Top Stories – Apr 26 – Avian Flu Here

The Kelowna RCMP is investigating a stabbing that occurred last evening in which a man has died from his injuries. At 8:45 p.m. RCMP responded to multiple 9-1-1 calls regarding an injured man at the intersection of Harvey Avenue and Gordon Drive.  When officers arrived on scene, they located a man who had sustained injuries consistent with stab wounds. The victim, a 38-year-old man, was transported to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed that a small backyard poultry flock in Kelowna has tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus. The infected premises has been placed under quarantine and the ministry has notified producers within a 12-kilometre radius of the positive test result.

Displaced Ukrainians arriving in BC with proper visas will have immediate access to Medical Services Plan coverage. The government says it anticipates that some individuals will need medical services immediately. Ukrainians and their family members can apply for a three-year Temporary Resident Visa or Open Work Permit.

The governor of the Bank of Canada is signalling the key interest rate could go up another half percentage point in June to help wrestle inflation under control. Tick Macklem says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has driven up the cost of energy and other commodities, and is further disrupting global supply chains, but adds there is also domestic pressure on prices.

Kelowna RCMP is investigating an accident that left one man injured. Officers learned that a garbage truck had hit a man who may have been sleeping in the area near garbage bins near a business on Banks Road, but left on foot before police got there. They found him not too far away and he was taken to hospital with serious, but non life-threatening injuries.

Work is starting on the Frazer Lake Dam in the Upper Mission so the trail link across the dam is closed until the end of July. The current dam was constructed in the early 1900s and does not meet today’s safety standards. Crews will remove the old dam and construct a new one out of steel sheet piles.

Ukraine’s war with Russia will be top for discussion today when Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly meets by video link with her U.S. counterpart. She and Secretary of State Antony Blinken will discuss the ongoing multilateral effort to push back against Vladimir Putin. Blinken and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met in person in Kyiv with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the weekend.

Kelowna City Council approved the final 2022 Financial Plan yesterday with an overall tax increase of 3.94 percent. That translates to an additional $86.47 per year, for the City portion on an average residential property tax bill. City taxes are only one portion of the bill, which also includes other levies the city collects on behalf of the Province, the Regional District, the Library, and BC Assessment.

This weekend, Search and Rescue K9 teams from around BC will be in Kelowna for training and validations with the RCMP Police Dog Services. Locally, after about 2,000 hours of training, COSAR’s search and rescue K9 “Chase” was certified in 2021. In his first 12 months of service he participated in 20 tasks and had multiple successes.

The federal government has called an independent public inquiry into its use of the Emergencies Act during the blockades at Canadian border crossings and in Ottawa earlier this year. Ontario Appeal Court Justice Paul Rouleau has been named commissioner of the inquiry and must provide a final report in English and French to the federal government by Feb. 20 next year.

Sports

The Kelowna Rockets will be hoping for a win tonight to get back in their playoff series with the Seattle Thunderbirds. Game time at Prospera place is 7 with the T-birds leading the best of seven, 2 games to none.

A big win in Philadelphia for the Toronto Raptors last night. We The North beat the 76ers 103-88 to pull within one game in the best of 7 playoff. Game 6 is Thursday back in Toronto.

The Vancouver Canucks are at home tonight playing their I-5 rivals from Seattle. Face off against the Kraken is at 7 PM.

The Toronto Blue Jays have another home game against the Boston Red Sox this afternoon. Yesterday, they took a 6-2 win to even the 4 game series at one win each.

Team Canada is back at it today in Germany at the World under 18 hockey championships. They go into the game against the Czechia with one win and 1 loss so far. (Game starts at 6:30am on TSN)

Felix Trudeau of the West Kelowna Warriors was named one of the BCHL Stars of the Week. He tied for the points lead with six in three games. His five assists also tied for tops in the league as he helped the Warriors win two of three games against Salmon Arm to move on to Round 3.