West Coast Grill and Oyster Bar has opened in the Prestige Hotel at 1675 Abbott Street. The space has been completely renovated into a beautifully designed, extremely inviting contemporary restaurant with a long marble-topped bar, white banquette seating, wooden tables and wooden and metal chairs. There is a good sized patio with heaters. Owned and operated by Valerie Lessard, who held a variety of positions at Banff’s Rimrock Resort for 20 years and is an experienced restauranteur, this is the fifth West Coast Grill. The menu offers an extensive selection of fresh and sustainable coastal seafood including oysters, mussels, crab, prawns and sushi along with a variety of salads, flatbreads, hamburgers and steaks. Chef Travis Pye, who has worked with two top restaurant chains, including Joey Restaurant Group, creates compelling flavours made from fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. There is an extensive list of Okanagan wines, cocktails and beers that complement the menu. Happy hour is from 3 to 6 p.m. with discounted beverages and buck-a-shuck oysters and appetizer items. Michael Ferguson is the food and beverage director and Harry Dosanj is the bar manager. Several of us shared many of the appetizers and main course items and all were delicious and well presented. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. with weekend brunch from 7:30 a.m. to noon. Call 236-420-0206 www.westcoastgrill.ca.
Kelowna Hyundai, owned and operated by John Kot has received the prestigious 2015 Hyundai President’s Award of Merit for the fourth year in a row. The award is given to the top 15 Hyundai dealerships across Canada. There are more than 200 Hyundai dealerships in Canada. Stephen (Steve) Allan, who has been with their team since 2012, was awarded Hyundai’s 2015 Top Sales Consultant of the Year Award in B.C.
Chelsea Bussemeier is a luxury clothing designer who trained as a formal fashion design seamstress in Hamburg, Germany. She also worked in a bridal shop in Germany. Chelsea has now launched her new bridal and formal wear label Red Velvet Bridal Design in Kelowna. This label is exclusively designed and is made and sold at her home-based studio boutique ensuring quality, the exclusive nature of her designs, as well as providing a custom fit for every customer. As a formal clothing designer, Chelsea says everything looks better fitted to an individual’s body and style. During her training, her heart was also captured by the need to stop the atrocity of the “fast” fashion industry. She believes this can only be done by a combination of educating the public and providing an alternative quality product. Visit www.redvelvetbridal.com or call 250-764-7578.
Uptown Rutland Business Association (URBA) has a new 2016 board of directors. The executive is now made up of Mike Koutsantonis, Olympia Greek Taverna (president); Dan Van Norman, Hollywood Shoes (first vice-president); Dawn Thiessen, Aphrodite In Me Spa (second vice-president) and Shawndra Woodin, Interior Savings (treasurer). The directors are: Nick Aubin, Aubin & Associates; Mark Beaulieu, Flashpoint Laser & Tattoo, Garry Benson, Benson Law LLP; Carole Bergeron, Stylize Hair Studio, June Forman, MCC Thrift Store, Shelley Kvamme MacDonald, CPA, Wendi Swarbrick, WS Accounting Services and Lorraine Richardson, Valley First Credit Union. Appointed directors are Frank Pohland, CTQ Consultants and Kevin MacDougall, RCMP. Brad Sieben is the City of Kelowna representative. Laurel D’Andrea is the executive director and Amy Wentworth the administrative assistant. www.ourrutland.ca.
After 18 years of service, Carol Price is retiring from the Okanagan Mission Youth Soccer Association, being the single point of contact for thousands of youth soccer families in the region. Carol served on the board of directors for three years and as administrator for the last 15 years. Jessica Ireland, who was previously an executive on the Terrace Peaks Gymnastics board, will step into the position. Lisa Laing is the chairwoman of the Okanagan Youth Mission Soccer Association.
When Williams Moving went bankrupt in January, 2015, Nathan Miller’s affiliate company, Nathan’s Moving also took a hit. Now, in the span of a year, Nathan’s has reinvented itself and is the sixth Bekins Moving & Storage franchise in B.C., becoming part of the largest moving company in Western Canada. Nathan has expanded the company from three trucks and five employees to an operation that boasts a staff of 22 (35 during the peak summer months), 11 trucks and more than 30 pieces of moving equipment. He also consolidated his operation by moving into the old Hiram Walker plant in Lake Country and enjoys 12,000-square-feet of storage space with room to expand. Now, through his connection with Bekins, he has become a member with United Van Lines, a North American-wide moving specialist. Bekins now services the area from Osoyoos to Kamloops and offers temporary storage at its Lake Country warehouse, which saves time and money. Call 1-250-766-1966. www.bekinskelownamovers.com.
Kalala Organic Estate Winery in West Kelowna has placed in the top 10 twice (2010 and 2014) at the Chardonnay de Monde competition in France, but this year marks its biggest win yet. Of the 782 wine samples from 30 countries that entered, Kalala’s 2013 Chardonnay ice-wine received the highest number of points, giving it the top spot in the prestigious competition. Owned by viticulturist Karnail Singh Sidhu, the winery uses certified organic grapes grown in West Kelowna at the Catana Vineyard in the 2013 Chardonnay ice-wine. Starting Nov. 14, crews at the vineyard picked 3.7 tons of grapes and produced 1,220 litres of the vintage.
