Stories
Linda Beaven drama teacher, Summerland - Shakespeare Festival - 15th anniversary

If this be Magic, let it be an Art

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players”
– William Shakespeare

Fifteen years ago, Summerland teachers Linda Beaven, Sandra Richardson, and Mike Robinson came up with an idea to hold an annual drama festival for their students – one that would allow the students to explore theatre in a fully immersive environment.  Read more…

Christopher Wallace - Okanagan apple picker story

The Fruit Picker’s Domain

Annually, Okanagan Country fills with a community of fruit pickers, one that builds, morphs and dissipates in tune with the harvest. In a certain transitional beauty, like the seasonal shifts with which they flow, they flourish in Summer’s abundance and dwindle in Autumn as the tree’s are left bare. Read more…

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Thrift Shop Girls

The Proposal: Having a great (mostly thrift store & vintage) wardrobe has its rewards. Compliments, admiration, walking into work late but looking interestingly fashionable -  both cause & effect of standing way to long in front of said wardrobe, happily murmuring, “oh, what to wear? so many choices!” Friends ask to borrow my clothes, to help them style their outfits, to give me $50 to go shopping at a thrift store for an outfit to style for a photo shoot. Read more…

Jeff Symonds Challenge Penticton Triathlon win August 2013

Jeff Symonds wins Challenge Penticton

“Get ugly out there”

Jeff Symonds has a new title that no-one else can claim for their own; winner of the Challenge Penticton Triathlon.

On Sunday, sometime much later than his nearly 8.5 hour grueling race, Jeff Symonds, aka Jeff Diamond Symonds to his friends, took a much needed pain killer after being up for 23 hours straight and went to bed – as the newly crowned winner of the inaugural Challenge Penticton Triathlon. Read more…

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Summerland rodeo – bull riding

Klinck gets kluncked… again

Bull rider Nick Klinck, excited about the upcoming Summerland Rodeo, writes on Facebook, “To start the weekend, had a cop buying us whiskey on the plane to Manitoba. I’d say we are in for a good weekend!”

His next post the day after the Summerland rodeo: “Having an awesome time at the Leffew ranch in California! Sure wish I didn’t have a broken leg.” Read more…

Okanagan Crush Pad evening presentation by Antonio Antonini of wines from his winery, Poggiotondo, (near Florence in Italy) – and other wineries with which he also consults, in other parts of the world.

Winemaker Alberto Antonini + OCP

It was an honour to have the opportunity to listen to Alberto Antonini speak about his experiences and to sample wines he has either produced himself or that have come from wineries for which he is a consultant. Read more…

Ron Watkins founder of Dirty Laundry Winery and Tom Di Bello, winemaker at Burrowing Owl - surfing safari

Mavericks making waves

Tom Di Bello, of Di Bello Wines and Ron Watkins, founder of Dirty Laundry Winery are easy to be around. They are ex-Californian laid-back surfers who share a lot of laughter as well as wine-making philosophies. Having grown up on surfboards, their often flashed peace sign is a perfect iconic symbol for them both.

Read more…

Pedro Parra - terroir consultant in the Okanagan for Okanagan Crush Page property assessments

Pedro Parra – let the earth speak

Pedro Parra, a Chilean consultant on contract to the Okanagan Crush Pad is one of only a small number of terroir consultants in the world. Also known as a ‘terroirist’, his focus is on understanding the relationship between wine and terroir. In addition to Pedro’s work for the Crush Pad, he also has clients in Chile, Argentina, Italy, California, Armenia, Uruguay and France. Read more…

Marc LeBlanc, owner of Liquor Lodge in Jasper Alberta

Ambassador of BC Wines

Marc LeBlanc, of Jasper’s Liquor Lodge

While in Jasper a couple of weeks ago, I interviewed Marc LeBlanc, the owner of the Liquor Lodge. Marc is instantly likeable – great sense of humour, passion for business and passion for wine… especially BC wine. According to Marc, Jasper is one of the best Canadian towns to showcase Canadian products in part thanks to the large number of visitors from other countries. Read more…