I woke up exactly at 7 this morning realizing that it’s exactly 7 months today that I arrived in my exact location of 1470 Ethel Street. Guess I’m feeling lucky. The number 7 is a heavy hitter in the gambling world – slot machines often offer three 7’s as the big payout. Then there’s James Bond as 007, the 7th-inning stretch, 7 seas, 7 continents, 7 dwarfs, 7 deadly sins, 7 brides for 7 brothers, 7 colors in a rainbow,…
After living in Kelowna for more than six months, I thought I had a solid handle on what attracts tourists to this city and what brings them back for return engagements. The answers seemed as obvious as Donald Trump’s comb over. Okanagan Lake with its sandy beaches, waterfront boardwalk, and seasonal watersports. Knox Mountain and all the other elevated vistas with hiking and biking trails. Right at the top were the wealth of countryside wineries, 19 challenging golf courses, and…
Here’s the athletic algorithm that programmed UBC Okanagan Women’s Volleyball Team (Heat) to a Saturday night straight-set victory over the Brandon (Manitoba) Bobcats – #13 helped #3 reach #19 for the first time in school history. Nice work, ladies. A record-breaking year. Now the fun begins. Dig in. Time to ace your final exam. Elaine and I had the pleasure to sit courtside at the UBC Okanagan gymnasium and capture every bump, set, and kill….
Here’s a make-believe scenario I never thought possible or probable at any winter ski resort on any continent. A group of eight Australian college students are on an extended holiday at Silver Star Mountain Resort, British Columbia’s third-largest ski area. One morning these energetic Aussies are scurrying up and down the mountain with youthful abandon. They’re basking in the resort’s All-Inclusive package of choices: 128 runs, skiing four different mountain faces and 3,269 acres of skiable terrain, 21 acres of…
Oy Vey – while waiting for an OWP from CIC, we scheduled a chat with the OYP Collective. That roughly translates into: “Woe is me, while biding my time in anticipation of receiving an Open Work Permit from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Elaine and I participated in an informational interview with the team leader of the Okanagan Young Professionals Collective (www.oypcollective.com). That quarterback would be Donnie Ungaro, Culture Development Officer and entrepreneurial Sherpa of a flock…
Am I the king of romance, or what?! It was Saturday night in Kelowna and I needed to show my girl a good time. Assuming the restaurants and movie theaters were at full strength, I needed to light the lamp and breakaway from the usual. No way could I be a goon and end up in the penalty box. Holy hat-trick, a power play idea rocketed into my crease. Why don’t we head down to Prospera Place…
Calling Colin Basran, Kelowna’s newly elected and youngest-ever Mayor, a right winger would not be an inaccurate statement. Allow me to explain. On the second Friday of January, Elaine and I had a chance to sit down with Mayor Basran in his City Hall third-floor office. We were invited guests looking to network and get the skinny on Kelowna’s slender skipper. We barely broached the subjects of his political persuasions or party caucuses. Ho hum. I…
Riddle me this: “Two Skis walk into a ski resort without any intention of snapping on skis or getting a lift up the ski slopes in order to ski down like ski bums……” The two Skis would be Jim + Elaine. The ski resort would be Big White (www.bigwhite.com). The rest of the story would be us experiencing firsthand the family-friendly atmosphere and Gondola rides at Big White Ski Resort. Many thanks to…
For me, it had been a long, long time since I had a chance to have a cordial conversation with a tenured full professor on a bustling college campus. That all changed with a December finals-week meeting with Dr. Annamma Joy. Born in India, this Canadian citizen is a Professor of Marketing and Faculty Research Coordinator in the Faculty of Management at the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO). She’s a self-described “globetrotter” who has lived and taught…
“Please rise for The Honourable Ronald D. Cannan, PC, MP.” Just kidding, we didn’t have to do that! However, Elaine and I felt fortunate being able to schedule a meeting with Mr. Cannan at his Kelowna office on Friday, November 14. We had crossed paths with our local leader, Privy Council (PC) and Member of Parliament (MP), 72 hours earlier at the Remembrance Day 2014 ceremony in City Park. A couple of warm handshakes and friendly banter turned into a…