Sign In Subscribe Now A driver who allegedly informed police it was OK to drive uninsured was temporarily stripped of that option.  patrolling RCMP witnessed a grey Ford F-350 with inactive insurance.  A traffic stop was conducted and the 27-year-old driver claimed he was "busy working so it was OK to drive without insurance," said Salmon Arm RCMP media relations officer Const The driver said he'd last consumed an alcoholic beverage around 7 p.m. and according to police was not showing any obvious signs of intoxication a mandatory breath demand was conducted where the driver blew a "fail" on his first and second breaths This resulted in a 90-day driving prohibition a 30-day vehicle impound and the matter being referred to RoadSafetyBC.  It was the same result for another driver pulled over on April 18 regarding a black GMC Sierra that was "all over the road." It was also reported the driver appeared to be passing out behind the wheel.  "Police located the vehicle and the driver was exhibiting symptoms of being impaired by alcohol," said Hodges adding a breath demand was conducted and the 56-year-old driver blew "fail."  Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines The City of Salmon Arm is reminding residents to follow all curbside collection bylaw requirements to mitigate the risk of encounters with bears and other wildlife the city said it has received reports about bears emerging from hibernation In order to avoid conflict with newly awakened and hungry bears recycling or organic waste bins out for collection until the morning of their scheduled collection day “Place your bins at the curb by 7 a.m on your scheduled collection day,” reads a social media post from the city “Do not set them out the night before as this can attract bears and other wildlife.” The city also reminded residents that bins must be securely stored in a garage shed or other area not accessible to wildlife Residents caught putting their bins out the night before collection or improperly storing them could face a $150 fine under the terms of the bylaw To learn more about the city’s curbside collection bylaw, visit the City of Salmon Arm website, call 250-803-4000 or email [email protected] Police seized drugs from five vehicles over the course of a recent weekend traffic blitz in downtown Salmon Arm.  Multiple vehicles were stopped in the downtown area for various motor-vehicle infractions over the course of the April 19-20 blitz Drugs seized from the five vehicles included 37 grams of suspected fentanyl 23 grams of suspected MDMA (ecstasy) and 355 pills of both prescription and non-prescription drugs were seized have an approximate street value of $5,000.  "Salmon Arm RCMP continue to target local drug traffickers as well as other suspicious vehicles," said Hodges these traffic stops for motor vehicle act infractions have resulted in removing drugs off the streets of Salmon Arm Great work by our local police officers to continue keeping our community safe." The City of Salmon Arm has awarded a $1.5 million contract for the city’s annual paving program presented council with a report recommending the contract be awarded to Okanagan Aggregates Niewenhuizen said while Okanagan Aggregates submitted the lowest bid for the contract at $1,667,580 this was still higher than what was budgeted for the 2025 paving program He said staff would remove some planned projects in order to bring the contract price down to an amount that is within the current budget of $1,505,000 we are requesting that the award go to Okanagan Aggregates in accordance with the unit price specified in the tender and we will do our best to maintain that $1.5 million budget,” Niewenhuizen said Tim Lavery asked if staff could report back on how much it cost to pave a specified number of kilometres following this year’s paving program but we don't really get the full cost of what it does cost and it's a metric I would love to have handy.” Staff said they could provide that information following this year’s paving efforts Other councillors noted even with such a big contract staff is working hard to keep spending down “I think the only thing I would add is $1.5 million seems like a big number to people but I want residents to know that if we were doing what is recommended by the consultants who say 'Here's what you need to do to keep your roads at a certain percentage,' we’d be probably spending double or triple this,” said Coun and noted all of the money collected from the parcel tax is allocated for asphalt overlay council put aside an extra $400,000 in the budget to try to cover the anticipated costs of annual paving Council voted unanimously to award the $1.5 million paving contract to Okanagan Aggregates Salmon Arm RCMP seized $5,000 worth of street drugs over the Easter long weekend as part of what they called a “proactive traffic blitz.” Mounties said they stopped multiple vehicles in downtown Salmon Arm over the weekend of April 19 and 20 for various driving and vehicle infractions as part of this operation “Salmon Arm RCMP continue to target local drug traffickers as well as other suspicious vehicles,” said RCMP Const “While this was a focused traffic blitz these traffic stops for motor vehicle act infractions have resulted in removing drugs off the streets of Salmon Arm.” Numerous drugs were seized from five vehicles over the course of the weekend Police seized 37 grams of suspected fentanyl 128 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine 23 grams of suspected MDMA and 355 pills of prescription and non-prescription drugs Mounties estimated the total quantity of drugs to have an approximate value of $5,000 excluding the 355 pills seized Dustin Serviss has learned from experience how a commitment to work alone can lead away from the path to true wealth.   Over the past couple decades the Salmon Arm resident and financial advisor has built a successful career in the Okanagan-Shuswap. In 2005 he founded Serviss Wealth Management offering wealth and lifestyle management services He was twice honoured in the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce's 40 Under 40 program which recognizes young professionals in the community and their accomplishments Serviss helped launch a similar program to acknowledge outstanding achievers and change makers across the Shuswap About a decade after starting his wealth management business, Serviss had an experience that would reshape his perceptions of success and wealth and Capture the Ultimate Picture of Wealth.  the book's opening chapter, Serviss tells of how he'd poured himself into his job as a way of not having to think about complications with his marriage He did so with the belief that things would either fix themselves or go away.  my brain was wired to think a man could be 'either' successful in his business 'or' successful in his personal life "It made perfect sense. If you focus on your business and earn more you could provide more for your family and have more time or resources for your hobbies after Serviss had arranged for a babysitter for 4:30 p.m so that he and his wife could enjoy a gym date together explaining how she appreciated me taking the initiative to be more present," wrote Serviss. Still at work at 4:45 p.m. Serviss received a phone call from his wife asking if he was still going to the gym to which she replied "Don't bother," and hung up the phone with Serviss asking himself "how I could be both financially successful and available to my family simultaneously?" "I took a deeper look at why I missed the gym session and noticed that in the past few years I had not made time for any activities outside of work whether for my family or myself. Instead all my focus revolved around my job," wrote Serviss who proceeded to look at his own finances and came to the realization it he could afford to make a little less and have more time with family.  