This week’s column is dedicated to Tom Nishi, who passed away on Jan. 6. We have known Tom for decades. Personal condolences to his brother Jim and many friends. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
W+A Bistro, owned and operated by Marni Manegre, has opened at 315 Lawrence Ave. (corner of Lawrence Avenue and Water Street) in downtown Kelowna.
Open for lunch and light dinners of tapas and shareables, this fun and sophisticated bistro combines wine and art as their main focus. The lunch menu, which is served until 6 p.m. daily, offers soups, salads, and croissant sandwiches. The evening menu is mostly a tapas and shareables menu with nachos, warm cheese dip, cheese plates, charcuterie plates and kettle cooked potato chips. Desserts are provided by Sandrine French Pastry & Chocolate. They have a good selection of wines and the beer is provided by Tree Brewing Co. Manegre plans to offer painting with wine. She tells me that with two to four glasses of wine, you can paint more creatively as your inhibitions decrease. Not sure what you will paint after four glasses. The bistro has five staff with one sommelier. Manegre is a big supporter of the B.C. SPCA as $1 from each glass or $4 from each bottle of wine will be donated to that organization. The bistro is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Wednesday, and 11 a.m. to midnight Thursday to Saturday. Call 778-484-2781.
Kudos to the Kelowna Capital News staff on raising $1,485 this season for the Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Campaign. The staff team volunteered at Walmart on three consecutive Fridays from Nov. 28 to Dec. 12 to raise the money.
Dr. Dale Forsythe, of Forsythe Chiropractic & Laser Therapy, has moved his office in preparation for construction of a new four-storey building with ground floor commercial and three floors of UBCO/OK College student housing for up to 84 students. Forsythe Chiropractic is now located at 202-125 Highway 33 East, on the second floor of Rutland Plaza, above the 7/Eleven store and gas bar on the corner of Rutland Road South and Highway 33 East. Forsythe offers patient focused wellness care including activator certified spinal adjustments, low intensity cold laser therapy, custom orthotics and nutritional counseling. New patients will receive 15 per cent off their first visit. For an appointment call 250-765-1466.
MCC Thrift Store has moved to a new location at 153 Rutland Road South. Check out the store’s website, thriftmcc.org.
The partners of Crowe MacKay LLP have announced additional partnerships to their firm effective Jan. 1. The Kelowna admissions include Mike Crowley to incorporated principal. Crowley has practiced with Crowe MacKay since 1986. He primarily works with owner-managed businesses providing assistance in audit, accounting and advisory services. And Nick Moffatt is now an associate partner. Moffatt joined Crowe MacKay LLP in 1999. He primarily provides audit and assurance services to a wide range of businesses. Murray Bye is the CEO of Crowe MacKay LLP, located at 500-1620 Dickson Ave. in Kelowna. Call 250-763-3600.
Several changes at Scotiabank in Kelowna. After 42 years, Diane Feist, manager of Lakeshore Centre branch has retired. Diane and I worked together at Scotiabank main branch in the early 1970s for several years. She then went on to the Orchard Place branch, then back to main branch and then on to the Lakeshore Centre branch. Gladys Fraser, manager of Kelowna Scotiabank main branch, is now the new manager of Lakeshore Centre branch after managing the main branch for the past seven years. Bruce Pounder, relocating from Salmon Arm branch, will replace Fraser, with 33 years experience working for Scotiabank, mostly in northern Alberta.
Francois Fiset, of Canem Auto Gallery at 884 McCurdy Pl., and Jay Blackford, with West Coast Auto Finance, have started a campaign called Family In Need Give-away. This past Saturday, they presented a pre-owned, seven passenger minivan to Stacey Westman, a single mother with six children. Their next Family In Need Give-away will be carried out in five weeks. The goal of this charitable program is to give away six vehicles before the end of the a year. Anyone wanting to apply or sponsor someone for the next vehicle give-away can get more information about how to do that from the website familyinneed.ca.
Jeremy Harris and Mountain Planning Group Inc. have moved their business to Rutland, now located at 203-145 Asher Rd. The company offers investment, retirement and insurance needs. Harris also has an office in downtown Kelowna at the Towne Centre Mall. Call 250-861-4115; online mountainplanning.ca.
KamloopsBCNow, a local market digital media website platform has been launched. Owners Rob Cupello and Kristen Rodrigue, with the Kamloops ad agency Pulse Group, have partnered with KelownaNow to establish a second NOW website in B.C. KelownaNow was started Feb. 28, 2014, and was followed by ScottsdaleNow in Arizona in December 2014. Jim Csek is the chief executive officer and owner of KelownaNow.
HQ49’s business concept may be geared towards the student population, but this new entertainment establishment is fun for all ages. They have a lounge area for bubble tea, electronic darts, pool and board games as well as private room rentals for karaoke, birthday parties and other social gatherings. Open Sunday through Wednesday, 1 p.m. to midnight, at 165 Highway 33 East. Call 778-753-2617
Congratulations to GOODSIR Creative Inc., the 2015 Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Office Makeover winner. During the months of November and December, the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce partnered with Total Interiors to sponsor the contest. Chamber members who renewed their 2015 membership by Dec. 31 were entered into a draw to win the office makeover, which includes workflow consultation, professional office planning, colour and design advice, furnishings, delivery and installation. Curtis Darmohray is the president of the Kelowna Chamber and Caroline Grower the CEO.
