Coach Cord Crowthers (right) and coach Glen Burlingame (left) are ready for the 2024 season
After decades passing since there has been minor or high school football played locally, the Penticton Minor Football Association is up and running, ready to accept players.
The Penticton Minor Football team will be affiliated with the British Columbia Provincial Football Association (BCPFA) and the Penticton Mavericks will compete in the Southern Interior Football Conference (SIFC) along with Kelowna, Kamloops, Vernon and Salmon Arm associations.
PMFA said they strive to be a South Okanagan team, wanting to see players from Oliver, Osoyoos, Summerland, Okanagan Falls, Keremeos and Peachland to sign up.
Heading up the team will be Cord Crowthers, who has been has been coaching for 16 years. He started with Regina Minor Football when his sons were eight years old.
Since moving to Kelowna five years ago, Crowthers started coaching with the Kelowna Minor Football Association (KMFA) and went on to become Vice-President of the non-profit organization.
“Coaching has been a passion of mine for decades and I’m very excited to bring tackle football to Penticton,” he said in the press release.
Also coaching will be Glen Burlingame, who played high school football for Carson Graham Eagles and made the BC Pepsi All-Star team.
After high school, he went on to play for the Westside Warriors in the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver.
“I’m super excited for this opportunity to help grow the football community here in Penticton. It is such a great sport for all different types of athletes,” Burlingame said.
The Penticton Mavericks will be sponsored by Bannister Ford Penticton, and are actively fundraising additional money – as $30,000 is required to purchase equipment for all players.
“We are so proud to support Youth Football in Penticton and be a part of the community. Go Mavericks!” Jon Foster, the GM of Bannister Ford Penticton said.
The Penticton Minor Football Association will utilize McNicoll Park as its home field.
The PMFA is also looking for coaches and volunteers to help for the season.
Registration opens Monday, June 17 at 9 a.m.
PMFA said the goal is getting a maximum of 27 players signed up for the fall season. Parents can email [email protected] for more information
The Peewee U-12 Age Division is for 10-11-year olds; players born in 2013 and 2014.
Age Divisions are based on birth year, with the child’s age as of December 31, 2024 of the year the program runs will determine their age division.
As such, in addition to registration fees the following membership fees are required for insurances: BCPFA $13, Football Canada $15, Coaches training $5, and $10 for Insurance.
Photo: Tasha O’Krane
A Penticton woman had to rush her four-month-old puppy up to Kelowna on Friday to receive emergency care after it was pummelled by a doe.
Tasha O’Krane said she was walking her dog, Poppy, near Parkway Elementary, along the Baskin Park green space. The pup was on a leash, and they were practicing her heel when suddenly a deer charged up and cornered them along the fence.
“I just kept making moves. Every time I would move a little bit, it would jump whichever way I went. It was after us. It was very scary,” she said.
O’Krane quickly picked up her dog, who was terrified and yelping at this point.
“The deer was just more focused on us then and looking more agitated. I didn’t know what to do. I can’t go anywhere. I can’t defend us in this small space, there’s nobody around. I was screaming for help, and then I made the split decision to let her go,” she added.
“I was trying to give her like a fighting chance, basically, and I let her run and tried to distract it, right? But it didn’t work.”
While she was hoping to have the deer stay focused on her, instead, it chased after the young pup and caught up to her in just a few strides.
“It was on her in no time at all, and proceeded to dance on her, just trying to kill her, trying to stomp her dead.”
O’Krane ran after the animals and eventually managed to scare the deer off long enough to grab Poppy.
“I just picked her up and ran. I was just like 200 feet from my house, basically.”
Unfortunately, with no 24/7 veterinary care in the area, she rushed her dog to Kelowna for care. Poppy was left with two fractures on her right hind leg, bruising of the liver, bruising of the lungs, a fractured rib, and internal bleeding, which seems to have stopped.
“So she’s stable. We have her home now,” O’Krane said. “It was absolutely terrifying. I just keep reliving it, thinking, ‘What could I have done differently?'”
O’Krane did report the incident to the Conservation Officer Service, who told her they’d be putting up warning signs in the area.