who started replacing his "either/or" with an “and.” "No more 'either a successful business or a great family life' or 'either a successful business or a life filled with personal hobbies.'  But instead 'Both a successful business AND the personal life I have always imagined.' This philosophy guides Serviss in his work through which he said he's repeatedly encountered others who have yet to reach their "and."  "There’s this situation where… these people all built their wealth on 12-hour days for 34 years and then you ask them if you only had $3 million instead of $6 million but you could have stopped working 20 years earlier would that have been appealing – to not work weekends and attend the kids' events?" Serviss employs fiction to get at the heart of what wealth can look like when pursued in a holistic sense It revolves around a photographer who is competing in a contest to capture the "ultimate picture of wealth." The contest sends the photographer to meet with wealthy people and take their picture the photographer encounters people who are wealthy only on paper and others whose wealth consists of "what I call a diverse portfolio of memories and they’re actually quite wealthy in the holistic sense of wealth Serviss explained the book is particularly tailored to those working people solely focused on saving for the future and not setting money aside to live in the now.  "We deal with people who save $200 or $300 thousand a year and they’re still thinking they’re broke or that isn’t enough because when they were 20 they didn’t have as much and just thought I’m just going to work really hard forever," said Serviss "When they read the book and come up for air you give them… paradigm shift where you’re like instead of making $200 thousand a year working seven days a week and hire an assistant and don’t work weekends anymore Now you’re not making as much but it’s a better life." While the first edition of The 'AND" Paradigm was circulated largely among family friends and clients over the past year Serviss just released a second edition of the book that is now available in hard and soft cover as an audiobook and for e-readers through large booksellers.  In addition to the book, Serviss also connects with people through his podcast, The Picture of Wealth, available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Born during the COVID pandemic the podcasts invite a wide range of guest speakers who help address the question what if wealth wasn't just about what you have "I'm kind of like (podcaster) Tim Ferris with kids experimenting and trying different things and trying different investments and reporting back on them," said Serviss "The theme though is I’m trying to get out of the person what they’re doing in life that might be a little bit different so there is an essence of stretching the mind to know what’s possible." The Trans-Canada Highway will be closed Friday afternoon between Revelstoke and Golden Avalanche control work between Jumping Creek Road and Beaver Valley Road is expected to start at 1 p.m The project will require the highway to close in both directions for about five hours Motorists are advised to consider alternate travel plans as no detours are available Visit DriveBC for up-to-date highway closure information A huge outpouring of community support helped a North Shuswap food truck and music venue raise more than $8,000 in 24 hours The Be Teased Food Truck in Scotch Creek offers tea-infused food delicious cocktails and often hosts live music events In March, the food truck was hit with a $7,000 fine from the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch after investigators found the food truck to be operating in contravention to its food primary liquor licence during a live performance from an AC/DC tribute band Investigators noted the presence of lawn games and attendees being allowed to dance near the stage among other elements that “shifted the focus away from food,” which contravened the rules of a food-primary licence A GoFundMe organized by North Shuswap Small Business Support launched on April 29 looking to raise $8,000 in order to cover the $7,000 fine as well as an additional $1,000 fine the GoFundMe organizer claimed was levied after business owner Sharon Toews was seen “doing the limbo.” It also stated Toews could be forced to scale back or shut down the business if she did not receive community help to pay the fines less than 24 hours after launching the fundraising effort An update from the organizer noted with additional e-transfers directly to Toews the community had quickly surpassed the $8,000 amount The update stated the GoFundMe would be deleted since the goal amount was raised and all funds raised would go towards paying the fines The final update on the GoFundMe included a message from Toews herself thanking the community for their support and vowing to make “summer 2025 the best yet.” Police are once again urging caution when buying or selling items through Facebook Marketplace.  This comes after several incidents of involving a fraudster scamming sellers were reported to Salmon Arm RCMP has met with sellers in Canoe and around 50th Street NE Hodges said the fraudster has been going after e-bikes and e-scooters and will claim to have sent an e-transfer to the seller before meeting to acquire an item. Sellers are then unable to receive the e-transfer as it's cancelled after they have left the item with the fraudster and departed said Hodges in a May 4 media release.  it does allow opportunities for both buyers and sellers to be scammed," said Hodges "Salmon Arm RCMP continue to discourage the public from sending or receiving e-transfers from people you do not know unless it is money you are willing to lose "We recommend using cash as much as possible meeting in public places or even your local police detachment parking lot and ensuring you have received payment in full before handing over any item(s) you are selling." Marketplace-related scams were reported to Salmon Arm RCMP earlier this year including one where the "buyer" had convinced the seller he had sent an e-transfer in the amount of $1,250 for the purchase of a laptop The seller let the buyer leave with the laptop before the e-transfer was received The e-transfer was reportedly never received." Salmon Arm RCMP had to explain to a man why he wasn't welcome to sleep outside a church police received a report of an "unwanted person refusing to leave a local church premise." "The man was trying to sleep outside the church," said RCMP media relations officer Const Responding RCMP advised the man he had to move along and off the property to which he responded by pointing to a sign that read "Everyone Welcome." Hodges said the man believed the sign was misleading "due to church representatives and police requesting him to leave as he was no longer welcome." police eventually were able to convince the him to move along.  