Top Stories – March 25 – Kelowna Donation

Kelowna City Council will provide a 15-thousand dollar contribution from its contingency fund to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Humanitarian Appeal fund. Council also supported an additional $5,000 to offset some of the costs incurred by the Dolyna Ukrainian Cultural Society and Kelowna Stands with Ukraine, to raise awareness regarding humanitarian relief efforts.

NATO allies pledged new sanctions and humanitarian aid yesterday in response to Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine. But their offers fell short of the heavier military assistance that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded for in a pair of live-video appearances. Ukraine accused Moscow of forcibly taking hundreds of thousands of civilians from shattered Ukrainian cities to Russia, where some may be used as ‘hostages’ to pressure a surrender.

Canada faces fresh pressure to increase its defence spending. The head of the NATO military alliance says leaders have agreed to present plans by June on investing Billions of additional dollars into their respective militaries. All NATO members pledged in 2014 to spend two percent of their national gross domestic product in the next decade. Canada currently spends about 1.4 percent.

Federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says Canada can produce and export another 300-thousand barrels of oil and natural gas per day, as part of a global effort to displace Russian fossil fuels. He says consultations with industry have shown that Canada can speed up production and also has the pipeline capacity to make small increases.

The temporary repairs on the Coquihalla Highway will start to become more permanent this summer. If all goes according to plan, such as getting contractors and doing the work, the government says it could be done by the end of the year. The main work will be done at the Bottletop Bridges, Juliet Bridges and Jessica Bridges.

The number of new daily cases of covid 19 in BC seems to be stuck around 270. There were 96 in interior health yesterday where 54 people are in hospital. So far, 540-thousand rapid test kits have been distributed by pharmacies and they are available to anyone 18 and older.

Two of Alberta Premier Jason Kenney’s backbenchers have broken ranks, calling the United Conservative Party’s revamped leadership review a sham. They also say it’s time for the Premier to resign. Peter Guthrie and Jason Stephan say the party’s late changes were designed to ensure Kenney wins a vote he was destined to lose.

Some-one or some-people have been messing with fire department lockboxes on the exterior of residential properties in Kelowna. The fire department has received reports of 16 separate incidents in which lockboxes were tampered with. KFD and RCMP are sending a letter to property owners of buildings, advising that specific lockboxes have been subject to damage. The letter includes information about how to update the locks.

During Poison Prevention Week, the BC Drug and Information Centre says it’s not just kids who can be victims of unintentional poisonings. From 2020 to 2021, there were more than 13-thousand calls to the centre for adults. The most common substances for adults 20 to 59 to be exposed to include carbon monoxide, bleach and other cleaners.

Sports

At the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul last night, Minnesota scored 31 seconds into overtime to take a 3-2 win over the Canucks. Vancouver’s road trip continues in Dallas tomorrow at 4.

Just eight months after winning Euro 2020, Italy found a way to humiliate itself again. The reigning European champion failed to qualify for the World Cup for a second consecutive time, falling 1-0 to North Macedonia in yesterday’s qualifying playoff. Canada can make it into the World Cup for the first time since 1986 with a win or tie against Jamaica on Sunday in Toronto.

The West Kelowna Warriors wrap up their regular season with 2 games. They’re in Penticton tonight and host Merritt tomorrow. The BCHL playoffs against Vernon begin next Friday.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the city has created an exemption to allow unvaccinated professional athletes to participate in home games. To date, unvaccinated athletes from teams based outside of New York City have been eligible to play road games in the city.

It’s the third weekend of back to back WHL games for Kelowna and Kamloops. The Blazers have won all four so far. They’re in Kamloops tonight and return to Prospera Place tomorrow at 7.

The Formula 1 teams are still in the Middle East. Practice for the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix is today with qualifying tomorrow and the race on Sunday.