News Influencing Thompson Okanagan Business
KELOWNA
Barry Lapointe
Barry Lapointe, a pioneer in Kelowna aviation, received the Order of Canada.
The council granted Canadian Tire a building permit to open in Kelowna. The business received a $15 million permit to develop a 108,000-square-foot store at Highway 97 and 33, replacing the former Costco.
Susanne Engel has retired and sold FACES BODY + SOUL, her spa at the Orchard Park Shopping Centre, to Nicole and David Dometraschuk.
Freaky Clean Corp, an auto, boat and RV detailing business in Kelowna, was established by Keanan Evtushevski and Adam Schmidt. The company provides mobile service to West Kelowna and Lake Country.
The second round of grantees for the BC Maritime Industries Infrastructure Modernization and Expansion Grant Program, which is supported by the Province of British Columbia, has been announced by the Association of British Columbia Marine Industries (ABCMI). The recipients include: Arrow Transportation Systems Inc., Bracewell Marine Group Ltd., Bridgeview Marine Group Ltd., GCRD Holdings Ltd., Interior Marine Construction Ltd & Leopold Developments Ltd., Ocean Pacific Marine Store & Boatyard, Ocean Performance Technologies Inc., Reed Point Marina Ltd. & CT Inlet Marine, Repairs Inc., Ripple Rock Repairs Ltd. (Jussi Narhi), Shearwater Resort LLP, Shelter Island Marina Inc., Van Isle Marina Co. Ltd., Vector Yacht Services Ltd., Seaspan ULC Victoria Shipyards Co. Ltd., and West Coast Launch Ltd.
FortisBC Inc.‘s charging stations are offering public electric vehicle rapid charging service at an energy-based tariff of $0.39 per kWh, authorized by the British Columbia Utilities Commission. By October 1, 2024, the permissioned energy-based rate will take the place of the current time-based pricing.
The Mission Creek paths will be closed to make room for construction and heavy equipment to enter the park to be ready for the planned installation of four riffles, which are shallow formations made of rocks, according to the Regional District of Central Okanagan.
Owner of Impact Events and Brand Management, Christina Ferreira, which produces Ribfest 2024, expressed her excitement about bringing Ribfest back to Kelowna.
The new Fortune Creek shop at 231 Bernard Avenue is open for business.
Penticton’s Dream Cafe hosts the show The Passion of Amy Winehouse—Back to Black on July 23, to pay tribute to Amy Winehouse. On November 22 and 25, it goes to Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre and Kelowna Community Theatre.
Faction Projects Inc. celebrates both their tenth year in business and their move to 740 Vaughan Avenue in Kelowna’s North End.
The Sunset Ranch Golf Club will host the 14th annual Bubba Open on July 6. The Bubba Open is a golf tournament with two charitable objectives: AlleyCATS Alliance and Paws it Forward Dog Rescue, with a goal of generating more money than the $24,000 raised last year.
Home Hardware in Lake Country will not be closing any time soon, according to the general manager, regardless of whether the council approves the property’s rezoning petition. Madeline Melin states that the upcoming housing complex will be built on the rear part of the property, which will allow the Home Hardware to stay open during the construction.
The Play On sports group of Hockey Night in Canada will be hosting a street hockey event in downtown Kelowna this summer. The event, which takes place at Water Street, outside of Prospera Place, will bring together hockey enthusiasts from all over the city for a two-day competition on August 31 and September 1.
Debuting on Okanagan Lake in Kelowna for the 2024 summer season, the Wibit Splash Park now offers a floating jungle gym for people of all ages to enjoy, with some water jumping involved, according to Manager Ashlyn Chadwick .
L & O Jewellers is commemorating its 50th anniversary in Kelowna.
KAMLOOPS
Lower Nicola Indian Band (LNIB) members will see their natural green spaces restored and their bank accounts stabilized thanks to a $190,000 funding from Infrastructure Canada.
Oceann Maier and Kalei Dixon, two aspiring filmmakers, worked in a five-day intensive with industry veteran Farhan Umedaly as part of the Telus Storyhive-empowered filmmakers program. They made their debut feature film while learning the ropes.
On July 27, the Kamloops DTWN Night Market and Merchants Market is returning on Victoria Street.
Thompson Rivers University is replacing its theatre arts major with an applied creative arts major that will include theatre and creative writing. It is expected to begin in the fall of 2025 after the university’s board of governors approved the new major and funding on June 14.
