Top Stories – Apr 19 – MBCC Could Return

The Mount Boucherie Community Centre in West Kelowna could be converted back to its original use purpose next Spring. It is currently home to city hall, but with a new one under construction the city has been saving to convert MBCC back. When it became city hall in 2008, it was intended to be used for administration for just 5-10 years

It may only be mid April, but the wildfire season has started in Northern BC. A blaze north of Terrace grew to about 16 hectares and forced the closure of a highway in the area. It started shortly after a burning ban went into effect in the area and is believed to be caused by a person.

Russian forces launched missile attacks on the western city of Lviv  yesterday, killing 7 people. Lviv is 50 kilometres from the Polish border… the same as the distance between Kelowna and Vernon. Russia also pounded a number of other targets across Ukraine in what appeared to be an intensified bid to grind down the country’s defenses ahead of an all-out assault on the east.

The spike in jet fuel prices will have to partly be passed on to passengers even as competition ramps up among discount carriers. The new president of budget airline Swoop says some costs need to be passed through to consumers in order for the company to be financially healthy. Bob Cummings still expects bookings to surpass pre-pandemic levels this summer.

A Métis group from Manitoba is in Rome for a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican later this week. The delegation will be the first to meet the head of the Roman Catholic Church since he apologized to Indigenous people for the deplorable conduct of church members involved in residential schools. Delegates include residential school survivors, elders and youth.

The official languages commissioner says events broadcast live on the Prime Minister’ s Facebook page must be in English and French. Just over a dozen people complained about the lack of simultaneous translation during a news conference announcing the nomination of Mary Simon as governor general. The nomination of Simon, an Inuk leader and former Canadian diplomat who does not speak French, led to hundreds of complaints to the language commissioner’s office.

Designs for a future student housing project at Okanagan College includes Indigenous influence and a unique radial multi-use space. Kelowna10 says documents submitted to city hall show a 182-unit building located along KLO and West Campus Road. According to design plans, the six-storey facility will have 162 micro-suites, six micro-accessible units, four double units, and 10 quad units.

Gatzke Orchards saved their harvest by forming icicles on their trees Saturday. Alan Gatzke told Vernon Matters that there was a risk of frost developing so they ran warm water through the irrigation system, and because water expels heat when it freezes it helped preserve the blossoms on apricot trees. He said the work preserved the harvest for now, but there is concern the fruit could be compromised and fall prematurely if temperatures soar in June.

The United Nations Human Rights Agency says more than 4.9 million Ukrainians have fled their country following the Russian invasion. It also warned of the risks of women and child refugees being exploited. Women and children account for 90 percent of those who escaped, and nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have been forced from their homes, including those still inside the country.

Sports

At Rogers Arena last night the Canucks made it 6 wins in a row with a 6-2 win over Dallas. No rest for Vancouver as they take on Ottawa tonight at 7.

In the NBA playoffs in Philadelphia, the Raptors lost their 2nd straight game against the 76ers. The score was 112-97. Game 3 goes tomorrow back in Toronto.

In the BCHL playoffs the West Kelowna Warriors will be going for a sweep in their second round series tomorrow night at home. Yesterday, the locals beat the Salmon Arm Silverbacks 4-1 to take a 3-0 lead in the best of 7.

Retired Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch and Seattle-born rapper Macklemore joined the Kraken’s ownership group as investors. Part of Lynch’s involvement will include his participation in the club’s “Hockey is for Everyone” campaign.

The Blue Jays are in Boston today at 4 for the first of 3 games at Fenway Park. Dan Schulman and Pat Tabler will most likely fill in as the full-time Blue Jays broadcast team after Buck Martinez announced he was to undergo cancer treatment.

Claude Julien, who was fired by the Montreal Canadiens last season, will coach Canada at the IIHF Men’s World Championship in May. Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith will join him behind the bench as an assistant.