Penticton Herald
PENTICTON HERALD
Do you believe? In the little town of Oliver, Lyle Miller believes. Miller believes in the magic of movies. He believes small population bases do better when they have places to congregate. And he believes in holding on to traditions. Miller, with...
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Good chocolate & chemistry
TKHVH GHOHFWDEOH fiQJHU IRRGV are sweets for the sweet and everyone else who can’t resist the best in chocolates and bonbons. A nurse of more than 50 years, now retired, chocolatier Judy Patry, with the help of her talented, extremely humorous...
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PENTICTON HERALD
This is the second of a two-part series about a Penticton husband and wife who have made and continue to make A sIGNIfiCANt IPPACt IN tHE LOCAL AND INtErNAtIONAL Arts AND ENtErtAINPENt INdustry. While casting director Angela Quinn and The Film Factory...
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PENTICTON HERALD
Local skaters are not stoked that their favourite park is a blank canvas again. They miss the murals at Penticton’s Youth Park which were recently covered up with a fresh coat of pale blue paint. Local teens Peter Ruckhein and Teoh Ransinanguk-Novak...
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PENTICTON HERALD
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Criminal justice 101 for council
Mayor and council were given a hands-on tutorial on how the province’s criminal justice system operates, and heard more people facing criminal charges in Penticton proceed to court than most jurisdictions in British Columbia. Jessica Patterson,...
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‘Dude’ lays groundwork for new bus
Penticton council has thrown its support to bring luxury passenger transit service back to the South ONanaJan IRr WhH firVW WLPH VLncH Greyhound Bus service went out of business several years ago. John Cowan, a vocal proponent of public...
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BATTLE OVER, RESPECT ON
Andrew Reyelts of the Penticton Vees, is congratulated by opposing goalie Joshua Ravensbergen of Prince George Cougars following Game 6 Rf the WeVtern HRckey LeaJue’V weVtern cRnference VePi-final, 6unGay in Prince GeRrJe. The VeeV haG little tiPe tR...
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Brad Britton celebrates milestone
A promising career, marriage and life derailed by substance abuse. It's a familiar refrain right across the nation, and one that too often leads to a dead end. But sometimes it doesn't. And this is one of those stories. Way back in the 1990s, the...
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Penticton marks 10 years of B.C.’s toxic drug crisis
Ten years ago government officially labeled the province's toxic drug crisis a public health emergency. And Tuesday morning at the Penticton overdose memorial bench in Marina Way Park, concerned local citizens gathered as they do every year to mark...
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Ale-ways easy to enjoy
It’s no secret. is sWUuJJOLnJ DnG LnflDWLRn KDsn’W been easy to keep up with. It’s a tough time for stuff that relies on disposable income. Stuff like festivals. This past weekend, one of Penticton’s most venerable annual festivals waded onto the...
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New chapter for our local library?
Penticton City Council may be taking a step toward joining the Okanagan Regional Library (ORL) board. Council voted unanimously to hire a consultant, at a cost of $15,000, WR UHYLHw WKH EHnHfiWV RI moving to a regional model. Currently, Penticton is...
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Released with ankle monitor
The former Penticton woman who spent three weeks detained by immigration of ficHrs Ln WKH 8nLWHG SWDWHs along with her seven-yearold daughter says it was “the most stressful, traumatizing ordeal” she has ever been through. Tania Warner won’t...
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Penticton dog adds light to Tumbler Ridge
6LnFH WhH GDy DIWHU WhH hRUULfiF mass murder in Tumbler Ridge, a Penticton woman and her faithful four-legged companion have become an integral part of a small army of on-site crisis workers. Dede Dacyk and Benelli, a retriever-lab cross canine, more...
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Chemical treatments cut mussel spread
Chemical treatments have shown some promise in reducing invasive mussel infestation in Idaho, Okanagan politicians will hear next week. Applications of chelated copper and potassium chloride have reduced detectable quagga mussel populations in the...
