Long-time business, Trout Waters Fly & Tackle at #101 – 2340 Highway 97 (Centre next to Fire Hall on Enterprise Way) is rebranding and changing their name to TW Outdoors. The business was started by Savas and Lori Koutsantonis 28 years ago with Nick Pace joining as a business partner in 2003. The name change is to showcase that they are not just about fishing, but have expanded their outdoor gear for camping, hiking, climbing, skiing, and travel. The expanded product lines include Patagonia, Yeti, MSR, Biolite, Black Diamond and Kupilka. TW Outdoors specialize in all types of fishing equipment, from fly fishing to salmon fishing. They will be hosting an event from Friday, May 5th to Sunday, May 7th with a huge sale, door crashers and lots of door prizes. www.troutwaters.ca
Great Way Martial Arts at 2243A Leckie Road is celebrating their 30th anniversary in business. Owned and operated by James and Esmeralda Heinrich, they are hosting a birthday party on Saturday, May 6th from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. with food, games, inflatables, refreshments, and giveaways. You can even win a birthday party with a $299 value. It will be fun for the entire family. Great Way offers classes for all ages, camps and birthdays garnering self-esteem, self-respect, and self-image with programs for children, teens, and Wing Chun for adults. www.facebook.com/GreatWayMartialArts
The Rotary Club of Kelowna has joined forces with The Colin and Lois Pritchard Foundation raising $45,800 in aid in the aftermath of earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria. The funds will purchase ShelterBox emergency supply kits, which is a global humanitarian relief organization that brings emergency shelter and other essential supplies to people that have lost everything in a disaster. Millions of people are now homeless as the Turkey and Syrian earthquakes killed over 50,000 people. The Foundation donated $15,000 which was matched by the Rotary Club of Kelowna Foundation, plus members of the club made individual contributions. www.shelterboxcanada.org; www.rotary.org
Sally Ginter has been appointed the new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the Regional District of Central Okanagan effective July 4/2023. The announcement comes following a public recruitment process to shepherd the transition from current CAO Brian Reardon who is retiring July 1st after 10 years with the organization. Sally holds a Master of Business Administration degree and brings a broad range of executive leadership experience in private industry and the non-profit sector to the Regional District. Most recently Sally held the position of CEO at the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation and volunteers as a Director on Autism Canada’s Board of Directors where she serves as Chair of the governance and nominating committee. www.rdco.com
RE/MAX Realtors Legacy Foundation has donated $20,000 to the Central Okanagan Foodbank. The foodbank has seen an increase in demand due to the ongoing COVID pandemic and challenging times. The RE/MAX Realtors Legacy Foundation is a charitable organization established to support local organizations and initiatives that improve the quality of life in the communities they serve. Jerry Redman is managing director of RE/MAX Kelowna.
Rose Valley Elementary (RVE) School is hosting a 50/50 fundraiser to raise fund towards adding an accessible playground to their school. Play is a vital part of learning and development for children and their school community includes some children with mobility challenges. Their vision is to have a space where all RVE students can come together to play and grow as an inclusive community. The 50/50 draw will take place at the school at 7:30 p.m. on June 2, 2023 and the winner does not need to be present to win, so hang onto your tickets. https://trellis.org/rve-accessibility-playground to purchase tickets. Steven Labrie is the principal of the school.
