For the second time this winter, scammers are attempting to use the Vernon Winter Carnival name to get money from people.
Reports on social media say the new scam used social media messenger to request money via etransfer for a balloon ride booking during the carnival. The VWC says rides are only booked through Okanagan Ballooning and they will never request payments through social media or from personal email addresses.
Following the reports, the Vernon Winter Carnival is once again advising people to call the VWC office at 250-545-2236, if in doubt.
“It seems Winter Carnival is the target of a few scams happening this year,” said the group on Facebook.
VWC is reminding people of the previous scam, which targeted food trucks and vendors in the community. Someone was claiming to be with VWC and asking vendors to fill out a google form and send $120/day to register as a vendor or food truck for all 10-days of Carnival. The person doing so was/is not involved with VWC.
Any communication about vendors or food trucks or any events associated with Vernon Winter Carnival come from the organization directly, not from personal email addresses.
“Please DO NOT send anyone money. They are NOT affiliated in ANY WAY with Vernon Winter Carnival,” reads the Facebook post.
Vehicles fully engulfed in flames spread to the apartment building above it before being put out by Vernon Fire Rescue Services, Friday morning.
At about 7 a.m. this morning, VFRS were sent to reports of a vehicle fire in a covered car park.
Crews arrived at a residential building in the 3600 block of 30th Ave, across from the Schubert centre, and found two vehicles fully engulfed in flames with the fire extending into the building above.
The vehicle was extinguished and the building evacuated as a precaution while firefighters worked to contain and extinguish the fire that had spread to three suites.
During the incident, residents told fire crews that not all occupants were accounted for. Firefighters conducted a thorough sweep of the building and safely assisted two residents out of the structure.
“Several suites sustained extensive fire, smoke, and water damage,” said a release from the city. “Vernon Emergency Support Services (ESS) has been activated to assist residents who have been temporarily displaced.”
There are no reports of injuries.
For the safety of crews and residents, 30th Avenue between 37th Street and 31st Avenue was closed for several hours.
BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS), RCMP, and BC Hydro also attended the scene. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
ORIGINAL 9:49 a.m.
An unknown incident brought emergency crews to 30th Avenue near the Schubert Centre, Friday morning.
Castanet received multiple reports of Vernon Fire Rescue Service and police on scene. The reason for the presence is unclear at this time.
City spokesperson Josh Winquist said information will be released shortly, but the incident was not at the Schubert Centre.
Sources say an Enderby long-term care facility could nearly lose half of its care aides following a staffing restructure this month.
Interior Health confirmed it’s implementing a new staffing rotation for care aides at the Parkview Place long-term care facility as of Jan. 17.
Castanet spoke to two sources who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution – both say the changes could mean as many as half the care aides at the centre will be forced to find other jobs or retire early.
According to an inside source, care aides will soon have to work all kinds of shifts: morning, day and night. Previously, they were able to work shifts that fit their schedule.
IH says the shift is to provide the highest quality of care for the individuals who live in the care home.
“The change will increase direct care hours for residents by adding an additional full-time position to our current total staffing and foster consistent relationships between residents and caregivers,” said IH in an email.
But sources say the move could leave current, local, care aides out of work, providing less care to residents. One example of how: anyone with children is unable to work the morning shift as no daycares are open that early, but the new staffing model is expected to force staff to work all manner of shifts.
Some care aides already know they won’t be able to continue working under the new schedule, and the facility already struggles with staffing.
On top of that, January is a tough time for casual care aides as people don’t want to drive from Vernon or Salmon Arm.
When asked what kind of recourse staff have in regards to this change, IH said “all changes comply with collective agreements, with processes in place for union staff to raise concerns.”
The health authority also said it’s meeting with families to provide accurate information about the adjusted rotation.
An anonymous staff source says they’re not opposed to a schedule change, just the new one they’ve been given, which they believe will impact care residents receive.
The Upper Room Mission is highlighting the turn around of one of its clients turned volunteers.
In a post to its webpage, the group introduced Guy who’d been homeless and unable to access most social services in town.
“His mental health was declining rapidly, and The Mission was one of the only places left where he could find support,” reads the post. “That year was especially difficult for him—he was arrested multiple times for minor infractions and eventually spent two months in jail.
