File photo: Wayne Moore

The Downtown Kelowna Association is asking the public to Do Downtown on Saturday.

The promotion will promote downtown businesses through sidewalk sales, food trucks, lunch specials, pop-up shops and so much more.

More than 70 businesses are taking part in the downtown event, which will also include a food truck rally in the Prospera Place parking lot.

Parking is free in the library, Memorial and Champan parkades.

Some of the notable promotions include:
• Lululemon is doing an outdoor pop-up shop and even more inside the store.
• The Downtown YMCA is doing a contest for a prize pack worth $1,500.
• Art Lovers Gallery & Tours, located in the Delta Grand, is doing a “Do Downtown” Kelowna & Meet The Artists event from 3 to 6 p.m.
• The Okanagan Table is doing cooking demos throughout the day.
• Georgie Girl is doing a Steals & Deals promotion.
• One Big Table, along with Modo Car Share, will be dishing out complimentary mulled fall tea featuring local shop ingredients.
• Serenity Aesthetics is doing a contest for a chance to win a Signature Hydrafacial, valued at $199. Patrons can enter between noon and 2 p.m.

Image: Contributed

The former Rose’s Waterfront Pub now has a detailed plan for the public to see.

Cactus Club Cafe purchased the downtown Kelowna lakefront location last year, and earlier this week it submitted development plans to the City of Kelowna for the restaurant that will be taking over. It features modern amenities with plenty of glass and upper and lower patios that won’t be far from Okanagan Lake.

Sources have told Castanet that the new restaurant will be a King Taps, which is part of the Cactus Club family and has a restaurant in Toronto.

There is already a Cactus Club Cafe located on the first floor of the Kelowna Yacht Club, which is less than 100 metres from where the company’s new restaurant will be situated.

Rose’s Waterfront Pub served the lakeside in downtown Kelowna and was a cornerstone of the Delta Grand Hotel area for 25 years.

It closed in September 2018 not because of poor business, but because the building was sold.

Photo: Contributed

Flashbacks was a fixture on the downtown Kelowna nightclub scene for nearly 30 years before closing in 2016.

The club may be gone, but the music continues to live thanks to OK Corral Cabaret. The country bar has started hosting Flashback Fridays in honour of the old nightclub, while at the same time giving those 30 years and older a chance to dance with somebody if they want to relive their glory days.

The business model is working, too, according to OK Corral general manager Andy Bowie.

“Our Fridays weren’t that busy without hosting bigger concerts, so we wanted to get something that was more consistent on the Friday nights,” Bowie said. “We noticed there was a demand for 80s and 90s music and a lot of people missed Flashbacks, so we figured we’d give it a shot and it seems to be working out quite well.”

Bowie used to go to Flashbacks himself. He recalls the long lineups on Saturday night and that it was a “pretty wild time. It was hard to get in if you weren’t there by 10 or 10:30.”

OK Corral still has its country night, including mechanical bull riding, on Thursdays for the college crowd, but the demographic on Friday nights is now between the age of 30 and 60.

Bowie is seeing plenty of groups coming out to enjoy all the hits of the 80s and 90s.

“You have the people who have birthdays during the week, and they want something to do on the weekend,” Bowie said. “A lot of the ladies like to get out and dance, and the guys don’t mind watching, kicking back and having a few drinks after the week. It’s a good group thing.”

Stober believes business is booming at his establishment due, in part, to its location on Kirschner Road in the Landmark District.

“People feel safer,” Bowie said, adding people are more likely to leave their vehicles overnight if they have a little too much fun.

The Hip Replacements, a Tragically Hip tribute band, will be belting out the hits tonight at OK Corral, fitting in perfectly with the Flashbacks theme.

Photo: Contributed

The Kelowna business community is mourning the loss of Al Stober, who passed away on Friday in Kelowna at the age of 88.

Stober was the leader of Kelowna’s Stober Group for more than 62 years, and the company became an elite development and construction business in the Okanagan under his watch. It was known best for creating the Landmark District, which continues to grow to this day.

“His vision and legacy will carry on at the Stober Group with the next generation, Ken Stober and Carolyn Stober, following in their father’s footsteps, under his loving watchful eye,” a press release about Stober’s passing read.

“They will be assuming the leadership role with tremendous strength, assurance and integrity. The future of the Stober Group will maintain the same vision, pride and dedication shown by its founder, taking the company to the next decade and beyond.”