Monique Ducharme-Pullen of Yoga Warehouse is a yoga teacher who teaches specifically to cancer patients and works directly with the local Cancer Lodge. She shares the ancient healing practice with both patients and survivors, offering specialized classes for individuals in any stage of treatment or recovery. The classes are free of charge and held in safe and supportive environments with only the highest intention of creating a space of peace and trust. Monique attended the Salt Spring School of Yoga, where she studied with cancer survivor and master yoga teacher, Tari Prinster, who developed Yoga4Cancer, a gentle, healing practice that draws on modern cancer research and yoga. She teaches at Inspire Health at 123-565 Bernard Avenue and the Canadian Cancer Society’s Rotary Lodge at 2251 Abbott St.
The Yoga for Cancer classes are all drop-in and mats and support props are provided. No previous yoga experience is required and participants are encouraged to come as they are. Knowing that each diagnosis and treatment is different, classes are designed to honour each individual’s body through mindful movement, breath and meditation to achieve the ultimate goals of relieving stress and anxiety, symptom and pain management, immunity building and the chance of increased recovery. For location, dates and times of the cancer classes visit www.purityoga.simpl.com or call Monique at 250-863-7437.
Okanagan College’s Enactus team has returned from the Enactus Canada Regional Exposition for Western Canada with two top-place finishes, propelling it to the national exposition in Toronto. Congratulations to Cassandra McColman, Cooper Simson, Carly Suddard and Talasa Harder. A second team from the college, consisting of Cam Starcheski, Abbey Jones, Hannah Griffin and Darren Gillespie also won top spot.
Ginger Brunner has been hired as the new human resources specialist for the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) as part of a pilot project with go2HR Vancouver. TOTA feels a shortage of labour will hit the tourism sector in the Interior and to help employers attract and retain workers, the plan is to recruit tourism students as they finish college and university.
Rob Gibson, well known coffee guy who retired from Van Houtte Coffee last year, is taking on the responsibility—along with his wife Sandy—of running the Kelowna Springs ladies golf league starting April 6 and running every Wednesday after that. The league normally has 80 to 100 women participate weekly—some serious golfers and some not so serious—vying for many prizes. For more information or to join, call the pro shop at 250-765-4653, Sandy at 250-718-3538 or Rob at 250-826-4200.
The Westbank Farmers’ Market is publishing a Market Cookbook to coincide with the 2016 market opening on June 25. It is soliciting recipes from all its market friends to be included be included in the cookbbook. The recipes must either be original or a significantly modified and tested version of a transitional favourite. To participate, email westbankfarmersmarket.com. The deadline for submissions is Saturday, May 7 and selected contributors will be notified no later than Monday, May 9. They will be required to submit a suitable photograph and biography, along with any photographs required to accompany the recipe.
If you are a hunting, fishing and outdoor enthusiast, the B.C. Interior Sportsman Show goes April 9 and 10 at the Capital News Centre on Gordon Drive. There will be a full line-up of speakers, exhibitors, activities and door prizes. Speakers will include Othmar Vohringer (turkey calling), Dean Trumbley from Trigger Effect (Advanced mule deer hunting strategies) and chef Ben Pallett from Kitchen Sync Catering (Sausage making). Tickets are $10 each available online or at the door for both youths and adults. Kids 12 and under will get in for free. Visit www.bc interiorsportsmanshow.com.
White Sails A Cappella Chorus is hosting Thank You For The Music on Tuesday, April 5 at 7 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church, 4091 Lakeshore Road. Tickets are $10 each with refreshments to be available and a raffle/auction to follow. Call Renee at 250-763-5984 or 250-317-5759.
Kelowna MapleFest goes April 1- 3 at the Laurel Packinghouse and Rotary Centre for the Arts. There will be a Festin, Family Day, Trad Sur Mesure and Sugar Shack Brunch. For details and tickets visit www.kelownamaplefest.ca.
Birthdays of the week—Happy 55th Tracy Gilbert, Save-On-Foods (March 22); Ivy Cutting (Today, March 23); Jim Ross (Today, March 23); Martin Mills (March 23); Natasha Frappier (March 23); Jack Peters (March 24); Jock Tyre (March 24); Phil Viggiani (March 24); Rick Jaeger, Mercedes (March 24); Ryan Donn (March 24); Bruce Falkins (March 24); Chris Gorman (March 24); Normie Wylie (March 25); Kerry Solinsky (March 25); Pat Moxness (March 26); Lark Willms (March 26); Wendy Giammartino, Via Veneto (March 28); Hugh Cairns (March 28); Dick Dumond (March 28);
Dr. Ryan Ishkanian (March 28); Cam Forgues (March 28); Don Jeffries, Ramada Hotel (March 29).