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Family events for Easter weekend in the valley
No plans yet for the Easter long weekend? Here are some ideas for anyone spending it in the in the South Okanagan: Easter Eggstravaganza at Summerland Heritage Cider Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Join Summerland Heritage Cider for a family-friendly Easter...
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New Rail Trail section comes with risks to hikers, cyclists
A long-barricaded section of the popular Okanagan Rail Trail will soon be effectively opened for hikers and cyclists. But new signage will warn people they are using the two kilometres of the abandoned railway corridor that runs through the Okanagan...
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Rookie sensation Kvasnicka powers Vees into playoffs
Jacob Kvasnicka loves a challenge. So when the opportunity to move 2,600 kilometres away from home and play for an unproven, first-year expansion team, of course, he jumped at the chance. And is he ever glad he did. The 18-year-old Minnesotan finished...
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Penticton mom detained in Texas
Edward Warner says every day has felt like a nightmare since his Canadian wife and her seven-year-old daughter were taken into custody at a United SWDWHV ERUGHU SDWURO FKHFNSRLnW Ln 7HxDV last week. He told CP he was travelling home from a baby...
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PENTICTON HERALD
A couple of comedians from Saskatchewan have shared some cheeky critiques on the Okanagan’s public art. Leroy and Leroy are from Moose Jaw but travel throughout Canada to create content. They’ve amassed a following of over 633,000 on TikTok. One Leroy...
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New proposal for 434 Lakeshore
Penticton City Council will engage the public before deciding whether to rezone 434 Lakeshore Dr. Currently it’s an empty lot with zoning that allows for up to four units. For 110 years it was home to the Warren House until it burned down on the...
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Bannister championed our veterans
Penticton veteran Ron Bannister, a tireless advocate for veterans’ causes, died last week after a lengthy illness. He was 86. Bannister devoted decades of his life to supporting fellow veterans through the Royal Canadian Legion, the Royal Canadian Air...
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PENTICTON HERALD
Three corporate pizza chains suddenly want a slice of Summerland’s pie. For years, the local market had been dominated by local favourites like Yaki's Pizza & Subs, Prima Pizza & Chicken, and Murray’s Pizza & Pasta. Several other local restaurants...
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HAVING FUN AT MAPLEFEST
Young Bryan Wassmer eyeballing maple cotton candy as mom and dad Erica and Elijah Kliever look on at the first annual Penticton MapleFest hosted by École Entre-lacs. See event coverage by Gord Goble on Page A3.
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HOOPS, I DID IT AGAIN
Similkameen Sparks in Keremeos won the provincial Single-A senior boy’s basketball championships this past weekend in Langley. The team beat Vancouver’s St. John’s Eagles in the final 75-63 led Ey Balkaran LLdKar and -aVdeeS DKalLwal wLtK 21 SoLntV...
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Naramata Bench Society claiming a major victory
The developers who pitched a project that led to the formation of the society for the Preservation of the Naramata Bench’s have thrown in the towel after years of opposition. Canadian Horizons has put 1050 Spiller Rd. (129 acres) and 880 Naramata Rd....
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Mountie, suspect both injured during arrest on Lakeshore Drive
The eastern block of Lakeshore Drive in Penticton became a crime scene on Tuesday morning. The Penticton South Okanagan RCMP posted to Facebook saying Dn RIfiFHU DnG susSHFW wHUH Lnjured on the morning of the incident, but the post appears to have...
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The little team that could... Vees make Canadian history
PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. -- The Penticton Vees went toe-to-toe with the top team in the WHL Eastern Conference on Friday night and emerged with a dramatic 3-2 shootout victory over the Prince Albert Raiders, setting a new CHL expansion wins record in the...
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EYE ON THE PRIZE
Skip Neil Dangerfield of the Victoria Curling Club shouts instructions to members of his rink at the Curl BC Seniors Championships at the Penticton Curling Club. Dangerfield is the two-time defending winner of the event. Action, which is free to watch,...
