With one store open in the Gastown area of Vancouver and two additional stores to open in Langley and White Rock, The Vegetarian Butcher has opened in Kelowna at #103 – 3957 Lakeshore Road. Owned and operated by Blair and Jen Lowther who reside in Vancouver, long-time Kelowna resident, Mike Huget is the local Vice-President of Operations and Growth working out of the Lakeshore Road store. The Vegetarian Butcher offers plant based, vegetarian and vegan products. They strive to show people how simple plant-based eating can be. The store has a large variety of all products, including a deli section, grab and go foods, frozen products, and a large variety of dry goods. Try their grab and go breakfast sandwich, salads, or a toona or egg salad sandwich with no eggs. In their frozen section, you can purchase Planty of Nosh meatballs or burgers, or Vegilante Tempeh’s protein made from beans, both local companies. Dry goods include pasta, dressings, chocolate, desserts, potatoe chips, Blissful Belly baking dry mixes and the local BABz Burgerz and Breadz products. The Vegetarian Butcher also make the most wonderful take-out charcuterie boards. Mike sent me home with one which included Maple Haam and Pepperoni vegan meat selection, cheeses of Smokey Cheddar from Pulse in Penticton and Unbrieleavable by Nuts. The charcuterie also included walnuts, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberry flowers. It was delicious. The Vegetarian Butcher is offering a Christmas Dinner take-out dinner for a couple of family of four with stuffed vegan turkey, roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy and classic stuffing. Open seven days a week. www.vegetarianbutcher.ca
Aphrodite Spa, owned and operated by Dawn Thiessen has changed her location and is now located at 180 Asher Road, joining the staff at Stylize Hair Studio. Dawn offers all esthetic services, including gel nails, waxing, manicures, pedicure, facials, and lash and brow tints. The new phone no. is 250-470-8430. aphroditeacademy@hotmail.ca
HM Commercial Group has some exciting transitions and is also saying farewell to one of their long-time partners, Meghan Cortese who is moving on to new ventures. The HM Commercial team includes, Marshall McAnerney, Partner, Licensed Commercial Realtor; Jeff Hudson, Partner, Licensed Commercial Realtor, Lindsey Termul, VP of Sales and Leasing, Licensed Commercial Realtor; Tessa Neil, Research, Sales and Leasing, Upcoming Licensee; Katie Wallis, Marketing and Research; Lindsay McClean, Office Manager and Debbie Hudson, Accountant and Bookkeeper. www.hmcommercial.com
Karis Support Society and NOW Canada have been chosen as joint recipients of the 2021 Tree of Hope Campaign through the Stober Foundation. Both organizations provide a unique continuum of care for women, youth and children which includes emergency shelter, recovery programs and affordable housing, with wrap-around services throughout. Donations to the Tree of Hope will be matched by the Stober Foundation up to $100,000.00. Donations can be made to www.treeofhopekelowna.ca
If you want to celebrate the holiday season and put a smile on your face, drop into Jack’s on Bernard, where the popular cocktail bar has been transformed into a Winter Wonder Bar. Designed and created by Erin Van Den Brink, it took Erin four days to install and transform the space, which has thousands of decorations hanging from the floor to the ceiling, along with hundreds of other Christmas decorations. Griffin Cox, Jack’s head mixologist has created five new elevated Christmas cocktails served in festive holiday glassware and new Chef Konstantin Chakhnov, formerly of Eden at the Rimrock, has created elevated small plates and shareables food menu to go along with the new Christmas cocktails, all made with local ingredients that fits with a ‘70’s vibe. Casey Jeremy Cummins is the general manager of Jack’s and Casey Greabeiel is the operating partner/owner, also having ownership in the Salt & Brick and Diner Deluxe. Jack’s is also taking donations for Mamas for Mamas during the Winter Wonder Bar season that runs until December 26th. Reservations available on Open-Table seven days a week with music on the weekends. www.jackskelowna.com
Help kick-off the 5th Annual B Mack and Karly’s Cold Weather Clothing Drive at Virgin Radio 99.9 supporting the Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society. Is your closet filled with warm clothes you do not wear anymore? Donate them to provide a simple, vital gift to those in need in our community. Gently used or new items of clothing, toiletries, sundries, and other items like blankets, sleeping bags and back-packs are all needed. You can drop off the winter items to the main drop off location at Kelowna Toyota on Leathead Road. B Mack and Karley will also be at all Kelowna Rockets home games between 6:00 and 7:30 p.m. until the end of February. To date, they have raised over 20,000 items that went to help the most vulnerable in our community. www.iheartradio.ca/virginradio/kelowna/promotions/cold-weather-clothing-drive
Local country artist and owner of Klick Entertainment and a 2020 BCCMA Interactive Artist of the Year, Ben Klick has created a video in support of first responders and front-line workers. Take a look at https://vimeo.com/652593609/1f73f4262e
TubaChristmas is making a comeback after two years of pandemic. The first TubaChristmas took place in New York in 1974 with the first B.C. performance in Victoria in 1978. This is a fun tradition made up of tubas and euphoniums playing Christmas tunes in four-part harmony. Kelowna and Kamloops are the only two B.C. Interior cities that host a performance, but there are concerts played all over the world. Directed by Peter DeRoche, this year’s performance is at The Rotary Centre for the Arts on Monday, December 20th from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Free admission. Vaccine passports and approved identification required.
