News Influencing Thompson Okanagan Business
KELOWNA
Pierre Piché
Pierre Piché has been appointed as the newest Genesis Experience Manager at Genesis Kelowna.
Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State for Defence Procurement, will address chamber members and guests at the Delta Grand Hotel on October 15. Fuhr will report the impact of the new 5 per cent of GDP defence spending requirement on Canada’s defence infrastructure as Secretary of State.
Switch Cafe, owned by Korean-Canadian entrepreneur Youngmi Park, has opened at 1561 Ellis St.
FH&P Lawyers welcomes Kevin Robertson as their newest Associate!
The BC Restaurant & Foodservices Association (BCRFA) advises its businesses to stock up on liquor in case the BCGEU strike affects BC Liquor Distribution Branch warehouses and retailers.
Cash Money, a payday lender, will refund $547,000 to over 2,800 consumers as a result of an investigation by Consumer Protection BC.
The upcoming Okanagan Peer Group of BC Food & Beverage will be held on September 24th in collaboration with FCC / FAC. This event will take place at Farming Karma Fruit Company Ltd. in Kelowna.
Anglo American and Teck Resources’ proposed merger will offer considerable economic potential in British Columbia and Canada, especially in BC, where the firm has committed to invest almost $4.5 billion over the next five years.
Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association and Tourism Kelowna will have their annual general meeting and summit at KF Centre for Excellence on Oct. 22 and 23 with the theme “New Routes, Bold Futures: Navigating Tourism’s Transformation.”
The new Glenmore Protective Services Campus, a $49 million initiative that will provide new residences for both COSAR and the Kelowna Fire Department, has broken ground.
A proposal has been approved by the Kelowna City Council to simultaneously plan, design, and construct nine urban parks in order to save time and money. The opportunity for contractors to bid on numerous projects simultaneously will reduce the costs associated with repeat mobilization, ensure consistent construction standards are met, and provide certainty.
The new landing airbag is part of Big White Freestyle‘s $65,000 investment in athlete development and safety.
KF Aerospace‘s third ATR 72-500 was recently acquired from FlyCAA, a regional passenger and cargo airline in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
GreenStep and the City of Kelowna are offering the GreenStep Climate Action Program, a free four-part training series for Kelowna business owners and leaders who want to cut costs, improve operations, and lead on climate change. Tuesday, Sept. 16, is the first GreenStep Climate Action Program cohort, and Oct. 23 is the second.
KAMLOOPS
Katherin Edwards has been named the Thompson-Nicola Regional Library’s (TNRL) Writer in Residence for the fall of 2025.
KPMG’s Kamloops office at 560 Victoria Street, is hosting an open house on September 17.
Fulton Law will soon be opening an additional office in Prince George.
InspireHealth Supportive Cancer Care is establishing a centre in Kamloops later this year, thanks to a $1 million donation from Anthony Salituro and the Pink Ribbon Charity Ball, as well as additional funding from the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation.
The Early Learning Society of Kamloops, previously known as Children’s Circle Daycare Society, has received an invitation to resubmit their application for the $10-a-day program.
BC Housing and the Canadian Mental Health Association Kamloops Branch have announced the expansion of the Fortune Drive supportive housing site to 48 units, which will be rebranded as Genesis 2.0.
The City of Kamloops will be hosting a pop-up information session at Kenna Cartwright Park on September 20th as part of their ambitious Build Kamloops campaign. The session will provide information on the proposed $140 million arena multiplex that will be constructed in the Dufferin neighbourhood.
Applications for the appointment of a new charity recipient are currently being accepted by the coordinators of Boogie the Bridge and will remain open until October 5.
Cops for Kids celebrates its 25th anniversary in Kamloops.
PENTICTON/OLIVER/OSOYOOS
The BC Beverage Technology Access Centre (BC BTAC) at the Penticton campus has received a significant upgrade, featuring a new canning line and enhanced research and development services for the beverage industry. This $1.2 million renovation was supported by the BC Knowledge Development Fund and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
The inaugural Hot Shot Scramble Golf Tournament, organized by the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department, will take place on September 28 at St. Andrews by the Lake Golf Resort.
The launch of Pitter Patter Learning Centres has been postponed and is now set for a later date in October.
Lords of Gastown Customs opened a new shop in Penticton on Government Street.
Penticton Pet Resort will hold an open house to celebrate its grand opening on September 21 at 135 Upper Bench Road.
On September 26 and 27, 2025, the Wine Country Writer’s Festival will return to Penticton with a gala at the Frog City Cafe in Linden Gardens and a full-day conference featuring seminars in a variety of genres at the Okanagan College Penticton Campus.
SALMON ARM
Kate Watson
Kate Watson has been named the new Executive Director of Salmon Arm Economic Development.
The final session of the highly successful entrepreneurship workshop series, #OwnersWanted, will be held in Salmon Arm by the non-profit organization Futurpreneur on September 24 and 25.
Absolute Health Services is now offering advanced mobile foot care in Salmon Arm.
VERNON
Aaron Stuart has been appointed as the new Director of Financial Administration (Chief Financial Officer) of the District of Coldstream, effective October 6, 2025.
Darrin Taylor, BA, MTC, CCAC, CIP, has been appointed as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Red Road Recovery.
SenseNet Inc. is pleased to join with the Splatsin First Nation near Vernon to protect 3,905 hectares of Indigenous territory with cutting-edge wildfire detection sensors and AI-powered cameras.
Vernon Search and Rescue has acquired a new Ford F550 cab and chassis, which is set to be taken to Surrey for a custom-built command body at Intercontinental Truck Body.
The Kal Eatery in Vernon has officially joined the Nixon Hospitality Group.
The Lincoln Lanes in Vernon is seeking a liquor license and is hoping to have the backing of the city.
The NexusBC Community Resource Centre in Vernon is partnering with the Vernon Recreation Centre to hold the Aging Well Expo on October 1.
SUMMERLAND
Valley Rock Works Inc is providing assistance to a vineyard development in Summerland through the Jones Flat Road project.
The Barker Invitational will be hosting its second annual charity golf tournament on October 4 at the Fairview Mountain Golf Course to support the Summerland community in acquiring a baseball field.
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