The Grizzly Bear Bistro & Bar has opened at 103-1750 Pier Mac Way in Kelowna’s Airport Village complex.
The restaurant is owned and operated by Sundersh Iyer, who has been in the hospitality industry for over 30 years around the world, and is managed by Chris Petty. Grizzly Bear Bistro can be described as comfortable casual with North American cuisine, mixed with global fusion flavours. Chef Perry Hempler, who relocated from Abbotsford, uses locally sourced and inspired home grown local products for both the local and global dishes. An opening menu is offered at this time with a good variety of beginners, mains, lunch specials and dessert. We tried the Hungarian goulash with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables and the mac & cheese, which were both exceptionally delicious with generous portions. A full bar menu with local wines is offered along with local Cherry Hill coffee. There are 45 seats inside the restaurant and a lovely patio. The beautiful Grizzly Bear sculptor in front of the restaurant was sculpted by a local Chase sculptor. Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
Congratulations to Norm Bradley, a 62-year-old member of Kelowna Golf and Country Club, on winning the 2020 British Columbia Senior Men’s Championship. He won the championship on the first playoff hole with a four-foot birdie putt at the Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club. This has been a long time coming for Norm, who has been playing high-level amateur golf for pretty much his entire adult life. Now he has won the big one!
Showroom Shine Detailing, owned and operated by Adrian Bonner and Susan Atkinson, is located at Unit C-3646C Highway 97 North, next to the Esso close to Reid’s Corner. This family owned business specializes in high-quality professional auto detailing services. Don’t have time to leave your car for detailing? Showroom Shine offers pick-up and delivery detail service while you are at work.
Lisa-Diane Fortier has joined their leadership team at Willowstone Academy on Lakeshore Road as the new director of operations. Lisa-Diane comes to our community from the Greater Vancouver area, where she worked for an economic think tank for over a decade. Over the past 25 years, the school has served as a faith-based independent school. Six years ago, it rebranded as Willowstone Academy to align with its heart to be inclusive and diverse. It serves children ages six months to Grade 9. Katherine Veldhoen is the school chief learning officer.
Winners announced
Kelowna Women in Business (KWIB) has announced the winners of their Rise Awards. Congratulations to Karyn MacKenzie of DunnEnzies Pizza, who won the Crowe MacKay LLP Change Maker of the Year Award. Karyn and her partner Deb Dunnigan have co-owned and operated the DunnEnzies Pizza shops since the inception of their first one on Ellis Street. Julie Michaud, of Portia Ella, won the BDC Women of the Year Award.
The Regional Board of the RDCO has appointed Leah Schurian is a new member of the Regional District of Central Okanagan’s environmental advisory commission. Leah takes on her new role next month, serving a two-year term.
Happy Birthday United Way
The United Way is 70 years old this year. The UW’s annual fundraising campaign kickoff takes place Friday, Sept.25, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Join them this year from the comfort of your desk or home for a fun and inspiring virtual lunch, presented by BMO Canada. Enjoy a great take-out lunch together but apart, with exclusive discounts courtesy of Browns Social House and Relvas Catering to initiate the 2020-21 campaign, sharing stories of community, the power of partnerships and our shared vision for stronger, healthier communities. Get your tickets at www.locallove70.com.
It’s one year in business for Paris Jewellers in Orchard Park Mall for co-owners and sisters Chau Lui and Trang Wong, own 25 stores across four provinces with 230 employees. Kelowna was their 26th store. To show their appreciation for the community and especially to teachers, Paris Jewellers and Mamas for Mamas planned a surprise for Monday morning, Sept. 21. They gifted 100 gifts to the teachers of Rutland Secondary School at 8 a.m.. Paris Jewellers is currently partnered with Mamas for Mama for the month of September where five per cent of all online sales will be donated to that worthy cause. In addition, they have two limited-edition necklaces (Joy Heart Pendant and Be Kind Necklace) where 100 per cent of the profits are also to be donated to Mamas for Mamas.
The call for entries is out from the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of Central Okanagan (CHBA-CO) for the 2021 Okanagan Housing Awards of Excellence. In its 28th year, the awards showcase excellence in new home building, renovations, and interior design. Winners within the Okanagan regularly go on to win awards at provincial and national awards presentations. Submissions are open until Nov. 16. Check out www.chbaco.com for more details.
Congratulations to Justin and Tika Eisner on their wedding Saturday, Sept. 19.
Upcoming events
Reminder: the Ladies Fall Closet Cleanout is back in the form of a farmer’s market style on Sunday, Sept. 27, f 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Ramada Hotel and Conference Centre parking lot, 2170 Harvey Ave. This is an open air market, and it will look quite different this year Entry fee $5 with a portion donated to local charities.
Kelowna Lioness Club garage sale takes place Saturday, Sept. 26, 981A Manhattan Dr., from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Money raised will be used for projects in our community.
Garage sales are coming back in the COVID way. The Ukrainian Catholic Church, 1091 Coronation Ave., will host a tent garage sale Saturday, Sept. 26, in the church parking lot, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
On his birthday, which was Sept. 18, Michael Alexander, winemaker at Summerhill Pyramid Winery, began the 2020 vintage with the first crush of organic Pinot Noir destined for Cipes Brut Rose Sparkling Wine Cuvee.
Dress for Success helps women re-enter the workforce. The group will stage their inaugural virtual fundraising event Thursday, Oct, 1, 6:30 to 8 p.m., with motivational speaker Linda Edgecombe. Your $20 donation gets you a bottle of wine delivered to your door and an evening with Linda from the comfort of your own home. Check out https://trellis.org/inspiredfs.
Birthdays of the week
Happy 80th Aloys Orsulic (Sept. 23); happy 80th Chuck Hutchinson (Sept. 25); happy 50th Stacey Robertson (Sept. 25); Susan Downey (Sept. 24); Brad Cronquist (Sept. 25); Charlie Styles, my brother-in-law (Sept. 26); Larry Henderson (Sept. 26); Don Harrison (Sept. 27); Barry Gibbs, (Sept. 28); Penny Caley (Sept. 28); Lambert Schmalz (Sept. 28); Dorothy Donaldson (Sept. 28); Betty Casey (Sept. 29); Donna Greer (Sept. 29).
Maxine DeHart is a Kelowna city councillor and local hotelier. Phone her at 250-979-4546 or 250-862-7662; email max@maxinedehart.ca; website www.maxinedehart.ca.