After the incident, a resident in the neighbourhood put up a sign heading into the area that reads “No dogs. Deer will kill you.”
Mitch Guilderson said he wanted to warn people not to bring dogs and kids into the green space after there had been multiple instances of the deer charging at people and their dogs, including himself.
Conservation reminds people every spring that does can act dangerously and charge at people, as they are trying to protect their fawns.
Residents are urged to be “super cautious and super aware,” avoiding areas where deer have been spotted recently. If you come across a doe, give her as much space as possible.
The suggestion is to give them 50, 70, 100 yards if possible. A wide berth is the best advice.
Deer can be triggered to run long distances if they perceive that you are a threat to their fawn.
Residents are also encouraged to leave fawns alone, even if spotted in an area without their mom.
To report a conflict or concern with wildlife, contact the Conservation Officer Service through the (RAPP) line 1-877-952-7277.
Photo: Mitch Guilderson
Photo: Pixabay
After a lengthy discussion on Thursday, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen Board of Directors approved a seven-year contract for curbside and recycling services, which will see a substantial price increase for residents.
The curbside and recycling contract, which includes mixed food and yard waste, will come into effect mid-way through 2025.
RDOS staff evaluated and presented other methods of providing the same services at a lower cost to the board, which included establishing fully-automated or semi-automated in-house garbage and recycling services. However, the recommendation was to stick with Waste Connections.
The new contract also brings with it a $2.5 million cost to purchase three new bins for each household to be compatible with the fully-automated garbage trucks that WCC is switching to.
“I realize that the contract cost is materially high. All three are high, and one of the things that I thought long and hard is, okay, what can we do to mitigate this increase? I’m recommending for those areas—and the majority of you have a one year billing—rather than continue one year billing, I’m recommending that we go quarterly so that increase doesn’t come out of the same check. It’s split out over the year,” RDOS CAO Jim Zaffino said.
If the board decides curbside collection comes in house, staff would need to get to work immediately to build the service before the contract with the Waste Connections expires in June of 2025.
While many directors expressed interest in building an in house service, the risks, unforeseen costs, and time it would take to establish the system deterred others.
Penticton Director Isaac Gilbert said while he is in support of going in house to have garbage pickup, he would be supporting the contract.
“I don’t believe that we have enough time and flexibility, and there’s too much risk involved in a year to create a brand-new department with staff and trucks,” he added. “I am all for RDOS going with the contract and working towards after the contract is done for an in house service.”
Zaffino answered that he wanted to make sure that the board knows that he can confirm that it can happen and the in house service would be ready by next year.
Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield added that he felt Waste Connections can operate at a much lower cost compared to what the RDOS could do as an individual operator.
“If we think we can outperform this company and their 13 and a half per cent profit, then I think we might have a nasty wake up call, and I just like to see some rational thinking going into the decision that we’re about to make.”
Okanagan Falls Director Matt Taylor added that from his perspective, choosing the Waste Connections bid will give them the most flexibility for the future.
“Because at least you can get out of that in five to seven years, if you want to, you can plan. You can spend the next five years planning something and having a real, rock solid business plan,” Taylor said.
“I would love to look at in house, if that’s what people want to look at, but I don’t want to do it with the amount of time we’ve had to prepare as the basis for it, because we’re going to live with it. We’re not living it with it for just the next five years. We’re living with it for good.”
The RDOS did receive four bids for the RFP, two of which met the basic criteria, with Waste Connections Canada being the lower-cost option.
“I don’t like the increase. I’m not going to pretend like I like the increase. We’re having to go to brand new bins that are going to cost my residents money, and we’re looking at options for that, I still think the first one is the right option,” Keremeos Mayor Jason Wiebe said.
Many of the directors commented on how substantial these increases are, especially to residents on fixed and low income.
“We have to be mindful that these are expenses that people have to pay, and those on fixed incomes will be making choices between what bills to pay. This isn’t a choice of a bill that they get to pay,” Naramata Director Adrienne Fedrigo added.
RDOS Board Chair Mark Pendergraft said he believes it would be best to go in house.
