The Kelowna Candle Factory has been in business in downtown Kelowna for 10 years at 1278 Ellis Street. A family-owned business operated by Sean and Carla Jackson, with help from their son, Isaac, they have fun making beautiful hand poured pure soy candles, 100 per cent pure beeswax candles, and beeswax ear cone candles. Sean and Carla started as a wholesale business for beeswax and soy candles in Canada and still do some wholesale. In their shop, they offer workshops to create your own beautiful glow bowl candles. The workshops are offered for two to twenty people and from the ages of 10 and older. You create your own beautiful glow bowl candle with your own special scent, with 150 difference fragrances to choose from. The workshops are one hour long, and you leave with a beautiful glow bowl candle of your chosen colour, although you start with a beautiful yellow. Along with their workshops, The Candle Factory is very unique as they will refill and repurpose any of your special candles or anything that you would like to make into a candle at an affordable price. Look around your home, as there are probably many candles that you love but have no wax left to burn. Sean and Carla really know the candle business and use about 12,000 to 15,000 pounds of wax per year in their business. It was really a treat for me to see their taper wheel that makes custom taper candles. The shop has a good selection of retail products and also offers customer label candles. Open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and open extended hours for special events.
Chef and manager, Robyn Sigurdson of SunnyÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s Modern Diner is holding a really fun campaign incorporating the MontanaÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s Brier in our city from February 28th to March 9th. SunnyÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s has created 14 feature egg bennyÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s representing all of the Provinces and Territories competing in this yearÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s MontanaÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s Brier. Each day of the Brier, they will be having competing bennyÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s. For example, Team Quebec vs. Team PEI. So, you can go to SunnyÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s and either order a Team Quebec or Team PEI benny. SunnyÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s has created customer pennants for each team, which they will proudly display each day representing their beautiful part of the country and their socials. Those actual teams will be facing off at Prosper Place on the day that SunnyÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s highlight their specific Benny.
INCA Renewable Technologies has been approved for a $202,534 grant from Alberta Innovates Agri-food and Bioindustrial Innovation Program to complete development of the companyÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s novel hemp-based bio-composites and conduct line trials at Toyota and automotive Tier 1 suppliers. The funding is part of the Government of AlbertaÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s commitment to expand support of agricultural products for food as well as feedstock for industry. INCA will be the first to vertically integrate composites manufacturing in North America. This funding enables them to refine hemp fiber at the Innotech Alberta laboratory, to produce several thousand pounds of INCA BioPlastics and then to conduct full scale line trials of their products with Toyota and a number of other automotive customers. For more information visit . David Saltman is the Chairman and CEO of INCA Renewtech and Paul Bullock is the Head of Canadian Operations.
The Central Okanagan Heritage Society 41st Annual Heritage Award Winners for 2025 are: Distinguished Community Service, Beverly Kalmakoff; Conservation Project on a Heritage Building Currently in Non-Residential Use: Drought House, 2406 Drought Road, West Kelowna; Continued Conservation of a Residential Building: The Blue House, 2329 Pandosy Street, Kelowna and G.L. Gore House, 379 Park Avenue, Kelowna; Continued Conservation of a Non-residential Building: Old Royal Bank Building, 262 Bernard Avenue, now known as Kelly OÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™BryanÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s Neighborhood Restaurant and continues to be well-looked after; Conservation of a Neighborhood, Streetscape or Cultural Landscape: Rotary Marsh Park, 1050 Sunset Drive, Kelowna. This award was shared with Rotary Club of Kelowna and the City of Kelowna who are now the stewards of the park. Sponsors were the Province of B.C., Central Okanagan Foundation, City of Kelowna and The Trophy Den.
The Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission (COEDC) has a new 45-member Advisory Committee for 2025. Sharon Hughes-Geekie is the 2025 Chair. Joining her on the Executive Committee are Janice Larson as Past Chair, Paula Quinn as Vice-Chair, Angela Nagy and Ryan Malcolm. New members include Alexandra Carnio, ProducKIDvity; Alan Gatzke, Gatzke Orchards; Garrett Jones, Delphi Canada; David Metvedt, Swift Aerial Surveys; Joanna Schlosser, Niche Wine Company and Roger Wong, Intrigue Wines.
