Top Stories – Oct 17 – New Mayor

In municipal elections on Saturday, the big news was that incumbent Colin Basran was defeated in Kelowna, and Tom Dyas now gets the gavel and chain for 4 years, while Gord Milsom was easily re-elected in West Kelowna. There was no vote for mayor in Lake Country as Blair Ireland was acclaimed when James Last decided not to run again, and in Peachland, Cindy Fortin was defeated by Patrick Van Minsel.
Kelowna Councillors elected:
• Ron Cannan
• Loyal Wooldridge
• Rick Webber
• Gord Lovegrove
• Mohini Singh
• Luke Stack
• Charlie Hodge
• Maxine DeHart

It’s very likely there will be a recount for councillors in West Kelowna. Of the 6 to be elected, Garrett Milsap was 6th with 2,092 votes. Tom Groat was next with 2,091. The other elected councillors were Stephen Johnston, Rick de Jong, Tasha Da Silva, Jason Friesen and Carol Zanon.

In West Kelowna Boucherie Road will be closed between Hayman and Hudson Roads tomorrow from 6-10pm for seasonal boulevard maintenance. Crews will maintain access for emergency vehicles, residents living within the immediate work area, buses and transit users. Motorists can use Hudson Road and Highway 97 as a detour to avoid the work area.

Starting today and running every Monday until the end of November residents of Ellison are invited to a morning coffee social. There’s no need to register, just show up and meet your neighbours. It happens from 10 to 11 at 4411 Old Vernon road, near the dog park.

Westside Road south of Lake Okanagan Resort was closed for about 7 hours on Saturday while police investigated a fatal accident. A 20 year old motorcyclist was killed when her machine collided with a truck.

Did you know that you don’t have to see your doctor for prescription renewals now? Pharmacists can take care of it if you are clinically stable and have been on the same medication at the same dosage for 6 months or longer and your prescription hasn’t expired. Pharmacists canNOT renew cancer chemotherapy prescriptions.

Lakeshore Road and Richter Street closures will begin today and last for about 6 weeks. It’s to deal with services for the new development in that area. Lakeshore Northbound will be closed between 7am and 7pm from Lanfranco to Richter, and will detour via Richter, while southbound will stay open. Both directions are open between 7pm and 7am.

The slope that began to slide on Knox Mountain below Royal View Drive in 2018 is being restored. Starting today, a specialized contractor will start work on the stabilization and rehabilitation of the hillside. There will be minimal impact to traffic, as most of the work will occur below Royal View Drive. The project is anticipated for completion in the Spring.

After the entire board stepped down last week along with the CEO, corporate partners emphasized the need for additional measures before they would return to Hockey Canada. Some say it requires a complete rebuilding from the top down and a transparent restructuring of governance, policies and directives. Bauer Hockey called on Hockey Canada to shift its focus from elite performance and national team victories to growing the game.

Sports

The Vancouver Canucks play game 3 of their 5 game road trip tonight in Washington as they look for their first win of the season. Face off against the Capitals is at 4. On Saturday, Vancouver blew a 2 goal lead and lost 3-2 in Philadelphia.

The BC Lions beat Winnipeg 40-32 in a wild game at BC Place on Saturday night. Coupled with Calgary’s loss to Hamilton, the Lions move into second in the West with 2 road games left in the regular season.

Monday Night Football is a battle of 2 teams in the AFC West. Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos are in Los Angeles to take on Justin Herbert and the Chargers at 5:15.

The NHL said it found no evidence to substantiate allegations posted on social media against Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ian Cole and has concluded its investigation. The Lightning suspended Cole last week pending the investigation into allegations that he sexually abused a woman when she was a minor.

Next up for the Okanagan Sun is the BC Football Conference Championship game against the Westshore Rebels. The Sun beat Langley 44-20 at the Apple Bowl in a semi final for their 11th straight win. The Cullen Cup goes this weekend at the Apple Bowl.

The BC Hockey League’s Showcase tournament takes place in Chilliwack for the next few days. Today, the West Kelowna Warriors play Victoria at 10am.