Top Stories – May 25 – Flood Watch Ends

The Flood Watch has ended for the Okanagan Valley. In fact, there are no fast-flowing water advisories. The BC River Forecast Centre says flood hazards have diminished as snowmelt and rainfall runoff has eased. People and pets are still advised to stay away from creek and stream banks as they could be unstable from days of heavy flows.

The Ellison Fire Department’s annual open house is Saturday from 10am to 3pm at the Fire Hall at 4411 Old Vernon Road. The firefighters will be cooking up smokies all day and offering pony rides from 10 to noon. There’s also the chance to explore fire trucks and learn about emergency preparedness and fire prevention at information booths hosted by BC Ambulance and RCMP.

Newcomers, including international students and foreign workers, will soon receive enhanced supports to help them thrive in their new communities as they contribute to the economy. The Province will increase funding for settlement services from 6 million to $25.6 million annually. The program will launch next spring and is expected to serve more than 40,000 clients per year.

West Kelowna Council received a presentation from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure about the future and vision of the Highway 97 corridor from Peachland to Lake Country. In West Kelowna, proposed road improvements include Boucherie and Westlake Interchanges and removal of the Highway 97 couplet to support growth and development in Westbank Centre.

Both B-MO Financial Group and the Bank of Nova Scotia reported higher expenses, more money set aside for bad loans, and thinner margins on interest that led them to earn less than they did a year ago. B-MO reported a second-quarter profit of 1.06-Billion-dollars while Scotiabank earned just 2.16-Billion in the 3 month period.

One of the most iconic TV homes ever is up for sale. For just 5.5-million dollars, you can own the Brady Bunch home in L-A’s San Fernando Valley. The house was used for exterior shots only in the show but a couple of years ago, HGTV bought it. They made the real insides match the Brady family’s living room, bedrooms and kitchen with orange countertops… well, it WAS the early 70s.

The Kelowna Fire Department’s popular Fire Safety House is back on the road helping to teach fire safety tips to students in grades one through three. The two-story mini house on wheels, complete with a smoke machine was constructed by off duty firefighters in the mid-70s. It’s been used to educate over 22,000 primary school kids on the importance of evacuating the home when they hear the smoke alarm.

Residents will be allowed to return to Hay River in the Northwest Territories today after a wildfire forced them to leave 11 days ago. The mayor says officials are doing everything they can to ensure people can return safely. Meanwhile, a wildfire continues to burn on a nearby First Nation, which was evacuated at the same time.

The Canadian company that helped develop the first antibody therapy treatment for COVID-19 is more than doubling the size of its planned expansion in Vancouver. AbCellera Biologics will add research and development capacity to the plant that has been in the works since 2020. The first focus is going to be on antibody therapies for use against cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Sports

In Florida last night the Panthers became the first team this season to advance to the Stanley Cup final, scoring with 5 seconds left to beat Carolina 4-3 and take the East championship in 4 games straight.
The Golden Knights can punch their ticket to the final with a win tonight in Dallas, but they will have to do it without Victoria-born Captain Jamie Benn who was suspended for two games for cross-checking Vegas Captain Mark Stone in the head on Tuesday.

There’s a report that former Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving is “very high” on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ list to replace Kyle Dubas.