Horror story for hotels
Mandy Farmer is an upbeat, outgoing, happy-go-lucky B.C. hotel chain owner. She creates fun promotions like ‘The Nooner’ at her Hotel Zed locations in Kelowna and in Victoria every Valentine’s Day. There were no signs of that happiness on Friday. Instead, it was full of fear, dread and heartache. The COVID-19 pandemic is absolutely decimating […]
Real estate slowdown coming
The pandemic arrived late enough in March that it didn’t negatively impact the month’s home sales in the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board region. April, of course, will be another matter. The number of residential sales across the OMREB region, which covers Revelstoke to Peachland, increased from 435 in February to 551 in March. That […]
Businesses fear closure
A comprehensive survey of B.C.’s small business owners found more than 30% of them aren’t sure their business will survive the pandemic. Insights West conducted a poll of 580 small business owners across B.C., asking them a variety of questions in regards to the COVID-19 crisis. Most of them believe it will be a three- […]
Celebrate Wine Month at home
The B.C. Wine Institute is welcoming back BC Wine Month this month, with people celebrating from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The B.C. wine industry is doing what it can to stay strong during these unprecedented times, so the Wines of British Columbia promotion is encouraging people to buy local, all while practicing proper social […]
Tourism one of hardest hit
Being ordered to stay home doesn’t bode well for the tourism industry. A significant number of businesses in the Okanagan rely on the tourism surge in the summer months to stay afloat, and they may not get that chance this year. Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer, has informed the public that social distancing […]
Minga climbs to Summit
The second annual OKGN Angel Summit was another sign that the startup community is growing substantially in the valley. Even the winner of this year’s $155,000—Minga founder Jason Richards—seemed more excited about the future than he did about the oversized cheque he was holding during one of the last public events in Kelowna before the […]
Rent rubber hits the road
Tenants and landlords alike are frustrated this month as the COVID-19 crisis keeps many businesses closed and people out of work. Simon*, a Penticton commercial renter whose business has been closed due to being non-essential at this time, said that his more than $15,000 a month in rent that came due on April 1 is just […]
Fine tune social media skills
One of the few ways for businesses to communicate with their customers during the pandemic is through social media channels. If that wasn’t something that your business focused on before COVID-19 arrived, the Penticton & Wine Chamber of Commerce has a webinar coming up that will help you navigate the social media world. Managing Social […]
Stay in your shopping lane
Grocery stores are taking measures to protect their staff and customers. As panic shopping fills stores more than ever, Vernon grocery stores are among those implementing new steps to limit the spread of the coronavirus. At the Vernon Square Safeway, a new one-way aisle system has gone into effect to help with social distancing. And […]
Restaurants making it work
A couple of Kelowna restaurants are finding some success with their take-out and delivery options. Last month, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry ordered the closure of in-house dining at all B.C. restaurants, due to lack of physical distancing available. As a result, some local restaurants have temporarily closed, while others have tried shifting their business model to […]
