PLP Jan 10_25 final

Peachland POST YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

The week of January 10, 2025

RESERVOIR RESERVATIONS Water supply estimates based on old data P.6

ARTS SCENE Get the skinny on what’s happening on the creative side of life P.8

Visit our website at peachlandpost.org • Vol. 1 Issue 2

ABOUT TOWN Find out what’s going on and where it’s happening P.11

REAL ESTATE MARKET

FROM BAD TO - NOT SO BAD?

AMAZING MOSAIC No talent required to join this colourful community project P.3

NEW-BORN NOMENCLATURE

Peachland’s real estate market suffered through a tough year, but 2025 is showing signs of life

By Jeff McDonald

F

Staff Reporter

or people trying to sell a property in Peachland, 2024 was the worst market in thirty years, according to peachlandliving.com.

Just 87 homes changed hands last year, down from 112 sales in 2023, 170 in 2022, and 269 in 2021, the website says. The total value of Peachland real estate transactions was just under $74 million last year, down from close to $92 million in 2023 and close to $187 million in 2022. And not a single commercial property changed hands in 2024 in Peachland.

Others have a more nuanced view.

Jason Coward, a realtor with Royal Lepage West Kelowna, says there’s no question the market was tough in 2024, with the benchmark price for homes also down.

2024 was a tough year for real estate sales in Peachland.

“Throughout the whole Central Okanagan, 2024 is going to go down as one of the quietest years for real estate in recent history in the number of sales,“ said Coward.

“If we go back to January 1, 2023, the benchmark price for a single family home was $857,800.

And then at the peak in June 2023, it went as high as a $1,009,900.

And now, we find ourselves at the end of 2024, down to $944,000.“ Another indicator of a slow market is the number of days a property takes to sell, and Coward, who is also a Peachland resident, said last year that number ranged from the low 50s to the mid-70s.

Several factors have thrown cold water on the residential market, and Coward said consumer confidence is key, with the high cost of living in many people’s minds when considering a property purchase.

“I have clients from all over the country that are looking to the Okanagan as a place to retire, and what I am hearing from them is basically cost of living,” he said. “Everything from a block of cheese to gas that they put in their tank, it’s all contributing to tighter

Baby naming is serious business.

Sorry Noah, Oliver now top of the baby name heap

Move over, Noah. Oliver is the most popular name for babies born this year in British Columbia.

Oliver is followed by Olivia, Liam, Noah, Theodore, Charlotte, Lucas, Isla, Amelia and Leo, according to the Vital Statistics Agency’s preliminary figures for 2024.

In 2023, the top names B.C. were Noah, Oliver, Olivia, Theodore, Liam, Jack, Emma, Sophia, Ethan and Leo. At least 38,103 babies were registered as born in B.C. in 2024.

SEE REAL ESTATE PAGE 7

Post Staff

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Page 2 • January 10, 2025

POST NEWS

Peachland POST

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

…is delivered free of charge to every home, every business, every week.

• Peachland Community Newspaper Society 5878C Beach Avenue, Peachland, B.C. V0H 1X7 250 859 4295 • Board of Directors President Keith Fielding Treasurer Ted Cave Director Geoff Trafford Director Donna Cave Director Ted Black • Managing editor (acting) Jeff McDonald 250 859 2429 • Advertising Sales Alan Monk 250 212 4888 • Website Alex Morrison Visit peachlandpost.org • We respectfully acknowledge our society operates on the traditional territory of the Syilx/Okanagan People.

• Peachland Post gratefully acknowledges office space provided by Brenda Renewables.

Some Peachlanders get help with holiday bills

Dog licence renewal due end of February

Eligible people in Peachland will get help with holiday bills with a boost to the B.C. Family Benefit payment this month, the provincial Ministry of Finance said in a media release.

Lower and middle income British Columbians will get their benefit payment with a temporary cost-of-living bonus of 25 per cent The increase means an average of $445 more per year for families. A single parent with one child can receive as much as $2,688 per year. The family benefit is deposited into bank accounts on the 20th of each month.

