Leading off-price retailer Marshalls opens its new store in Kelowna today, located across from Superstore.
The first 300 customers will receive a gift card. Marshalls is known for providing a wide selection of big brand fashions, a footwear department with more than 3,000 pairs of brand name boxed shoes and home decor items for the entire family.
The store has a fresh, contemporary design with a bright layout and easy-to-locate departments, receiving thousands of new items weekly so every store visit is a new shopping experience. The Kelowna store is part of the company’s 11-store expansion scheduled for 2014. To mark the Kelowna store’s grand opening, Marshalls will donate $5,000 to Kids Help Phone. Marshalls currently has 33 stores. Kris Brewer is the manager of the Kelowna outlet.
Well-known former Cabana Grille partner/owner Jay Blackford has now ventured into the world of leasing and financing. After selling Cabana and its catering operation in March, Blackford has now joined the team at West Coast Auto (WCA) as the business development officer and sales manager. WCA is located in the new Canem Auto building, 884 McCurdy Pl. Aside from overseeing the in-house leasing for Canem Auto, WCA has become a major lease resource for many B.C. auto and recreational dealerships. Keep a social media eye open for WCA and Canem Auto’s ‘Family In Need Campaign.’ Canem plans to give away a vehicle to a local family in need every two months. Call 250-575-2070; email jay@wesstcoastauto.ca.
A Men In Kilts Window Cleaning franchise has come to Kelowna. Owned and operated by franchisees Gareth Rider and Stacey Steele, who relocated from Calgary, this is the 11th location to open since 2010 and the third in B.C. The new franchise will service the Okanagan Valley in residential, commercial and highrise buildings. Men In Kilts also offers gutter and siding cleaning, pressure washing and snow removal for residential and commercial customers. Call 1-800-777-5458 (Kilts) to book or to receive a free estimate on any of their services; online atmeninkilts.com.
After many years of owning and operating Heart & Sol Tours, Sherry Cote has sold the business to Bill Walraven and Kerry Logan. Walraven was born and raised in Kelowna and is a professional driver, while Logan has an extensive background in the travel industry. Cote will now focus her attention to her other business, A Vista Villa. Call 250-762-7167; email heartandsoltours@shaw.ca or contact Cote at 250-762-7837; email avistavilla@shaw.ca.
The John Howard Society has a new executive director. Gaelene Askeland, who grew up in Kelowna, has relocated from Winnipeg to take the position. With a background mostly in human resources, she has worked in both the profit and non-profit environments. Most recently, she was executive director of Initiatives for Just Communities in Winnipeg. She looks forward to working with her team and other agencies to provide services to people who have been involved in the criminal justice system. Call 250-763-1331; email gaelene.askeland@jhscso.bc.ca.
The Heritage Retirement Residence is a senior living community located in West Kelowna on the western shores of Okanagan Lake where rural meets sophistication. Their goal is to assist residents to feel safe, be happy, healthy and cared for each day. The Heritage is managed by Diversicare Canada, who manage 35 retirement homes and five long term care residences across Canada. Since 2006, Diversicare has been awarded the National Quality Institute of Canada Order of Excellence (Gold). Heritage offers full or partial meal service, room service, weekly housekeeping, personal laundry service, catering services, assisted living, reminder service, and a guest suite for visiting family or friends. Charmaine Kramer is the manager and Monica Giesbrecht the assistant manager of The Heritage.
Okanagan Lifestyle Apparel is a new online apparel company owned and operated by local partners Markku
Luopa and Jackie
Robertson. The company offers just what its name says—all-season Canadian brand apparel that encompasses everything people love about living in the Okanagan. It’s a new brand that is attractive, fits well, is high quality, soft, pre-shrunk and is sourced locally for both men and women. It’s a brand people can relate to as their own, and is a little more stylish. It also sells T-shirts and tank tops and are adding more colours to their line-up along with sweat shirts and hats. Check out www.okanaganlifestyle.ca website and their great Okanagan logo.
This is a great story. Kimco Controls Ltd., 104-171 Commercial Dr. in Kelowna, owned by Mark Hartwick, approached School District 23 to select an art student(s) to work with Kimco on a mural concept. Students Hanna Turner-Gervais and Larkin Dunn Warren, who graduated in June, were selected from creative arts classes by their art class instructor. Hanna and Larkin devoted evenings and weekends for more than six weeks, even during exams, to complete the mural, an enlarged circuit board which incorporates a few of Kimco’s actual building automation components and equipment. It measures 243 square feet. Both students received $1,000 post-secondary education bursaries. Hanna is enrolled at UBC’s Point Grey campus in the bachelor of science program. The students filmed, edited and posted their own time line lapse video of the mural being painted. Check it out at www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS_VktnUXZQ.
Kudos to Dockside Marine for seeing the merit in joining with the Okanagan Basin Water Board and it’s Don’t Move a Mussel Campaign, helping keep the Okanagan invasive zebra and quagga mussel-free.
These mussels which often hitch a ride on boats or other water related equipment are hurting affected communities in Ontario, Quebec and the U.S. with loss of tourism, diminished property values, increased taxes to clean water infrastructure, threats to drinking water quality and environmental damage. Dockside provided funds towards the campaign with the clever Don’t Move a Mussel muscle shirts. The company is also running radio ads helping: “Spread the message. Not the mussels.”
The Kelowna branch of the Okanagan Historical Society will host an Old Fashioned Family Social at the Father Pandosy Mission on Saturday, Aug. 23, 11a.m. to 3 p.m. This event is for all ages with lots of pioneer type activities including old fashioned clothes washing, spinning and weaving and calligraphy demonstrations. Children can even ride a mini train and there will be lots of entertainment with burgers, hot dogs and fries available for purchase, along with beverages and ice cream.
If the teachers strike continues delaying the resumption of public school classes, Kelowna Actors Studio,at 1379 Ellis St. in downtown Kelowna, plans to offer a special program from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting Tuesday, Sept. 2. KAS will offer a fun week of age-appropriate learning, exploration and theatre games. A full theatrical experience. The instructors will be Randy Leslie, Karlisa Hiebert and Margaret Goble. Only 30 spots are available. Register online at kelownaactorsstudio.com or call 250-862-2867.
K-Town Showdown, Kelowna’s only professional BBQ competition, goes Saturday featuring 15 of the Okanagan best chefs who will battle it out at the Urban Distilleries parking lot, 325 Bay Ave., from 2 to 10 p.m. Tickets at available at picatic.com, Urban Distilleries and Tree Brewery. For more info call Jacki Wlodarczyk at 250-215-1286 or email streamlinedce@gmail.com.
Chefs for Oceans founder Ned Bell (formerly with Cabana Grille) started his bike ride across the country in Newfoundland on Canada Day. Forty-three days and 5,100 kilometers later, Bell has passed the halfway mark in reaching Thunder Bay. Ned’s Chef’s for Oceans bike ride across Canada is raising awareness for sustainable seafood and supporting healthy lakes, rivers and oceans from coast to coast. He is also partnering with other like-minded chefs across the country to host 20 sustainable seafood events. Bell will be in Kelowna on Sept. 9 at Choices Market.
The Kelowna General Hospital Foundation’s 13th annual Celebrity Tennis Classic and Bocce Ball Tournament is Sept. 12 to 14 at Centre Court, 2302 Abbott St. All proceeds will be dedicated to essential lifesaving cardiac diagnostic equipment. This year, up for special recognition will be tournament chairman Greg Bishop, whose impressive tennis and organization talents have guided them through the past many successful tennis tournaments. Opening ceremonies are Friday at 4 p.m. For more info call Walley and Marietta Lightbody at 250-762-2783; email luxcorpus@shaw.ca; or contact Chandel Christie at KGHF, 250-862-4438 or emailchandel.christie@interiorhealth.ca.
If you have any small sized (hotel size) unused shampoos, conditioner, soap, nail files or sewing kits, the Cancer Lodge would appreciate your donation of these products. Call Burna Shoemaker at 250-763-2039 or just drop them off.
The 17th annual Interior Drive for Life Blood Drive Challenge Kelowna vs. Prince George runs Sept. 5 to Oct. 30. Kelowna once again goes head-to-head with Prince George for an eight-week blood collection contest. Let’s keep the trophy in Kelowna. To get involved call Gayle Voyer at 250-448-4022 or gayle.voyer@blood.ca. Blood, it’s in you to give.
Birthdays of the week: Happy 70th Brian Yerxa (Aug. 21), happy 66th Donna Meade (Aug. 21)—Brian and Donna are brother and sister with same day birthdays; happy 25th Simone Mercier (Aug. 19); David Crawford (Aug. 21); Berna Shoemaker (Aug. 22); Ben Gumienny, KelownaNow.com (Aug. 23); Sandra Newhook, Ramada Hotel (Aug. 23); Angela McManus, (Aug. 23); Bud Magrath (Aug. 24); Dr. Fred Froese (Aug. 24); Gavin Young (Aug. 24); Louise Thorpe (Aug. 25); Peter Raja, Norelco Cabinets (Aug. 25); Doris Vester (Aug. 26); Kim Dorcas (Aug. 27).
