Top Stories – Feb 15 – Grocery Questions

Members of Parliament have summoned the heads of Canada’s largest grocery store chains to answer for rising prices. Executives from Loblaw, Metro, Empire and Save On Foods, have testified at past committee meetings focused on the rising cost of food, but not their CEOs. Prices for food purchased from stores rose nearly 10 per cent overall in 2022.

Kelowna Council unanimously endorsed two resolutions from councillor Ron Cannan for the province to increase services for those dealing with addictions and mental health. He says that currently, some people have to wait days or even weeks to get into a post-detox program. The resolutions will go to a meeting of southern interior councils in April, and if approved, forwarded to the Union of BC Municipalities convention later this year.

The body of a Canadian woman who was visiting Turkey has been found in the rubble of a building that collapsed Feb. 6. during the earthquake that has killed thousands. Saad Zora says his twin sister Samar was found by searchers as an excavator dug through pieces of a five-storey building. She had travelled there for her doctoral research in anthropology.

Kelowna Council approved a plan by staff to apply for a $180,000 grant to the provincial government’s Community Resiliency Investment Program. It’s intended to reduce the risk and impact of wildfire to BC communities. If successful, the grant will fund several initiatives, including a residential debris chipping program and a fuel modification project within McKinley Mountain Park.

An advocacy group says child poverty in BC fell in 2020 due to government benefits provided in response to the pandemic, but any progress may be wiped out by the rising cost of living. The First Call Child and Youth Advocacy Society shows the child poverty rate was 13.3 per cent, a decrease from 18 per cent in 2019. Social Development and Poverty Reduction Minister Sheila Malcolmson says she’s read the report, and she knows inflation is hitting people hard this year.

Two backcountry skiers are dead after being caught in an avalanche in central BC. Avalanche Canada says they were on a slope south of Tatla Lake, just over 200 kilometres west of Williams Lake.

It’s an extra long weekend coming up for students with a District 23 Pro-D day on Friday and the Family Day stat on Monday. There are lots of activities planned on both sides of the lake. In Kelowna, go to kelowna.ca/calendar. On the westside, all the info is at westkelownacity.ca/familyfunday .

If you received some flowers yesterday with some of those white Baby’s Breath twigs, don’t put them in the compost or the green bin. The Invasive Species Council of BC says the small white flowers are actually a harmful invasive plant that reduces native grasses and forage for wildlife. The group suggests putting them in a sealed garbage bag when you’re done with them.

Fighter jets from Canada and the United States were scrambled Monday night to intercept four Russian military aircraft as they buzzed North American airspace. NORAD said they remained in international airspace and it was not seen as a threat nor provocative. It added there was no connection between this action and the balloons that have been shot down recently.

Sports

The Kelowna Rockets will try to end their 4 game losing streak tonight when they host Everett at 7. Pregame show on 1047 The Lizard is at 6:35.

The Canucks will try and get one in the win column tonight but it might be tough. They host the Rangers, who have 70 points compared to Vancouver’s 46.

As free agency opened yesterday, the BC Lions announced at least 4 signings. One was quarterback Dominique Davis who last played for Montreal.

The Las Vegas Raiders have released quarterback Derek Carr. It had to happen before 1pm yesterday when $40 million of his 2023 salary was scheduled to become guaranteed.