Bonanza Meat Packers, a well-known name in the Kelowna wholesale meat industry since 1977, has opened a retail outlet in their brand new building at 185 Adams Rd. under the new banner Bonanza Meats, Deli & Bistro.
Started by Herman and Bea VandenEerenbeemt and Ernie Penninga, the business is now owned and operated by Bea, her two sons Marc and Wim, her daughter-in-law Denise and Bea’s grandson Kody—three generations in the building. They now have a building with a new store front operation and great pricing on meat products. Open to the public, Bonanza offers a huge deli with a good variety of cheeses, deli meats, condiments, full meat counter, prime meats of grade AAA beef and a frozen seafood counter. Most meats are made in-house and they also have a few tables for lunch or coffee. The bistro is located about seven minutes from both Rutland and Glenmore. The grand opening will be Tuesday, Feb. 26. In-house shop tours are being offered by reservation and they have great parking. Open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.—starting March 2. Call 250-765-9741.
Custom Laser Hair Removal, owned by Deborah Stewart, has relocated to 765 Rose Ave. (close to Kelowna General Hospital). Formerly at 1511 Sutherland Ave., Stewart and her colleague Elfi Eades continue to provide enviable results with the latest state-of-the-art LightSheer Diode laser technology to male and female clients. Stewart is a long-time certified laser technician, electrologist and esthetician, while Eades is also a certified laser technician, with 20 years in the medical field. Custom Laser Hair Removal offers 25 per cent off your first full back, bikini or lower leg treatment, eliminating the need to live with unwanted hair. Open Monday to Saturday. Call 250-861-1141; www.CustomLaserHairRemoval.com.
After 34 years with the Royal Bank, Ken Spence has retired and is moving to a new roll with the CIBC bank as the area sales manager Okanagan/Kootenays, mobile mortgage advisors. He can be contacted at kjspence@shaw.ca.
Neil Smith has been appointed manager of Habitat for Humanity’s first ReStore, located at 1793 Ross Rd. in West Kelowna. ReStore sells new and gently used building materials, furniture, light fixtures and home improvement items. Previously, Smith was the assistant manager at the Nanaimo ReStore. He has worked for many years in management positions in the gaming, retail and hospitability industries and is an accomplished home woodworker. Restore will open its doors this spring. Call 250-927-1750 or 778-755-4346.
Rafters Home Store, 230-2469 Highway 97 (in the Joey’s Restaurant complex), has undertaken a spring makeover and reintroduced itself under the newly created brand, Expressions, The Living & Giving Store keeping pace with the growing and changing needs of the marketplace. Owner Laura Barmentloo has also closed the Vernon store, consolidating it into the Kelowna store. All Vernon inventory will now be centralized in Kelowna and they will continue to honour the existing Rafters gift cards and reward points. The rebranded Expressions has a more fashionable, fresh new boutique-like look and feel. The store is about unique, unusual gifts and decor that help customers express their own unique style. Their new refreshed, rebranded website will complete the Rafters to Expressions makeover. Call 250-868-8261.
Lynn Wong has been promoted to associate partner of MacKay LLP, providing accounting, audit and tax services to privately held businesses and professionals. She also works with not-for-profit organizations. Call 250-763-5021.
Arlene Wilkins has joined Kyla Ramirez at Complete Core Pilates as a new Pilate’s practitioner. Wilkins is a trained instructor and was certified in the Stott method and will be leading additional mat classes in the studio. The studio is located at 101-5309 Main St. in Kettle Valley. Call 250-863-8108.
The planning department of the City of Kelowna has received the 2013 FCM Sustainable Communities Award in the energy category for its Community Climate Action Plan and Corporate Energy and GHG Emissions Plan, an award presented by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. The award recognize innovation and excellence in municipal sustainable development across Canada in six categories—brownfields, energy, neighbourhood development, transportation, waste and water.
Speaking of Kelowna, did you know that the Glenmore landfill is leading the way in recycling efforts? You will find multiple recycling options when you go there. What can be recycled at the Glenmore Landfill? The list is long. Cardboard and paper products; plastic and containers, propane containers, lead acid batteries, Christmas lights, glass (bottles, jars, etc.); clean and unpainted lumber; yard waste, stumps, yard clippings, etc.; asphalt and concrete; scrap metal and refrigeration appliances; tires (with or without rims); asphalt shingles and drywall. There are multiple designated areas where you can deposit these items and the staff is friendly and helpful and will be happy to answer your questions. So, while it might take some time to sort and recycle all your items, you can be sure they will get recycled properly and benefit everyone, even if you drop them off at the dump. It has been suggested that we rename the landfill the Glenmore Recycling and Disposal Facility. I hear that this is a possibility and might be done as part of the opening of the new building and entranceway.
