Okanagan Trade & Community News

Local Voices: community reporting and petitions →

Published local reporting and practical guides from Okanagan Trade Directory.

How to Review Pricing and Guest Experience for a West Kelowna Vacation Rental

A nightly rate is only one part of a vacation rental’s performance. Homeowners also need to understand booking costs, the time available for owner use, the work required between guests and the experience the listing promises. For an eligible property in West Kelowna, a practical review starts with the full operating picture rather than a single advertised rate.

What Vacation Rental Management Covers for Kelowna Homeowners

A vacation rental involves much more than putting a property on a booking site. A homeowner needs a clear plan for reservations, guest questions, cleaning and property care—and must first establish whether the property can be operated as a short-term rental. For an eligible Kelowna property, understanding who handles each task is a useful starting point when comparing management options.

Septic materials in Prince George: what to bring to a buying enquiry

A clear materials list can make a septic supply enquiry more useful. Whether you have a specified project list or are seeking a replacement part, Pay-N-Save Building Supplies in Prince George can review the details with you and discuss the products you need.

Kamloops municipal election results 2026

Mike O’Reilly has been declared elected mayor of Kamloops in the 2026 municipal election. The official result also confirms the council members listed below.

Princeton municipal election results 2026

Princeton has declared Spencer Coyne elected mayor and Barb Gould, Doug Pateman, George Elliott and Tyler Willis elected to council. The October 26 council declaration annotates Willis’s result “Judicial Recount-Lot Draw.”

Oliver municipal election results 2026

Wayne Anderson has been declared elected mayor of Oliver in the 2026 municipal election. The official result also confirms the council members listed below.

Salmon Arm municipal election results 2026

Alan Harrison has been declared elected mayor of Salmon Arm in the 2026 municipal election. The official result also confirms the council members listed below.

Keremeos municipal election results 2026

Garry Elliott leads the published mayoral tally in Keremeos following the October 17 municipal election. The results shown here are preliminary; a formal declaration has not been independently verified for this page.

Osoyoos municipal election results 2026

Dustin Sikora has been declared elected mayor of Osoyoos in the 2026 municipal election. The official result also confirms the council members listed below.

Summerland municipal election results 2026

Doug Holmes has been declared elected mayor of Summerland in the 2026 municipal election. The official result also confirms the council members listed below.

Penticton municipal election results 2026

Dan Ashton has been declared elected mayor of Penticton in the 2026 municipal election. The official result also confirms the council members listed below.

Spallumcheen municipal election results 2026

Christine Fraser has been declared elected mayor of Spallumcheen in the 2026 municipal election. The official result also confirms the council members listed below.

Lumby municipal election results 2026

Kevin Acton has been declared elected mayor of Lumby in the 2026 municipal election. The official result also confirms the council members listed below.

Enderby municipal election results 2026

Roxanne Davyduke has been declared elected mayor of Enderby in the 2026 municipal election. The official result also confirms the council members listed below.

Armstrong municipal election results 2026

Chris Pieper has been declared elected mayor of Armstrong in the 2026 municipal election. The official result also confirms the council members listed below.

Coldstream municipal election results 2026

Ruth Hoyte has been declared elected mayor of Coldstream in the 2026 municipal election. The official result also confirms the council members listed below.

Vernon municipal election results 2026

Kari Gares has been declared elected mayor of Vernon in the 2026 municipal election. The official result also confirms the council members listed below.

Peachland municipal election results 2026

Gail Mansell has been declared elected mayor of Peachland in the 2026 municipal election. The official result also confirms the council members listed below.

Lake Country municipal election results 2026

MaryEllen Buhler has been declared elected mayor of Lake Country in the 2026 municipal election. The official result also confirms the council members listed below.

Kelowna municipal election results 2026

Tom Dyas has been declared elected mayor of Kelowna in the 2026 municipal election. The official result also confirms the council members listed below.

What Soundproofing a Wall or Ceiling Costs in a Kelowna Home

Insulation alone does not stop sound. What actually reduces noise between a Kelowna suite and the house above it, between a bedroom and a media room, or through a party wall, what each measure costs relative to the others, and which ones are worth doing.

What Front Door Replacement Costs in Kelowna (2026)

Slab versus full frame, fibreglass versus steel versus wood, sidelites and transoms, and the installation details that decide whether a new Kelowna front door seals properly. What drives the price and what a complete quote should contain.

What an Electrical Service Upgrade Costs in Vernon (2026)

Why Vernon homes end up needing a bigger electrical service, what separates a panel swap from a true service upgrade, where the money goes between the utility connection and the final inspection, and how to tell which one you actually need.

What Hot Tub Wiring Costs in Kelowna (2026): Permit, Disconnect and GFCI

A hot tub needs a dedicated circuit, a GFCI protected disconnect within sight of the tub, and an inspected permit. What each part of the install costs, what makes one Kelowna backyard far more expensive than another, and what to have ready before the electrician arrives.

What Custom Mirrors and Wall Glass Cost in Kelowna (2026)

Bathroom mirrors, gym walls, glass backsplashes and office partitions priced properly: thickness, edgework, cutouts, safety glass requirements, mounting method and installation access, and why a big mirror costs more than four times a small one.

