DeHart: East Kelowna market teems with artists and artisans

Shop, eat and be a local by taking a drive to East Kelowna to visit the East Kelowna Community Artisan Market at the historical and quaint 78-year-old East Kelowna Community Hall. The market is wonderful and open every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. from now until November (except June 24) and starting July 1 will be open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Kathy Sawchuk and the board of the hall association have a goal to provide funding for the East Kelowna Hall Association to keep the hall operating. With so many capital expenses, they are creatively finding ways to bring in revenue to sustain these expenses and the launch of the market is one of them. If you prefer quality over quantity and ethical over mass produced, check out the market with over 40 artisans and artists and a revolving roster of over 100 artisans. It’s a happening place with live local music along with booths of food, coffee, gifts, bath products, art, baby items, wood planter containers and lots more.

Some of the artisans are Pilgrim Coffee Roasters, A Sweet Romance (Pastries and baked goods), 2 Ladies Soup in it Up, Create Marbling Co. (Create your own incredible scarves), Kelowna Urban Farm (Organic Chicken), Hemptation (Skin Products), Lock, Love Design (Kimonos), My Chocolate Crush, Neon Wolfe Creations (Pasta), Samosa Lady, Falafel Bites, Jess Olsen Art, Rumour Creek Beef (all cuts of beef), Salt & Sage, Diana Wilkinson Art, Meadow Vista Winery, The View Winery, Dees Flower Truck, Kiln 9 Ceramics and the Parkinson Pleasure Painters. You will find everything from soup to nuts and in July the market will feature fresh fruits and vegetables. The association is looking for new board members to join. If you are interested give Kathy a call at 250-899-3960 or kathy@eastkelownamarket.com or checkout their Facebook and Instagram (East Kelowna Community Market).

Diane Herron, owner/operator of Sweet Dee’s Flowers.

With the help of a little pink truck and a whole lot of flowers, young entrepreneur Diane Herron has launched Sweet Dee‘s Flowers, a new kind of floral business that harkens to the success of food tucks and is a growing trend in major cities. It is part of a wave of new, mobile businesses that give entrepreneurs greater flexibility while also allowing them to cut back on costly overhead expenses and pass those savings onto the customer. Formerly in the boudoir photography business, Lush Studios, in Saskatoon, Diane relocated to Kelowna last year. Her Japanese micro truck was repaired and retrofitted with a canvas canopy and wrapped in an eye-catching pink vinyl. While she travels around Kelowna throughout the week, you can find her at the East Kelowna Community Artisan Market on Sundays at the East Kelowna Hall. Her flowers are fresh and beautiful with an airy and artistic style and her bouquets are reasonably priced at $10, $20 $30, but customers are also welcome to assemble their own bouquets using a variety of loose flowers and greenery. Sweet Dee‘s Flowers also offers a subscription service. Call 250-718-2127 or hello@sweetdeesflowers.com

Blaine Gaffney

For nearly three decades, award winning senior investigative reporter, Blaine Gaffney has been a fixture on Global Okanagan News (CHBC-TV). Over the years he has covered everything from floods and fires to protests and court cases. Now retired, you will see him on the Okanagan’s mountain lakes and rivers doing what he loves which is fly fishing.

Speaking of Global Okanagan, the television company was awarded the prestigious BC Association of Broadcasters Television Community Service Award. Also, kudos to Global BC’s Video Journalist Neetu Garcha who won the Broadcaster of the Future Award. Neetu was born and raised in the Okanagan and started her career at Global Okanagan.

Well-known Kelowna mortgage broker, Linda DaCosta of Casa Noble Real Estate Financing Corp. has relocated her office from 2997 Pandosy Street after 11 years. You can contact Linda at 250-979-7400 or at LDaCosta@telus.net.

