Had the pleasure of recently dining at Bon Ga Korean Cuisine BBQ & Rolls Restaurant, located at 107-437 Glenmore Rd. (beside Pharmasave).
Owners Changbok Park and Sunok Jung, who is the chef, are both delightful people. They helped us through each dish to understand the traditional flavours of Korean cuisine. The couple immigrated to Canada six years go from South Korea and opened the restaurant on Sept. 1, 2013.They had previously worked at the UBC Okanagan Sushi Bar for four years before starting their own restaurant. Sunok is a licensed certified chef for both Korean and Japanese food. Every dish we tried was incredible—Bulgogi (BBQ beef with house special sauce); Jeyuk Bokkeum (BBQ pork with vegetables in spicy sauce); Hot Pot Bibimbap (mixed rice with beef, vegetables, mushroom, fried egg and hot pepper paste in hot pot and my personal favourite the Hot Bone Soup which really had a tang (pork spine, vegetables, green onion in a spicy sauce). Bon Ga does not charge for extra rice and we loved the Korean pears for dessert. Open Monday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Sunday from 3 to 8:30 p.m. Call 778-484-3412. Incidentally it is Changbok and Sunok’s 20th wedding anniversary today (April 1).
Paul Winkler, former publisher of the Kelowna Capital News, is returning to Kelowna to launch his book, written by his wife and journalist Mary Lynn McCauley Winkler. Titled A Costly Stand, the book details Winkler’s fight for justice against his powerful bosses at Hollinger, much of what occurred and is written about in the book taking place here in the Okanagan. The book chronicles the shameful details of how several Okanagan newspapers were entangled in the fall of Conrad Black and David Radler. Winkler refused to cooperate with his then bosses at Hollinger, at the time Canada’s biggest media company and third largest newspaper group in the world. Winkler believed they were involved in illegal business practices, and he was eventually fired. He subsequently fought a lengthy legal battle over his wrongful dismissal and tried to alert securities authorities and media about what had been revealed at his trial. Eventually, through this entire process, both Black and Radler were convicted and sent to prison. Winkler will be speaking at several Rotary Clubs, will be interviewed by local media and will be hosting a book signing at Mosaic Books on Tuesday, April 14, from 3 to 5 p.m. He also plans to host a reception and book signing at the Ramada Hotel on Wednesday, April 15, at 5 p.m. The public is welcome, but please contact pwinkler@trajan.ca to confirm your attendance. You will certainly want to purchase a copy of this book. Remember, it all started right here in Kelowna.
Corneal specialist Dr. Ron Baldassare has teamed up with charity organization Canadian Vision Care to offer eyeglass recycling at Vivid Laser Centre. Vivid offers all manner of eye surgery that can reduce or eliminate a person’s need for glasses. With the new recycling depot, those unneeded eyeglasses will now be making their way overseas to those in need. In most developing countries, an eye exam can cost as much as one month’s wages and your gift of glasses is the gift of sight that can change lives. The donated glasses will be collected by volunteers from the local Lions Club and shipped to the national Canadian Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centre in Calgary to be cleaned and categorized by prescription. Local residents can drop off their glasses at 1517 Sutherland Ave. Call 250-979-2010.
Easter is just around the corner so if you are looking for some unbelievable chocolate, Peter Johner Swiss Chocolatier in Lake Country is the place to check out. The chocolate shop has some fabulous items, including 325g, 240g or 125g bunnies (dark or milk); 300g gold tulip; 175g designer cello bag; 200g linear box; 250g chocolate egg filled with truffles; 100g chocolate bark, almond or hazelnut (dark, milk, white or dark hazelnut/orange) or 200g clear cello bag. All are a variety of prices. Call 250-766-1928 or pjohmer.chocolatier@gmail.com
After 26 years in the vehicle appraisal business, Ron Gray, of Special Interest Appraisal, is retiring, handing the reins of the company over to his son Jon Gray. The younger Gray has been involved with cars since his father can remember and he brings all of Ron’s knowledge to the business, along with some new ideas. Jon owns a 1994 Toyota Supra Turbo and a classic 1966 Chevy Caprise low-rider. Special Interest Appraisal assesses anything from street rods to boats. Jon is looking forward to expanding the company to include car detailing, importing-exporting and custom video. Call 250-863-1983; online specialinterestappraisal.com.
Certified skin care professional Sandra Rush has many years of business experience, with 25 years in the medical field. She worked for a Chinese acupuncture doctor, was a certified equine massage therapist (horses) and was a CranioSacral acupressure/massage specialist. Rush is now celebrating her first year as the owner/operator of Cameo Facials Spa in West Kelowna, which offers facials/microdermabrasion, body wraps/body scrubs, CranioSacral acupressure/massage, infrared sauna blanket therapy, hot stone massage, hair removal waxing and paraffin waxing, reflexology, full body massages and sun tanning lotion treatments. Her signature treatment is scalp/neck/ shoulder massages. Her special gift working with horses has given her the intuition of healing touch therapy. Call 250-300-3101; online cameofacialskelowna.com.