In addition, 65 per cent of British Columbians should already have received a climate action tax credit payment.

Peachland pooch owners have until February 28 to renew their dog licences.

If your dog is over three months old and has lived in the Central Okanagan for more than 30 days, it needs to be licenced and must wear a valid licence tag.

Until February 28, a licence for a dog that is spayed or neutered is $20. If the dog isn’t spayed or neutered, the fee is $60. Fees go up in March.

Visit rdco.com/dogs to purchase your licence online and to find information about responsible dog ownership.

Peachland residents can buy or renew their licences at the district office on Beach Avenue.

It’s dog licence renewal time with a deadlne of Feb. 28

Post Staff

POST NEWS

January 10, 2025 • Page 3

DO-IT-YOURSELF

Community imagination is the primary ingredient for Peachland mural project

By Jeff McDonald

Childcare centre public hearing in Peachland The District of Peachland is holding a public hearing concerning the construction of a new childcare centre.

The hearing begins January 14 at 5 p.m. at the Peachland Community Centre.

The public is invited to give feedback at the hearing.

You can also email written submissions by January 13 at 4 p.m. to the district corporate officer at corporateservices@peachland.ca. Your name and address must be included.

You can watch the public hearing on the District of Peachland’s website at peachland.ca.

Staff Reporter

You don’t need to be Monet to contribute to the Peachland Community Mural Project.

All you need is your imagination and a painting kit, and your painted submission will be part of a mosaic mural reflecting Peachland’s unique character and beauty.

A lot of people are afraid to paint, but project organizer Shelley Sweeney, chair of Peachland Community Connects, says artistic ability isn’t what they’e looking for.

“People say, ‘I don’t have a painting bone in my body’ or, ‘I don’t have any talent’. You don’t have to have talent, you just have to have an imagination, and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have an imagination,” said Sweeney.

The painting kit includes a flat, tile-shaped piece of wood to paint on, plus paints and brushes.

“When the individual sends a completed package back to us, emailed as a jpeg, our team will size, optimize and reproduce the submission for the final mural,” said Sweeney. “They get to keep their tile.”

Once 900 to 1,200 painted pieces of wood are submitted by the community, they will be compiled

POST BRIEFS

Alex Morrison photo

Only your imagination needed to join Peachland Community Mural Project.

into a digital file. That file will be used to produce a mosaic mural, about 10 feet by 10 feet, which will be displayed on the front wall of the Peachland Community Centre.

Sweeney said it’s is a prime location that ensures the mural will be seen and admired by residents and visitors alike for years to come.

The connection to Peachland is what they’re looking for, and Sweeney said it’s a true community project that is intended to capture the essence of Peachland.

“Together,we’ll create something truly spectacular that reflects the unique beauty and diversity of our town,” she said.

The project is expected to take a couple of years to complete, and her organization will help people unleash their creativity by organizing painting parties, she added.

Painting kits are $25 and can be ordered at peachlandmakingwaves.com. Go there for more information or contact Shelley Sweeney at 250-212-2025. ••

Booking a trip? ... raring TuGo? 30 years of experience!

Winter night walk at Hardy Falls park The Regional District of Central Okanagan is hosting a winter wonder night walk at Hardy Falls Regional Park in Peachland.

All are welcome to come and celebrate a winter’s night, listen for owl calls, look for animal tracks, and enjoy hot chocolate around a fire.

It takes place on Jan. 15, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Go to rdco.com for more information.

Post Staff

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Page 4 • January 10, 2025

POST OPINION

PREMIER’S NEW YEAR MESSAGE

2024 was a challenge but better days lie ahead, says Premier David Eby your family are talking about around the kitchen table.

That is our focus for 2025 and beyond.

For families struggling with everyday costs driven by global inflation, we are going to deliver a middle-income tax cut in 2025, and every year after.

We will also review health authorities to make sure your tax dollars are being spent efficiently on strengthening health care in your community.

We will continue to connect people to family doctors through our Health Connect Registry so everyone can get the high-quality care they need, when and where they need it.

