Top Stories – Feb 27 – Construction Detours

Construction crews in West Kelowna will begin work today to install the next phase of water transmission mains on Westlake Road to connect to the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant. This means Westlake from Peak Point Drive to Horizon Drive will be closed to vehicle traffic 24 hours a day, including weekends until April 7. Pedestrian access will be maintained. Detours will be on Starlight Crescent and Horizon Drive.

BC’s solicitor general says the province will investigate what he calls ‘troubling complaints’ about the RCMP in Prince George, as the government is committed to ending systemic violence against Indigenous women and other groups. Mike Farnworth says the complaints were highlighted in a report by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission, the independent body that looks into allegations against the RCMP.

Prime Minister Trudeau announced more weapons for Ukraine. There will be four additional Leopard-2 main battle tanks, growing Canada’s contribution to eight in total. We will also donate an armoured recovery vehicle and more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition.

The recycling bins are for those items only. Financial penalties are being imposed on some Central Okanagan local governments by Recycle BC. Waste audits show contamination in the curbside recycling carts average around 8%, well above allowable levels of 3%. If you need a refresher on what is allowed, go to rdco.com/recycle.

The big snow storm forecast for the lower mainland Saturday morning and afternoon never materialized as the temperature warmed up. However that didn’t stop Air Canada and WestJet from cancelling flights even before the first flurries flew on the coast around dinner time. More than a dozen to Kelowna were nixed leaving passengers stranded in both cities when flying conditions were acceptable.

Several prominent media publishers across the U.S. including USA Today are dropping the Dilbert comic strip. It comes after its creator described people who are Black as members of “a racist hate group” during an online video show. Others denounced the comments by Scott Adams as racist, hateful and discriminatory.

The Kelowna Council agenda for this afternoon includes an update from the RCMP on 2022 public safety and crime data. And Council will again look at changing the land designation for the recently sold Kelowna Springs Golf Course from ‘Industrial’ to ‘Private Recreational’. Council will also be asked to deal with a bylaw to borrow 48 Million dollars to help cover the 90 Million needed for the airport expansion.

Singer Neil Young made a surprise appearance at an old growth logging protest rally at the legislature on the weekend. He talked to the hundreds of people between songs, saying thank you Canada and calling old trees sacred and precious.

A meeting of finance chiefs of the Group of 20 leading economies ended without a consensus, with Russia and China objecting to the description of the war in Ukraine in a final document. At the last major G-20 meeting in November, leaders had strongly condemned the war, warning that the conflict was intensifying fragilities in the world’s economy.

Sports

The Kelowna Rockets had a win in Edmonton, a loss in Red Deer and a 3-2 win in a shootout at the Saddledome in Calgary on the weekend. Spokane visits Prospera Place on Wednesday.

Registration for the Kelowna Crows Spring no contact Mini Rugby program is open. It will run Sundays from April to June at the Parkinson Rec fields. More details at kelownacrows.com

The Canucks have a quick one game road trip to Dallas tonight at 5:30 before returning home for 6 games.

The BC Lions picked up pivot Dane Evans from the Tiger-Cats in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick in 2024. Evans will compete for the No. 2 job behind Vernon Adams Jr.