street. […]

A unique board game designed and produced right here in Kelowna could be seen on the shelves across Canada very shortly. “This is one of the first true battle royale tabletop experiences,” said Creator Brendan McCaskell. In Last One Standing: The Battle Royale Board Game, up to eight players find themselves on an ever-shrinking map where they must move, […]

The proposed speculation tax, the new payroll tax, and electoral reform top the list of policy concerns as the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce prepares for the BC Chamber AGM, which will start May 24 in Kamloops. The Kelowna Chamber hosted a review session for all eight valley Chambers of Commerce, where chamber executive directors and board […]

Since 2012, the Okanagan Regional Library system has seen a nearly 80 per cent increase in the number of people using its programming. According to the ORL annual report, 165,243 people attended ORL programs and used Library meeting spaces last year. That, on top of the 1,602,829 people who walked through the doors. Those millions […]

The average Kelowna homeowner paid $207,000 more for their home than it is technically worth, thanks to zoning regulations, development charges, and other policies dramatically pushing up the cost of construction. A new report from The C.D. Howe Institute shines a light on what authors Benjamin Dachis and Vincent Thivierge say are barriers to building […]

The iconic Peach on the Beach in Penticton has some new treats to offer this summer, which they showed off at their official opening weekend. Owner Diana Stirling said it was a successful opening weekend, despite flooding in the South Okanagan and Okanagan Lake being closed. She said new items on the menu are going […]

The 42-room Super-8 Hotel in Osoyoos will asking town council for permission to develop a new three-storey wing with 26 new rooms. Owner Terry Deol is proposing to build the new wing and add parking and landscaping to the property, which is located adjacent to Main Street and Peanut Pond at 8010 Valiant Lane. Deol […]

The 100th Falkland Stampede is in full swing and there are several special events planned to mark the milestone. The rodeo welcomed a special guest over the weekend: 15-time PRCA entertainer of the year John Payne who will perform today and Monday. Also known as The One Armed Bandit because he is missing his right arm, Payne has entertained […]

Okanagan Edge This Week is our look back at the past week in business in the Okanagan Valley, and beyond. Local business news Tourism Kelowna bullying members? Some Tourism Kelowna members say the organization is out of bounds with its plans to book activities for its members. Tourism Kelowna says it’s not fair to put the […]