KelownaNow

A Vancouver teenager is asking the federal government to improve public education about endometriosis, a condition that affects roughly one in 10 people assigned female at birth, or two million Canadians. Endometriosis occurs when cells that resemble the lining of the uterus grow outside of the uterus on surrounding organs, such as the bladder, bowel or ovaries. The condition can cause debilitating pain.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. It's an anthem, a rally cry, an inspirational chant and words to live by. Especially on this National Ice Cream Day, which falls every year on July 19. In the midst of a summer heatwave in the Okanagan, we don't have to tell people twice to celebrate National Ice Cream Day.

The Rotary Club of Kelowna Ogopogo is thrilled to announce the return of its premier annual fundraiser: the 8th Annual Fancy Pants Golf Tournament. Taking place on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, at the Sunset Ranch Golf and Country Club, this high-energy event invites participants to dust off their wildest patterns, loudest colors and most outrageous threads for a day where fashion is just as competitive as the putting.

The United Nations has clout. It's the trusted global intergovernmental organization with a mandate for peace, human rights, social progress and humanitarian aid. So, when it came time for Kelowna-based GreenStep offer a new sustainability certification for hotels and tourism businesses, it chose to partner with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, the worldwide sustainable tourism standard developed in collaboration with the United Nations.

National Drowning Prevention Week launches on Sunday and will run through July 25. It comes at a prudent time, as the Lifesaving Society of BC & Yukon reports that more than 30 people have lost their lives due to drowning in British Columbia so far this year. According to the RCMP, many of those deaths may have been preventable through water-safety measures.

The City of Kelowna’s annual road renewal program will shift to the Mission for the rest of the month. Between Sunday, July 19, and Wednesday, July 29, Gordon and Lexington drives will be intermittently impacted by paving work. From July 19-21, Gordon between Lexington and Cook Road will be reduced to single-lane traffic during the day. From 8 pm until 6 am, the road will be fully shut down.

Old Yale Brewing has never been afraid to get creative with summer releases. They showed that last year with a trio of cocktail-inspired releases, with the Blue Hawaiian Tropical Ale returning for an encore this summer. The Fraser Valley brewery’s latest summer release is not fruit or cocktail inspired, but rather a play on one of Canada’s favourite summer treats. It’s the latest from their Trailblazer Series, an Iced Cappuccino Cream Ale that comes in at an easy-going 5% ABV.

More students in the Okanagan will soon have access to training for in-demand careers in health care. This is thanks to a $1.5-million investment from the Province of British Columbia to support the launch of new Medical Laboratory Technologist (MLT) and Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLA) programs at Okanagan College (OC).

A BC Supreme Court judge acquitted a 43-year-old man who was tried in Prince George on charges of sexual interference and sexual assault against his stepdaughter. In a July 8 verdict, Justice Shannon Ramsay decided the Crown did not prove its case beyond reasonable doubt, due to inconsistencies in testimony. The alleged offences took place between November 2016 and November 2020, when the complainant was between the ages of eight and 11-years-old.

Kelowna’s municipal election is coming up this October, and residents are invited to help design something voters will be proud to wear: the City’s next “I Voted” sticker. The City of Kelowna is calling on creatives of all ages — students, artists, doodlers and designers — to submit original sticker designs that will be handed out at voting locations during the 2026 municipal election.