The Film Factory is a creative house located in downtown Kelowna, 1126 Richter St. You can’t miss the bright lime green building. It’s a unique space consisting of a 1,400 square foot photo/video studio, audio recording studio, 18-seat theatre they rent out which is really cool and office spaces for other creative companies to share and collaborate. Owned and operated by partners Jeff Myers and Kelly Veltri, the Film Factory specializes in all types of video production ranging from corporate and commercial to television, music videos, documentaries, and other creative projects. It is becoming a hub for the local film industry and other non-profit groups, aiding as a meeting place, a centre for events and screenings and a place for inspiration and creativity. It was a really neat place to visit. The Film Factory building was built in 1908 and was at one time home to a candy factory. Call 250-215-7766; online thefilmfactory.ca.
Kelowna Women in Businesses is hosting a luncheon April 15, 11:30 a.m., at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Centre in Kelowna. The guest speaker will be local businesswoman Nikki Csek, with KelownaNow.com. Nikki will tell you and show you how social media made all the difference to her company, which grew from a couple of employees to now employing 16. Payment won’t be accepted at the door so register online in advance at kwib.org.
Happy 62nd anniversary Joseph and Irene Hewko (April 18).
The Royal Canadian Legion branch 26 in Kelowna,1380 Bertram St., will host an Easter ham dinner at 4 p.m. for $15. Call 250-762-4117 for more information.
The 31st RCAF Association Aviation Dinner takes place April 10 at the Coast Capri Hotel. Anyone interested in aviation is welcome to attend. The dinner will have a military flare, with guest speaker Tracy Medve, president of Kelowna Flightcraft. She will talk about Flightcraft’s operations and the future of aviation in the Okanagan. For more info or tickets call Bill Stewart at 250-764-8664 or Hugh Rose at 250-712-0022.
Victory Life Fellowship will host its popular 12th annual Easter Pancake Breakfast on April 3, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Parkinson Rec Centre.
Children and the Arts is an event to be hosted by Exceptional Music Adventure (EMA) for children with autism and persons with exceptionalities on Friday, April 10, at The Cove Lakeside Resort in West Kelowna, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The evening will be filled with music by Gorden James, Bob Silverside, Teena Gowdy, Chantelle Betuzzi, Ria Falker and Peter MacDonald, Elise Wozney, Aria Logan and Heather McCullough of EMA. You will enjoy appetizers by chef Grant Demontreuil, wine, a silent auction and raffles. Donations will go toward musical equipment and funding for student lessons. The evening is sponsored by House of Rose Winery, OMUS Band Instrument Repair Service, Music & Arts Center of Kelowna and EMA. For tickets ($50) call Heather McCullough, 250-808-0131; Ria Falkner, 778-363-3667 or Emily VanderSchee at the Cove Resort, 250-707-1814.
The 67th AGM of the Okanagan Historical Society’s Kelowna branch is Saturday at Parkinson Recreation Centre. Doors open at 5 p.m., with dinner at 6 p.m. Guest speaker is Heather Berringer, UBCO chief librarian, on the topic of UBCO collections. For more info or tickets call Chris Jennens at 250-862-2801 or Bob Hayes at 250-763-8859.
Jazz presents Elizabeth Shepherd on Sunday at the Okanagan College Theatre, 7:30 p.m., featuring Shepherd on vocals and keyboards; Scott Kemp, bass; Colin Kingsmore, drums and vocals; Gord Grdina, guitar; and Jon Day, trumpet and vocals. Ticket $20 at eventbrite.ca (search Elizabeth Shepherd) or $25 at the door.
The Kelowna Italian Club will host a dinner April 11 at 770 Lawrence Ave. For tickets ($25) call Joe at 250-878-3619.
Birthdays of the week: Happy 80th Garth Johnstone (Apr. 6); happy 75th Ron Buddo (Apr. 5); happy 70th Diane (Dee) Essler (Apr. 4); happy 50th Steve Stecko (Apr. 4); Karen Hill, publisher Kelowna Capital News (Apr. 1); Dr. David Craig (Apr. 1); Ron Jacobsen (Apr. 1); Jake Jacobsen (Apr. 1); Cynthia Waldek-Peters (Apr. 2); Amber Firkins (Apr. 3); Rick Methot, Kelowna Capital News (Apr. 3); Lyal Shoemaker (Apr. 4).
