Shannon Ainslie

Kamloops

Writer and News Reporter at iNFOnews

Featured in: Favicon

infotel.ca Favicon

theguardian.com Favicon

kamloopsthisweek.com Favicon

ourcommunitynow.com

Articles

A brief history of the tugboats that worked on Okanagan Lake

6 days ago | infotel.ca | Shannon Ainslie

At one time Okanagan Lake was a bustling transportation route with boats and ferries of all shapes and sizes moving passengers and freight up and down the lake. One type of boat that worked on the water were the sturdy little tugboats that pushed log booms, towed scows filled with freight and even pulled barges carrying railway cars. The tugs operated day and night, and the crews lived aboard.
iN PHOTOS: Adorable dogs lap up springtime in Kamloops, Okanagan

6 days ago | infotel.ca | Shannon Ainslie

Four-legged friends in Kamloops and the Okanagan have been out enjoying the great outdoors this spring and looking adorable doing it. In this spring photo collection, dogs are pictured splashing in rivers, exploring trails and blissed out soaking in the sunshine. If you have an adorable photo of your dog to share, send it to [email protected]. To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Ainslie or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor.
iN VIDEO: Heartwarming recovery, release of orphaned ducklings in Summerland

1 week ago | infotel.ca | Shannon Ainslie

It's a tough time of year for ducklings. Not only do they face natural predators, the cars and trucks on our roads and highways are lethal for the small bundles of feathers. Numerous mother mallard ducks have been killed by cars in the South Okanagan this spring, according to the Interior Wildlife Rehabilitation Society, and broods of ducklings were taken into the organization's care.
iN VIDEO: Noisy nutcrackers break silence in Penticton backyard oasis

1 week ago | infotel.ca | Shannon Ainslie

Penticton couple Jacqueline and Randy McDonald identify and document the numerous species of birds that stop at their backyard oasis throughout the year, and it is a long list. The couple lives on a busy main street but the maple trees, shrubs and wild plants in their yard, along with three bird bathes, create a protective paradise for birds.
iN PHOTOS: Six stunning waterfalls to see in Kamloops, Okanagan

1 week ago | infotel.ca | Shannon Ainslie

Rivers are starting to reach their peak of depth and flow in Kamloops and the Okanagan and it’s creating some stunning waterfalls. Kelowna outdoor enthusiast Josh Hill runs a club called Hike The Okanagan whose members have been chasing a few falls in recent weeks. “The waterfalls are really full now and there are some really pretty ones,” he said.
iN VIDEO: Steam train whistles, huffs and puffs on trestle bridge in Summerland

1 week ago | infotel.ca | Shannon Ainslie

Earlier this week, Summerland resident Char-lynn Bubar captured a video of the iconic Kettle Valley steam train after it paused on the Trout Creek trestle bridge before sounding its haunting whistle and chug-chug-chugging forward with puffs of steam billowing out. Bubar was at the Summerland Ornamental Gardens which offers a great view of the heritage train. “Everyone on the train waves and all the locals wave back, it’s a really fun thing,” she said.
Former Kamloops woman, domestic assault survivor fights back for others with comfort kits

1 week ago | infotel.ca | Shannon Ainslie

Twenty years ago, former Kamloops resident Sarah Sherman barely escaped with her life at the violent hands of her former husband Jeff Bethell in her Nanaimo home. It was the final assault after several years of marriage fraught with Bethell’s increasingly violent outbursts and attempts to control her. “It was slow and insidious, the grooming and violence didn’t happen right away or all the time,” Sherman said.
iN PHOTOS: Wildlife abounds at peaceful, must-see nature park in Vernon

1 week ago | infotel.ca | Shannon Ainslie

The sparkling water of Swan Lake in Vernon is easy to see for drivers along Highway 97 or those travelling the winding Old Kamloops Road, and there are many great reasons to stop at the nature reserve on the southwest end of it. The Swan Lake Nature Reserve is a 50.5 hectare regional park of pristine marshlands and grasslands where visitors can wander a flat 1.8 kilometre trail or climb to the top of a three story observation tower with binoculars or cameras.
A look back at the glory days of celery production in the Okanagan

1 week ago | infotel.ca | Shannon Ainslie

Celery isn’t grown commercially locally these days, but once upon a time there were acres of it growing in the Okanagan. Kelowna resident Domenic Rampone’s family immigrated from northern Italy to Kelowna in 1893 where they grew acres of celery for decades. “The Rampone’s were growing celery in large volumes here, especially in the 1920s,” he said. “The climate in northern Italy is almost identical to the one in Kelowna, we can grow all the same stuff.
iN VIDEO: Pure white starling spotted in South Okanagan flock

1 week ago | infotel.ca | Shannon Ainslie

Keremeos resident Trish Broderick was driving to work recently when she saw something she hadn’t seen before, a pure white starling hopping around with its flock on the roadside. “I noticed it right away and pulled over, it was beautiful,” she said.