SPORTS
BUSINESS
ENTERTAINMENT
MOTOR BIKE racer Casey Keast will put his skills to the test at next weekend’s Monster Energy Cup in Las Vegas.
A NEW BOOK STORE in Rutland has a wide variety of used books lining its shelves and store owner Heather Friesen is looking for more.
RAISING awareness and funds, Room to Read Okanagan is presenting the film Girl Rising in Kelowna on Oct. 19.
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83 serving our community 1930 to 2013
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Join us for our
Open House
Friday, October 18th and Saturday, October 19th Meet your
Rep on Friday, October 18th
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FREE “Learn to Sharpen your Chain” clinic on Saturday, October 19th
1892 Spall Rd 250-868-1010 • 1892 Byland Rd 250-769-7355
THURSDAY October 10, 2013 The Central Okanagan’s Best-Read Newspaper www.kelownacapnews.com
Blanleil cited Tree fruit damage could cost $18 million Apple for business harvest leadership quality Judie Steeves STAFF REPORTER
Alistair Waters ASSISTANT EDITOR
The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce has named local businessman Andre Blanleil its Business Leader of the Year for 2013. The chamber says the award recognizes and celebrates Blanleil’s outstanding contribution to the business community in Kelowna. “Andre is a good example of success, risk-taking and balancing business with civic commitment in the Okanagan,” said Caroline Grover, CEO of the chamber. “He was a City of Kelowna-appointed director (as a city councillor) on the chamber board for a number of years, through 2008, and brought the chamber that all-important municipal view on business matters.” Blanleil, who has sat on council for nearly 20 years and regularly finishes near the top of the polls in civic elections, is often seen as overtly pro-business and, in his words “right-wing.” But he said it’s a label that is not always accurate. Comparing himself to another popular, long-time city councillor, Andrew Blanleil Robert Hobson—someone often seen as more centrist, or even left of centre—Blanleil said 95 per cent of the time he and Hobson are on the same page when it comes to municipal matters. Reached in Williams Lake, where he was working on the construction site of his 18th Andre’s Electronic Experts store, Blanleil said he was surprised to hear he had won the award. “Of course, I’m pretty happy about it,” he said. Blanleil’s chain of electronics stores are located throughout the B.C. Interior and sell a full range of home sound and vision electronics as well as appliances and mobile phones. He started the chain in 1980 at the age of 23 when he took over the retail operation of his father’s television See Business A12
It’s now estimated that $15- to $18-million in damage will be paid in insurance claims to tree fruit growers affected by hailstorms and spring frost this year. That’s two or three times the normal amount of weather-related damage tree fruit growers normally claim through production insurance, from the business risk management branch of the provincial agriculture ministry, notes director Gary Falk. “It was a busy year,” he said, with 1,200 claims in total. And, it continued long past the normal hail period of mid-July to mid-August, with a Sept. 30 hailstorm that affected growers in pockets throughout the Okanagan Valley, he noted. Already $2 million has been paid out to growers who sustained damage, but Falk said many growers will defer their claims until next year when they receive their ‘packout’ numbers, and know what they will receive for this season’s fruit, and how much of it had to be diverted to juice, or was downgraded because of damage. Earlier estimates of damage couldn’t be made because the crop insurance adjusters have to look at the damage related to production, and that’s not known until harvest, he explained. The majority of the damage, 75 per cent to 80 per cent was from hailstorms that moved
still good Judie Steeves STAFF REPORTER
JUDIE STEEVES/CAPITAL NEWS
AS PICKERS like Mario Cordeyo Lopez, of Mexico, pluck the last apples from trees in the Central Okanagan this year, estimates of the damage caused to tree fruit crops by weather this past season are becoming clear. through the valley this summer, including a devastating one in mid-August that was centred on the KLO Road, Spiers and Swamp Road areas. In the aftermath of that storm, growers were left with fruit that was cut as well as bruised by hailstones described as the
size of marbles and crops in some orchards were a complete write-off. In all, more than 800 hail claims were registered this year with his branch, said Falk. In the southern part of the valley, spring frost resulted in crop reductions and damage and cherries
in some parts of the valley were damaged by rain. As well as tree fruits, Falk said another $500,000 in damage was sustained by the grape industry, largely to the Coronation table grape crop, mostly from the mid-August hailstorm. jsteeves@kelownacapnews.com
An estimated 100,000 bins full of crisp, sweet, ripe apples are being trucked to packinghouses in the Central Okanagan this fall, despite it being a lighter-than-normal crop due to weather damage this past season. Quality of the fruit that survived the hailstorms and spring frost is good, reports grower services manager Hank Markgraf with the B.C. Tree Fruits Co-operative. And, prices are good, reports marketing manager Chris Pollock, with the co-op. In fact, last year’s prices were high as a result of a low North American crop due to a late frost affecting crops along the eastern side of the continent, and this year’s prices are higher, he said. Sales are similar to the past couple of seasons, with about 3,000 more 40-pound cartons sold so far over last year. Prices are slightly above last year overall, he reports. A favourite on markets so far have been the Honeycrisp apple, which is selling better than any
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Chad Bannister is pleased to announce that Alex Adams, through his sales and customer satisfaction achievement, has been named our
SALESPERSON OF THE MONTH FOR OCTOBER. www.bannisterkelowna.com
250-860-7700
Alex Adams
We know Alex’s many friends and loyal customers join us in extending congratulations.