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Okanagan food hub set to boost local producers
SUMMERLAND — Construction of the building to house the Okanagan Food and Innovation Hub at 15815 Hwy. 97 is on schedule for completion in May. The concrete footings and pillars have been poured, and placement of the walls and roof structure of the...
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PENTICTON HERALD
Vernon-based Sadok Ukrainian Dance Ensemble performs to a packed hall at Penticton’s OneWorld Multicultural Festival, Saturday. See event coverage on Page A3.
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LAKERS NET A BIG WIN
Pen High Lakers coaches gives some instructions to his team during Thursday’s first game of the Okanagan 3A Sr. Boys Basketball Championships at Penticton Secondary School. The Lakers defeated Vernon’s Seaton Sonics 79-63. The tournament concludes...
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Shelter approved to remain open three more years
The temporary emergency shelter on Dawson Avenue will remain open for at least three more years. The lease for the shelter at 441 Dawson Ave. expires at the end of March 2026. It was originally granted for November 2024 to March 2025, and subsequently...
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FAMILY DAY FUN
Dad Rylan Hernberg has some Family Day fun with daughters, 10-year-old Penelope, left, and Adaline, age 7, at the Penticton Community Centre auditorium on the holiday Monday.
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A love story for the ages
Even after six decades of marriage, Gary and Susi Cullums are still crushing on each other. “I try to sneak into (Gary’s room) so I can sleep there lots,” Susi said. “I have a lazy boy chair beside his bed and we’ll hold hands for quite a while at...
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If you build it they will come
Jeff and Melissa Taylor -- along wLWh hundrHdV RI SODyHrV Dnd SDrents involved in Summerland Minor Baseball -- are counting down WhH dDyV WR RSHnLnJ nLJhW DW WhH rHvLWDOLzHd LLvLnJ MHPRrLDO PDrN. Thanks to an extraordinary community fundraising...
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Soupateria has to relocate
The decision to help relocate the Penticton Soupateria was made for economic and logistical reasons, a spokeswoman for St. Saviour’s Anglican Church said. The soup kitchen has been asked to vacate its current site by May 31. The news became public...
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Canada’s ‘kindest community’ wins $100K contest
A small number of registered non-profits in PHacKlanG KavH a cKancH for a sKarH of a $100,000 prize. TKH town's GHsignation as tKH ‘Kindest Community in Canada’ in a contHst sponsorHG by Coca-Cola brings witK it a winGfall to bH split among tKH...
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Seven Toronto cops accused of being in cahoots with mob
6HYHn 7RURnWR SROLFH RIfiFHUV DnG RnH UHWLUHG RIfiFHU DUH DPRnJ 27 suspects facing charges in an organized crime and corruption investigation allegedly involving bribery, conspiracy to commit mur GHU DnG GUuJ WUDIfiFNLnJ, DPRnJ other offences, York...
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Be kind, kids remind us
Kindness is on next week’s lesson plan at schools throughout the South Okanagan. Real Acts of Caring Week 2026 runs from Feb. 8 to 14. It’s the time of year when students throughout School District 67 brush up on compassion, as they think of clever new...
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HERE YOU COME AGAIN
Hey, it’s Dolly Parton. No, actually it’s Snakebite board member Izabela Szelest (left) and event co-sponsor Hanan Campbell from Delicato at opening night of Penticton’s 8th annual Snakebite Film Festival, Thursday. The opening night featured an encore...
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B.C.-based Pattison says it didn’t know connection with ICE
ASHLAND, Virginia — A gigantic warehouse across the street from an outdoor equipment store hDV EHFRPH D flDVhSRLnW Ln 9LUJLnia as the U.S. grapples with the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown -- and a British Columbia company has been pulled...
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Prystay criticizes city decision to rebuild Kiwanis Pier at half length
A policy advisor at the Penticton Lakeside Resort says the City of Penticton is making a mistake by not rebuilding the Kiwanis Walking Pier to its original length. David Prystay shared his concerns in an interview, calling the decision to replace the...
