Top Stories – March 15 – Some Escape Mariupol

Russia and Ukraine kept a fragile diplomatic path open with a new round of talks yesterday even as Moscow’s forces pounded away at Kyiv and other cities across the country. It’s a punishing bombardment the Red Cross said has created ‘nothing short of a nightmare’ for civilians. Meanwhile, a convoy of 160 civilian cars left the port city of Mariupol along a designated humanitarian route after the city was bombarded for a week and a half.

Beginning Saturday, Shannon Lake Road, from Bartley to Stevens in West Kelowna will be closed to thru traffic for Spring Break when traffic volumes are typically lower. It’s necessary as work ramps up again on the active transportation corridor. Sidewalks will be installed on Stevens Road from Dominion to Westlake and bicycle lanes will be added to both sides of Shannon Lake Road.

There were 198 new cases of covid in BC yesterday, which included 46 for Interior Health. Over the weekend 14 people died from the virus, including 2 in our region. As for vaccines, as of yesterday, just under 91 percent of those 12 and over in the province, or 4.2 Million people, have received 2 doses.

The BC government confirmed yesterday that the minimum wage will be going up on June 1st. It is currently at $15.20 and will it be increasing to $15.65 an hour. The change is tied to the inflation rate which was 2.8% last year. That rate will also apply to live-in home support worker minimum daily wages; and resident caretaker minimum monthly wages.

Ottawa is looking at changes that could allow Canadians to purchase a greater number of cannabis beverages without exceeding public possession limits. It would change how the cannabis content of drinks is calculated and permit more beverages to be bought at a time. The quantity of cannabis drinks adults would be able to possess would increase to 17.1 litres from 2.1.

The provincial government has changed regulations for metal dealers and recyclers in a bid to prevent growing thefts of catalytic converters for the pricey metals inside. It requires the dealers to report each transaction, including seller information, to police. ICBC says claims for thefts of catalytic converters have climbed from 89 in 2017 to nearly two-thousand last year, with costs totalling more than four-million dollars in 2021.

Getting all the winter sand and gravel off the streets of West Kelowna will begin next Monday. Residents are encouraged to move debris off the sidewalk onto the street in front of their homes. Work will begin around Rotary Beach and the yacht club, and then work uphill with completion in late April.

Kasugai Gardens is now open after winter hibernation and Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery is set to spring-forward with extended visiting hours. The Cemetery gates will be open from 7am to 8pm seven days-a-week beginning today until October 31.

Be prepared for higher airfares. Just when there was hope on the pandemic horizon, airlines now face a second headwind of skyrocketing oil prices, which could make airfares more expensive. Sanctions and oil import bans, helped push up the price of jet fuel by more than 27 percent and that may prompt carriers to recoup that cost with pricier tickets.

Sports

The Canucks are 1 and 2 on this 7 game homestand and will try to get back to .500 tonight. The New Jersey Devils are in Vancouver for a 7pm start. When these teams played 2 weeks ago back east, the Devils won 7-2.

The Steelers addressed their quarterback uncertainty on the opening day of free agency, agreeing to a two-year deal with Mitch Trubisky. The former #2 overall pick will head to the Steel City following a one-year stay with Buffalo, where he backed up Josh Allen.

Just one game in the NHL last night. In Ottawa, a natural hat trick from Lawson Crouse helped the Coyotes to a 5-3 win over the Senators. Ottawa outshot Arizona 43-15.

The Manitoba Liberal Party has been told to stop selling merchandise with a “W” logo because it appears similar to that of the Blue Bombers. The Liberals are running a former Bomber player whose name starts with W… Willard Reaves, in a byelection slated for March 22.

After a weekend where the weather just sucked sometimes, the PGA finally completed the Players Championship yesterday. Australian Cameron Smith took the win following the five-day marathon. He had 10 birdies in the final round.

Leafs star Auston Matthews has been suspended two games for cross-checking Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin during Sunday’s contest. Matthews cross-checked him in the neck area as the pair got in a dustup in the Sabres’ crease.