For young people who are being priced out of their communities, we will build homes you can afford by cracking down on

NO HISTORY? KNOW HISTORY by RICHARD SMITH

Peachland brothers field an entire baseball team - and they were good

In the 1930s Peachland had the rare distinction of having the only nine-brother baseball team in Canada. They were very good!

Their home was on the Trepanier flat and their surname was Cousins. There were also three sisters in the family and during World War Two, five of them served in the forces.

They all came safely home.

Richard Smith archives The all-brother Cousins baseball Descendents of the family team. The family still lives in the still live in the Peachland area.

Peachland area.

Cousins Park is named for them. team of Deike brothers and a ChiSurprisingly, there were cago team of Stanczak brothers. three other baseball teams made Even stranger is the meeting up of brothers, but in the United States: One Gillum team in 1912 of those last two teams at a mid 1930s all-brothers championship from Virginia, a 1922 Skillicorn game in Witchita, Kansas. team from California, a Texas

“

For families struggling with everyday costs driven by global inflation, we are going to deliver a middle-income tax cut in 2025, and every year after.

Premier David Eby

“

F

or many of you, 2024 was a time of challenges and uncertainty.

Still, we came together to lift each other up in a variety of ways, including volunteering in our communities, opening our homes to evacuees during the wildfire season and generously giving over the holiday season.

In 2024, we started to see some results on issues you asked our government to work on.

While we expanded affordable child care, helped more people get a family doctor and delivered more homes for the middle class, I know there is a lot more to do.

The new year is a time to reflect on lessons learned and set goals for the future.

I have heard that you want our government to work harder to tackle the issues that you and

speculation, breaking down barriers to home construction and helping you buy your first home.

For workers and small business owners, we will build a stronger, cleaner economy

that benefits everyone.

We will continue to work with our partners to fight against unfair trade threats as we diversify our economy.

And we will work to reduce permitting times to ensure certainty in the years ahead.

We will do all this work in partnership with Indigenous people, while working toward true and lasting reconciliation.

Despite all the challenges we face, you - the hardworking people of B.C. - make me more optimistic about our future than ever.

Together, we can build a sustainable, prosperous province where everyone can get ahead and no one gets left behind.

From my family to yours, happy new year!

Premier David Eby, Province of B.C.

Be A Local News Hound Be the eyes and ears of your neighbourhood.

Send your news tips and story ideas to editor@peachlandpost.org

Peachland POST YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

POST OPINION

January 10, 2025 • Page 5

POST LETTERS Is property purchase the right use of money?

To the editor: I was concerned to read in the Peachland Post that council has spent $1.5 million to purchase a piece of land at the corner of Dryden and Trepanier, but currently has no plans for its use.

I assume that council believes the purchase to be a good investment either because it is expected to increase in value and/or because it will meet some future, as yet unspecified need.

However, while both of these rationales for the purchase may make sense, does Peachland really have enough spare money to divert resources away from building up infrastructure reserves when that is a known and stated council priority, and land acquisition is not?

Bob Campbell, Peachland

New paper is bright and perky

To the editor: I loved finding the first edition of the Peachland Post in my mailbox this morning!

Thank you to the Peachland Community Newspaper Society for undertaking this venture of restoring a weekly local newspaper here.

The first issue looks bright and perky, and I enjoyed perusing the articles.

I am especially pleased to see the crossword puzzle again, which provided a bit of a Friday challenge in the newspaper’s predecessors.

I look forward to future issues and might submit something myself in future. Happy New Year to all involved!

Jim Howard, Peachland

FEDERAL POLITICS

Trudeau’s resignation opens a can of worms

O

ne of the problems for a weekly newspaper is that what was topical when the paper went to print, can be out of date by the time the paper is distributed.

Such was the case with the column we requested from our MP, Dan Albas, which was to have graced this page today but which, having been written before the news of Prime Minister Trudeau’s intended resignation, posed questions to which we now know the answers.

Yes, Trudeau has announced his intention to resign, but many interesting questions still remain unanswered.

The Governor General’s decision to prorogue Parliament until March 24 is conditional on Trudeau’s resignation taking effect before that date.

