Top Stories – Apr 19 – On Strike

Federal workers who are members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, are on strike this morning. Some of the 155,000 are essential workers. The main sticking point in contract talks has been wages. A strike will include, but not be limited to a complete halt of the tax season, disruptions to employment insurance, along with immigration and passport applications. PSAC members who have been working from home will have to show up on picket lines or not receive any strike pay.

You’ll have to meet your friends on a shorter version of Bernard Avenue in Kelowna this summer. The Downtown Kelowna Association has decided that the 400 and 500 blocks will not be closed to traffic as they have been previously. However city council has approved that restaurants in those two blocks can expand out to parking spaces in front of their operation. Meet Me on Bernard will still run from the May long weekend through Labour Day.

There were 197 lives lost to toxic drugs in BC in March which makes the total so far this year 596, just three short of the record for the same period last year. 71% of those dying were 30 to 59, and 77% were male. There have been 19 deaths attributed to toxic drugs in Kelowna so far this year.

The public hearing for the future land use designation for Kelowna Springs Golf Course has been pushed back a couple of weeks. It will now be held on June 20th as opposed to the 6th. The owner has said it wants to redevelop the property as industrial, but changing the designation to private recreational, would make it more difficult for that to happen.

One person died in a house fire in Summerland. It broke out Tuesday afternoon on Canyon View Road and after it was extinguished one of the residents was found deceased. The cause of the fire is believed accidental, and is not criminal, or suspicious.

The union representing WestJet pilots says it has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike. The Air Line Pilots Association says the 1,600 WestJet pilots it represents can launch a strike as early as the week leading up to the May long weekend, which typically kicks off the summer travel season for thousands of Canadians.

The Okanagan Valley between Kelowna and Vernon is in a severe drought condition according to Agriculture Canada. That’s in the middle of their table that goes from Abnormally Dry to Exceptional Drought. Although the snowpack is higher than normal the area reported extremely low precipitation last month where there was less than 10% of average rainfall.

You probably didn’t notice it at the grocery store, but Canada’s inflation rate fell to its lowest level since August 2021 last month. Stats Can says it was measured at 4.3 percent, down from 5.2 in February. Grocery prices were up 9.7 percent on a year-over-year basis in March.

Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems settled their case for $787.5 million, ending one of the most highly anticipated defamation trials in decades. Dominion lawyer Justin Nelson told reporters outside the Delaware court – quote – “The truth matters… Lies have consequences.” Reports indicated the agreement included no on-air acknowledgement of wrong doing by anyone at Fox.

Sports

Three Kelowna Rockets made it to the final rankings of the NHL Central Scouting List. Andrew Cristall is at #15, Caden Price at #47 and Gabriel Szturc at 220. The NHL entry draft begins June 28th.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has been given the green light to resume his football career. He suffered a cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are working to finalize a trade for Rams wide receiver Allen Robinson, if he passes a physical. He suited up for just 10 games in 2022 after a foot injury ended his season.