“What we’ve got now isn’t perfect either. There’s misses, there’s times where they don’t come for half a day late. It’s not perfect. Is that going to happen if it comes in house, probably for the first little while, it will be what you would call a bumpy ride for a bit. It’s not going to be a whole lot bumpier than what we’re getting now,” he added.
“It’s not a perfect system, and we’re paying huge dollars for it. There is potential to save substantial dollars. And I think if you don’t do it now, seven years from now, probably none of us will be sitting around this table any longer, and I don’t know that it will happen.”
After the motion to bring services in house was defeated, Cawston Director George Bush expressed his frustration.
“I know you people in the city that have good jobs and everything. You just don’t understand the rural problems we have, and it’s really showing through, and I’m really disappointed,” he said.
Bloomfield clarified that his decision is based on what he felt is a good for the Regional District as a whole in response.
“I think we’re here to make rational decisions for the good of the regional district as a whole, and and I think that safety and certainty is the vital parts of those decisions, and we were faced with something that was too uncertain for our future.”
The motion to award the contract to Waste Connections Canada passed with Directors Bush, Fedrigo, Tim Roberts, Pendergraft, Rick Knodel, Subrina Monteith, Spencer Coyne and Bob Coyne opposed.
The RDOS also approved the transition from annual billing to quarterly.
The estimates for curbside pick-up increases throughout the RDOS are expected to be between 127 percent to 237 percent.
Electoral Area A (Rural Osoyoos): $147.30 in 2024 to $334.21 in 2025, an increase of 126.89 per cent.
Electoral Area B (Cawston and Lower Similkameen): $150.11 to $380.03, an increase of 153.16 per cent.
Electoral Area C (Rural Oliver, Willowbrook): From $162.98 to $383.29, an increase of 135.17 per cent.
Electoral Areas D (Skaha East), E (Naramata), F (Greater West Bench, Rural Summerland, Okanagan Lake West) and I (Skaha West, Kaleden, Apex: From $154.83 to $382.94, an increase of 147.33 per cent.
Red Wing residents: From $157.17 to $382.74, an increase of 143.52 per cent.
Okanagan Falls: From $138.12 to $465.09, an increase of 236.73 per cent.
Electoral Area G (Rural Keremeos, Hedley, Olalla): From $175.44 to $441.14, an increase of 151.45 per cent.
Village of Keremeos: From $132.70 to $368, an increase of 177.31 per cent.
Information about curbside garbage and recycling services will be distributed via RDOS web and social media channels, including the curbside collection web page online here.
The board will also be looking at more flexible options for curbside pick-up, which will be discussed at a future meeting.
Casey Richardson
A curious little bear cub decided to fully enjoy the backyard of a Penticton home on Wednesday, trying out the swing set, playing with the garden hose, and knocking over a few planters.
Tara Dawn said she had just come home from dropping off her son at school when she looked out her kitchen window and saw the bear right outside of the sliding glass door.
“I realized—his or her—head was inside this bucket of dirt, like dehydrated compost we kind of keep for planting and stuff, and it was right in it,” she said.
“So I quickly called my daughter over and I said,’ Look, there’s a bear right here.'”
Three-year-old Evelyn watched with her mom inside as the bear wandered around for the next 45 minutes.
“He walked out to the grass and was playing with the hose, getting himself tangled in it and chewing on it. And then he walked around through my daughter’s playhouse, the sandbox, and came back, laid for a bit under my pergola, and then went out and was playing with our swing, actually playing and hitting it. It was really cute actually, he looked like he was having a blast.”
Dawn said it felt like they were at the zoo, getting to see the animal so up close.
The family has been in the area since 2018 and has seen the usual wildlife in their backyard, including deer, squirrels and marmots, but was surprised to have the bear.
“This is definitely the first time there was a bear, and it felt like it was just such a shock, because I’d never, never, ever, in my wildest dreams, imagined that we get a bear where we live just above the bench on Vancouver hill. But he definitely had made his way and made himself comfy,” she added.
Dawn called into the Conservation Officer Service to report the bear, and find out whether they needed to come move the bear or let it wander off on its own.
While she was waiting for a call back, the little bear ended up moving on.