Meanwhile, the legislature comes to a halt, and the Lib-

POLICY MATTERS KEITH FIELDING

eral party must address the key question: who will lead it into the next election?

With the Liberal government’s dismal ratings and the lack of willingness by all opposition parties to provide continued support, some would say: Who among the contenders would be brave enough to lead the party into the next election?

Names have been mentioned.

These include one familiar to those of us in the Okanagan - former

B.C. premier and former Westside-Kelowna MLA Christy Clark.

After previously expressing her interest in running for leadership of the federal Conservative party, she now says that she wishes to be”part of the conversation” for the Liberal leadership.

Key criteria for leadership of any party running in the next election must include the ability to stand up to Donald Trump and protect Canada’s interests against tariffs and implied threats to our sovereignty.

To many Liberal supporters, Chrystia Freeland is the sharpest tool in the Liberal shed and the best fit for the job.

But whether she is too smart to even run, and risk taking the party to defeat, remains to be seen.

Keith Fielding is a former mayor of Peachland and president of the Peachland Community Newspaper Society.

Page 6 • January 10, 2025

POST OPINION

PEACHLAND RESERVOIR

Water supply models of the past can no longer be fully trusted

H

ave you read the Peachland Creek Water Supply Under Future Climate Assessment, available on the district’s website? It suggests the Peachland Reservoir is adequate for the next 25 to 30 years.

I have concerns and questions.

NATURAL WONDER JUDY WYPER

Deterministic modelling was used. But models of the past can no longer be relied upon for predicting the future.

Probabilistic modelling would have considered other variable cumulative effects such as increasing drought, higher temperatures, volatile humidity levels, geography, and loss of and remaining quality of forest cover.

The report relies on an earlier 2020 report that uses data for watersheds adjacent to ours and I wonder whether local aspects were accounted for.

A residential growth rate of 3.6 per cent is central to

Chad Rogers REALTOR®

250-808-8143 chad@chadlist.com www.chadlist.com #105-4200 Beach Avenue, Peachland, BC, V0H 1X5 Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

the water supply predictions, but this is an uncertainty.

Increased immigration to B.C. and a provincial government that imposes development upon jurisdictions regardless of infrastructure and water availability are just two variables that may change the growth rate.

There are unknown hydraulic connections between Peachland Reservoir, the water treatment plant, and groundwater.

They considered untreated groundwater inflows from the Brenda Mine open pit lake, advising further hydrogeological investigations.

The report made other recommendations. They advise protecting the water supply against contamination.

But Peachland council does not have jurisdiction over the watershed, as it largely lies outside our boundaries.

I suggest that a Peachland watershed board with representation from related governments would be able to monitor and protect the watershed from contamination.

Other recommendations deal with managing demand for water, establishing demand categories, increasing supply and storage, installing more hydrometric stations, managing drought, and updating development cost charge bylaws to improve water supply resiliency.

Contributed photo

A report by the District of Peachland says the community’s water supply is adquate for the next 25 to 30 years.

I asked Shawn Grundy, Peachland’s director of operations, about district progress in responding to the study.

He said there are no timelines yet. He reported that the replacement of aging water meters, around 800 completed thus far, should be around 1000 by the end of the year.

Mayor Van Minsel told me we don’t have the money right now.

Yikes!

No plan for classifying water meters and associated data, like the number and type of units serviced by large meters, which would inform staff about unit demands, benefits and challenges of densification.

No timeline to investigate the feasibility of increasing supply and storage.

No plans to install hydrometric stations to more closely measure and account for groundwater input, variations in drought or rainfall to help understand water supply.

Double yikes!

We need timelines and yearly progress reports on the recommendations.

Judy Wyper is involved with the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance, Seniors For Change, First Things First, and the newly formed South Okanagan Chapter of the Council of Canadians.

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January 10, 2025 • Page 7

REAL ESTATE

Pent-up demand is driving a market recovery of sorts REAL ESTATE FROM PAGE 1

budgets and that really bites into the psyche of people when they’re thinking about making big changes in their lives, like moving.”