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PENTICTON HERALD
You will seldom meet a woman as proud of her Indigenous culture as Dolly Kruger, so being honoured with a national award as a role model for her business success is something she will always cherish. Kruger, who was raised on a working ranch in the...
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City council supports extending Penticton’s temporary shelter
Penticton Coun. Ryan Graham said it would be “asinine” to close down Penticton’s temporary winter shelter when the current contract with BC Housing expires at the end of March and throw 40 homeless people out on the street... and the majority of...
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More like Bluebird Monday
Blue Monday was definitely not a downer day up high in the Okanagan. The third Monday in January has that unhappy moniker thanks to pretty reliable bad weather, a financial hangover from Christmas spending, and failed New Year’s resolutions. Some say...
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Artist development to continue at En’owkin Centre
A program that has helped develop and promote hundreds of Canada's top Indigenous artists for more than two decades will continue for another three years at Penticton's En'owkin Centre thanks to an almost $1 million investment from the federal...
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WHL’s NeWest team exteNds WiN streak
Jacob Kvasnicka of Penticton Vees takes a shot on Kamloops Blazers goalie Logan Emonstone during Western Hockey League action, Friday at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Combined with an additional win in Kamloops on Saturday, the Vees are winners of...
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Freedom of information requests to RDOS double
There were more Freedom of Information applications made to the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen in 2025 than in the previous two years combined. The RDOS board of directors received a staff report on Thursday summarizing the requests...
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Check your numbers!
Albertina K.’s decision to buy a Lotto 6/49 ticket “on a whim” for the Feb. 15, 2025 draw could have gone unnoticed -- literally. The Penticton resident nearly missed claiming her $245,448.80 prize after the winning ticket sat forgotten in her purse...
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New gallery boss introduced, grateful for the opportunity
After more than 30 years in the construction industry, Jim Minshull says landing a job in the arts is literally a “dream come true.” Minshull, 56, has been named the new executive director of the Penticton Art Gallery (PAG) and officially began his...
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Legion looks ahead to 100th anniversary
When the Penticton branch of the Royal Canadian Legion turns 100 in 2026, it will mark more than a milestone anniversary. It will represent a century of remembrance, community support, and evolving traditions at the heart of the city. Founded in 1926...
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Fraser, Harbinson voted Newsmakers of the Year
GFraser believed the Penticton Vees had reached the summit of Junior A hockey -- and that was precisely why it was time to climb a new mountain. After six decades of unparalleled success in the British Columbia Hockey League, the Vees entered a new era...
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Fairview Encampment lingers as council rejects tiny homes option
This is the final article in a series of five on the year’s top stories. More than two months after B.C.’s then–Minister of Housing Ravi Kahlon pledged provincial help to address the homeless encampment at Highway 97 and Fairview Road, the situation...
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Small Hedley lot sparks big debate over provincial one-hectare policy
A simple request to subdivide a small lot in the village of Hedley ignited a heated debate over the province’s controversial “one-hectare policy” at last week’s Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) board meeting. A Hedley property owner...
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Plan afoot to change the highway
Removing highway traffic from one Westbank road is an idea that found immediate favour when presented this week to some of the few people walking along the noisy route. The only real question they had was, How quickly could this be done? “Having the...
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Food insecurity: ‘staggering’
A food security report that shows one in four British Columbians are suffering from some form of food insecurity is “staggering”, says a longtime food security expert. The demand for community food programs is steadily growing across the South...
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Final chapter of Okanagan Granfondo ends tragically
Okanagan Grandfondo’s 2025 event -when a cyclist was killed after colliding with a vehicle -- turned out to be the finale. The bike race began in 2011 and was held annually except for the COVID years -- 2020 and 2021. After 12 events over 14 years,...
