Top Stories – July 24 – Buoy Be Gone

If you have an illegal buoy in Lake Okanagan along the Kelowna waterfront to tie your boat to, it may be disappearing. Beginning today, crews will start targeted removal of up to 100 non-compliant buoys along Abbott Street to the south of the bridge and adjacent to Paul’s Tomb to the north. This year, several boats have broken free and damaged shoreline structures.

The Okanagan Basin Water Board is looking for people living on local lakes to help monitor for invasive mussels. They haven’t been found in BC water bodies, but have caused millions of dollars in damage in other jurisdictions. Volunteers would occasionally check a device made with PVC pipes for any sign of the mussels attaching it.

Canadian Scientists are learning how to quickly estimate the contribution of climate change to extreme weather events like wildfires, floods and heat waves. The Rapid Extreme Event Attribution Project says the goal is to be able to determine within days or weeks what impact climate change had on any particular event.

Kamloops activated its Emergency Operations Centre due to a heightened level of concern around the nearby Ross Moore Lake wildfire. As of noon yesterday, 49 properties in the Thompson Nicola Regional District were under an evacuation order. There were also 12 properties on evacuation alert near the Bush Creek East wildfire, on the west side of Adams Lake.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union will meet tomorrow to recommend the terms of a tentative agreement to its membership. Members will take the 8am shift off for the meeting where the deal will be presented. Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan thanked the union for sending it to a vote, adding, ‘Right now, BC ports are operating, but we need long-term stability’.

As Opposition parties continue to press Ottawa to establish a full public inquiry into foreign interference, a report shows Canada’s intelligence community had Chinese meddling on its radar for decades. The February 1986 report warned that Beijing was using open political tactics and secret operations to influence and exploit Chinese ex-pats in Canada.

That storm that went through on Friday, unfortunately came packed with lightning. BC Wildfire says there were more than 400 strikes and at least 25 fires started. Most were small and not near anything, and those that were, were quickly brought under control or held. Reinforcements from Brazil have joined firefighters from other countries that have flown in to help.

A provincewide state of emergency in Nova Scotia remains in effect. Premier Tim Houston declared it after massive floods triggered by widespread storms dumped record amounts of rain across much of the province on the weekend. Between 200 and 250 millimetres of rain fell, and as of last night four people were still reported missing.

Mountain bikers of all levels will be at Silver Star on the BC Day long weekend for the Crankworx Summer Series. The multi-sport series will run August 4th through sixth and feature 5 events, including a first of its kind Women’s Slopestyle competition.

Sports

CFL in Calgary yesterday Ottawa beat the Stampeders 43 – 41 in overtime. On Saturday in Vancouver, the BC Lions beat the Riders at home for the first time since 2017. Score was 19-9.

The Kelowna Falcons have the day off. On the weekend, they swept all 3 games with Port Angeles, including a 5-1 win yesterday.

The Blue Jays were 1 & 2 against the Mariners in Seattle on the weekend. They begin 3 against the Dodgers in L-A tonight.

The Open Championship in Liverpool was owned by Brian Harman. He was one shot back after the first round but never looked back the rest of the way finishing six shots ahead of second place.