The shock of the COVID-19 pandemic has also had some purchasers sitting on their hands, he said.

But a new year brings new hope, and that, combined with factors like lower interest rates, is cause for optimism for 2025, said Coward.

Working in Peachland’s favour is the value proposition offered by the community, said Coward.

Buyers are looking for single family detached homes that they can afford, and they can get a lot more house for their dollar in Peachland than they can in Kelowna.

Commuting to Kelowna and to Penticton is easier than it used to be for people who have jobs in those cities, and Coward said it all amounts to a community that’s beginning to transition from a retirement-focused community to a place where more families are choosing to live.

“What I am seeing is a little bit of a changing of the guard. They do have the elementary school in Peachland, they do have the other levels of schools in West Kelowna and bussing service is

John McDonald photo

Peachland is transitioning from a retirement community to a more family-oriented place to live.

pretty good, so they are choosing Peachland to come in and raise their families,” Coward said.

“There’s less traffic, they’re closer to backcountry activities, and that sort of thing. It’s a little bit for lifestyle as well,” he said.

“And with what they would spend on a townhome in Kelowna, they can come out here and buy a single family detached home,” he added.

ALONE WITH YOUR

Write a letter to the editor Send it to: editor@peachlandpost.org

THOUGHTS? Peachland POST YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

2024’s slow market should mean pent-up demand for 2025, predicted Coward, with lower interest rates, higher wages and lower inflation rates all pointing toward higher sales this year.

“When you have a year where essentially half the market is not moving, some of those people really, really want to move so I have a feeling that 2025 with lower inter-

est rates, higher wages or wages creeping up and at least lower inflation, I think that we’re going to see more real estate activity in 2025 than we did in 2024,” he added.

“I’ve been in this business for a long time and I’ve been through the ups and downs and honestly I’m looking forward to a fairly robust 2025. I’m excited about Peachland.” ••

Peachland, British Columbia

• 35+ YEARS EXPERIENCE • GENERAL CONTRACTING

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Page 8 • January 10, 2025

POST ARTS

GETTING CREATIVE

Time is limited to see the Artists of the Okanagan exhibition

The following is a selection of entries primarily from the Peachland Community Arts Council bi-weekly newsletter

To all artists, musicians, literary souls, and lovers of the arts residing in our beautiful Okanagan Valley, may this new year inspire you to innovate and explore fresh boundaries, to break through to an original expression of “what life’s all about!” Happy New Year!

••• The Artists of the Okanagan exhibition continues at the Peachland Art Gallery until Jan. 19. Reaction to the show has been very enthusiastic with many positive comments including eleven sales before Christmas. Displaying artists have spent their time on the weekends painting for Artists in the Gallery.

•••

The first PCAC show will start March 1. Guess what it is - Captured Images 2025 - the 11th anniversary of the largest photographic exhibition in the Okanagan! Photographers, see the submission form on peachland.ca and prepare your images for submission. The deadline for submissions is January 20.

••• Have any of you non-artists made resolutions to start sketching or painting this year? Well, now is the time to take that leap with Terry Moore’s Wednesday drawing workshops. They’re in the boardroom of the Peachland Art Gallery on Beach Ave. every Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m. The drop-in fee is only $5. You simply bring a photograph of a subject you would like to sketch and Moore will show you how best to go about it.

He’ll provide paper and pencil you’ll produce the latent talent!

If you have any questions email bullfroginn@icloud.com.

••• The Okanagan Folk School is offering two workshops in January. The first is Stained Glass for Beginners offered at the home studio of instructor Shauna Mckenney in Peachland on Jan. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This is a one-day five-hour course where students “learn the basic skills and techniques of Tiffany style (copper foil method) stained glass.”

Classes are kept from one to three students for one-on-one learning.

••• “Get ready for an afternoon of laughter, creativity, and a little harmless stabbing at (their) “Roving Stabbers” workshop!” on Jan. 19 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

at Our SPACE in the Peachland Historic School, 5684 Beach Ave. You’ll need no experience but will “craft an adorable needle-felted owl, step by step, in a relaxed and friendly setting.”