May 5 to celebrate the life of employee Jonathon Bruce who died in a hiking accident on Easter weekend.  The 17-year-old, who was just starting his second year at DeMille's Farm Market in Salmon Arm had already made his mark on company owner Brad DeMille who described him as a "funny good kid" who had old fashioned manners DeMille but you couldn’t tell him not to do it," he said. "It just stuck to you how polite and old fashioned of values he was "He sat in your subconscious just being that kid DeMille also commended the teen's work ethic Jonathon would volunteer for any and every job from cleaning toilets to learning how to drive the forklift and use the electric pallet jack.  Just such and eagerness to please and to learn," DeMille said “It just reminded me the kids that they’re kind of missing that that respect for elders and even the respect for the job.. Given the impact Jonathon had on all the staff the market will close not just for the celebration of life but for the entire day in order to give everyone time to grieve and come together to honour and remember him "We can skip a day for Jonathon. We feel that it’s not fair of us to ask them to go through that process and then come be re-engaged to go back to work adding this is their first time experiencing a loss like this "Then we can start healing and everyone can move ahead and maybe learn something from this.” In addition to working at DeMille's and attending Salmon Arm Secondary and J.L Jackson's Emergency Medical Responder Program Jonathon also served on the Tappen Sunnybrae Fire Department and the BC Wildfire Rapattack team.  just he had the world in his hands," DeMille said with emotion communities on Friday after a warmer-than-normal start to May Salmon Arm and Princeton experienced their highest temperatures ever for the day of May 2 according to Environment and Climate Change Canada While residents of Salmon Arm experienced highs of 28.4 C Princeton was hit with a mark of 28.6 C The Shuswap-area city's old heat record for May 2 was set in 1937 when it reached a high of 28.3 C. Princeton set its old record in 1945 with a temperature of 27.8 C Salmon Arm and Princeton were the only B.C communities on Friday to break their own daily records on May 2 Records in both communities date back to 1893 told Black Press earlier this week that a ridge of high pressure building across B.C was going to bring a blast of warmth to the area is that we're looking to see warmer-than-normal trends in B.C.," Lee said and identified as belonging to missing Maple Ridge woman Rebecca Harbowy The Ridge Meadows RCMP reported Friday morning The 36-year-old left Ridge Meadows Hospital on Nov early into detoxing from drug use. Her family has been critical of the hospital letting her leave the facility on her own She was last seen walking east on the Haney Bypass at Burnett Street in Maple Ridge at approximately 2:05 a.m Police released few details about the discovery of the remains The family told The News it was in a forested area Distraught mother Debbie Harbowy is hopeful that an intense search of the area will lead to Rebecca Police have searched the area since the remains were discovered in early April The family is unsure where a search would be but plan to appeal to police for more information "I always felt in my heart she had passed away because she hadn't contacted me," said Debbie Rebecca's sister Rachel Bertoia posted videos on social media informing those who have tried to assist in finding Rebecca and those who have been following the missing woman's case She said there is a memorial at the 7-Eleven at the corner of Lougheed Highway and Haney Bypass where there is a missing person sign the family posted I think it would be really lovely for my mom to have people drop off flowers to her sign there," said Bertoia.  "I would love for my mom to be able to see the love and support that I know that we have felt." "I can't imagine being a mom losing a kid." Rebecca was about eight hours into what doctors advised would be a three-day stay but early the next morning she walked away Her family believes she was confused and disoriented She lived with her parents in the Yennadon area Debbie had been sitting with her daughter until midnight she got a call from the hospital that her daughter had left driving the streets of Maple Ridge for hours the family canvassed people in the hospital neighbourhood and searched the area They obtained video showing Rebecca walking down River Road eastbound near the Port Haney West Coast Express station at 1:46 a.m A tipster saw a woman matching Rebecca’s description walking on the Haney Bypass at approximately 2 a.m Another video showed her on the Haney Bypass at Burnett Street at 2:05 a.m. A man said he almost hit a woman walking on Lougheed Highway near 240 Street but the description of the woman having her hair up in a bun matched they have learned nothing more about Rebecca's movements Police and searchers combed roadsides and the edge of the Fraser River Police say this continues to be an active investigation and anyone with information which could help the Ridge Meadows RCMP you are encouraged to call the Ridge Meadows RCMP at 604-463-6251 and refer to File # 2023-23402 The RCMP extended condolences to the family and friends of Rebecca Harbowy community partners and volunteers for their assistance with this investigation thus far It’s business as usual at the Salmon Arm Dollarama despite the obvious damage from someone’s vehicle crashing through the entrance area earlier today at about noon on Monday after a vehicle smashed into the front entrance A Dollarama manager told Castanet he was unable to comment on the incident Work crews have been replacing the bent and shattered doors and windows with pieces of plywood while the store waits for replacement materials to arrive The store remains open for regular business Three Vancouver Giants won gold with Team Canada on Saturday at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship Cameron Schmidt, Ryan Lin and Burke Hood all had ice time in the series with Schmidt finishing the tournament with four points (2G-2A) and 22 shots on goal in seven games while Lin – who was one of five underagers on Canada and is eligible for next year’s tournament – recorded two points (1G-1A) and was +8 in seven games Hood played in pre-tournament action during his first time representing Canada internationally It marks the first time Canada has won U18 gold in consecutive years and it is also the seventh year in a row for a medal for Sweden Canada was in control for the entirety of Saturday’s gold medal game three in the second and two more in the third "We had a plan to get pucks in and to the net," said coach Cory Stillman of getting pucks back to the defencemen who got shots on net We had some big bodies that went to the net We built some momentum and eventually created some scoring chances and capitalized." This is the third time Schmidt has won a gold medal representing Canada after also winning at the 2023 U17 World Hockey Challenge with Canada White (where he scored the golden goal) and at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup This is the second time Lin has won a gold medal representing Canada after finishing first at the 2024 U17 World Hockey Challenge with Canada White Lin also played for Canada at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games About the Author: Langley Advance Times Staff Resting behind the wheel resulted in two Salmon Arm men getting driving prohibitions in separate incidents the RCMP received a report of a man slumped over the steering wheel of his grey Toyota Corolla on Canoe Beach Drive NE "Police attended and the driver appeared to be obviously intoxicated with watery eyes "An empty bottle of 'White Lightning' liquor was observed in the passenger seat." The officer conducted a breath demand on which the driver blew a "fail," and declined the offer of a second test The man received a 90-day driving prohibition and had his car impounded for 30 days He was also arrested for public intoxication and taken to cells to safely sober up an officer on patrol saw a man sleeping behind the wheel of his blue Toyota Tacoma on 3rd Street SE The officer ran the plates and found the vehicle's registered owner had a previous immediate roadside prohibition for impaired driving "The officer approached the vehicle and noticed several cans of vodka alcoholic beverages in the vehicle and a heavy odour of alcohol was coming from within the vehicle." A breath demand was given and resulted in a "fail," as did a second test The 54-year-old man was given a 90-day driving prohibition and had his truck impounded for 30 days A business has reported losing $162,000 in a digital SIM card swap fraud as scams continue to impact the Parksville Qualicum Beach area was reported on March 31 and appears to be a sophisticated account hacking where the victim did not engage or initiate in any activity with any fraudsters "The good news is the victim’s bank is involved and there may be some possibility of funds being recovered," Worth said in a statement to the PQB News a resident reported losing $130,000 in a cryptocurrency scam after investing online with a firm with an alleged celebrity endorsement RCMP said this case involved a person initially investing a small amount of money in cryptocurrency based on an advertisement the returns were good and they invested more money "When the person attempted to withdraw funds there were demands for fees commissions and taxes and it was then that they realized they were being scammed and their account was no longer visible," Worth said a resident reported losing $40,000 over three years after responding to a phone call to participate in a cryptocurrency investment This person told police they were contacted by telephone by an unknown male who told them they had a large amount of unclaimed cryptocurrency and offered to help the resident followed all of the instructions provided by the man who guided them in sending various amounts of money through different online banking institutions The resident’s banks recognized they were being scammed and locked their accounts and this is when the resident reported the fraud to police.  "If anyone ever receives an unsolicited phone call or email offering an investment opportunity immediately hang up or delete the email. It is a scam," Worth said.  RCMP warn residents to not engage with the caller or the person sending the email and do not click on any link received in an email that originates from an unknown sender "These links are often sent under a ruse that there is an issue with your computer and clicking on the link can provide the scammer remote access "These scams and frauds are very complex to investigate and it is next to impossible to recover any of the victims’ lost money ask friends and family for advice or recommendations and always use a reputable financial advisor About the Author: Parksville Qualicum Beach News Staff Salmon Arm council has opted to leave the city's noise bylaw as is making no changes to accommodate earlier construction hours over the summer.  the city has been exploring the prospect of amending the noise bylaw to so that construction could begin at 6 instead of 7 a.m This work was prompted by a letter from a local contractor who asked council consider the change.  without neighbours of our projects being upset because the noise bylaw is 7 a.m would be very helpful," wrote the contractor.  After reporting back to council with requested options for summer construction hour restrictions staff was directed to seek input from SCIP (Shuswap Construction Industry Professionals) which polled its membership on the bylaw change SCIP's response was included in an update shared by planning and community services director Gary Buxton at the Jan two SCIP members said no to an earlier start time 40 said yes and five yes "but with conditions."  council then directed staff to initiate public engagement on a noise bylaw amendment that would allow construction to start earlier in the day  between June 1 and Aug. 31 This was done with a public survey shared on the city's website the results of which Buxton shared at the April 28 council meeting The city received 163 responses to the survey with 50 supporting the changes and 113 opposed "What is the next step if any?" said Coun "I think a lot of the nays were related to other things like dust and other issues on the site not necessarily an earlier start in the heat of the summer." Sylvia Lindgren asked if there was a way to accommodate earlier construction starts in non-residential areas Buxton said staff could "craft something of that nature." Alternatively he noted the city can also issue an exemption to the noise bylaw.  Tim Lavery advised leaving the noise bylaw as is, "and if there’s a further request fully accompanied by support then I would be open to doing it but not at this stage." Mayor Alan Harrison agreed.  "I think council has tried hard to be creative to try to eliminate that afternoon working in the hot sun concern especially with the way the climate is changing… "We asked the community what they wished and they’ve told us quite strongly that they would like the bylaw to remain the way it is For me right now I would say no action necessary." Ten sections of city road are targeted in the city's paving program for 2025 The city's annual paving program involves placement of asphaltic concrete pavement tack coat for asphalt overlays and asphalt milling and pulverizing as required Sections of road in this year's program are as follows: 15th Avenue SE from 10th to 15th Steets SE; Okanagan Avenue from 16th Street NE to the S-Curve; 23rd Street SE/3rd Avenue SE from Okanagan to 20th Street SE; 5th Street SE from 10th Avenue (Auto Road) to 5th Avenue SE; 20th Street NE from 12th Avenue to 20th Street NE; 2nd Street SE south for 100 metres; 6th Street/8th Avenue NE from Hudson to 7th Street; Lakeshore Road from 3880 to 4901/4881 and from 3470 to 3880; and 8th Street SW from city limits to 70th Avenue SW.  city council awarded a $1.5 million contract for this year's paving program to Okanagan Aggregates Ltd which provided the lowest of four tenders received City engineering and public works director Rob Niewenhuizen explained the program is based on unit price so "we do have in the contract the ability to vary that by 10 per cent or add projects in depending on the season and depending on how much money we have and so we have the ability to manipulate that a little bit… "There’s a lot of different variables in how much asphalt actually gets placed so that’s all done in the field with measurements." Kevin Flynn noted the $1.5 million seems like a big number, but I want residents to know that if we were doing what is recommended by the consultants who say here’s what you need to do to keep your roads at a certain percentage we’d probably be spending double or triple this." council also awarded the contract for the city's 2025 Asphalt Patching Program to Pavement Solutions Inc of Sorrento for $92,361.90 plus taxes Niewenhuizen explained this program involves patching pot holes, trenches and repairing utility works the city is able to manage the work done to keep it within budget.  