Stober was married to his wife, Sandra, for 63 years. They have children Linda (Darrell), Mark (Bernice), Ken (Linda) and Carolyn (Matt Hauge), along with 13 grandchildren.

The Stober Group earned many awards for its buildings, and Stober was a dedicated community man who gave back to numerous charities and organizations throughout the years.

The Stober Group is currently in the process of building Landmark 7, a 23-storey structure that will be the tallest office tower between Vancouver and Calgary when it is completed in 2022.

Photo: Contributed

You know winter is right around the corner when it’s time for the Winter Travel Show.

Kelowna International Airport’s annual Winter Travel Show will take place this Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“This event is a great way to learn about the many travel destinations from YLW and win some great prizes,” airport director Sam Samaddar said in a press release. “Thanks to our travel partners, we are giving away over $15,000 in prizes, including all-inclusive trips to Mexico, Phoenix and Las Vegas.”

You’ll also have the opportunity to win prize packages including:

• A vacation package for two to Cancun, Mexico, courtesy of Sunwing Vacations
• Flights for two from Kelowna to San Francisco, compliments of Edmonton International Airport
• A vacation package for two to Phoenix, Arizona, courtesy of WestJet Vacations
• Three round trip airfare prizes, courtesy of Central Mountain Air, Flair Airlines, and Swoop
• Wine tour package, courtesy of Kelowna Concierge
• Accommodation prizes, courtesy of Argus Properties at Four Points by Sheraton and Hampton Inn and Suites Kelowna Airport

Tickets for the prize draw can be purchased for a nominal fee, and all funds raised will be donated to United Way Southern Interior BC.

There will be food, drinks and live entertainment. Parking is free if you bring your voucher in for validation.

Photo: Contributed

It’s Halloween season, which means you can get out and enjoy the beautiful fall weather.

It also means you can get scared out of your pants at the same time.

Myra Canyon Adventure Park’s Scare Park opens Friday afternoon and will run every day until Nov. 2. Owner Greg Fedoriuk was putting the finishing touches on his horror scenes when reached earlier this week, but his lips were sealed.

“I don’t want to give too much away,” Fedoriuk said with a laugh, although he did admit those who are brave enough to venture through the terrifying territory may see a zombie or two.

The Scare Park will be open daily from 5 to 10 p.m. starting tonight, and it is also has a special offer for this weekend only: $20 for those over age 10, $10 for those 10 and under and free for those four and under.

After this weekend it will cost $25 per person or $100 for a family of six.

That admission fee isn’t just to venture through the Scare Park, as patrons are encouraged to enjoy the entire Myra Canyon Adventure Park as well, but the ropes and challenge courses are closed for the season. There will be other fun to be had as well, including a foam archery range, laser tag and the usual entertainment the park provides for those of all ages.

“It’s a good hour of fun if you want to walk through slow and enjoy yourself,” Fedoriuk said.

There will be burn barrel stations and hot chocolate on site to keep park-goers warm.

Myra Canyon Adventure Park is located at 4429 June Springs Rd., southeast of Kelowna.

Photo: Contributed

West Kelowna Fire Rescue has added 10 firefighters to its roster, which means Lakeview Heights Fire Station is now fully staffed around the clock and fires will be attacked more aggressively.

The West Kelowna council added eight positions to its budget and filled two vacancies to get to the double-digit addition.

The influx of bodies means Westbank Centre Fire Stations No. 31 and No. 32 will be able to aggressively attack fires inside of buildings without waiting for additional crews to arrive. It will also reduce the amount of overtime being worked by firefighters.

The recruits will continue training on their assigned shifts in the coming months.

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen is struggling to create bylaws for micro cannabis operations.

“Some directors are concerned about treating cannabis differently than other types of agricultural uses,” regional planning manager Christopher Garrish said at Thursday’s meeting.

A micro cannabis operation is defined as a facility capped at 200 square metres. The concept came about after large scale cannabis producers stepped in following marijuana legalization one year ago.

“It made it very hard for small-scale producers to get a foothold in the industry, and so Health Canada devised this concept of a micro production facility,” Garrish said.

“How do we accommodate that within our existing zones? What are suitable locations given that the direction from the board is that large scale production facilities should be in industrial zones … if one type has to be in an industrial zone, what’s a suitable alternative for small scale?”