Sign up now to ensure a place.

••• “Oyez, Oyez, Oyez!” - it’s a new year and that time again when Peachland Community Arts Council 2025 membership fees are due. Pay online at peachlandarts.ca. Fees are $25 for individuals or $35 for families. We always welcome new members to build on our ever-growing list of over 400. Member groups are asked to drop off their cheques ($50) at the Peachland Art Gallery.

••• Christopher Byrd is the editor of the Peachland Community Arts Council newsletter.

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POST IN PICTURES

January 10, 2025 • Page 9

Contributed photo

A model train built by the Central Okanagan Railroad Company is shown on display last month at the Peachland Community Centre.

Pam Foxall photo

Peachland’s annual Polar Bear Swim was well-attended and possibly a bit warmer than previous years.

Peachland Places of Faith Peachland United Church 4421 4th St., Peachland

Richard Smith archives

A calendar from days gone by. You will note the days and dates of 1890 line up with 2025.

Lake Avenue at 13th Street 250-767-9237 Sunday Morning Service: 10:30 am Pastor: Lyle Wahl peachlandbaptistcanada.com There is a sermon audio available on our website each week.

250-767-2206

“Let Us Worship Together” ZOOM AND IN-SANCTUARY SERVICES AT 10 AM Pastor: Ian McLean

ALL ARE WELCOME

For 10:00 am zoom service, visit www.peachlandunited.ca

Page 10 • January 10, 2025

POST PUZZLES

SEE ALL PUZZLE ANSWERS BELOW

Joke of the Week Did you hear about the new corduroy pillows?

They’re making headlines.

POST EVENTS

POST EVENTS SATURDAY Peachland Community Centre 250-767-2133 Annual Tree Chipping for Charity 10-2 PM Serving Hot Chocolate Call 250-767-2841 for pick-up details 50 Plus Centre 250-767-9133 Carpet Bowling 9:30-12 PM Peachland Legion 250-767-9404 Meat Draw & 50-50 3-5 PM Everyone Welcome SUNDAY 50 Plus Centre 250-767-9133 Bluegrass 2-5 PM MONDAY Peachland Community Centre 250-767-2133 Indoor walking 8-9 AM Spin, weights, core and more 9:30-10:45 AM Zumba 6:30-7:30 PM 50 Plus Centre 250-767-9133 50+ Fitness 9-10 AM We Art Here 12 PM Tae Kwon Do 5:30-6:30 PM Peachland Wellness Centre 250-767-0141 Ladies Coffee 1-2 PM Peachland Boys and Girls Club 250-767-2515 Peachland Preschool 8:30-12:15 PM Family Tot play time 9:30-1 PM TUESDAY Peachland Community Centre 250-2133 Flow Yoga 9-10 AM

January 10, 2025 • Page 11

Events listings are free to non-profit and community groups.

Submit by Friday, 3 p.m. for publication the following Friday at info@peachlandpost.org Pickleball drills & play 10:30-12:30 PM Friendship Club 1-3 PM Peachland Library 250-767-9111 Winter Story Time 11 AM Stay & Play 11:45 AM 50 Plus Centre 250-767-9133 Yoga 8:30-9:30 AM Carpet Bowling 10-12 PM Mahjong 1-4 PM Passion 4 Art 1-4 PM Line Dancing 4:30-5:30 PM Cloggers 6-7 PM Peachland Wellness Centre 250-767-2133 Ladies Coffee & Cards 11-12 PM Men’s Coffee & Cards 1-3 PM

THURSDAY Peachland Community Centre 250-767-2133 Art group 8 AM-4 PM Pickleball 3.5 10:30-12:30 PM Pickleball 3.75 1-3 PM 50 Plus Centre 250-767-9133 Yoga 8:30-9:30 AM Iron & Silk 11-12 PM Ukulele 1-2:30 PM Bingo 5-9 PM Peachland Library 250-767-9111 Winter Story Time 11 AM Stay & Play 11:45 AM Peachland Legion 250-767-0141 Meat draw & 50-50 3-5 PM