“I had gone to go watch him from a different room in my house, and he had knocked over one of my planters. It made quite a loud sound, and I think that probably scared him off. I actually, don’t know which way he left, he was just suddenly gone,” she said.
Dawn added that she was never scared with the bear in her backyard.
“Because we were behind a glass door, my daughter was right with me, and I knew my son was safe at school,” she said.
“We’ve lived in this house for over five years, and I can’t tell you how many times my kids have just come home, opened the sliding door and run into the backyard. If that would have been the case that morning, the bear would have been between my kids and the door. So that scared me, thinking, ‘Oh my goodness, this could have been any other day where my kids could have run out, and then what we what we have done?’
“So I was very thankful for the circumstances. It turned out to be just a fun viewing encounter with a cute video that I can share, not a really scary counter. So we’re going to be more careful to make a lot of noise and always check before.”
For tips on what to do if you encounter a bear, click here. For information on how to be a good neighbour to bears and other wildlife in the Okanagan to help ensure their continued existence, click here.
Photo: Tara Dawn
Photo: SS Sicamous Society
One of Penticton’s iconic lakeside attractions needs some TLC to the tune of $45,000, a cost city council will ponder at an upcoming meeting.
On Tuesday, council will receive a report from the SS Sicamous Marine Heritage Society outlining work that may need to be done to the SS Naramata, a registered historic ship located west of the Sicamous on Okanagan Lake that was built in 1914.
The society says it is clear the 110-year-old steam-tug vessel needs some help, and they in turn need help nailing down the scope of the work.
In order to get a full look at needed repairs and build an engineering report, the Naramata will need to be lifted out of the water.
“Preliminary pricing has been received by all required trade professionals with an estimated cost of approximately $50,000 to complete the initial investigatory work with final repair costs to be determined once the preliminary work has been completed,” reads a staff report.
“Initial rough order of magnitude estimated final repair costs are thought to be between $1M – $3M. The SS Sicamous Society has committed to contributing $5,000 towards the preliminary work.”
City staff are recommending the $45K be granted to the society, bringing them to their initial $50K need, but also note that there are other pricy unfunded projects at the SS Sicamous site, including a repainting and hazardous material abatement on the main vessel, priced out at $1.2 to $1.5M.
Council will discuss the matter Tuesday. The alternative staff have presented is to “not proceed with the required design and engineering work and begin exploring the options for decommissioning and disposal of the SS Naramata vessel.”
Photo: Jim Cooper
The Western Canada Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society will be holding its annual show at the docks of the Penticton Yacht Club this weekend.
On Saturday, June 15, the public are welcome to check out the multiple wooden power boats that will be on display, with origins dating back to the early 1900s from builders like Chris Craft, Century, and Dodge.
The boats will be on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and there is no cost to attend.
Contributed Sylvia Pawlitzki
Two snakes were spotted in an interesting position on Tuesday afternoon when one snake clamped in his mouth half way down another’s body.
The pair of believed Great Basin Gopher Snakes were seen in Summerland in the Cedar Avenue area.
Sylvia Pawlitzki posted the video, which appears to be of the two snakes which are native to the area, on Facebook. Comments from multiple people suggested the snakes do this while mating and that it is a rare sight to see.
Pawlitzki shared over messenger that she saw the snakes while she was taking a break from landscaping.
“I had leaned back in my lounger and something made me open my eyes. These two snakes were right beside me at the top of my retaining wall. One with a firm mouth clamp halfway down the other’s body. The other one was quickly pulling it back and forth across our newly seeded lawn. I jumped out of my chair pretty quick! It was very fascinating, I’d never seen this species before,” she added.
Often people will mistake the Great Basin gopher snake, also known as the bull snake, for the rattlesnake since it is similar in appearance. When approached, the gopher snake will intentionally mimic rattlesnakes.
Snakes are protected under the B.C. Wildlife Act, meaning it is illegal to injure, kill or remove them from the wild.
Whether people are hiking in the hills, working outside, or playing in the dry Southern Interior of BC, snake encounters can be expected from April through October, when snakes are active.
Photo: Sylvia Pawlitzki
Photo: City of Penticton
A vacant city-owned property on Ellis Street that may be earmarked for social housing.
