Top Stories – Feb 3 – Kelowna Big Spenders

Elections BC has released the expenditures of candidates in the municipal elections last fall. In Kelowna, former mayor Colin Basran’s re-election campaign spent about 98-thousand dollars, while Tom Dyas spent 93-thousand in his successful run for mayor. Ron Cannan topped the polls for city council and also spent the most at almost 30-thousand dollars.

The federal government wants to delay the extension of assisted dying eligibility for 1 year, for people whose sole condition is a mental disorder. The Liberals agreed to expand eligibility in its 2021 update to the assisted dying law after senators amended the bill, arguing that excluding people with mental illness would violate their rights. That move kicked in a 2 year clock to make it happen.

Frozen pizza and meal choices at the grocery store are about to take a hit. Nestle Canada is winding down that part of its business in Canada over the next six months. The four brands that will no longer be sold in the freezer aisle are Delissio, Stouffer’s, Lean Cuisine and Life Cuisine.

Kelowna International airport is reminding travelers that just because drug possession changes have been made in BC, it does not apply to airports which are federally run. Individuals found in possession of illegal substances at YLW will remain subject to criminal penalties.

The Bannister brand of car dealerships is moving into Kamloops. The Kelowna-based company also has businesses in the Kootenays, Fraser Valley and Columbia-Shuswap among other areas. It will be taking over Chevrolet and Hyundai dealers in Kamloops as the owners there are retiring.

As the first anniversary of the Russian invasion approaches, Ukrainian officials are saying the Russians are preparing for another offensive. They are seeing build ups of ammunition, food, gasoline and medical supplies… everything that Putin’s forces would need to regroup and strike once again inside Ukraine.

A stuffed toy is predicting an early Spring for the Okanagan. A yellow-bellied marmot named Okanagan Okie, did not see his shadow yesterday at the Allan Brooks Nature Centre in Vernon. Elsewhere on Groundhog Day, Ontario’s Wiarton Willie also called for an early spring.

West Kelowna Council’s draft budget proposes a municipal tax increase of 5 per cent for 2023. That includes a 1.7 per cent increase in police services and one per cent for infrastructure. If approved, the municipal tax would be approximately $2,400 based on an average assessment of $995,000.

Bryan Adams may have nabbed his first Grammy nomination in over two decades, but he won’t be at the ceremony this weekend. He has a concert in Vegas and says there are at least 40 people in his tour, so he wants to make sure to keep them ‘in hot food and shoes’. He’s up in the category of best rock performance for ‘So Happy It Hurts’.

Sports

Two home games coming up for the Rockets. The Giants are in town tonight after Kelowna beat them last week. Pregame on 1047 The Lizard is at 6:35 ahead of a 7:05 face off. Then tomorrow at the same time, the Prince Albert Raiders visit Prospera Place.

The NHL All-Star games are tomorrow in Florida in the Panther’s Barn with 3 games starting at noon. The skills competition goes today at 4 with former Canuck Roberto Luongo in goal for the Breakaway Challenge.

Tom Brady might sign one more contract… for a day. New England owner Robert Kraft says he would like to see the quarterback retire as a Patriot.