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1 month ago | 
mycrestonnow.com | Ryley McCormack
Drought levels in the Elk and Creston Valley are at level three out of five as the B.C. government opens up monitoring operations in the region. The B.C. River Forecast Centre says its scale measures local dryness, which ranges from zero (normal or wetter than normal conditions) to five (extreme, severe drought). Conditions may change in the weeks ahead as drought levels depend on several factors, including snowpack melt, precipitation and streamflow levels.
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1 month ago | 
mycrestonnow.com | Ryley McCormack
May 5, 202 UPDATE:The search for a missing 21-year-old Creston man continued this week with RCMP’s Underwater Recovery Team continuing their search efforts on Kootenay Lake Unfortunately, nothing new has been found to advance the search further. May 2, 2025 UPDATE: The search for a man who went missing on Kootenay Lake Wednesday evening is still underway.
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1 month ago | 
mycrestonnow.com | Ryley McCormack
Creston RCMP are looking for a kayaker who went missing on Kootenay Lake and urge the public to stay away from the search area. Creston RCMP Staff Sergeant Brandon Buliziuk says police were dispatched to an area known as Trashcan Beach on the evening of Wednesday, April 30, to help find a 21-year-old man who went missing when his kayak overturned.
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2 months ago | 
mycrestonnow.com | Ryley McCormack
Forecasters say higher than average precipitation could offset the increased risk of spring wildfires in the Kootenays despite higher temperatures. According to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), the province experienced drier-than-average conditions early in the year, but much of southern B.C. was hit by significantly increased precipitation in March, with 100 to 200 per cent of normal amounts recorded.
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2 months ago | 
mygrandforksnow.com | Ryley McCormack
With the federal election approaching, get to know your local Similkameen-South Okanagan-West Kootenay Green Party candidate: Philip Mansfield. Mansfield is a first-generation Canadian with experience supporting the Green Party and environmental causes. “His study of complex dynamical systems led him to appreciate the urgent need to mitigate our environmental impact and restore a healthy ecosystem capable of sustaining human life,” said the Green Party of Canada.
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2 months ago | 
mynelsonnow.com | Ryley McCormack
With the federal election approaching, get to know your local Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee Green Party candidate: Blair Visscher. Who is Blair Visscher? Visscher says she has worked as a teacher with a passion for sustainable environments and economies. “I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in Sustainability at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, and I work with the Living with Wildfires in the Okanagan research group,” said Visscher.
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2 months ago | 
mynelsonnow.com | Ryley McCormack
With the federal election approaching, get to know your local Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee NDP candidate: Leah Main. Who is Leah Main? Main says she immigrated to Canada from the United States in 1967 and has since been deeply involved in local politics. “For the last 15 years, I have made my home in the Slocan Valley, in the Village of Silverton, where I have served in the local government since 2009,” said Main.
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2 months ago | 
mynelsonnow.com | Ryley McCormack
The Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) is giving out over $2.3 million to pay for backup power systems for seniors’ housing developments. CBT officials say the grants target rural communities that are prone to power outages to ensure safety and comfort for residents. “By providing funding for backup power systems, we are directly helping seniors’ housing facilities remain safe and operational during power outages,” said Ulli Mueller, Delivery of Benefits Senior Manager.
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2 months ago | 
mykootenaynow.com | Ryley McCormack
Kootenay Employment Services (KES) says U.S.-imposed tariffs on Canadian imports could hurt the local job market. KES employer liaison Anita Kollar says the shaky international relationship is causing uncertainty for businesses. “Some employers mentioned concerns around pricing and their contracts,” said Kollar.
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2 months ago | 
mycrestonnow.com | Ryley McCormack
Creston RCMP are asking for public assistance to find a man who was reported missing on Monday, March 31, 2025. Police officials say Bryan Stephenson was last seen when he was leaving the Creston Valley Hospital on the day RCMP received the missing person report. Stephenson is a 35-year-old man with brown hair and green eyes, standing 5’8″ (176 centimetres) tall and weighs about 200 pounds (90 kilograms). He was last seen wearing a black shirt and pants, a black baseball cap and white shoes.