Guy returned to The Mission upon his release with a changed attitude. According to the group he was ready to step out of homelessness and reunite with his wife and child.
The Mission connected him to the services he needed and provided counselling to help him rebuild relationships.
Now, two-and-a-half years later the organization says Guy is thriving, sober and living independently with his wife and daughter.
He’s become the regular driver at the Upper Room Mission, picking up groceries and donations from our community partners.
“His journey is a testament to the power of hope, perseverance, and the transformative love that can emerge even in the toughest circumstances,” said the URM.
Upper Room said stories of transformation can often go untold.
The group aims to serve people during a “critical moment in their journey, connecting them with organizations that provide housing, mental health care, and other essential services to support their long-term well-being.”
Friends of the Library members packing books for sale on Jan. 17 and 18.
The Vernon Friends of the Library are holding a special fiction book sale this month.
The sale takes place Jan. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Jan. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Okanagan Regional Library Vernon Branch.
Books will cost $2 per book or 10 for $10.
This sale is an “after Christmas treat” outside of the group's normal book sales.
The Vernon Friends of the Library main event is a large annual book sale which happens the first weekend of May every year.
Proceeds of Friends of the Library sales go to the Okanagan Regional Library with a portion going directly to the Vernon branch. The money is used for non-budget items like specialized furniture, decorations for the kids department, plants and adult programming.
It was a busy year for the BX Swan Lake fire crew, but Fire Chief Bill Wacey says calls decreased slightly from a record-breaking year in 2023.
“Overall, we had a pretty busy year in the sense of all the different emergency calls that we attend to and the whole gambit everything for medical calls to motor vehicle incidences, wildfires, a couple of structure fires and everything else, all in between, carbon monoxide calls, a couple that were serious. It's been a busy year for us,” said Wacey.
BX Swan Lake firefighters helped out on wildfires throughout the province as part of the provincial apparatus program, or interagency agreement, where fire chiefs help support each other in times of need.
“We support the program by listing the apparatus that we can afford to leave our area to render assistance to any part of the province that's in an extreme level of fire behaviour or bad weather indices when it comes to heat and everything else,” said Wacey.
“We were deployed seven times throughout the province with our different types of wildfire engines along with crews, structure protection crews. Our structure protection trailer was also deployed out to Sheltand Creek area, the Ashcroft area for the first big event of the season.”
A challenge for BX Swan Lake crews was dealing with hazmat issues as some fires involved hazardous materials.
“A couple of homeless camps that we dealt with, which was certainly a lot less than the previous year, but there was some circumstances in which we always have to approach with more caution because it's the unknown quantity of hazardous materials.”
Wacey said the mutual aide agreement with surrounding fire departments like Coldstream, Spallumcheen, Vernon and Armstrong means crews can call each other for help when needed.
As for what to expect in 2025, Wacey said it’s hard to say but the North Okanagan is an extreme risk area and climate change is here, and the BX Swan Lake Crew is always taking training to ensure its prepared.
“We are always anticipating more challenges when it comes to wildfires, but at the same time, we’re set up pretty good in the North Okanagan with quick expectation,” said Wacey.
The crew hired five new recruits who’ve just completed their training. Wacey is expecting some retriments in the group and is looking to hire some more on-call firefighters.
“It's a large commitment, but at the end of the day it certainly is something that when people dial 911, they expect professional firefighters to show up. We make sure that we are successful with that,” said Wacey.
Vernon Fire Rescue declined to speak to Castanet and Coldstream Fire Department did not respond to request for comment.
Bush Babes Trail running has announced its series of trail events in Vernon for 2025.
Bush Babes is founded by Dawna Jodoin, an ultra runner and coach – she hopes to inspire the outdoor community through her passion for trail running and fitness.
The 2025 season will see the return of Slay the Dragon at Silver Star Mountain, Freaky Creaky at Kalamalka Provincial Park, and Brokenagan at Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre. There will also be the debut of FatBike at Silver Star Mountain, offering a fresh opportunity for fat bikers and snowshoers to hit the trails in the winter season.
“We are thrilled to offer these diverse events that will push athletes to their limits while embracing the beauty of Vernon’s incredible outdoors,” said Jodoin. “Whether you’re trail running, fat biking, or snowshoeing, our events provide the perfect opportunity to challenge yourself and enjoy the trails with a community of passionate outdoor enthusiasts.”
