This week’s column is dedicated to a long-time friend, Barb Dumbovic, 60 years of age, who passed away suddenly on November 25. Barb was the owner/operator of Barb’s Delights Restaurant located on Highway 97 in the Blue Heights Centre. Barb was a special person and well-known to many in the community as the perogy lady. She always gave with her heart and expected nothing in return, She was happy that the community supported her restaurant that she owned for the past 13 years. Barb was an exceptional cook and everything in her restaurant was home-made from scratch, including perogies, cabbage rolls and soups. Chris and I, along with all Barb’s many friends are shocked and saddened by her sudden death. Kelowna will definitely feel the loss of this great lady. Personal condolences to Barb’s entire family, friends and colleagues.
Canco Petroleum, with their head office in Kelowna at #20 – 125 Highway 33 East have made a huge impact in the petroleum industry since 2016. With CEO Parmjeet Singh Sehgal, CFO Satvir Panesar, VP Ravinder Nijjar and Navjot Singh, VP of Operations and Fuels, the independent chain of gas stations has 70 team members in their head office and 1,000 employees overall. Canco’s first site opened in 2016 in Kamloops. In June, 2023, they reached their 100th branded gas location in Kelowna. Canco now have over 140 locations and counting from the east to the west coast, with 23 alone in the Okanagan and 13 in Kelowna. Canco recently started their private label in convenience stores called Fare ‘n’ Square, where they started with fresh spring water and now are navigating into coffee, fresh deli items and other products, along with a propane division, fleet card and card lock. Seventeen of their locations have car washes and four have supermarkets. I visited the new Canco operation on Clement Avenue with Brian Winter, Indigenous Business Specialist and Strategic Area Manager, BC and Amanda Aylen Heins, their Marketing Manager. At Canco they pride themselves in community, friendly customer service and the cleanliness of all their operations. Their deli chicken is made fresh daily on premise and is not frozen. I was sent home with chicken, home-made samosas, and salad. All were delicious and you could certainly tell that the chicken was made fresh, not frozen and it had a tasty crunchy crust, which was not greasy. This year, Canco held their first Canco Day on June 30th and teamed up with United Way and donated $25,000.00 to help with food security in the Okanagan and Thompson Nicola. www.cancopetroleum.ca
Well-known winery owner, Leo Gebert has sold his shares of St. Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery Ltd. to his brother, Andy Gebert. Leo and his family will continue farming their portion of the existing 56-acre property and focus on growing quality sustainable and organic certified grapes on their St. Hubertus Vineyard. Leo and Barb started farming in 1984 and are looking forward to the new direction that St. Hubertus Vineyard is taking under the leadership of their son, Reto. The Gerbert’s were among the first to implement sustainable farming including heat pumps and a large solar panel array long before government recognized the importance of and subsidized such initiatives. Some of the sustainable and organic certified grapes grown at their almost 100-year-old vineyard include Chasselas, a Swiss varietal which is a nod to the Gebert family’s heritage, old vine Riesling which was planted 45 years ago, Gamay Noir and Savignin.
David Bumjoo Lee, CFP, CIM has joined TD Wealth Private Investment Advice as an Investment Advisor at #410 – 1633 Ellis Street. David has been in the financial services industry since 2005 and brings a diverse range of financial knowledge, with a background in secured lending and international capital markets where he had an opportunity to work for a major investment bank in Seoul, South Korea. David holds the Chartered Investment Manager Designation (CIM) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Designation and is experienced in advanced investment strategies. He is fluent in English and Korean. Davidb.lee@td.com
Okanagan Athletic Therapy has officially opened its doors at #103 – 1505 Harvey Avenue. Owner Marina White, CAT, CSCS leading certified athletic therapist has run her business for the last six years inside a local fitness centre before embarking on this new venture with a sports therapy clinic and fitness studio. Marina specializes in the active adult, treating issues such as sciatica and chronic low back pain, shoulder injuries and injuries sustained in motor-vehicle accidents. Not injured, the studio sees clients one-on-one as well as partners and small groups for strength training. You can book a free 30- minute discovery visit with Marina to discuss your specific injury or your overall health to find out if it is something they can treat. Book an appointment at www.okanaganathletictherapy.com
Young entrepreneur Brandon Benner started The Jolly Janitor Co. about two years ago. Brandon has now experienced exceptional growth with 18 staff and a full-time management team. The company specializes in commercial janitor services, post construction cleaning and some residential. Brandon and his staff are available daytime or evenings and service Kelowna, Lake Country and West Kelowna. Their slogan is Cleaning With Integrity, and they are now looking to service new clients as well. www.jollyjanitor.ca
Ursula Eggers, Campaign Manager, Corporate Relations of United Way has left the local United Way office and is joining UBCO’s Development and Alumni Engagement department as a Development Officer.
