Indigenous World Winery, owned and operated by Westbank First Nations Chief Robert Louie and his wife Bernice, has opened at 2218 Horizon Drive in West Kelowna.
The indigenous first peoples of the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys are the Okanagan Syilx people. They have lived on, and protected, these lands for hundreds of years. Louie and his wife are descendants of the Syilx people and are connected to the land and its rich history. Indigenous World merges modern culture with Indigenous history.
The new winery offers a beautiful tasting room with many distinctive First Nations items for purchase, the aboriginal inspired Red Fox Club restaurant which boasts a large patio and beautiful view for lunch and dinner and a picnic area. The restaurant is open seven-days-a-week. Along with being an accomplished musician, gifted winemaker, Jason Parks is a hands-on basic technique old-school winemaker.
The concept for Indigenous and wine making started in 2011 with grapes from 2 1/2 acres on-site and the remainder from Oliver and Osoyoos. Chef Andrea Callan uses local greenhouses, farms, cheesemakers and purveyors for a menu which is designed with Native influences and wine pairings. Dishes range from a variety of cheese, meat, game, fish and seafood served on unique wood boards to crispy salmon fritters, bison burgers and braised beef ribs. I tried the bison burger with salad and it was absolutely delicious. Indigenous has already won several wine awards. The 2012 Simo which means “connected to the land” is Louie’s Indian name, given to him by his grandmother and the 2013 Hee-Hee-Tel-Kin red blend which means “rare stag with large antlers-elusive one” is their son’s Trenton’s Indian name. Ryan Walley is the general manager of Indigenous World. Call 778-755-2242.
If you are looking for fresh sweet corn, you will not take home corn fresher than this. I drove down the long driveway at the corner of Benvoulin and Cooper Road (corn sign) and Derek Pahl greeted me. He asked how many cobs I wanted and then walked right into his corn field and picked them right off the stock. The corn was absolutely delicious and I was able to buy local as well. Open Monday to Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Kootenay Coffee Co., owned and operated by Tom Clarke has opened a coffee shop in the Willow Park Shopping Centre in Rutland. This new location features gourmet espresso that will also be used in many specialty coffee drinks, roasting their own organic coffee. The shop will also serve high-end baked goods; breakfast wraps and snacks from Gum Tree Catering out of Vernon. Kootenay Coffee also has a coffee house at 1019 Richter Street in the north end of town. Open seven days a week. www.kootenaycoffee.com.
Kettle Valley Market has opened in Kettle Valley at Unit 101—5315 Main Street on the backside of the centre, next to the liquor store. Owned and operated by Trevor Penn who relocated from Vancouver, the grocery store/market offers just about anything you need at fair and comparative pricing. This neighbourhood store sells everyday convenience foods of bread, milk, eggs and canned goods. They also have a frozen food section, ice cream, a large cheese section with Saputo and Dairyland products. Meats come from Mission Meats and they also offer household bathroom products and cleaning supplies. If you have a sweet tooth there is a candy section and slushes. Trevor is open to suggestions of adding any items that his customers might recommend. It’s a one-stop shop and very convenient for Kettle Valley and nearby residents. The market is conveniently open Monday to Saturday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 778-477-6626.
Jun (Alexander) Bao from the Richmond Pain Research Centre has joined Dr. Jeff Pereverzoff and Kelowna Family Chiropractic, 11-2121 Springfield Road. Jun is a highly trained traditional Chinese medicine practitioner who practices in acupuncture, acupressure, cupping and herbal supplementation. Trained as a medical doctor in China with more than 17 years in his field, he will focus on his specialty of cancer care, gynecological disease, infertility and pain relief. Call 250-868-1167 www.kelownafamilychiro.com.
Tourism Kelowna has a new sport and event sales manager. Harvey Hubball, a graduate of UBCO in international relations has been travelling through and working in 12 different countries in Asia, Europe and the Pacific. He is originally from Bowen Island. Call 250-861-1515 ext. 209 or harvey@tourismkelowna.com.
After 10 years with the Kelowna Yacht Club as finance manager, Nicole Faust is leaving the club on Sept. 2. She is joining Bacas Family Estates in the position of controller. Nicole formerly worked for Bacas before joining the Yacht Club.