The Recovery Spa, owned and operated by Josh and Lindsay Stilborn, is a leading provider of innovative wellness solutions. They have now launched their latest service, BioCharger NG, which is a revolutionary device that combines four different energy types, including light, frequency, voltage, and electromagnetic fields. This cutting-edge technology is designed to help enhance overall wellness by reducing stress, increasing energy levels, and improving focus. It is a non-invasive, safe, and drug-free solution that can be used by virtually anyone. The device has been scientifically proven to improve physical and mental performance, reduce inflammation and promote relaxation. The Recovery Spa is hosting an open house for BioCharger on May 6th in the Pandosy Village at #3 – 2936 Pandosy Street. www.therecoveryspa.ca
Spend a day with renowned artist and author, Linda Dayan Frimer on Sunday, May 7, at the Kelowna Golf & Country Club. The event will include a PowerPoint presentation on the study of creativity and colour and a workshop that is based on her incredible new book Luminous: An artist’s story as a guide to radical creativity; www.forewordreviews.com/awards/books/luminous/. For more information and to register visit https://ojcc.ca/event/a-day-with-linda-dayan-frimer-the-artist/
Kelowna Fire Department (KFD) will host its annual open house event on Sunday, May 7th from 9:30 a.m. to noon in the former Costco parking lot located at 2479 Highway 97. Supporting the Kelowna Professional Firefighters Charitable Society, this year’s free family-fun event will feature multiple agencies including Kelowna RCMP, BC Ambulance Service, BC Wildfire Service, Central Okanagan Search and Rescue, Big White Fire Department, Central Okanagan Emergency Support Service, City of Kelowna Bylaw Services and YLW Aircraft Rescue Firefighting. Salvation Army volunteers will be serving coffee and a pancake breakfast by donation. Attendees will have a chance to explore fire trucks, police cars and other emergency vehicles while learning about emergency preparedness and fire prevention, including how to FireSmart their homes and property. www.kelowna.ca/calendar
The popular Spring Simply Art Show & Sale and Fundraiser is May 6 and 7th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Ukrainian Catholic Church, 1091 Coronation Avenue. This year, three paintings have been donated by the Palette Club members so patrons can donate to the Ukraine Relief Fund with a chance to win one of the paintings. The show will feature incredible art created by members of the Kelowna Palette Club.
The Paris Jewellers Mother’s Day collection featuring their brand-new Emerald collection can be viewed at https://www.parisjewellers.com/mothers-day-gift-guide/
The 9th Annual Shredding Event at Gallagher’s Canyon sponsored by The Fraser Hawley Group with shredding by Shred-it was a huge success raising $2,701.05 for the Central Okanagan Food Bank. Volunteers were Gerry Fraser, Paul Hawley, Ron Hughes, George Patridge, Miranda Taylor, and Peter Kouwenhoven of Shred-it.
The AGM of Lake Country Chamber of Commerce is May 9th, 2023 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Wooden Nickel Café, 10051 BC – 97, Lake Country. Lake Country Chamber is still accepting board member applications at manager@lakecountrychamber.com
On the heels of the news in regard to securing a $55M financial commitment for their B Round, INCA Renewtech has won the JEC World Startup Booster Award for Products and Materials. The show is attended by all the automotive, aerospace, wind, marine and nanomaterial manufacturers around the world with 33,000 attendees and 1,200 exhibitors. The JEC Composites Startup Booster is the leading startup competition in the world of Composites and Advanced Materials tailored to find and assess the best innovations. The competition was judged by Mercedes Benz, Airbus, Owens Corning, Mitsubishi Chemical Group, and other industrial companies. INCA Renewable Technologies (Canada) won in the Products and Materials category for developing stronger, lighter, cost competitive, sustainable bio-composites for the automotive, RV, marine, wind and consumer plastics industries. www.jeccomposites.com/news/jec-composites-startup-booster-2023-winners-announced/
Birthdays of the week –Happy 50th Rhonda Lindsay (May 8); George Patridge (May 3); Kevin Bojda (May 3); Cathy Jennens (May 4); Kathy Baker (May 4); Dale Conway (May 4); Chris Cowan (May 4); Sharon Lightfoot (May 5); Dawn Fiacco (May 5); Linda Frisby (May 5); Tyler Dyck (May 5); Chris Sommerfeld (May 5); Charlie Hodge (May 6); Marlies White (May 6); Phil Taneda (May 6); Kim Wallace (May 7); Susan Johal (May 8); Ron Cannan (May 8); Lori Metcalf (May 7); Melanie Hall-Szyszkiewicz (May 9).
Maxine DeHart is a Kelowna City Councillor and local hotelier. Phone her at 250-979-4546 or 250-862-7662. E-mail max@maxinedehart.ca