Asked if staff checks the work that is done through this program there is a staff member in charge of both programs and "they basically inspect and they measure the amount of asphalt that’s being placed and that’s how it’s basically being billed out."  If a pothole is reported to the city, either by phone or through the city's website it would either be addressed by a city crew or the contracted company.  "If members of the public have a favourite pothole out there we want to hear about it because we can’t be everywhere all the time and we’ll do our very best to fix it," commented Mayor Alan Harrison.  Sign up below for unlimited digital access for 30 days receive our daily news alerts & breaking news Kids and parents hopped to William Baker Park Thursday morning for an early start on Easter activities.  The Shuswap Children's Association's Early Years Easter Egg Hunt took place between 10 and 11 a.m floppy bunny ears and masks and an opportunity for kids to find and collect six coloured Easter egg hunts and other activities scheduled for Saturday • Sicamous Easter Egg Hunt: 10 a.m. to noon at Finlayson Park, Sicamous. For info and to register, visit sicamous.ca; • Notch Hill Spring Homestead Market and Petting Zoo: 10 a.m • Chase Lions Easter Egg Extravaganza: bike parade at 11 a.m., extravaganza begins when bikes arrive at Willson Park, runs to 2 p.m. Hotdogs and drinks by donation, provided by Chase Rotary Club. Event includes: Egg Toss, Bounce House, Prize Wheel, Easter Egg Hunt and more; • North Shuswap Easter Egg–Stravaganza: 1-3 p.m to noon at Silver Creek Community Park bring your basket. Hotdogs, doughnuts, drinks and coffee by donation; • Sorrento Lions Annual Easter Egg Hunt: 11 a.m sharp at Sorrento/Blind Bay Community Park Enter your email to connect to 30 more days worth of stories by journalists living & working in Salmon Arm Salmon Arm RCMP are pursuing numerous charges in relation to a "significant file involving Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Material." said the charges are being sought against a "repeat offender."  Other "investigate highlights" from the quarter included a couple of missing persons files including Derek Ryde who was reported missing on March 25 "We have been working with Shuswap Search and Rescue as well as the family in trying to locate Mr Ryde," said Scott at the April 28 council meeting RCMP officers also responded to several "very challenging files related to the tragic deaths of three youth from our community." "Once I drafted this report I’ve since had another sad tragic death in our community," said Scott "Our thoughts continue to go out to those families and community members affected by these events." During the quarter police also saw an increase in counterfeit cigarettes "and there has been an increase in seizures of these cigarettes." Scott said the Salmon Arm detachment is currently running at 81 per cent capacity with 21 members Two more constables are expected to begin working in the city this summer Scott said he's still looking to fill his former spot, Operations NCO (non-commissioned officer)/Sergeant as well as a vacant corporal spot which Scott said will "probably be going out for promotion in the coming weeks." Salmon Arm RCMP responded to 1,524 calls for service that led to charges for nine prohibited drivers Police also responded to 24 collisions with damage over $10,000 injury collisions or fatal collisions within Salmon Arm.  Scott said foot patrols were increased in the city core at the farmers market and at community events Police have been working with the city's bylaw officers to deal with a few problem residences in town and have been "actively working with the local schools and community groups presenting on topics including scams and safety related to motorized scooters." Coun. Kevin Flynn commented on the city's desire for additional rural policing noting he didn't think there's been an increase since he's been on council.  "I’m sure that puts pressures on our urban policing and I know we’ve brought it to the province every time we go to UBCM, and probably will again this year… I think the numbers would show that it’s needed to have one more officer…," said Flynn.  A 17-year-old male is dead after falling from a cliff while hiking on Bastion Mountain in Salmon Arm.  Salmon Arm RCMP were called to "a tragic hiking incident" involving three local teens the teen was walking ahead of two friends when he disappeared near the top of a 200-foot cliff.  "(He is) believed to have slipped and fallen," said Cpl One of the other teens' fathers located the unresponsive victim at the base of the cliff while responding Shuswap Search and Rescue members rappelled down and confirmed he was deceased.  "This is another tragic event that will greatly affect our community," Staff Sgt "We're deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a young life Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to the family and all those impacted by this devastating event." The BC Coroner's Service is also conducting its own parallel investigation into the death No One Covers Salmon Arm Like The Salmon Arm Observer Don’t miss out on reading the latest local Join our community and receive daily news alerts & breaking news Questions around past practice and B.C.'s Bill 44 led to deferral of a development variance permit application to a future meeting of Salmon Arm's development and planning services committee.  On the agenda for the committee's April 7 meeting the application is to vary servicing requirements triggered by a subdivision application for 370 20th Street SE The owners wish to divide the approximately 1,330 square-metre single residential lot into two parcels and are asking to waive sewer and storm main upgrades required under the city's Subdivision and Servicing Bylaw Join thousands of other like-minded readers and sign up below to gain immediate & unlimited access to our news for the next 30 days – plus start receiving our newsletters Early unofficial polling results show Conservative candidate Mel Arnold leading the race in the Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies riding.  with unofficial results reported from 28 of 243 polling stations in the riding Arnold was a head with 55.5 per cent of the vote followed by Liberal candidate Ken Robertson with 33.3 per cent and NDP candidate Phaedra Idzan with 6.2 per cent.  What's happening in the Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies reflected the blue wave showing throughout the Okanagan where Liberal candidate Stephen Fuhr is leading.  