The Royal Canadian Legion is in need of volunteers for food service Oct. 1 at Parkinson Recreation Centre for the Raise the Roof dance. It requires a lead person plus five more volunteers. If you can help our seniors and vets call Art at 778-436-9665.
Popular Bliss Bakery, owned and operated by Darci and Barry Yeo, has opened a new location in West Kelowna, at 210 – 3608 Carrington Road, (corner of Butt Road), across from Winners. They also have a locations downtown on Ellis Street, in Peachland and a Grab-and-Go location on Stevens Road in the industrial park in West Kelowna. All their products are made in-house with traditional artisan methods. Bliss makes their own soups from their own stock. Two of their most popular items are tree hugger cookies and cream cheese cinnamon buns.
With a location in Vernon for 12 years, Sundance Taekwon-do will open its second location at 150 Asher Road Sept. 6. Owner David White, a fifth-degree black belt says they teach Taekwon-do to all levels and send students to competitions. It offers classes for ages two and up, with special programs for kids aged four to seven, teens, adults and tots, as well as 55-plus and families. It is involved with the International Taekwon-do Federation (ITF) Children’s Development Program, which goes beyond teaching just kwon-do to kids, it encompasses teaching them life values. Andy Leung, also a fifth-degree black belt is the head instructor and Erin Bull, a third-degree black belt is the program director and instructor. Erin is a kinesiology student at UBCO. Register on line or by phone or call 778-215-5425 for more information. www.sundancemartialarts.com.
The Kelowna Palatte Club has a new board and executive for the next two years. Congratulations to Eva Eshpeter (president), Mairead Sikkes (vice-president), Norma Thomas (secretary), Janice Schwartz (treasurer), Marilyn Bury (programs), Gerry Chambers and C. J. Campbell. Contact Eva at evaeshpeter@gmail.com.
The Sears National Kids Cancer Ride will pass through Kelowna to rally the community to open their hearts, get involved and make a donation in support of children living with, and beyond, cancer. The riders, cycling coast to coast, will stop at Sears in Orchard Park Mall Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. Come meet the riders, have some snacks and join in the fun as they set out from the mall at 8 p.m. For details and how to join in, call Sears store manager, David Clark at 250-860-3682 ext. 400.
Join Bob Thompson for the Parkinson SuperWalk 2016 on Sept. 10 at Waterfront Park. To register or donate visit www.parkinson.bc.ca/SuperWalk.
The 15th annual KGHF Classic Tennis and Bocce By the Lake goes Sept. 16 and 17 at 2302 Abbott Street. This year, the tournament is honouring Johnny Vesterinen and Paul Byrne. This popular fun event was founded and has been hosted for the last 15 years by Walley and the late Marietta Lightbody. Over the past 14 years, $710,000 has been contributed towards lifesaving cardiac equipment at KGH. For more information or to register call 250-862-4300 (7152) or Bettina.muller@interiorhelath.ca.
Happy 53 anniversary Rick and Dee Essler (Sept. 2).
The sixth annual B.C. Thanksgiving Food Drive goes Saturday, Sept. 17. Here’s how it works. Volunteers will drop off donation bags to individual homes Sept. 12 to 16. Residents are asked to fill the bags and place them on their doorstep by 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17. Volunteers will collect the bags and deliver them to local food banks. No cash contributions are solicited. Contact Debbie Morris at morrisfamily90@hotmail.com www.bctfooddrive.org.
Birthdays of the week: Happy 100th Reinhart Busch (Aug. 22); Garry Appleton (Aug. 29); Rosanne Ting-Mak Brown (Aug. 31); Debra Fletcher (Aug. 31); Valaura Vedan (Sept. 2); Gail Magrath (Sept. 6); Fran Houston (Sept. 1); Dennis Gabelhouse (Sept. 3); former Kelowna mayor Walter Gray, (Sept.4); John Marritt (Sept. 4); Jo Wright (Sept. 4); Sharon Bazil (Sept. 5); Betty Russell (Sept. 6); In memory of Russ Light (Sept. 5).