The top 100 employers in B.C. have been compiled by job search website Eluta.ca. Companies that made the list that have businesses/offices in our area are Best Buy, B.C. Hydro, Cactus Club, Canadian Cancer Society, Great Little Box Company, Interior Health, ICBC, 1-800 Got Junk, Ledcor, Prospera Credit Union, QHR Technologies, Telus and the University of B.C.
Terrabella Wineries Ltd., of Summerland, has completed the purchase of an 18-acre vineyard property in West Kelowna. This marks the company’s second acquisition in their process of obtaining existing wineries and building new wineries in B.C. with the intention of creating quality brands for wine consumers. The group’s first purchase, made in July 2011, was Perseus Winery in Penticton. The second B.C. property in West Kelowna will eventually be home to the Helios Winery.
Dr. Sunil Parekh has opened his practice in Dr. Spec’s Optical at Orchard Plaza (near Save-On-Foods) and invites patients to book their eye exams. Call 250-861-1585.
Urban Systems has won a Deputy Minister’s Consulting Engineers Award for the Highway 97 replacement project through Lake Country. The company did $1.1-million worth of engineering work on the nine kilometers of the new highway.
Dr. Ron Baldassare, of Vivid Laser Centre, the Interior’s only corneal specialist, is now certified to do Kamra Inlay, a new out-patient eye laser and implant procedure that replaces the need for reading glasses, a new innovative surgical procedure to treat presbyopia (having trouble focusing objects the closer they are, making it difficult or impossible to read, or perform any other simple near tasks). Dr. Baldassare is one of only a handful of surgeons in North America certified to perform this procedure. The procedure lasts less than 20 minutes and patients can resume most activities the next day. Unlike other refractive procedures, the benefits of the Kamra inlay are more permanent and can be enjoyed by any patient, regardless of previous surgeries, such as cataract surgery, Lasik or PRK. Call 979-2010
Lots happening at Sparkling Hill Resort. If you are planning a short-trip, get-a-way, they have monthly specials for “locals” especially in the winter months. The resort’s March special be $225 for an overnight stay, including full breakfast, two-course dinner for two in their PeakFine Restaurant, access to all their steam/saunas/pools, workout center, tea and serenity room, valet underground parking and wireless Internet. Check out their Added Value Benefits also when booking. New to the KurSpa is a wonderful “cool weather” treatment which is very warming after a day of hiking the trails at Sparkling Hill or try the Pantai Luar, a centuries old treatment steeped in Ayurveda (off to new shores) offering a warming, luxurious treatment of aromatic fragrances of exotic herbs, limes and precious oils. There’s only a few days left in February but check out their last minute deals at www.sparklinghillresort.com or call 1-877-275-1556.
Mickie’s Pub, located in the Ramada Hotel, will host Watch the Oscars event Feb. 24, 4 p.m. See the winners on the pub’s 10-foot screens; and enjoy the dinner and drink specials along with features on screen about the movies Argo, Lincoln and actor Burt Reynolds.
The Valley Vixens, a dragon boat team, are again having their fundraiser and selling gorgeous 12-inch hanging flower baskets comprised of four of five different types or flowers (verbena, petunia, baby’s breathe, etc.) with a variety of colour combinations. New this year, the Vixens are also selling a shade variety of hanging baskets as well as herb and strawberry baskets and huge planters available for shade or full sun. These are great local products and very reasonable. Orders must be in by March 1 and can be picked up May 10 or 11, ust in time for Mother’s Day. Call Patricia Burns at 250-979-8084 or patricia.burns@live.com.
Congrats to the United Way in Kelowna, winners of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce office makeover contest. In partnership with Total Office Furnishings and Sticks & Stone design, the United Way offices will get a complete $6,500 makeover. Very fitting as this is Chamber of Commerce Week.
Attention farmers and ranchers. An important information session is being held in your region regarding the new Growing Forward 2 (GF2) agriculture policy agreement and changes to the AgriStability and AgriInvest Programs. The session in Kelowna is Feb. 27, 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the Ramada Hotel and Conference Centre, 2170 Harvey Ave. For more info call 1-877-343-2767 or go to www.agf.gov.bc.ca/agristability.
Celebrating its 50th year, Weight Watchers will host a celebration to mark that anniversary called One Amazing Day on Saturday, from 2 to 4 p.m.,at 202-1740 Gordon Dr. Get a free introduction to their new Weight Watchers 360 program, with great offers, fun surprises and it is free and open to the public. Contact Laurel Servidio at 250-300-7063; laservedio@shaw.ca.
Birthdays of the week—Happy 75th Betty Vogl (Feb. 27); happy 70th Rod Warnock, now in Blind Bay (Feb. 17); Matt Scaife (Feb. 21); Lyle Isenor (Feb. 22); Ben Bodnar (Feb. 23); Gerry Deshayes (Feb. 23); Carol Lesiak (Feb. 24); Sherri Miller, Mickie’s Pub (Feb. 25); Kit Carson, Peachland (Feb. 25).