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The SeaSon GivinG
of Local philanthropist Janet Parker donated $50,000 to Dragonfly Pond Family Society this month. Dragonfly Pond Family Society, now in its 25th year, supports families of children with complex care needs by offering inclusive programs and activities,...
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Cirque MusiCa
Eliza James plays the violin as part of her above-stage performance at the South Okanagan Events Centre during the Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland show. See photo coverage by Mark Brett on Page A2.
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Teddy Bear Picnic
Penticton Vees Kash Alger-East helps pick up some of the hundreds of teddy bears tossed onto the ice following the team’s first goal in Saturday’s Western Hockey League game at the South Okanagan Events Centre. All donations will go to the Salvation...
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Penticton teen cast as Nutcracker Prince
Penticton teenager Aleksander Filipovic is stepping into the shoes of The Nutcracker. The timeless tale is retold each year by Mission Dance Company, when it gets performed throughout the valley during the holidays. Filipovic, who is 16, worked on the...
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Council rejects tiny home project
The controversy surrounding a proposed tiny homes project has led Penticton council to reject plans for a 50-unit development in the city’s industrial park. After a 45-minute emotional debate on Tuesday, a majority of councillors voted against a staff...
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PENTICTON HERALD
Brent Burton and his family enjoyed more than a decade of peace and quiet on their two-acre property in Kaleden. That’s why it’s so hard for him to believe there have now been four separate incidents in less than three years— including two serious...
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Apex Mountain resort puts opening on ice
Apex Mountain Resort will delay its planned opening on Dec. 6 due to insufficient snow on the lower slopes. “The decision comes down to safety,” said James Shalman, general manager at Apex “While recent weather delivered significant snowfall to the...
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Toy Story
Leadership students at Pen-Hi are inviting the public to be part of this year’s Toys for Tots to Teens. Swing by the school on Thursday, Dec. 11 between 7 and 11 a.m. to donate a new toy, gift card or money, and then enjoy some breakfast and live...
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Christmas season kicks off in the South Okanagan
Christmas-themed community events are almost always a hit in communities across the province – and Canada for that matter – but very few can match the excitement of the Christmas Light-Up in Summerland. More than 10,000 of the district’s 12,000...
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Robin Agur fondly remembered
a lifelong South Okanagan resident known for his love of the outdoors, generosity, and deep ties to the region, died peacefully at his home this past Sunday. He was 76. Born in Summerland in 1949, Agur was part of a pioneer family that settled in the...
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Penticton gathers to remember
“We will never forget. We will always remember.” Those words echoed through the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on Tuesday morning as hundreds gathered for the city’s annual Remembrance Day ceremony. About 400 people filled the main ballroom to...
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Rocking the Rink
Ranked 34th in the world, Victoria skip Cameron de Jong delivers a rock with team members Corey Chester, left and Alex Horvath, right in a match against the Carpenter rink of B.C. at the Nufloors Penticton Curling Classic at the Penticton Curling Club....
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Council backs third McDonald’s
Another set of golden arches will soon be erected in Penticton, as city council approved moving forward with a new McDonald’s restaurant on Eckhardt Avenue W. following a public hearing Tuesday evening. It will be the third McDonald’s in Penticton...
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Penticton soprano turning music into force for change
Lyric coloratura soprano Tracy Fehr generously uses her prodigious talents to help others, performing medieval to contemporary music with orchestras, chamber ensembles and as a solo recitalist at home and abroad. A Penticton resident, Fehr recently...
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SparK lit For ignite the
An organizational kickoff meeting was held this week in the basement of Tempest Theatre for the 2026 Ignite the Arts Festival. More than 60 arts lovers attended. The festival will again be run the weekend of March 27-29 at various downtown music...
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Close Encounters in Summerland
An unidentified flying object that’s parked in Summerland appears to be extra terrestrial in nature. For anybody travelling along Victoria Road S. over the past week, the silver saucer with a spaceman in the driver’s seat is hard to miss. But while...
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