Penticton city staffers are recommending three city-owned properties be earmarked for near-term development of social housing.
In a report that will be presented to council Tuesday, staff suggest that empty lots at the corner of Ellis Street and Nanaimo Avenue, the 900 block of Eckhardt Avenue West and 2509 South Main Street be actively pursued for social housing, as part of action to address an ongoing housing crisis within the city.
Social housing, in B.C., is defined as “a housing development that government subsidizes and that either government or a non-profit housing partner owns and/or operates.”
Staff recommend that these particular three sites be flagged for workforce, senior and youth housing needs, and that the be included in an upcoming “Social Housing Plan” that staff have been working on.
“These three city-owned sites will help support the housing needs, but do not go far enough on their own to solve Penticton’s housing challenges. Staff intend to utilize the Social Housing Plan to clearly demonstrate to funders that the community has come together to not only identify housing needs, but to identify specific sites and specific operators to address the range of housing needs,” reads the report that council will receive Tuesday.
“Through this work, the city has an opportunity to develop an action-focused plan by leveraging the strategic relationships with community partners to create strategic alignment and support future capital funding applications to build the affordable housing needed in the community.”
Multiple grant streams may apply to developments on the sites, according to the staff report, meaning the burden of funding entire apartment buildings or other living complexes would not necessarily fall on the city.
Council will discuss the matter Tuesday.
Photo: Pixabay stock image
UPDATE: 3:15 p.m.
The Conservation Officer Service has discovered a black bear carcass in the area of the attack.
The previous advisory not to be in the area has been rescinded.
ORIGINAL: 10:40 a.m.
The BC Conservation Officer Service has sent out a public advisory about a bear attack in the rural Summerland area.
The animal was injured in the incident and has not been found, so may be wounded somewhere in the area.
According to the COS, at approximately. 8 a.m. on Thursday, a man was hunting with another individual in the McNulty Forest Service Road area near Agur Lake when he shot a black bear.
After approaching the bear, thinking it was dead, it suddenly reared up and attacked.
The man fired another shot but the bear fled and is still missing. The man had non life-threatening injuries.
Conservation officers conducted a sweep of the area for several hours once the incident had been reported in the afternoon, but could not find the bear.
It is unknown whether the bear is alive or dead, but the COS continues to search.
In the meantime, people should avoid the area.
Tips on mitigating encounters with wildlife can be found online here.
Photo: Penticton Sportsplex file photo.
Penticton city council will soon ponder spending more than half a million dollars more than originally budgeted to extend the life of the Sportsplex, due to a failed contractor agreement.
At Tuesday’s meeting, council will deliberate a staff recommendation to add $580,000 to the currently-budgeted $300,000 slated for a new insulated Sportsplex roof.
Staff estimate the move would add 15 or more years to the usability of the complex.
“The roof of the Sportsplex needs repairing, as it continues to leak and is simply coming to the end of its life,” said Kelsey Johnson, the city’s director of community services.
“This project has taken longer than expected, with some unfortunate delays, but the option of new fabric and insulation will provide users with a safe and dry facility for years to come.”
The city reports that while the project was intended to begin in 2023. issues with the contractor “including a failure to attend the scheduled delivery and installation” led to “legal intervention.”
Fabric was delivered and city staff needed to find a contractor to install it, but according to Johnson, contractors were “unwilling to provide a warranty for material they did not provide and also recommended insulation be installed.”
That left staff with a conundrum — install fabric without a warranty, or take the loss and start from scratch with a new contractor who will provide more fabric supply and insulation, plus the new roof.
“Our focus was on how we can extend the life of the facility and provide a proper environment for user groups and that’s why we’re recommending a new contractor supply material and also install insulation,” said Johnson.
“We know the lack of insulation played a part in the deterioration of the roof and proceeding without a warranty is not a responsible use of taxpayer dollars. The Sportsplex is an integral part of the community and we believe this to be the most effective way to move forward and ensure the site’s continued success.”
There is only $300,000 remaining in the capital budget for this project, so council will be asked to approve an additional $580,000.
Council will discuss the matter, including potentially asking for further information, at Tuesday’s open meeting.
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