The RDOS recently held open houses in several communities seeking feedback. An overwhelming number of the negative responses came from Naramata, in direct response to one property on Arawana Road that is already in the process of building a small cannabis operation.

“People came out and they were very passionate about this whole issue,” RDOS board chair and Naramata area director Karla Kozakevich said. “There was a big concern from citizens asking why this should impact them in a residential neighbourhood, not realizing that the agricultural land was there first.”

Kozakevich put forward a proposal to give Area E, Naramata, exemption from small holdings cannabis operations and increased setback, as compared to other RDOS areas.

Brad Dollevoet, general manager of development services, mentioned concerns about making exceptions and setting different rules in various areas.

“That defeats the intent of getting consolidated bylaws across all our areas,” he said. “But I know this is a sensitive topic, especially in Area E.”

Main concerns from the Naramata community included noise, smell and traffic.

“There is a lot of information on the internet about the odours from these types of production facility. Technically it’s a greenhouse, and one associates greenhouses with bright lights, so there is concern about what that mean for their nighttime enjoyment of the skyline, I suppose,” Garrish said.

The RDOS didn’t make a decision at Thursday’s meeting but directed staff to look further into the matter.

“For us, it’s basically dealing with a new type of agricultural use, and not really having a frame of reference from the past on which to draw,” Garrish said.

“We’re kind of like the board. We’re trying to find the best practices we can put forward for their consideration and trying to balance that against what we’re hearing from communities in term of their concerns.”

Despite tougher weather than usual, this year’s apple harvest has been remarkably successful throughout the Okanagan.

BC Tree Fruits chief executive officer Warren Sarafinchan says the weather has made it difficult for growers, who put in extra effort to keep their crops flourishing.

“The big challenge this year, and I’ve heard it’s actually a very unique challenge this year, is that I think we all recognize the weather has not really been in our favour,” Sarafinchan said.

“This year we’ve seen lots of rain, lots of days that weren’t sunny, lots of really cold days and that’s created a lot of pressure on our growers and our packing houses and everyone here at Tree Fruits as well as throughout the valley, so everyone’s worked really hard to get that crop off and I think we’ve been very successful.”

This year’s apple harvest has also proven successful for family-run Twin Oaks Organic Orchard, whose season started in late September.

Office co-ordinator Elizabeth Hammann says they initially had problems with other fruit due to the frost, but this year’s apple harvest turned out to be an improvement on previous years.

The Hammann family has owned the orchard for more than 100 years spanning four generations and produce a wide variety of apple types, including Macintosh and Spartan’s.

According to Hammann, a good quality apple is one that doesn’t look perfect.

“You can tell a good apple when they do not all look the same. When you have bigger ones and smaller ones and bumpier ones, then you know they are the most natural and the most natural is the best quality apple. Surprisingly, perfection usually means it’s not the best quality.

“A huge part of being organic is that we like to work synergistically with nature so we like to keep the hornets, wasps and ants around because they actually help to keep the other insects at bay that could harm the fruit.”

Photo: Google

A Summerland farm has been cleared of any wrongdoing following an investigation by multiple agencies in response to complaints by neighbours.

District council in August requested staff look into the ALR property at 9918 Canyon View Rd. The results of the probe, which also involved the Agricultural Land Commission and B.C. SPCA, were presented to council Tuesday.

Director of corporate services Jeremy Denegar said numerous complaints to the ALC were investigated by the agency, which found just one minor issue—temporary farm worker housing in the loft of a barn.

The district has since issued a permit for the arrangement until June 2020, at which time permanent worker housing will be complete.

“Other notable complaints, such as cutting of wood, placement of fill, and storage of commercial vehicles, are all being done in compliance with ALC regulations and municipal bylaws,” Denegar’s report to council says.

The lot was also found to comply with municipal farming and building footprint bylaws and zoning requirements.

The BC SPCA has inspected the farm 10 times this year in response to complaints, checking on the welfare of farm animals and open spaces and barns but found no violations and did not report any concerns to the district.

Denegar said no additional action on the property is needed, as far as district staff are concerned.

“I want to say thank you to staff and the property owner for going through this process,” said Coun. Erin Carlson, who brought forward to motion to have the farm inspected in response to concerns from the public.

“I hope that it brings clarity to the community and the neighbours.”