What Retractable Screen Doors Cost in Kelowna (2026)

Retractable screens roll away when you are not using them, which solves the problem of a screen door on a front entry or a French door. What drives the price, where they work and where they do not, and what separates a good installation from a rattling one.

What Stone Coating Costs on Steps, Stairs and Landings in West Kelowna

Stairs and front steps are the most labour intensive surface a resurfacing crew will quote, and the one where slip resistance matters most. Why steps price differently from flat slabs, what the nosing detail involves, and what to check before you resurface a failing set.

What Retractable Awnings Cost in Kelowna (2026)

Width, projection, manual or motorised, cassette or open frame, and what the mounting surface does to the price. How to size an awning for an Okanagan afternoon, what wind sensors actually do, and the questions that make two awning quotes comparable.

What Overnight and Live In Care Costs in Kelowna (2026)

The difference between an awake overnight shift, a sleeping night and live in care, how each is billed, when overnight coverage becomes cheaper than the alternative, and the questions that decide which arrangement a Kelowna family actually needs.

What It Costs to Finish a Basement in Vernon (2026)

Realistic 2026 costs to finish a basement in Vernon and the North Okanagan, what a legal suite adds, the ceiling height and egress window rules that decide feasibility, and where basement budgets usually get blown.

How to Choose a Home Renovation Contractor in Vernon (2026)

A Vernon homeowner's guide to hiring a renovation contractor in 2026, covering licensing and WorkSafeBC checks, deposit and payment structure, permits for suites and structural work, and the questions that predict how a project will go.

EV Charger Installation in the Okanagan: A 2026 Decision Guide for Homeowners

You bought an EV. Now you need a 240V Level 2 charger at home — and a code-compliant install matters more than most homeowners realize. Here's what an Okanagan EV charger install actually costs, what your panel needs to handle it, the permit reality, and what to ask your electrician before they start drilling.

Why Cracked Driveways on Okanagan Slopes Fail Faster Than the Rest — and the Resurfacing Approach That Actually Holds Up in Glenrosa, Glenmore, and the Naramata Bench

Sloped Okanagan driveways take more punishment than flat ones — concentrated runoff, freeze-thaw movement along the gradient, snowplow scraping at the same edges every winter. Here's why they crack the way they do, what coating systems survive on a slope, and the decision math for Glenrosa, Glenmore, Dilworth, Naramata Bench, and other sloped Okanagan neighborhoods.

Kai-Den Detail Pro: Kelowna's Specialty Auto Detailing on Enterprise Way

Auto detailing has split into two distinct categories — the $80 wash-and-vacuum services that take an hour, and the multi-day paint correction and ceramic coating work that costs ten times that. Kai-Den Detail Pro operates squarely in the second category. Here's what that actually involves.

Solar Centre: 21 Years of Bringing Daylight Into Kelowna Homes

A perfect 5.0 Google rating, 21 years in business, and a service portfolio that turns dreary interior rooms into sunlit spaces and 35°C summer attics into ventilated breathing rooms. Inside the operation behind one of Kelowna's most quietly consistent home-improvement specialists.

The BC Energy Step Code Explained: What Step 5 Net-Zero Actually Means

B.C. has the most aggressive provincial energy code in Canada. Step 5 is the top tier — net-zero-ready — and it's the standard the most progressive Okanagan builders are quietly delivering as default. Here's what it actually requires, what it costs, and what it means for your utility bills.

Why Highway 97 Is Brutal on Windshields: An Okanagan Glass Guide

Gravel trucks, summer heat, winter freeze-thaw, and 100+ km/h speeds make Highway 97 one of the more punishing roads in B.C. for windshields. Here's why Okanagan drivers see more rock chips than the provincial average — and what to do about it.

How Autofocus Glass Built 453 Five-Star Reviews in Kelowna

453 verified five-star reviews. ICBC Glass Express certified. Mobile dispatch, pickup/dropoff, and the scope to handle everything from rock chips to RV windshields. The story behind one of the most consistently rated auto glass shops in the Okanagan.

Sierra Stone's AI Stone Visualizer: BC's First Free Tool That Previews 12 Stone Finishes on Your Actual Patio, Pool Deck, or Driveway

Picking a stone coating colour used to mean staring at a four-inch sample card in the contractor's truck and hoping. Sierra Stone built BC's first free AI visualizer that lets Okanagan homeowners upload a photo of their actual surface, paint a mask over the area, pick from 12 stone finishes, and see a photorealistic preview in seconds. Here's how it works, what it does better than $200 design renderings, and why it exists.

Sierra Stone South & Central Okanagan: How Chenoa Crichton Built the Only BC Stone-Coating Crew with an AI Visualizer — and 20-Year Patios People Still Call to Thank Her For

An owner-operator family business in West Kelowna, a 20-year-old Sierra Stone patio in the same shape it was poured in, six unedited five-star Google reviews that read like personal thank-you cards, and BC's first free AI surface visualizer. The story behind the contractor Okanagan homeowners quietly recommend by first name.

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