Sign up for free account today and start receiving our exclusive newsletters Motorists are being warned the Trans-Canada Highway will be closed between Sicamous and Revelstoke for two hours on Thursday morning Blasting work between the Griffin Lake Avalanche Gate and the Clanwilliam Overhead Bridge is expected to close 15 kilometres of the highway west of Revelstoke starting at 10 a.m but the blasting work is only expected to close the highway until noon Anyone planning to travel between Sicamous and Revelstoke that morning is advised to check DriveBC for any changes to scheduled work plans Newly re-elected Conservative MP Mel Arnold who will be returning to Ottawa for the fourth time says he is looking forward to meeting more residents in his new riding after an "invigorating" campaign Arnold celebrated a convincing victory on Monday taking more than 50 per cent of the vote and winning a Shuswap riding in four straight federal elections He was declared the winner of the new Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies riding just before 9 p.m because I wasn't sure of what was to come and what to expect,” said Arnold who gathered with supporters to watch the election results from his Salmon Arm campaign office “This one again has been invigorating because of the change in the boundaries.” The new federal Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies electoral district was created in 2022 and was in effect for the first time this election The expansive riding includes part of Kamloops and extends all the way to the Alberta border “Fifty per cent of the population is new to me I had to get out and get my name known right all the way from Kamloops right through the Alberta border,” Arnold said ...I've got to reach out to a lot of new people I'm really looking forward to meeting with them." He thanked his volunteers and their families for giving up their time to help him with his campaign “It's been an honour to be re-elected,” Arnold said “I want to thank everyone in the riding for their support.” Arnold also thanked the other candidates for running referring to them as “really good people” whom he got to know over the course of the campaign “They wanted to serve their country as well," he said “It takes a lot of guts to put your name on a ballot he was happy to see his party's success who's going to be the next prime minister,” he said we are going to be forming government.” Robertson secured about 37 per cent of the vote He said he feels good about his campaign efforts overall “I feel I put in a great campaign trying to really make a difference in this community,” Robertson said adding he felt Arnold had a solid base of support but he felt he expanded the Liberal base as well “When it came to the new minted riding…it just shows that we can truly still have those progressive voters out there,” he added NDP candidate Phaedra Idzan received about 6 per cent of the vote Green Party candidate Owen Madden got approximately 3 per cent and PPC candidate Michael Henry had around 1 per cent Debris and water from a washout on the Trans-Canada Highway appears to have been cleared off the roadway Traffic in both directions was delayed earlier after a washout on the highway between Chase and Sorrento pushed water and debris onto the roadway this morning DriveBC is still issuing warnings of water pooling and small amounts of debris on the roadway on Highway 1 between Kamloops and Sicamous however the washout near Chase seems to be resolved Motorists on the Trans-Canada Highway on Tuesday morning are being warned to drive with caution due to a washout east of Chase the washout is between Squilax Turtle Valley Road and Little River Road The washout closed the highway in both directions earlier Tuesday morning but traffic is now getting through at a reduced speed An alternate route of Highway 97 to Highway 97A/97B is available Bowers Funeral Service Salmon Arm Mounties say two suspects were arrested after a driver was threatened with a gun in a road rage incident on the Trans-Canada Highway a man told police he had been involved in a road rage incident with a beige Cadillac Escalade He told officers he got in a verbal exchange with another driver on Highway 1 near the Salmon Arm Walmart the Cadillac pulled to the side of the highway near Pierre’s Point Road,” said Const “The complainant reported that the front passenger in the Cadillac pointed a gun at the complainant and his vehicle as it drove past the Cadillac.” Salmon Arm officers contacted their Chase counterparts to inform them about the incident noting the Cadillac was travelling westbound on Highway 1 Chase RCMP soon located the Cadillac and conducted a traffic stop The 32-year-old female driver and a 44-year-old male passenger were both arrested and one firearm was found in the passenger side of the vehicle Police said both people were released without processing while more evidence was collected Hodges said police expect to recommend several charges to BC Prosecution for charge approval in relation to the incident with DriveBC reporting the rock slide between Salmon Arm and Sicamous is now cleared.  A rock slide east of Salmon Arm has closed Highway 1 to all traffic.  The slide occurred Wednesday night between Canoe Beach Dr DriveBC says an assessment is underway. In the meantime drivers are being rerouted along Highway 97B Newly-elected Conservative MP Mel Arnold thanked his campaign volunteers and voters after learning he would be returning to Ottawa to represent the new Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies riding “It’s been an honour to be re-elected but it looks really strong,” said Arnold who addressed reporters from his Salmon Arm campaign office where supporters were gathered to watch the results “I want to thank everyone that’s in the riding for their support.” Arnold was declared the winner in his riding at about 8:45 p.m. with about a quarter of the electoral district polls reporting results The incumbent MP won the former North Okanagan-Shuswap electoral district in the past three federal elections and after the electoral boundaries were re-drawn ran for re-election in Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies and it’s going to be an honour to represent such a diverse talented riding of people and what we have to offer here,” Arnold said Monday with 90 per cent of polls reporting Arnold had secured 27,474 votes — good for about 54 per cent of the vote had received 18,976 votes — about 37 per cent — followed by the NDP’s Phaedra Idzan with 6 per cent of the vote who was watching the election with fellow candidate Iain Currie and Liberal supporters in downtown Kamloops said he believes he put his best foot forward trying to really make a difference in this community even though it's a newly-minted riding first of all even though [Arnold] was the incumbent — and he had obviously a good “But I think I expanded our base as well when it came to the new minted riding as well It just shows that we can truly still have those progressive voters out there.” Incumbent Conservative Mel Arnold will represent the new Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies riding in Ottawa Arnold has secured about 58 per cent of the vote with