If you are looking for something that is unique and special, Buche de Noel (Yule logs) and Tourtiere’s are back for the holiday season at Sandrine French Pastry & Chocolate at 1865 Dilworth Drive. Sandrine’s are offering four flavors of the yule logs including, Coffee & Hazelnut, Okanagan Orchard, Raspberry/Chocolate/Vanilla and Chocolate Love, which is my favorite. They are available in three sizes starting December 18th and must be ordered before December 21st. Two options of beef and pork or turkey are offered in the tourtiere and are available in two sizes. They are extra delicious with a side of Sandrine’s fabulous Green Tomato Chutney and are fully cooked, so just heat and serve. www.sandrinepastry.com
The nomination period is officially open for the 47th Annual Civic & Community Awards that recognize outstanding Kelowna residents, athletes, artists, organizations, and businesses who positively contribute to the city. Categories include the Sarah Donalda Treadgold and Fred Macklin Memorial Award – Citizen of the Year; Champion for the Environment; Corporate Community of the Year; Honour in the Arts; Teen Honour in the Arts; Young Citizen of the Year; Bob Giordano Memorial Award – Volunteer Coach or Sport Administrator of the Year; Bryan Couling Memorial Award – Athletic Team of the Year; Male and Female Athlete of the Year and the Central Okanagan Foundation – Volunteer Organization of the Year. Nominations are due by Friday, February 11, 2022, with nomination forms, award criteria and past recipients can be found at www.kelowna.ca/civicawards
Anna Jacyszyn’s Jazz Café presents Christmas Presences, A Christmas concert of seasonal and original songs performed by Anna Jacyszyn, Loni Moger, Stefan Bienz and Stephen Buck. The performance will be at Benvoulin Heritage Church at 2279 Benvoulin Road on December 23rd with two shows at 2:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Tickets $25.00 with reservations only at fabulouspr@gmail.com or 250-763-6141.
As the Campaign Ambassador, I was thrilled to be a part of the media tour of Okanagan College’s new Health Sciences Centre. The Okanagan College Foundation is inviting the community to help raise the final $750,000.00 needed to reach their fundraising goal now that the building is home to educating future health-care professionals. Please consider giving the gift of health care this holiday season and into the New Year as the Foundation looks to raise the remaining funds by March 31, 2022. A gift to the Health Sciences Centre will create an incredible ripple effect in our community. The graduates will care for thousands of people over the span of their career, and likely someone who is near and dear to you, or perhaps even yourself. You can request a private tour of the Centre or give the gift of health care online at www.OurStudentsYourHealth.ca
Birthdays of the week –Happy 85th Lorraine Bremner (Dec. 19); Anna Stuart (Dec. 15); Frank Richter (Dec. 15); Barry White (Dec. 15); Sandra Sellick (Dec. 16); Judy Hughes (Dec. 17); Lesley Pierce (Dec. 17); Katja Oldendorf (Dec. 18); Margy Ringrose (Dec. 19); Rod Charlesworth (Dec. 19); Gary Schnackenberg (Dec. 19); Crystal Flaman (Dec. 19); Karen Stearns (Dec. 20); Janice Bruneau (Dec. 20); Renie Wutke (Dec. 20); Joan McCormack (Dec. 20); Bill Redmond (Dec. 20).
Maxine DeHart is a Kelowna City Councillor and local hotelier. Phone her at 250-979-4546 or 250-862-7662 or Email max@maxinedehart.ca