WEDNESDAY Peachland Community Centre 250-767-2133 Indoor walking 8-9 AM Quilters 8 AM-4 PM Strength & Stretch 11:15-12:15 PM 50 Plus Centre 250-767-9133 50+ Fitness 9-10 AM Chair Yoga 10:30-11:30 AM Bridge 12:30-3:30 PM Tae Kwon Do 5:30-6:30 PM Peachland Boys and Girls Club 250-767-2515 Peachland Preschool 8:30 AM-12:15 PM School’s Out 2:30-5 PM Element Club 6-8 PM Peachland Wellness Centre 250-767-0141 Tia Chi 10-11 AM Sunshine Singers 1-2 PM

FRIDAY Peachland Community Centre 250-767-2133 Pickleball 1.5 -2.5 9-11 AM Pickleball 2.5 11:30 AM-1:30 PM Pickleball 3.75+ 2-4 PM

HOENMANS, Shannon Rene • 1936 ~ 2024

The family of Shannon Hoenmans of Peachland, BC is saddened to announce her passing. She passed away peacefully on December 21, 2024 at the age of 88 years.

Shannon will be remembered and sadly missed by her children, Wanda (Terry) Sibbick of Calgary, AB and Michael (Lori) Hoenmans of Kamloops, BC; grandchildren, Cody Sibbick and Alyssa Hoenmans; and greatgrandchildren, Carter, Avery and Aliegha; siblings, Bari (Helen) of Peachland, BC, Janice (Shirl) of West Kelowna, BC, Austin (Laura) of Saskatoon, SK and sister-in-law, Lorraine of Winnipeg, MB, She is sadly predeceased by her husband, Murray; brother, Bill and parents, Ernest and Minnie Beggs.

Shannon, who went by “Shan,” was a teletype operator in the Air Force in her younger years. After finishing her Air Force career, she worked as a legal secretary in Kamloops and in Kelowna before her retirement in Peachland.

She loved gardening, and sitting outside just listening and watching the lake.

She loved playing Scrabble, doing puzzles and traveling.

A Celebration of Shannon’s Life will be held at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, Memorial Tributes can be made to the Royal Canadian Legion or to a charity of your choice.

To send condolences please visit www.hansonsfuneral.ca.

ARBOR FUNERAL CHAPELS & CREMATORIUM

Peachland Boys and Girls Club 250-767-2515 Peachland Preschool 8:30-12:15 PM Schools Out 2:30-5 PM T.G.I.F. 6-8 PM Peachland Library 250-767-9111 LEGO Builds 3-4 PM 50 Plus Centre 250-767-9133 50+ Fitness 9-10 AM Friendly Bean 10:15 AM-12 PM Knit & Crochet 10:30-11:30 AM Canasta 1- 4 PM Knitting 1- 3 PM For information on more programs at Peachland Community Centre search on-line Peachland Recreational Guide‚ Winter 2024.

CLASSIFIEDS

Classified ad and obituary enquiries should be directed by email to info@ peachlandpost.org. The cost is $10 per column inch (30 words) with a minimum charge of $10.

HEY KIDS, COLOUR ME IN! CONTRIBUTED BY MAYA

Page 12 • January 10, 2025

POST NEWS

AGRICULTURE

Wages for fruit pickers on the increase

Bump to mininum rate is based on the annual average inflation rate Fruit pickers in the Okanagan will be a little more flush in 2025.

Minimum piece rates for hand harvesting some farm crops have increased by 3.9 per cent in B.C.

The increase applies to 15 of the most common crops harvested by hand, including peaches, apricots, apples, cherries, grapes, pears, and prune plums.

The B.C. government says the increase is based on the provinces’ average annual inflation rate in 2023 and is consistent with the 3.9

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per cent increase to the minimum hourly wage that came into effect in June of last year. Each of the hand-harvested crops has its own minimum pay rate.

B.C.’s farm-worker minimum piece-rate system has been in place since 1981. The change took place December 31, 2024.

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People who hand-pick crops will see a minium rate increase.