Top Stories – Oct 1 – Winter Tire Day

It’s October 1 and if travelling BC’s mountain passes is in your immediate future, this is the day you are required to have winter tires on your car. The government recommends using 4 of them and they must have the snowflake/mountain or M + S markings on them.

Victoria is coming to Kelowna today. Anne Kang, the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training, and Neil Fassina, the president of Okanagan College will be making an announcement at 11. Specifics will come later, but the government says it will benefit students in Kelowna and the surrounding region.

The latest statistics detailing overdose deaths in BC paint a picture of an opioid crisis that is going in the wrong direction. The Coroners Service says there were 184 deaths due to suspected illicit drug overdoses in July – tied for the second-highest monthly total ever. In Kelowna, there have been 35 deaths attributed to opioids, which is on track to match last year’s 60.

The Central Okanagan Food Bank’s Hungry Hungry Half Marathon returns this weekend with the fundraising run and walk coming up tomorrow. Participants will begin and finish at the Apple Bowl and will run west along Rails with Trails. The route also goes through Knox Mountain Park, Waterfront Park, Stuart Park and City Park.

There were 749 confirmed cases of covid-19 in BC yesterday (Thur) which included 157 for Interior Health. There were two additional deaths in the region. There were 145 patients in intensive care in BC, three more than the day before. And 88.5% of all eligible adults in BC have received their first vaccine dose.

It’s a sign of the growing popularity of electric vehicles in BC. Since charging its first EV in 2018, FortisBC’s fast charge network recently passed its 10,000th charge. And while the first 10,000 took 3 years, Fortis expects the next 10,000 to be done by December 2022.

A 21 year old man from Surrey was arrested then released on strict conditions after a number of people were hit with pepper spray at Orchard Park Mall Wednesday afternoon. RCMP say a large group of people, including families with children as young as 2 years old, were unintended victims, but not seriously injured. The suspect was located nearby.

Open burning season begins today in the Central Okanagan. That doesn’t mean you can spark-up a pile of leaves in your yard. Property owners must get authorized permits from their local fire departments and adhere to all burning and venting regulations which you can find at rdco.com/airquality .

A Kamloops restaurant owner shut down his 2 businesses for a week, but continued to pay his employees. It was a mental health break to help workers recover from a summer of the heat wave, wildfires, the pandemic and the tragedy of the residential school findings. The boss says he has noticed a lot more smiles and laughter among his employees since they came back.

Sports

The Vancouver Canucks are back on the ice tonight as the NHL exhibition season continues. They take on the Flames in Calgary with the face off at 6. Vancouver hosts Winnipeg at Rogers Arena on Sunday at 4

The West Kelowna Warriors and Vernon Vipers wrap up their BC hockey league preseason schedule this weekend with a home and home series. They play tonight at Royal La Page Place and move to Kal Tire Place tomorrow.

Just one CFL game tonight to kick off week 9 and it is at BC Place Stadium. The Lions who are 4 & 3, take on the west-leading Blue Bombers who are 6 & 1.

The Toronto Blue Jays wrap up their regular season this weekend with a 3 game homestand against Baltimore, the worst team in the AL East. The Jays still have a shot at post-season play with a wildcard spot.

The regular season in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League begins today. The Kelowna Chiefs and Princeton Posse have a home and home series including tomorrow night at Rutland Arena at 7.

Heading into the 2nd round of the PGA tour’s Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi, Sahith Seegala leads at 8 under, while Merritt’s Roger Sloan is 2 shots back.