A 12,000 square foot building at 730 Cottonwood Ave. will be reopened as the Kamloops Seniors Community Centre after the city recently announced that it has entered with a long-term lease to accept the facility, which will be managed by the Chamber of Seniors Information Kamloops.
A development permit application has been submitted for the Merritt project by Troika Management Corp. of Kelowna and its partners, Spayum Holdings and PR Petroleum. The project will be built on the site of a former rest stop at the intersection of the Connector and the Coquihalla highways.
The free Summer Reading Club at the Thompson-Nicola Regional Library, themed “World of Curiosities,” has started and will continue until August 24. Readers of all ages are welcome to participate.
Tickets for a 50/50 fundraising raffle will be available until July 22, 12am, at the BIG Little Science Centre in Kamloops. The centre is hoping to use the money to fund its activities.
PENTICTON/OLIVER/OSOYOOS
Jay Drysdale
Jay Drysdale and Wendy Rose, the founders of Bella Winery, have sold their company to Ursa Major Winery owners Brianna McKeage and Rajen Toor.
Penticton’s OneSky Community Resources is excited for another exciting year following the addition of three new board members at its annual general meeting: former city councillor Judy Sentes, senior communications adviser Shane Mills of the City of Penticton, and Christopher McIntosh. The following directors will keep their positions: President Lisa Prokopenko; Past President Steve DeVito; Vice President Kim Kelly; Treasurer Tom Ziegler; Secretary Julia Buitenhuis; Board Member Helen Crocker; and Board Member Gerry Olund.
The physical location of Okanagan’s first non-alcoholic wine tasting room, Ones Non-Alcoholic Wines, founded and made by winemaker Chris Pagliocchini, has opened in Penticton at the former Monster Vineyards tasting room.
After a temporary closure for maintenance, the main pool at the Penticton Community Centre has fully reopened.
The largest producer of specialty and custom-built commercial trailers in North America, Manac, announced that it has secured a $170 million funding with Investissement Québec, BDC, and Desjardins. The company’s growth strategy, which includes the modernization and expansion of its largest manufacturing plant in Saint-Georges, Quebec, as well as the opening of new sales and service centres in Quebec and across Canada, will be accelerated by this financing, which also includes a $30 million refinancing operation to maximize Manac’s financial position. Trailer plants for Manac are located in Saint-Georges, Laurier-Station, Val-des-Sources, Quebec; Penticton, British Columbia; and Oran, Missouri.
SALMON ARM
A local guide to thrift, vintage, and reuse has been released by the Canadian Mental Health Association Learning Studios Shuswap-Revelstoke. It highlights businesses in the Salmon Arm, Sicamous and Enderby areas who prioritize recycling and finding new homes for items instead of discarding them.
Two new 180-kilowatt fast charging stations from BC Hydro are now available in Salmon Arm at 100 Hudson Ave. NW, next to the Salmar Grand Theatre.
As a replacement for the current 38-year-old fire truck, the Salmon Arm council approved the acquisition of a new wildland fire truck from the Alberta-based company Rocky Mountain Phoenix Inc.
VERNON
Visitor drop-in tours of Coldstream’s Mackie Lake House are now available for the summer of 2024, according to its General Manager Diane Llewelyn-Jones.
The Vernon recreation centre will host the North Okanagan Hospice Society’s (NOHS) Dancing with the Vernon Stars fundraiser on September 28.
The Roxy Cafe in Vernon has permanently closed.
A community event that took place at Vernon Golf and Country Club on June 22nd raised $50,000, which will be used to support Vernon Search and Rescue.
The Spallumcheen Armstrong Food Initiative Society (SAFIS) is launching the food sharing program at the Community Garden in downtown Armstrong. The program will be conducted on Mondays from July 8 to October 7.
The Impact and Leadership Development Program has announced a new fundraising cycle, which is now open and will be accepted until July 9 with the help of Vernon’s Community Foundation North Okanagan.
The “Good Neighbour Rewards” program at Vernon’s Vantage 1 Credit Union is returning $557,000 to qualified members.
SUMMERLAND
The famous Rotary Beach pier in Summerland is still closed for renovations; it will reopen officially on July 11.
Summerland Recreation and PacificSport Okanagan have joined forces to bring a range of exciting summer programs, camps, and events to the community this summer.
Five bottle filling stations have recently been installed by the District of Summerland in five publicly accessible locations: Rotary Park, Powell Beach, Peach Orchard Beach Park, Memorial Park, and the main lobby of the Aquatic Centre.
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