Top Stories – Sept 19 – Closer to Peachland

Bucketing operations were the main plan of attack at the Glen Lake wildfire west of Peachland yesterday. On the ground, BC Wildfire crews are being assisted by firefighters from Peachland. Heavy equipment was working on establishing a guard at the west end of the fire as the structural protection operation continued as well. Helicopters and air tankers were also tackling the out of control blaze as the command centre said they were hoping for cooler temperatures and lighter winds and maybe some showers in the next couple of days. As of last night, the fire had grown to about 763 hectares and the eastern edge was just 8 km away from Peachland.

Four blocks of Bernard Avenue downtown will be shut down to traffic on Saturday for the rescheduled Show N Shine. The 200 to 500 blocks of Bernard will be closed to vehicles from 7am until about 6pm. A section of Pandosy will be closed between the rear laneways on either side of Bernard to help accommodate the event that runs from 11-4.

The backlog of airline passenger complaints with Canada’s transport regulator has hit a peak. The Canadian Transportation Agency has more than 57-thousand complaints to deal with, as dissatisfaction over cancellation and compensation persists more than three years since the start of the pandemic. The numbers are an average of more than three-thousand complaints per month.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, says the drug decriminalization project launched in January by Ottawa is “not perfect.” Speaking to the Union of BC Municipalities Convention, she urged patience as all sides work to address problems. Decriminalization is one measure health officials hope will reduce the stigma linked to drug use and cut the number of toxic drug deaths.

Unifor’s contract with Ford in Canada expired just before midnight. The union was negotiating in hopes of reaching an agreement that can be used as a blueprint for workers at General Motors and Stellantis, the parent of Chrysler. Unifor has said it’s focused on improving pensions, increasing wages and securing good jobs in a future set to be dominated by electric vehicles.

Last Friday, West Kelowna RCMP arrested 27-year old Ka-Mikosit Favelle for second degree murder in relation to a fatal pedestrian and motor vehicle incident. It happened on Horizon Drive in West Kelowna in August 2022 resulting in the death of Adam Briand-Lawrence. The charges are criminal negligence causing death and dangerous driving causing death. The accused appears in court today.

Natural gas users could see their monthly bills drop next month. Fortis BC says prices will dip by about eight percent for most of its gas customers October 1st. The utility says the reduction amounts to about seven dollars, depending on a customer’s consumption and the rates will be reviewed in December.

Canada has expelled an Indian diplomat as relations between the two countries continue to sour. Prime Minister Trudeau says Canadian security agencies have uncovered evidence of a potential link between the Indian government and the June murder of Sikh leader Harjit Singh Nijjar in BC. Sikh community leaders in Canada have insisted the government of India was involved, but police have said they had no evidence of that.

SPORTS

The Toronto Blue Jays who are just hanging on to a wild card spot begin their final road trip of the regular season today. They are in New York to take on the Yankees just after 4.

There were two Monday Night Football games yesterday which saw New Orleans beat Carolina 20-17 and in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers got by the Browns 26-22.

The Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes have agreed on a restructured deal that will guarantee him $210.6 million between 2023 and 2026. It’s the most money in NFL history guaranteed over a four-year span.