Terry Armstrong

Former well-known publisher with the Kelowna Daily Courier, Terry Armstrong is the new director of sales and operations – Kelowna for Prospera Place (GSL Holdings). In his role, Terry will be responsible for maintaining and developing strong relations within the community, the sales process for Prospera Place and entities throughout GSL Holdings and to provide leadership to the teams at Prospera Place and Capital News Centre. Terry’s career spanned 28 years with the Kelowna Daily Courier, including the previous nine years as the Group Publisher, Vice President. He will begin with GSL on June 1.

Congratulations to Darlene McGinnis and Gerhard Koester on receiving the The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 26 prestigious Legionnaire of the Year Award for 2017. Darlene has been a member of the Ladies Auxiliary since 2004 and in an executive role for two years. She joined the Legion in 2012 and has been an exemplary member for many years. Gerhard joined the Legion in Quebec in 1994 and transferred to the Kelowna branch in 2009. Gerhard helps anywhere where help is needed, whether in the kitchen, construction, repairs, laying floors or the fine art of clean-up. To join call 250-762-4117 or just drop into at 1380 Bertram Street.

Eight hundred and thirty-three B.C. Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) students attended the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC) convocation ceremony, welcoming the newest Chartered Professional Accountants to the profession. The ceremony also recognized 14 B.C. students who made the National Honour Roll for their outstanding results on the Common Final Examination (CFE). Congratulations to Jennifer Wells of Kelowna who was one of the 14 National Honour Roll students.

Winfield Hospital Auxiliary

After 62 years of service, the Winfield Hospital Auxiliary has ceased operations of the historic organization after six decades of community service. The organization was officially established in April, 1956 when ten ladies decided to create a Winfield subsidiary of the KGH Auxiliary. In the first part of that year, they raised $132.52 to purchase a health scale and gifted it to KGH. In 1962 they became a full-fledged Junior Hospital Auxiliary. In 1996 the Winfield Auxiliary became part of the KGH Foundation and have played a vital role in supporting KGH, Cottonwoods and Strathcona Manor through holding many events in their community.

If you would like to meet people, you might want to engage in Dine & Chat, which is for both ladies and men 55 plus years of age. Started and operated by Gloria Jean Seymour, this is not a dating connection and there is no membership fees. It is an opportunity to meet new friends and enjoy an occasional fun social evening. Call 250-763-6495 for more details.

Dr. Dale Forsythe is hosting a free digestion workshop on Tuesday, May 29 at 5:30 p.m. at 202-125 Hwy 33 E. Limited seating. To reserve call 250-765-1466.

The 58th Peachland Art Show and Sale is May 26 and 27 at the Peachland Community Centre on Beach Avenue and 6th Street. Over 40 artists will display more than 400 paintings and artists greeting cards will be for sale. Admission by donation.

The Chabad Okanagan Society is hosting a fundraiser event on May 30 with two well-known B.C. musicians, clarinetist Connie Gitlin and guitarist Adam Dobres who will be preforming a selection of Klezmer music. Klezmer music originated in the Jewish villages of Eastern Europe and refers to the musical genre that is typical of Jewish roots. The concert will be held at Okanagan College, Room S-104 at 7:30 p.m.Tickets $20 at www.jewishokanagan.com or at the door. Everyone is welcome.

Birthdays of the week – Happy 80th Dick Prowse (May 28); Happy 65th Chris Cowan (May 4); Happy 55th Carmen Sparg (May 28); Francis Braam (May 23); Alan Tozer (May 23); Vincent Jones (May 24); Dave (Teapot) Dunscombe (May 25); Gwen Holland (May 28); Brenda Molloy (May 24); Edward Burran (May 25); Ron Mattiussi (May 25); Don Shafer (May 25); Sarah Campbell (May 26); MP Stephen Fuhr (May 27); Sandy Zimmermann (May 26); Ian Williamson (May 26); Colleen Macdonnell (May 27); Ria York (May 28); Nan Pellatt (May 29).

Maxine DeHart is a Kelowna City Councillor and local hotelier. Phone her at 250-979-4546 or 250-862-7662; fax 250-860-3173, E-mail maxdehart@telus.net