News Influencing Thompson Okanagan Business
KELOWNA
Azaria Meneze‘s Cleopatra’s Rituals Thermal Spa and Steam has opened at Unit 108-1912 Enterprise Way.
Rock the Ridge will be returning to the Okanagan on Saturday, May 31, at the amphitheatre in upper Glenrosa.
Fox Fold is partnering with Prestige Hotels & Resorts to advance sustainability at their premium resorts, hotels, and inns.
Kettle Valley Family Chiropractic is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Nicole Landgraf, D.C.
Trout Waters Fly & Tackle, now known as TW Outdoors, is marking its 30th anniversary.
Prestige Beach House Kelowna, located at 1685 Abbott Street, is marking its 40th anniversary.
Mona Vision Optometry and Eyewear, owned by Marsel Ahmadzadegan, is marking its 30th anniversary. The business is located at 100 – 3121 Hill Road in Lake Country.
El Salvador Bar & Grill, located in the Pandosy neighbourhood at 482 West Avenue, is celebrating a year of operation.
The Helen’s Acres Season kicked off on April 26th with a city-wide celebration hosted by Trinity Legacy Foundation, the organization that administers Helen’s Acres Community Farm.
UBC Okanagan’s Senate has given the green light to a new Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) program, set to replace the existing Bachelor of Management degree, with classes starting in September.
Unison HM Commercial Realty sold the former B.C. Tree Fruits Co-op warehouse/storage complex at 3335-3345 Sexsmith Rd., Kelowna, on March 4 for $19.25 million.
Following the December 2024 Preliminary Budget, Council approved the City’s final 2025 budget with a 4.34% net municipal property tax increase. To fund municipal services and projects, Kelowna residents will pay $8.98 per month—$107.79 per year—more on their property taxes. One of the province’s lowest tax demand increases is 4.34 percent. Only 25% of the City’s $908 million budget comes from property taxes; the rest comes from user fees, utility service costs, developer contributions, grants, and reserves.
A report on the City’s Social Development department’s efforts was presented to the council. Supporting over 120 individuals into permanent housing, growing adolescent gang prevention programs, and introducing new digital tools to better coordinate services for vulnerable populations are some of the major accomplishments in 2024 and the first part of 2025.
Council approved a staff proposal to allow 86 hectares of agricultural property to access water allotments without compromising supply or environmental needs. For agricultural properties seeking to obtain or enhance their non-potable water allotment, the plan increases the allotment limit and price structure to ensure attentive management, sustainable farming, and water resource protection.
The Simple Sales Process has been launched by John Glennon of Insight Strategic Sales & Consulting.
KAMLOOPS
Conservative Rep. Frank Caputo of Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola has been re-elected to second term.
Embers Brewhouse has opened at the former location of Alchemy Brewing at 650 Victoria St.
Thompson Rivers University’s school of nursing marks its 50th anniversary with a celebration on May 10.
A new four-story complex at 2640 Spring Bank Avenue in Merritt has opened, providing 52 new affordable homes for First Nations seniors, families, and youth.
The Canadian Flight Centre is now operational in Kamloops after receiving official approval from Transport Canada.
The Westsyde Community Development Society is currently aiming to raise the necessary funds for the construction of a new skate park in Westsyde Centennial Park.
The Canadian Mental Health Association’s second annual May fundraising drive is being launched by Nutters Everyday Naturals, a health food store located in downtown Kamloops.
Thompson Community Futures Country has been nominated for the 2025 BC Economic Development Awards’ Marketing Innovation Award.
The first-ever municipally owned residential rental development is being constructed on a 1.1-hectare tract of land at 1180 Sun Peaks Road by the Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality and its Sun Peaks Housing Authority in collaboration with BC Housing’s BC Builds program.
PENTICTON/OLIVER/OSOYOOS
Mike Penninga has taken on a new position as the Community Development Manager at Canadian Blood Services for the BC Interior Region. He will be supporting donors across the area, from Penticton to Kamloops, and Kelowna.
The Vault Liquor Merchants will open its doors on May 8 at 201 Main Street, the site of the former HSBC bank.
The New Vista Society has been selected by the City of Penticton to deliver a 60-unit rental complex at 971-999 Eckhardt Avenue West, with funding provided by the Province’s BC Builds program.
RDOS Emergency Services will have a Show & Shine event on Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Okanagan Lake Park, next to the Penticton Farmers’ Market.
A 15-year lease for the Power Street Child Care Centre at 325 Power Street was approved by the Penticton council and the YMCA of the Southern Interior.
On May 6, the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre will host an informal open house organized by the Penticton city council. The event’s stated goal is to provide locals with an opportunity to question their elected officials.
South Okanagan Tim Hortons’ Smile Cookie Week is set to take place from April 28 to May 4, during which special cookies will be available for $2. The OSNS Legacy Foundation will receive 100 per cent of the proceeds.
The Community Foundation grants funding to the South Okanagan Similkameen Health Care Society, a team-based primary care clinic in Penticton, to help move an existing walk-in clinic into a significantly larger space.
SALMON ARM
Mel Arnold, a conservative candidate, secures victory in the Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies region.
Shuswap Lake Estates in Blind Bay will host the Tenth Anniversary Grand Gala fundraiser for Freedom’s Gate Equine Rescue, based in Salmon Arm, on May 31.
The residential tax rate for 2025 has been determined by the District of Sicamous to be 4.17 percent.
Shuswap Trail Alliance will celebrate its 20th anniversary on BC Trails Day, June 7, 2025, at the South Canoe Trailhead.
VERNON
Captain Allyson Reich, the first female captain of the Vernon Fire Rescue Services (VFRS), retires after 25 years of service.
The president of the Craft Distillers Guild of British Columbia and CEO of Okanagan Craft Distilleries, Tyler Dyck, has launched a petition to facilitate the entry of craft spirits into B.C. liquor stores.
The King Charles III Coronation Medal was awarded to Margaret Clark, the superintendent of restorative justice for the Canadian Mental Health Association Vernon & District, on April 24.
The Clean Team, a pilot project that the city council of Vernon is using to try to clean up the downtown area, has been recently launched .
Vernon’s Sovereign Lake Nordic Club and SilverStar Mountain Resort hosted the fourth annual S2S Ski Marathon. KidSport Vernon raised around $14,000 from the silent auction.
SUMMERLAND
Adrian Arts from Summerland has been appointed as the new executive director of the BC Fruit Growers’ Association.
Summerland has launched its first significant initiative, the Wharton Street Revitalization Project, backed by $8.5 million through the Downtown Neighbourhood Action Plan.
The Summerland Ornamental Garden will hold its annual Spring Plant Sale on May 3 and 4.
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