Liberal candidate Ken Robertson in second place with a little more than 31 per cent The NDP’s Phaedra Idzan is in third with nearly six per cent with three per cent and the PPC’s Michael Henry with about one per cent of the vote About 25 per cent of the electoral district polls have reported results Arnold will hold a media availability at 9 p.m He planned to spend the evening watching election results roll in with supporters at his Salmon Arm campaign office Arnold has won the former North Okanagan-Shuswap electoral district in the past three federal elections he ran to represent the Conservative party in the Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies electoral district — a new riding which includes part of Kamloops and extends all the way to the Alberta border Check back here for updates on the Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies riding as the election night unfolds. Coverage on the race to represent the Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola riding is available here Up-to-the-minute local results can be found here. incumbent Mel Arnold’s early lead in Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies appears to be growing Liberal party candidate Ken Robertson is sitting in second with about 33 per cent of the vote and NDP candidate Phaedra Idzan is holding onto third with approximately seven per cent Green Party candidate and local farmer Owen Madden said his plan for election night is to “go to bed around 8:30 p.m. as per usual.” Madden has about three per cent of the vote has accrued just over 1 per cent of the vote About 14 per cent of the polls in the district have been counted as of the time of writing Incumbent Conservative candidate Mel Arnold is out to an early lead in the Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies electoral with 53.9 per cent of the vote as of 7:59 p.m Liberal party candidate Ken Robertson is currently in second place with about 31 per cent of the vote is in third with approximately 3 per cent of the vote followed by PPC candidate Michael Henry with about 4 per cent Green party candidate Owen Madden is sitting at about 2 per cent of the vote only five polls of the 243 in the electoral district are reporting When Castanet checked in with the Conservatives at the site of Arnold's election night event his campaign manager said Arnold was not yet on site Idzan arrived at her event at the Crown N’ Anchor Pub just after 7 p.m “I’m excited that we’re almost done,” Idzan said when asked how she was feeling on election night With about an hour left until federal election polls close candidates in the Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies are planning to watch the results come in with supporters and family Incumbent Conservative MP candidate Mel Arnold will be spending time with campaign supporters at his Salmon Arm campaign office Ken Robertson is gathered with fellow Liberal Party candidate Iain Currie and supporters at the Delta Hotel in downtown Kamloops Currie is running in the Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola electoral district candidate for the People's Party of Canada told Castanet that once voting closes he will be watching in-person as an election officer counts the ballots he will head home and watch the results with his family NDP candidate Phaedra Idzan plans to get together with supporters and watch the election night unfold from the Crown N' Anchor Pub at 995 Lakeshore Dr and candidates from five federal parties are running to see who will be elected to represent residents from the new Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies riding in Ottawa The former North Okanagan-Shuswap electoral district — which included Salmon Arm and Enderby — was won by Conservative candidate Mel Arnold in the past three elections he is running in the new Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies electoral district which was created in the 2022 federal electoral distribution and is in effect for the first time this election The riding includes part of Kamloops and extends all the way to the Alberta border Candidates have made their views known at several forums, including one that was live streamed on the Castanet website on April 22 Affordability, housing and public safety and were top of mind for residents Attendees at a forum in Salmon Arm earlier this month wanted answers about the future of the carbon tax and helping seniors with the rising cost of living Candidates were asked how their parties would tackle crime and address concerns around affordability at an election forum held in Kamloops Check back here for updates on the Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies riding as the election night unfolds. Coverage on the race to represent the Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola riding is available here Shuswap theatre enthusiasts will have the opportunity to see four plays in four days as the annual Ozone or Okanagan Zone Drama Festival is hosted at the Shuswap Theatre from May 19 to 23 This year's festival performances include The Virgin Trial from The Shuswap Theatre Society on May 19 Tuesdays with Morrie from Armstrong's Asparagus Community Theatre on May 20 Radium Girls from Vernon-based Powerhouse Theatre on May 21 and Steel Magnolias from Oliver's own South Okanagan Players on May 22 the festival features a brief critique from a professional adjudicator after each show Ticket holders are welcome to join the cast and adjudicator for a more detailed two-hour “coffee critique” the following morning Kathryn Shaw has been named as the festival adjudicator Shaw brings a wealth of theatre experience as a director She spent 35 years as the artistic director of Studio 58 at Langara College and has taught acting for both professional and community groups in B.C. The festival offers an opportunity for performers and theatre goers to learn more about the craft of theatre The festival week will culminate with a special awards banquet where participating theatre troupes will receive Oscar-style awards for the performances that week The group chosen for the Best Production award will go on to perform at the provincial theatre festival in Fort St To learn more about the plays or purchase tickets, visit the Shuswap Theatre Society website Salmon Arm continues to benefit from having hosted last summer's 55+ BC Games.  According to an economic impact report on the Sept the community as a whole benefited from more than an estimated $1.5 million in direct spending related to the Games About $620,000 of that went to accommodations alone while visitor spending was estimated at $437,400.  In a presentation to city council during its April 22 meeting Salmon Arm Games director/accountant Bruce Hunt noted the Games itself also took in $548,000 in revenue A unique opportunity to engage with Indigenous art through a self-guided tour is taking place across Central Okanagan thanks to the organizers of Global Citizen Events.  