The newest edition to the YMCA of Southern Interior BC’s Philanthropy team, is Philanthropy Officer, Nica Graziotto. Nica comes with a 20-year track record of achieving results in both the private and nonprofit sectors. Nica has previously worked with the Central Okanagan Hospice Association, Argus Group’s Eldorado and Manteo Resorts, 50th Parallel Estate Winery. www.ymcasibc.ca
The Kelowna Sunrise Rotary Club is back with its 3rd Annual Season of giving Calendar, supporting the Child Advocacy Centre of Kelowna and KGH Neonatal Unit. The calendar raised $324,000 in its first two years and makes a great holiday gift, with 12 Days of Prizes starting on December 25th and running until January 5, 2024. They are available for $20.00 at Save-On-Foods, KGH Gift Shop, or go online to purchase a digital calendar ticket and enter to win the 163 prizes valued at over $61,000 at https://kelownasunriserotary.rafflenexus.com/. Calendar sales run until December 17th.
Congratulations to John Grant, Newsletter Editor of the local ACT/UCT in receiving 1st Place for the Newsletter of the Year Editor for Canada and to Rick Warner, President of ACT/UCT who received the Volunteer of the Year Award for Canada for his endless contribution to the organization.
The Greater Westside Board of Trade has a new 2023/2024 Board of Directors. They are President Bobby Bissessar (Cove Lakeside); Bryan Fitzpatrick, Vice President (Pushor Mitchell LLP); Scott Beaton, Treasurer (Scott A. Beaton Professional Corp.); Tina Bisson, Treasurer (Manchester SPG) and Amber Hall, Past President. Directors at Large are Julie Pringle, Snap Commercial Photography; Dr. Lauren Tomkins, West Kelowna Integrative Health Centre; James McCormick, Valley First; John Whitehead, John K. Whitehead and Associates; Kenneth Carr, PostNet; Rebecca Myers, COBS and Stephanic Oliver, Porrelli Law. Appointee Directors are Jenny Money , WFN; Rod Aubichon, Kelowna Metis and Dominic Rampone, WFN. Heather Robinson is the Executive Director.
Christmas at Benvoulin is Sunday, December 3rd at 2:00 p.m. Enjoy Christmas music, a Christmas story, and seasonal goodies in the beautiful Benvoulin Heritage Church. Seating is limited with admission by donation.
The National Tour Association’s winner for this year’s esteemed Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement Award is Roland Neave, founder and owner of Wells Gray Tours. With an illustrious career spanning five decades, Roland has demonstrated an unparalleled dedication to the National Tour Association (NTA). Commencing in 1983, Neave’s affiliations with NTA and subsequent leadership roles have showcased his dedication to industry growth and ethical practices. Roland received an Honorary Doctorate from Thompson Rivers University in 2022 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Wells Gray Park.
Kudos’s to Dress For Success and their Watch Her Soar Fashion Show event, which raised a whopping $90,000.00 for it programs. The organization exceeded its fundraising goal, thanks in part to the unexpected and generous donation by the Stober Foundation that was announced at the event. www.kelowna.dressforsuccess.org
Bonnie Whyte has been with CRS (Canadian Restaurant Supply) for the past two years as a customer support agent. Bonnie has now received a promotion to customer service experience manager. CRS at #6 – 2604 Enterprise Way are passionate about kitchens and the people who work in them and help kitchens succeed. They believe that success in the culinary industry is about more than just having the right equipment. It’s about having a trusted partner that can help you navigate the challenges and opportunities that come your way. Drop in and see Bonnie or check out www.canadianrestaurantsupply.com
Birthdays of the week – Happy 70th Linda Comeau (Nov. 27); Bryan Feagan (Nov. 29); Liza Berinchik (Nov. 29); Dr. Mike Shepherd (Nov. 29); Lou Goncalves (Nov. 30); George Marine (Nov. 30); Jana Hardy (Nov.. 30); Meryle Corbett (Nov. 30); Vern Martindale (Dec. 1); Mike Barillaro (Dec. 1); Dale Albas (Dec. 1); Stu Leatherdale (Dec. 2); Sonja Rosco (Dec. 3); Krystyna Werbury (Dec. 3); Hal Puder (Dec. 3); Sherry Cote (Dec. 3); Ken Fix (Dec. 3); Brian Street (Dec. 3); Edan Fay (Dec. 3); Heather Zais (Dec. 4); Bylle Orsulic (Dec. 4); Andrea Lindal (Dec. 4); Dave McLean (Dec. 5)
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
