Metro Church has launched a new social enterprise called Metro Laundry at 1015 Crowley Ave., next to Esporta.
Managed by Crystal Fields, this unique initiative has partnered with Esporta, which has donated two Esporta Wash Systems, innovative washing machine systems that use a patented system of hydraulic pressure cleaning combined with a specific blend of detergents to effectively disinfect soft contents, personal protective gear and all types of sports equipment. So, how does that fit with Metro Laundry? Metro Laundry washes everything from patio cushions, shoes, large and small linens, sports equipment, beach towels, duvets or just about anything. All revenue from the service goes back into the Metro Church programs to help restore lives and give people a second chance. Along with doing this for the general public, Metro Church also has a commercial laundry business. Their motto is “renewing linens and restoring lives.” Definitely a win-win situation. Call Metro Church at 778-484-5379.
Case Furniture Gallery, 2514 Highway 97 North, has changed the storename back to Ashley Furniture HomeStore. Owned and operated by Dennis and Marion Case and Brad and Jody Swartz, the first Case Furniture opened in 1977. Some years back, they changed their name and joined Ashley Furniture HomeStore. In 2010, they left Ashley and converted their stores back to Case Furniture Galleries. In the interim, the Ashley Furniture brand was revitalized with exciting new lines of home furnishings and dramatic steps forward in customer support, hence the decision to change the store name back to Ashley. Call 250-861-9321.
Bruce Davis is the new executive director of the Central Okanagan Foundation. Starting in the not-for-profit sector 25 years ago, he worked with the United Way in the Lower Mainland, Halifax and Brazil. He also held a position with the Telus World of Science in Calgary.
After having worked with Canada Post for four decades, Bert Gee, the well-known superintendent of collection and delivery has moved on, after leading many successful teams during his tenure with the post office in Prince George, Dawson Creek, Ottawa and Kelowna. In April, he decided to roll up his sleeves and take on a new career in auto sales at Elite Auto Centre, 2655 Enterprise Way, owned by the Gaspari family. Elite expanded in June 2012 resulting in a larger selection of automobiles to choose from. Visit him for an automobile, service or detailing. Call 250-712-0668; elite.bert@gmail.com.
Stopped in to see Todd Henry, store manager of the new Urban Fare on Lakeshore Road (formerly Coopers), and wow, is it starting to look great. Will have a full story for you towards the end of September when the store renovations are complete.
Kris Johnson, marketing and events coordinator of the Kelowna Art Gallery, leaves his job July 27 to relocate to Alberta where he will study at NAIT in Edmonton. Upon his return from Alberta in 2015, Johnson will move to Penticton to assume ownership of a family business.
Independent travel consultant Jackie Froese has joined KVI Travel. Formerly located at 2463 Highway 97 for the last three years, the company has moved to 1323 Water St. as a full-service travel agency. Kyle Oram is the agency manager. Call 250-980-1600; Jackie@kvitravel.ca.
Karen Christiansen, a chartered accountant with Meyers Norris Penny in Kelowna, is back on the Institute of Chartered Accountants of B.C. board as the first vice-president.
James Brown has joined the Kelowna office as lead appraiser for the valuations advisory and consulting team and as a licensed broker for Colliers International. His mandate is to advance the company’s strategic vision by spearheading the real estate appraisal, agriculture and equipment valuations division. Call 250-763-2300.
Attention winery owners. Justin Dooley is a business development manager from Wilber.ca, a new local cloud based Software Company, a one stop shop for licensees to order wine directly from wineries online 24/7. It’s a selling tool that will help modernize the ordering process, eliminating phone calls, piles of paperwork, filing and maintaining manual inventory count to the industry as well. Instead of a licensee individually contacting every winery for orders, they can go to one place online, store all their sales records and summaries online. Wineries can affordably market their wines to every licensee in every corner of the province (or in short time, looks like anywhere in Canada). This benefits both the smaller and larger wineries for the same reasons as well as helping increase exposure and main point. Cloud based, just like Facebook you sign in online and store everything on the interface and not on one specific computer, meaning that you do not have to purchase any software. This software can connect with QuickBooks software and alContact for the sales process. Call 250-717-6633; Justin@wilbur.ca.
Amy’s Gifts has relocated in the Towne Centre Mall to larger and brighter premises, beside La Belle Boutique. Owned by Amy Nevery, the shop celebrates its 30th anniversary in business this month—20 years at Capri Mall and a decade at Towne Centre Mall. The shop offers a large selection of Bradford Exchange gifts and is the official Kelowna Bradford Exchange dealer. Nevery also carries amber from Poland, Bohemian crystals from Czechoslovakia and heritage lace from Europe, along with Thomas Kinkade music boxes, figurines and Disney collection items. Amy’s great friend Lorie Morris helps her out in the store. Call 250-712-9442.