The tour will celebrate the cultural heritage of Indigenous peoples featuring a diverse collection of public art installations that reflect the stories and values of the region’s Indigenous communities Reconcili-Action Indigenous Art Tour 2025 is open to everyone to explore the many incredible pieces of Indigenous art that are publicly displayed in Kelowna and on the Westside Salmon Arm council proposed a couple of changes to the city's updated official community plan (OCP) before it goes to a public hearing After a four-phase review process that began in 2023 and included numerous opportunities for public input the document that will replace the city's current 14-year-old OCP finally made it to a regular meeting of council for first reading city planning and community services director Gary Buxton provided an overview of the document and how it differed from the one it's replacing Seniors Outreach & Resource Centre is a trusted place for those who care about the well-being of our older adults we’ve supported vulnerable seniors in Kelowna and surrounding areas- especially those facing isolation nearly 2,000 seniors benefit from our programs took part in the Falkland Stampede parade on Sunday.  The reign of these two is drawing to a close as a new Miss Salmon Arm 1984 will be named on June 2." Image courtesy the Salmon Arm Observer Collection in the Archives at R.J About the Author: Salmon Arm Observer Staff Police suspected a medical issue or distracted driving to be the cause of a two-vehicle collision where a truck was reportedly rear ended twice before going into a ditch.  A witness to the incident contacted police at 4 p.m He reported seeing a brown 2008 GMC Sierra pickup driving erratically before it rear ended a white 2024 GMC Sierra driving ahead of it Vernon Search and Rescue (VSAR) successfully located a pair of lost Salmon Arm campers near Mabel Lake last night.  VSAR was asked by the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP at 10:30 p.m who had planned to camp overnight near the north end of Mabel Lake and had not come home when expected The concerned family spent the day searching for the campers before calling 911 for help.  Volunteer VSAR ground teams began searching areas where the campers could possibly be and mutual aid was provided by Revelstoke Search and Rescue.  They were cold but otherwise no worse for wear they had no cell phone service and they had been walking out of the mountains.  VSAR took the opportunity to inform the public with some important safety tips.  One tip is to always leave an itinerary with family or friends when heading out into the backcountry Another is that search and rescue services are free and families should request help sooner than later whenever possible VSAR said it's always a good idea to take a satellite communication device into areas with poor or non-existent cell coverage in case of an accident.  For more tips, visit adventuresmart.ca.  "VSAR would like to thank the subjects' family and friends and Revelstoke Search & Rescue for helping make this a successful outcome," VSAR said.  The City of Salmon Arm says it's looking to a safe affordable access to the east end of the Foreshore/Raven Trai along Shuswap Lake.  the city said it is aware of CPKC signage regarding the planned closure of the private rail crossing at 47th Avenue NE in Raven.  "We understand the community’s desire for an access point to the foreshore trail near this location and want to assure residents that we are actively looking into a safe and affordable solution," reads the post British Columbia will be testing it's Emergency Alert System on Wednesday an alert tone and message will be broadcast to radio and television stations as well as compatible cell phones The test takes place to make sure the province is ready when or if a large-scale disaster or emergency does strike This is an example of the message that will appear on Wednesday: "This is a TEST of the Emergency Alert system this message would tell you what to do to stay safe This information could save your life. This is ONLY a TEST The public is asked to not call 911 in response to the alert or for information about the test as it could delay help for people in crisis This is the first of two tests the province conducts every year The second will is scheduled for Wednesday the event has to follow the following criteria: Alerts can be send out by different agencies depending on the emergency.  More information about Wednesday's test or about the Emergency Alert System in general can be found on the Government of B.C.'s website.  There have been no emergency alerts in B.C Sicamous Mounties said two seniors were killed when their SUV was struck by a semi on the Trans-Canada Highway near Malakwa on Tuesday BC Ambulance and the Malakwa Fire Department responded to a two-vehicle collision near the intersection of Malakwa Road and Highway 1 “The investigation determined that the driver of a Suzuki SUV attempted to cross the westbound lanes of the Trans Canada Highway from Malakwa Road in order to turn left and proceed east on the Trans Canada Highway,” said Sgt “The driver failed to yield to a westbound semi truck towing a trailer which resulted in a collision in the westbound lanes of the TCH.” The driver of the SUV was identified as a 76-year-old Salmon Arm resident who died in the collision along with his 73-year-old spouse The semi-truck driver was reportedly uninjured in the crash Brad DeMille is seeking the city's support for a non-farm use application that will support moving his Salmon Arm farm market uptown and partner Harpal Sidhu, purchased the Northyards Cider property at 3181 11th Avenue NE – the former Hanna family orchards – with the intention of relocating the market there.  “We have a lot of work to do up there still – the rezoning application permission from Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) so it’s not an automatic for sure,” said DeMille in an April 2024 interview Regional snooker players are banking on the luck of the Irish as they come to the Salmon Arm Legion for a tournament following St The tournament will consist of 16 players being paired up using a blind draw system for the four-day event March 21. Finals in both the A and B divisions will take place on the last two days Not even church could save a Salmon Arm man from getting caught for impaired driving.  an RCMP officer on patrol watched a black Lincoln MKX fail to stop at a stop sign on Lakeshore Drive W and 10 Street SW.  "A traffic stop was initiated with the 61-year-old male driver who claimed to be heading home after attending a church service," Const The Shuswap Agriculture Association (SAA) is considering ending its lease with the city for the south Salmon Arm fairgrounds.  At a special SAA board meeting held Thursday a motion was tabled that would have given the board approval to negotiate the lease back to the city Following an earlier interview with the Observer, Jim McEwan the association's manager of the Salmon Arm Fair contacted the Observer to clarify the motion was defeated Initial groundwork to replace a popular boardwalk and viewing platform along Salmon Arm's Foreshore/Raven Trail will soon begin.  Last September, Salmon Arm Bay Nature Enhancement Society (SABNES) announced the Eric Christmas Memorial boardwalk/viewing platform at the west end of the trail was being demolished.  "After 30-plus years and countless repairs the current bird-viewing platform on the foreshore has deteriorated to the point of being unsafe," said SABNES capable of hosting school groups or nature enthusiasts Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines.