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Vernon  

A Speakeasy is opening this month in Vernon

Speakeasy opening in town

Contributed Local Losers Underground

A speakeasy is opening up in Vernon.

The Powerhouse Speakeasy is a team effort between Local Losers Underground and the Powerhouse Theatre and is set to open on March 21 at 2901 35 Ave.

The inaugural show will welcome Christopher Atkins and Tractor Beam for a night of live music beginning at 7 p.m. A news release from Local Losers says "as the name implies" the speakeasy will be up and running with “special concoctions.”

“We are thrilled to bring Christopher Atkins back to Vernon for our first collaboration with the Powerhouse Theatre! It's an amazing, community-rooted organization, and we are excited to produce shows in their space,” said Noah MacLeod with Local Losers Underground.

“We are bringing back Christopher Atkins from Victoria with the newest incarnation of his band. As well he’s also being joined by new friends, Tractor Beam, who hails from New York City and Toronto. Join us in welcoming all these characters back to our little town. They will surely put on an absolutely incredible show; we can't wait to share their music with you!”

Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased online here. According to the website, there’s only 25 tickets remaining.



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Indoor skate park returns to Vernon Curling Club this April

Indoor skate park returns

Vernon Curling Club will once again transform into a temporary indoor skate park this summer.

Greater Recreation Services announced a soft opening of April 8 for the skate park, with limited features available. All decks, ramps and rails will be available when the skate park fully opens on June 8.

The city says the indoor environment is designed to be entry level.

“The skate park fills a need in the community for a space to learn the sport,” said Shayne Wright, manager of community recreation. “It’s driven by the community, and thanks to the support of the Vernon Association for Skateboard Enthusiasts (VASE) specifically, it has become a place [to] learn and have fun.”

The skate park will operate Monday through Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. with a beginner hour scheduled between 5 and 6 p.m. before the open skate from 6 to 8 p.m.

Recreation Services will also be offering skateboard lessons as registered programs this spring and summer for youth and adults.

All skate park users will need to sign a waiver either online or at the Recreation Centre front desk. Anyone under the age of 18 will need a parent or guardian to sign for them.

Once registered, a skater will receive a Skateboard Access Pass free of charge that they will show to the Park Supervisor each time they attend.

More information about recreation services can be found online here.



Funtastic Sports Society taking applications for Community Investment Grant Program

Money to give away

The Funtastic Sports Society has money to give away through the community grant program.

The annual Vernon Funtastic Slo Pitch Tournament and A&W Music Festival takes place June 28 to July 1.

Funds raised at the event are given back to the community and grant applications are now being taken for 2024.

Society president Jamie Austin said the mission of Funtastic is, “Building a better community through sport.”

Since 1985, more than $2.4 million in donations have been distributed and since the inception of the Funtastic Community Investment Grant Program in 2009, more than $275,000 has been donated for financial support to non-profit sport, recreation and community organizations of a sport nature serving Greater Vernon.

Successful applicants will have an emphasis on projects that will continue to support the growth of sport and recreation in the region.

The grants help cover expenses such as equipment and capital costs for sports-related activities.

The applications and criteria are available on the Funtastic website.

Deadline for applications is May 30.

Additional opportunities to support the grant program is to purchase a raffle ticket and 50/50 ticket sales that will be on sale shortly with the draws taking place June 29 to 30.

People can support Funtastic by registering a team, purchasing music tickets, volunteering or becoming a sponsor .

Funtastic A&W Music tickets are available on the Funtastic website from $40 to $60 a night or $100 for the weekend. A full line up of the bands is available on the Funtastic website.

For any additional information, music tickets, team registration click here, call 250 558 7756 or email. [email protected].



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Lumby wildfire caused by human activity, clean up burn that got out of control

Wildfire from clean up burn

A clean up fire that "got away" from a resident caused the wildfire near Lumby Sunday afternoon, confirms Lumby Fire Chief Tony Clayton.

“It was a person just doing some clean up, little fires, that kind of stuff,” said Calyton. “It was drier than he even thought it was going to be and it just got away on him.”

Clayton says this serves as a reminder to residents to be prepared when conducting clean up burns.

He advising people to take proper precautions because it’s dry.

“Make sure you have the proper tools, water. Even though he had some there, it just was more than he can handle, then it got away on him,” said Clayton about Sunday’s wildfire.

As of Monday morning, the Creighton Valley Road wildfire is under control according to BC Wildfire Service. Clayton said crews are still on scene monitoring hot spots with BCWS, BX, Enderby and Lumby fire on site.

Clayton says it’s early for something like this to happen.

“This type of stuff usually happens mid-April type thing,” said Clayton. “In discussion with BC Wildfire, we're all kind of agreeing: this is early for this type of thing.”

The fire was first reported in the early afternoon Sunday and grew from .0009 to 3 hectares in a matter of hours before confirmed as being held by the end of the evening.



Explosive Disposal Unit called in over possible unexploded mortar round in Kalamalka Provincial Park

Explosive or not?

A section of Kalamalka Provincial Park was cordoned off on Thursday, as a possible unexploded mortar round was investigated.

“On March 14, 2024, the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP were alerted to a possible unexploded mortar round located in a creek bed in the Cosens Bay area of Kalamalka Provincial Park,” said Cpl. Tania Finn with the RCMP.

“Police cordoned off the area while the Canadian Armed Forces' Explosive Disposal Unit attended.”

Const. Chris Terleski with the Vernon RCMP had previously told Castanet that the area has historically been used as a training area for the military and a firing range for mortars and other ordnance.

Recently, another possible unexploded ordnance was discovered on Feb. 8 near a hiking trail in Kalamalka Provincial Park.

Terleski has said finding military items are not uncommon due to the history of the area. Military ordnance has been found throughout North Okanagan, including the Okanagan Indian Band land.

As for the item reported on March. 14, Finn said the military Explosive Disposal Unit did not provide Vernon RCMP with an update on the what they thought the item was.

Castanet has reached out to the Department of National Defence for more information.



Scott Anderson seeks party nod to represent new riding of Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee as CPC

Anderson CPC hopeful

A former two-term Vernon city councillor is looking for a nod to become a candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC).

Scott Anderson plans to put his name forward as a nominee for the new federal riding of Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee.

The new riding will come into being when an election is called sometime after April 22, 2024.

Before Anderson can run for the CPC federally, he must first be elected by party members.

“The first step is the most important step,” said Anderson. “In order to become the candidate, I need to earn the vote of the majority of CPC members in the new riding. Only Conservative party members are able to vote for the nominee they want to represent them,” he says urging supporters to become card carrying members of the Conservative Party of Canada.

Helping Anderson over this first hurdle would then allow him to run against other parties as the CPC candidate in the new riding.

“This nomination race will not be easy, and I ask for the support of everyone who wants to have a firm voice in Ottawa,” said Anderson.

Anderson is being publicly endorsed by several former Members of Parliament, including Darrel Stinson, a former MP from Vernon, and John Duncan, a former cabinet minister under former prime minister Stephen Harper.

“I’m grateful for the trust and support of so many accomplished conservative politicians at the federal level,” said Anderson. “I’m deeply honoured that each one of them publicly trusts me to carry their torch into the future.”

Anderson is a North Okanagan business owner, former two-term City Councillor in Vernon and interim Leader of the BC Conservatives.

“I have experience, both at our local/provincial level and at the federal level, and the drive to bring our regional concerns to Ottawa,” said Anderson. “I’m also blessed with the support of an excellent campaign team, who have a real enthusiasm for making things better in the new riding.”

Along with his scholastic achievements that include an honours degree in international relations and philosophy, Anderson boasts a military background which saw him serve as a Captain with the BC Dragoons and as a member of the CAF Public Affairs branch in Ottawa.

“Bringing a common sense viewpoint back to Ottawa is only part of the job of MP as I see it,” said Anderson. “Your member of Parliament should also have the courage and conviction to speak up and bring your voice to Ottawa and that’s what I intend to do.”

Mel Arnold, the current North Okanagan-Shuswap MP – in which Vernon currently falls until riding changes come into effect – has already said he would like to represent the new Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies riding, leaving an opening for different representation in the new riding.



Okanagan man breaks time record for running 52 kilometres from Coldstream to Kelowna

Record breaking run

Chelsey Mutter

An Okanagan man has broken the record for time taken to run from Coldstream to Kelowna.

Richard Brown drove to Coldstream Sunday morning with his parents and girlfriend to attempt to run the 52 kilometre stretch in under four hours.

"I just think running is so great, and it's brought me so many benefits in my life, both from the physical and the personal development side," said Brown.

"Whether it's running or biking, I think everyone has to take advantage of living here. It's amazing place, we're so lucky."

Fastest Known Time is a website that does what the name implies: tracks the fastest known times of routes. The Okanagan Rail Trail stretch from Coldstream to Kelowna used to have a time record of 4:08:03, but Brown says he beat that, running the 52 kilometres in just 3:52:46.

He’ll send the Strava (a popular running route tracker app) tracked route to FTK to verify before the record is officially updated on the website.

Brown says he hopes to encourage others to get out and enjoy the Okanagan. He also hopes to make more people aware of FKT and the records to be beat out there.

His parents biked alongside him on e-bikes while his girlfriend drove back and forth. She got a bit of a run in herself, about 35 km Brown estimated.

When asked how he planned to reward himself when he beat the record, Brown said his mom had chili waiting for him.

"My mom has a pot of chili in a crock pot," said Brown. "I'm looking forward to that, that's my celebration."

To keep an eye on the record visit the Fastest Known Time website.



March and vigil planned for Vernon man soon to be missing for six months

March, vigil for missing man

This Thursday will mark six months since Blayne Ferguson went missing.

A ‘March to the Park’ and candlelight vigil is planned to take place on the day, March 21.

A Facebook event says anyone wanting to attend should meet in the field area behind the People Place, 3402 27th Ave., at 3 p.m.

Participants will march along 30th Avenue to the courthouse for a “brief loud and proud stop” before continuing past the brewery to Polson Park. According to the event there will be refreshments before the candlelight vigil begins.

“We have chosen this day as it is exactly six months since Blayne disappeared as well as his favourite place to hangout. This will be a safe place for all,” reads the facebook page.

Ferguson was last seen in Vernon on Sept. 21, 2023.

Police said on Sept. 27 that criminality is suspected in his disappearance and released photos of a 2003, blue, four-door, Toyota Echo with B.C. licence plate SJ828K.



Lumby fire discovered Sunday afternoon now being 'held'

Lumby wildfire 'held'

UPDATE: 7 p.m.

BC Wildfire confirms the wildfire burning near Lumby is now 'held'.

Being Held

At this stage, the wildfire is not likely to spread beyond predetermined boundaries under prevailing conditions.


UPDATE 5:22 p.m.

Lumby Fire Chief Tony Clayton says the lack of wind has helped crews battling the wildfire near Lumby.

“At this point in time. We're fairly confident we have it held but there's no wind right now, so that could change,” said Clayton. “At this point in time we have it held but definitely not under control yet.”

He says the fire is burning rank one and two with a few areas burning a rank three, and that it’s steep ground.

There are no structures at immediate risk, but there are some relatively close by.

Lumby crews and BC Wildfire Service Crews are battling the fire which broke out Sunday afternoon and grew to 3 hectares by about 4 p.m.


UPDATE 4:37 p.m.

The wildfire outside Lumby has grown to 3 hectares in size, according to an update to the BC Wildfire Service website.

The suspected cause has also been updated to have been started by humans or human activity.

BCWS told Castanet earlier this afternoon that the fire was on the border of the Lumby Fire Department jurisdiction.

The wildfire service said it was sending a response officer and initial attack crew to assist the fire department.


ORIGINAL 2:15 p.m.

A spot sized wildfire is reportedly burning outside of Lumby, near Creighton Valley Road.

According to the BC Wildfire Services website, the fire was discovered at about 1:10 p.m. and is 0.009 hectares in size.

It’s currently listed as out of control and appears to be about 15 kilometres southeast of Lumby.

The suspected cause is under investigation.



Structure fire on 25th Avenue in Vernon knocked down by Fire Services

Minimal structural damage

UPDATE 5:29 p.m.

The City of Vernon says the structure fire on 25th Avenue was burning on the back deck of a residential home near 37th Street and 25th Avenue.

Crews arrived to find a covered back deck was “heavily involved in fire, extending to the house.’

“The fire was spotted by neighbours who promptly reported it, which enabled crews to quickly get to the scene and bring the fast-moving fire under control,” said Fire Chief David Lind. “Early notification and a quick response enabled a successful fire knock down.”

A release from the city says crews were able to contain the fire at its origin and stop the extension to the home minimizing structure damage.

No injuries have been reported, and both RCMP and BC Hydro also attended the scene.


UPDATE 4:24 p.m.

Crews are still battling a structure fire on 25th Avenue in Vernon.

The source of the fire appears to be on the backside of the house where firefighters are directing most of their attention.

A least seven firefighters have been spotted spraying into the smoke and ripping down wooden deck fencing. RCMP and BC EHS are also on scene.

Traffic is slowed on 25th avenue headed eastbound as fire engines are blocking one lane.

Castanet has reached out to the City of Vernon for more information.


ORIGINAL 4:02 p.m.

Smoke is pouring out from a Vernon home along 25th Avenue.

The Vernon Fire Department is on the scene along with Emergency Health Services.

Castanet has a reporter at the scene.

At this time there are no visible flames, but there is heavy thick smoke.

More details to come...



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