The benefits division of Working Enterprises Insurance Services Ltd. has moved to Working Enterprises Consultants and Benefits Services Ltd. Dave Porteous can now be reached at dave@weconsultants.ca. If your inquiry relates to property and casualty insurance, contact info@weinsurance.com or 1-800-663-4200.
Travel Guild has selected a local airline, Flair Air, owned and operated by Jim and Kathy Rogers (former partners of Kelowna Flightcraft), to provide the air portion of their “Around the World by Private Jet” Holiday for 2012. Flair worked with TGI on the World Holidays Tours in 2010 and 2011. The trip leaves from either Toronto or Vancouver on Oct. 27 and returns to Canada on Nov. 25. It flies westbound around the world with stops in Anchorage, Alaska, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal, India, Dubai, Kenya, Sao Tome, Morocco and Iceland. The price includes first class hotels, most meals, planned tours, taxes and entrance fees. Some of the highlights are the Great Wall, Angkor Wat, Taj Mahal, a desert dune drive in Dubai, African Safari and dinner at the Kasbah in Morocco. Flair supplies a 72-seat all “business class” configuration and crew, providing a personalized, high level of passenger service and comfort. Check out the website www.privatejettours.ca.
To help grow the game of golf locally, until July 15 kids under 16 play free with a paid adult at Black Mountain Golf Club. To book a tee time, contact 250-765-6890; www.blackmountaingolf.ca.
The Kelowna Farmer’s Market will host the 17th annual Cherry Festival on Saturday, July 21, (corner of Springfield and Dilworth) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join in on the cherry spitting contest for all ages, (market bucks to the winners) or win a case of cherries if you guess how many cherries in the case. Along with entertainment, cherry vendors will provide tastings of different varieties.
The Okanagan Historical Society will hold the annual Family Pioneer Picnic on Sunday, July 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. behind Parkinson Recreation Centre. This year, the society will recognize the Centennial Arrival of Glenmore Families. Bring a bag lunch and lawn chair. Coffee, juice, cake and ice cream will be provided.
This is cool. Okanagan Regional Library customers with web-enabled smartphones or tablets will be able to manage their library accounts anywhere using the ORL’s new mobile app, ORL Mobile. The app also includes branch info, catalogue searches and links to social media. It has innovative features that will make using the library convenience for tech-inclined members. The app includes a feature called BookLook, which on most devices can scan the ISBN code of any book and link to the ORL catalogue to show available copies, to place a hold request or browse available ebooks and eaudiobooks titles in either of the ORL’s two digital book collections through the app, downloading them to your device. To access the free app, visit orl.boopsie.com on your mobile device or find it at the iTunes app store or Google play store by searching Okanagan Regional Library. For more info visit www.orl.bc.ca. Chantelle McGee is head of the new virtual branch. Call 250-860-4033.
The Kelowna and District Safety Council will present their Babysitter Training Course for pre-teens, ages 10 and up, on Aug. 8 and 9, at 395 Hartman Rd. The registration cost is $60 and includes a babysitter’s gear bag, comprehensive student reference book and a graduation certificate. Call 250-765-3348; www.kdsc.bc.ca.
On Sunday, July 15, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Domino’s Pizza on Sutherland and Highway 97 will donate all the pizza outlet’s revenue, plus all staff wages, to the Cops for Kids Charitable Foundation. To order call 250-861-1551 or just drop in.
Ken (Bubba) Coles started the Bubba Open golf tournament with 18 of his friends. Since then, it has grown out of control. With so many golfers wanting to play in the tournament, Coles decided to make it a fundraising event for the SPCA. The reason? Sixteen years ago he got his puppy, Keisha, from the SPCA, and the years that followed, he says, have been the best of his life. Keisha was simply an amazing dog that sadly passed away on May 5. This year’s tournament raised $2,300 in her honour.
Birthdays of the week: Happy 50th Magda Kapp, BrainTrust Canada (July 15); happy 55th Scott Reynolds (July 17); Doreen Ross (July 12); twins Henry and Bert Willms (July 13); Gerry Moller (July 13); Moni Schiller (July 13); David LaHay, founder/artistic director, Ballet Kelowna (July 15); Luanne Chore, Grant Thornton (July 14); Lil Moller (July 16); Denise O’Rourke, O’Rourke’s Market (July 17); Karen Wiggins, Brown Bag Bistro (July 17); Linda Yandel (July 17); Bill Jack, Club Wine Tours (July 17); Dave MacLean (July 18).
