The SPCA Thrift Shop is a new business located at 3980 Casorso Rd. in Kelowna.
Owned and operated by Greg Dahms, a former newspaper photographer in Salmon Arm, the grand opening for the thrift shop is Saturday, Feb. 1, 11 a.m. Partial proceeds from the business are donated to the SPCA, a new partnership concept for the Interior after being started successfully in the Lower Mainland. He accepts donations of all types of clothing for men, women and children, books, housewares, tools and small furnishings. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday. Call 250-717-3366.
Burton Marine Pile Driving has been in business since 1999 co-owned by Colin Dunlop, Steven Burton and Kevin Hanson. The company has 11 employees. Burton Marine has just launched a second dock-building barge from the Sutherland Bay boat launch in Kelowna’s north end. The four-piece sectional barge is headed for the CNR Wharf in Gellatly Bay and will be used for one of two major Okanagan Lake projects. In West Kelowna, Burton Marine is beginning the first phase of removing the old ferry dock and rebuilding a new public use dock for West Kelowna residents. The new, deeper wharf will include diving platforms, a zip line and pedestrian walkways making it more resident friendly and less industrial. A second Burton Marine barge and crew will start construction on a new Safe Harbour breakwater in Okanagan Centre for the regional district. This new breakwater will provide emergency shelter for boaters if they find themselves on the lake caught in hazardous weather. This year, another large contract for the firm is the multi-million dollar Mabel Lake Marina. Past projects have included the Vernon Yacht Club, the new Fintry Fire Department boathouse, the public wharf and the piers at Bertram Regional Park and Kalamalka Lake, multiple forestry bridges in the Kootenays, and foundations for Waterscapes McDonald’s, Kal Tire and Walmart. Call 778-478-9755 or email burtonpiledriving@gmail.com.
Ed Monster and Birgitte Baart are the new owners of Dittos Office Services, a one-stop design and print shop centrally located at 10-2070 Harvey Ave. in Kelowna. This 20-year-old company, along with the familiar faces of Debbie Smith and George Makortoff, will continue offering many of the same services—high quality colour printing, bindery services, web design, scanning, photocopying and delivery. With backgrounds in business and graphic design, Smith and Makortoff bring knowledge and fresh ideas to their customers. Dittos recently purchased new oversized equipment which can accommodate prints 60 inches wide and a 60-inch laminator and die cutting machine. Look for an expansion of the website design and 3-D rendering services as well. Call 250-868-9213, or check the website www.dittos.ca.
Congratulations to Karen Erickson, who has been appointed regional director of Investors Group Okanagan Region, which includes the Kelowna and Vernon offices. Paul Demay is the former regional director who has retired. Email Erickson at Karen.erickson@investorsgroup.com.
Congratulations to Mike Hlushko, with Minit-Tune & Brake, 1984 Springfield Rd. in Kelowna, for receiving the 2013 B.C. Minit-Tune & Brake Franchisee of the Year award, and to Ben Sluggett who received the Apprentice of the Year award. Call 250-763-6666.
A long-time friend is retiring Jan. 31. Marlene Proctor is leaving the adoption centre at Kelowna Community Resources, where she has been their program assistant for the last 16 years. She also has worked for Sun-Rype for many years before joining KCR. Marlene tells me she plans to spend her free time enjoying her family, pets and friends.
Laura Draycott, with Wink I Wear, 7-605 KLO Rd. in Kelowna, is now carrying the Robert Graham Collection. Wink is the only carrier of this product in Kelowna, eyewear that offers high quality craftsmanship and sophisticated silhouettes, infusing iconic fabric and trim designs to reflect the essential characteristics of the Graham brand’s eclectic spirit. The sunglass collection is targeted to the fashion-conscious 30 to 65 male age group, with such features as pink-threaded buttons, etched ruler markings and logos and slogans with each frame. An intricate fabric lamination process is used to infuse Robert Graham fabrics into the frame temples with a layer of crystal colour to showcase the patterns of these award winning shirts. All sun lenses are polarized and made of polycarbonate. Call 250-862-9465.
First Lutheran Christian School has taken on a new name—Willowstone Academy. Public registration for the school’s programs begins Feb. 3 for the 2014-15 year. For more info check out www.willowstoneacademy.com or call 250-764-3111.
Lots of good news for Orchard Park Shopping Centre thanks to four new retailers setting up shop at the popular Kelowna mall. Old Navy, known for its fashionable and affordable family clothing, will open later this summer, the only store between the Lower Mainland and Calgary. Qoola Frozen Yogurt Bar will open in March, offering fresh, gluten and fat-free yogurt to cool you down on a sunny day. Gymboree will open its 632nd store in March as well, offering a great selection of colourful clothing options for kids from newborns to teenagers. And Cora Restaurant will re-open in Kelowna again this May for breakfast and lunch. Orchard Park now has more than 170 retailers under one big roof.
The winner of this year’s $5,000 Total Office Makeover by Total Interiors in conjunction with the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce is Crown West Steel Fabricators, 1065 Gordon Dr.
Kudos to Paul Johnson, Jay Dowhaniuk and Lori Samuels, with Johnson Legacy Wealth Management (Raymond James), for being ranked #26 out of the top 50 wealth professionals in Canada in a special report done by Wealth Professional Magazine.
Ken Fix, with Komatsu Japanese Market, 1855 Kirschner Rd. in Kelowna, will host a hands-on sushi instructional workshop Feb. 18, 6:30 to 9 p.m. You will learn how to make traditional rolls and other kinds of sushi. To register, call 250-469-8800 or go to the website www.kelowna.ca/recretion.
Marion Henselwood will host a party at Premier Jewellery and Loans, a gold buyer, at the Ramada Hotel and Confernce Centre on Thursday, Feb. 6, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Henselwood is raising money for her participation in the Central Okanagan Hospice Association’s event Swinging With The Stars. Come out and enjoy dessert, coffee and a no-host bar. Bring your gold jewelry, coins, broken and dental gold, silver coins, flatware and luxury watches you no longer want. The process works like this: Premier will be on site to assess your items and pay you cash, from which you can decide how much to donate to Henselwood’s dance efforts. Make sure to bring one piece of photo ID with you. Call her at 250-763-5511 for more information.
A Dreamy Evening of Chocolate will be an educational workshop offering hands-on instruction and chocolate tasting with wine by Sandrine, owner of the Sandrine French Pastry shop. She will hold the workshop in the Urban Fare grocery store at the Mission Park Shopping Centre on Friday, Feb. 7. Call 250-860-1202.
Thanks to Sharron Hannah, of Burnetts Florists and Gifts, for her excellent customer service in helping me out of a bind. Call 250-762-3512.
Mike Haines will lead a seminar for business owners offering insights into how to be sensitive and comfortable to the needs of disabled customers. The seminar takes place Tuesday, Feb. 4, 10 to 10:45 a.m., at the State of the Art Rental Gallery, 110-1295 Cannery Lane in downtown Kelowna. Tickets are $25/person available in advance at www.michaeldhaines.com.
Birthdays of the week: Happy 75th Ed Kaskiw (Jan. 24); happy 45th Glen Hawes, Kelowna Chamber of Commerce (Jan. 21); Mike Huntley (Jan. 31); Linda Decosta (Feb. 1); Rob Belanger (Feb. 4) and Ross Fitzpatrick (Feb. 4).