The TELUS Community Ambassadors volunteer throughout the year supporting our community in many different ways. Here is the amazing impact they had in 2024: $2,600.00+ donated to charities across the Okanagan; 1,100+ knitted and handmade items donate across the valley; two families provided with food and gifts through their Adopt-A-Family program during the holidays; 1,500+ Dead Bras collected and donated to women in need; 800 backpacks filled with school supplies, donated across the valley; $1,600 of gifts, supplies and grocery gift cards donated to support vulnerable senior and youth during the holidays; $900+fundraised through their growing smiles plant sales. The TELUS Ambassadors also donated their time by volunteering at the following: Mamas for Mamas back-to-school drive; Hospice House garden during TELUS Days of Giving; Adopt-A-Road Program during TELUS Days of giving. The Ambassadors adopted both Gertsmar Road and Enterprise Way in Kelowna; Cook a meal at the Kelowna Gospel Mission; Pack our Kids for Kids backpacks filled with school supplies; packing up knitted toques, scarves and mittens to deliver to those in need in the valley; celebrating their 2023 Volunteer of the Year, Jill Siebert; celebrating their 2024 Volunteer of the Year. Darlene Lesperance; Delivering gifts and groceries during the holidays through their Adopt-A-Family Program and finally, volunteering at the Maxine DeHart Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥“ United Way, Ramada Hotel, Drive-Thru Breakfast.
Scotiabank has made a substantial donation to the Sally Ann. During the Salvation Army OkanaganÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s CentralÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s Christmas Kettle Campaign, Scotiabank employees from around Kelowna volunteered at three Kelowna Kettle locations. During that time, through its Scotia Team Community Program, Scotiabank matched all donations up to $15,000.00. Throughout the day, $28,300.00 was raised at the three kettle locations being hosted by Scotiabank employees. With matching donations, a total of $43,300.00 was raised in that one day of fundraising. Arvind Sharma is the Wealth Manager - Scotia Wealth Management.
Thursday, March 6th is the Uptown Rutland Business Association (URBA) AGM at Valleyview Funeral Home, 165 Valleyview Road. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. with the meeting starting at 5:30 p.m. For more details visit
Olympia Greek Taverna has been serving the Kelowna Community for 52 years. As a token of their appreciation, they are offering extraordinary specials and pricing during the month of March on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, whether you are dining in, taking out or getting delivery. Check their Facebook page (Olympia Greek Taverna) for details and the special pricing. Book your reservations on line at olympiataverna.com or 250-765-0484.
Canadian Home Builders Central Okanagan are hosting an education event on the topic Lien Into It: Understanding and Embracing the Builders Lien Act. This essential workshop is for construction business owners, trades, and industry professionals. Learn how to navigate lien rights, responsibilities and best practices to safeguard your project and ensure timely payments. Gain expert insight, ask questions and protect your bottom line on March 13th, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Four Points Sheraton Airport. Earn 2 CPD Points. Register at Lein Into It Workshop.
There are not many functioning pipe organs left in Canada. Over time, these large and intricate instruments have fallen into disuse or disrepair. They have often been replaced by modern technology that is less susceptible to the negative effects of age or fluctuations in temperature and do not require tuning a on a regular basis. Join the Central Okanagan United Church, 721 Bernard Avenue on March 9th at 2:30 p.m. for Echoes of a Century, an organ recital by local organist Sandra Fletcher to celebrate 100 years of music making on the historic Casavant Pipe Organ. Entry by donation, $20.00 suggested.
Greater Westside Board of Trade Business After Hours is March 20th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Valley First, A Division of First West Credit Union. Registration at
Birthdays of the week
Happy 100th Gwen Harding (Mar. 7); Happy 91st Irene Hewko(Mar. 7); Happy 85th Ron Buddo (Mar. 5); Ajay Jhajj (Mar. 5); Kent Chappell (Mar. 5); Dustin Martin (Mar. 5); Wolf Krieg (Mar. 5); Linda Frisby (Mar. 5); Kellie Amis (Mar. 5); Sandra Hofer (Mar. 5); Camille Saltman (Mar. 5); Lisa MacNeil (Mar. 5); Glen Jackson (Mar. 6); Gary Embleton (Mar. 6); Tom Mauro (Mar. 6); Connie Penner (Mar. 6); Randy Leslie (Mar. 6); Don Tindall (Mar. 6); Ron Hughes (Mar. 7); Rick Galitzine (Mar. 7); Josh Cairns (Mar. 7); Kevin Parnell (Mar. 7); Rob Willms (Mar. 8); Katja Maurmann (Mar. 8); Lisa Stephenson (Mar. 9); Penny Pullishy (Mar. 9); Ryan Coome (Mar. 10); Katie Balkwill (Mar. 10); Karen Christiansen (Mar. 10); Dan Nonis (Mar. 10); Janice Stuart (Mar. 11).
The Specialty Bakery Birthday Cake Winner of the Week is Glen Jackson. Glen, please pick up your Birthday Cake from any one of the four Specialty Bakery locations by noon on Tuesday, March 11 /2025.
Maxine DeHart is a Kelowna City Councillor and local hotelier. Phone her at 250-979-4546 or 250-862-7662. E-mail max@maxinedehart.ca