White Kennedy LLP has appointed Aaron Dodsworth and Jodi Hansen as partners. Both are based out of the firm’s West Kelowna office. Dodsworth is responsible for providing accounting, auditing, taxation and business advisory services. After working with the CRA for several years, Hansen joined White Kennedy as a staff accountant in June 2004. She has a particular interest specializing in not-for-profit and audits.
Michelle Nice is the new human resources manager at School District 23 while Michelle DesRochers is the new executive assistant to the assistant superintendent.
The Greater Westside Board of Trade has a new executive for 2015: Norm LeCavalier, business consultant (chairman); Chris Cruz, AMC Tours & Delicious Donuts (vice-chair); Noreen Redman, Kelowna International Airport (vice-president); Gary Schlenker, Grant Thornton LLP (treasurer); and Marek Buryska, Valley First Credit Union (past co-chair). The board directors at large are Jesse Bernhardt, Pushor Mitchell, LLP; Aaron Dodsworth, White Kennedy LLP; Holly Plante, Unveil Shuttles; Bill Raine, Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty; Elfriede Schmoll, Best Western Westside; Gene Stafford, Appleton Waste Services, and Westbank First Nation band councillor Mickey Werstuik.
“Timewatch” is a book written by local author Linda Grant, who was the grand prize winner of the first Hay House Visions Contest. The grand prize included a contract from Hay House to publish her novel, the premise of which is what if the only way to save the world meant going back in time, not just once but again and again? After consuming a specialized herb concoction prepared by a long-dead ancestor, the consciousness of each member of the Morgan family is transported into his or her previously incarnated body to various critical points in time, including Roman times, colonial America, and 18th century Turkey, France and England, where they must fight forces trying to alter the past and cause catastrophic change to the future. Grant has taught gifted children in public schools and developed and led courses on personal growth and self-development for adults. She was also the production coordinator on the Imax film, Heartland. Grant will be at Chapters on Saturday, Jan. 24, 1 to 3 p.m. for a book signing.
The nominations for the 40th Annual Civic & Community Awards Gala can be submitted until the Feb. 13 deadline for the following categories: Man & Woman of the Year; Young Male and Female Volunteer of the Year; Honour & Teen Honour in the Arts; Volunteer Organization of the Year; Corporate Community of the Year; Champion for the Environment; Male and Female Athlete of the Year; Volunteer Coach of the Year and Athletic Team of the Year. Go to the website kelowna/ca/residents to submit a nomination.
Greg Brown, owner of Granite Transformations For Kitchen and Baths at 100-740 McCurdy Rd. in Kelowna, has added two new staff members. Tami Weller is the new branch manager and Lori Patterson is the new design consultant. Both bring many years of experience to the kitchen and bath renovation industry. Granite Transformations is a world-wide franchise based business that offers intelligent home improvement solutions, including proprietary Trend Stone, Trend Glass for countertops, Trend Mosaic and Karma Glass for backsplashes as well as cabinet and cabinet re-facing services. Visit the showroom or call 778-753-1733 for a free in-home design consultation.
The 5th annual Rock The House fundraiser, hosted by the John Howard Society, takes place Friday, Jan. 31, at the Kelowna Curling Club, 551 Recreation Ave. Curling festivities start at 2 p.m. and the dinner starts at 5 p.m. Equipment and a curling lesson are included in the ticket price of $50 per person with $40 per person for the dinner only. To register call 250-763-1331 or email Samantha.beeson@jhscso.bc.ca.
The Central Okanagan Heritage Society is inviting nominations for its annual Heritage Awards, to be presented during Heritage Week, Feb. 16 to 22. The society is looking to receive nominations for the following categories: Distinguished community service; conservation project on a heritage building currently in non-residential use; continued conservation of a heritage building; preservation or restoration of a neighbourhood or area and special heritage project. For more info call 250-861-7188; email cohs@telus.net; check out website okheritagesociety.com.
The second annual BDO Human Bonspiel is Friday, Jan. 23, at the Rotary Centre for the Arts, starting at noon. It’s about launching yourself towards the button while sliding on inner tubes with a twist. Put on your warm Canadian threads and enjoy team and individuals prizes, music, food, games and hot drinks. There is still time to form a corporate team or just come out and watch. Check out the website RotaryCentreForTheArts.com or call Scott Simpson at 250-763-5700.
The spring UBC Okanagan Career Fair is set for Feb. 5 at the campus Engineering, Management and Education (EME) Building. This annual event, timed to complement Okanagan College’s Career Fair, hosts 40 employers who meet with students to inform them of opportunities that await them. For more info call Robin Whittall at 250-807-8828. Last year more than 1,000 students attended.
Birthdays of the week: Happy 65th Bill Sinclair, British Car Club (Jan. 26); Mark Tompkins (Jan. 21); Dave Russell (Jan. 21); Lil Colpron (Jan. 22); Jason Agostino, Mervyn Motors Body Shop (Jan. 23); Les Campbell (Jan. 23); Luigi Coccaro (Jan. 24); Ed Kaskiw (Jan. 24); Sharon Shepherd (Jan. 25); Colin Elliott (Jan. 24); Andrew Lipsett (Jan. 25); Robert Taylor (Jan. 25); Kathy Weibe, Rosebuds (Jan. 26); Mark Burley, Bell Media (Jan. 27).