Jodoin says events will have breathtaking views, challenging terrain, and an unforgettable experience for participants.
"I’m dedicated to fostering a sense of community and adventure through these events," said Jodoin. "Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or new to the trails, we welcome everyone to join us and experience the joy and challenge of trail running and winter sports."
Jodoin says she’s looking forward to another year of helping people reach their fitness goals, enjoying the outdoors, and experiencing the thrill of trail running, fat biking, and snowshoeing in Vernon.
More details on upcoming events can be found online here.
An Enderby couple is the proud parents of the first baby to be born in the Okanagan in 2025.
Casey Ladyka was born at 1:07 a.m. Wednesday to Cassandra Larson and Chace Ladyka at the Vernon Jubilee Hospital.
“It's pretty surreal,” said new father Ladyka. “While she was pushing then just watching the clock, like, we're getting close, it's 11:45 and then midnight hit, and then we had to wait another hour before he actually came out.”
Casey Ladyka was born weighing eight pounds, one ounce. He is the first child for the proud parents.
Ladyka spoke to Castanet while his partner and the new baby got some much needed rest.
Before the baby arrived, Ladyka said they knew there was a chance they could have a New Year’s baby.
“We had this idea that it could be a possibility, because the due date was on the second but Casandra had gestational diabetes so they wanted to induce her early, for obvious reasons,” he said.
The couple has been in the hospital since Monday.
Ladyka said they had the name picked out well before Casey arrived.
“A big thing in Cassandra's family, they're all C's,” he said. “She's got two other sisters, and her mom are all C names, so she wanted to go with a C name.
“We really loved Casey, so we've had it picked out for a while and then when he was born, we were like, yeah, this is it. This is Casey here."
Ben Low-On - Jan 1, 2025 / 4:00 am | Story: 523799
Photo: Ben Low-On
When the Regional District of North Okanagan looks back on 2024, Board of Directors chair Shirley Fowler says the year has been “busy and productive.”
Main focuses for the board included emergency management and the ability to recover after climate events.
Fowler says the RDNO has spent its “most time on" electoral area bylaw 3000, which covers land use regulations within RDNO areas. Items in the bylaw include increasing the maximum height for buildings in residential zones as well as removing a minimum size for buildings in residential and rural zones.
The RDNO has collaborated with the Ministry of Forests, District of Lake Country, and Okanagan Indian Band on a fire mitigation project in the North Aberdeen Plateau area. The project’s goal is to protect water infrastructures and the cultural heritage of the area.
The first phase of work will see flammable materials removed from the area located southeast of Vernon.
Going into the new year, one of the biggest focuses for the RDNO will be the Greater Vernon Cultural Centre (GVCC).
The GVCC will put the Vernon Public Art Gallery and the Greater Vernon Museum “under one roof.”
“This provides much-needed space for sharing, teaching, exhibits, events and presentations,” said Fowler about the importance of the GVCC.
Construction for the museum is set to start in Sept. 2025, and the estimated cost of the project is $46 million, which will be split between long and short term borrowing.
Another focus for the RDNO is continuing construction of the rail trail running from Sicamous to Armstrong.
The RDNO has received grant money for the project that has to be used by fall 2025. Fowler says this puts the regional district “in a pinch” to keep the project moving.
Vernon’s father-daughter curling duo competing at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Nova Scotia lost their last two games.
Jim Cotter, 50, and Jaelyn Cotter, 24 started the competition strong winning their first two games on the first day of the competition. But day two has proven tricky and the duo lost their third overall game 8-10, and then lost their fourth overall game 3-7.
The pair play two more games tomorrow and a final game on Thursday for this first portion of the trials.
Currently, competitors have been divided into two pools of eight, the top three teams from each pool will move onto a six-team playoff.
The gold medal match will take place Jan. 4.
The winning team will move onto compete at the 2025 World Mixed Doubles Championship April 26-May 3 in Fredericton, N.B.
That event will also decide most of which countries will compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy – if Canada qualifies for the Games it will be the Trials winner from this Liverpool event who will wear the Maple Leaf in Italy.
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