The new Mega HomeSense store at 1575 Banks Rd. in Kelowna  is now open and it is truly incredible.

The store floorspace grew by 23 per cent, from 21,200 square-feet to 26,100. The expansion includes even more of the never-ending assortment of quality home décor and accessories for less than we would expect to pay. HomeSense is focused on growing the footprint of their gourmet food selection and growth and selection in furniture, food, housewares, cookware, entertaining, bedding, sheets and pillows. Now, with the expansion, customers will have a broader selection of products to choose from. The  expansive interior has been beautifully refreshed with a new look, features digital screens that display inspiration, has elevated lighting to enhance the products and attractive displays to feature the items that you are looking for. The exterior of the store is being updated with new images and a huge new sign. The Kelowna HomeSense store has 90 associates to serve their customers and is continuing to grow This is the 15th mega HomeSense store across Canada. HomeSense is a Canadian chain owned by TJX Companies and originated in Canada in 2001. Chris Holtom is the localstore manager and Maureen Merenick is the assistant store manager. Leslie Berg is the district manager of HomeSense.

More grand prize winners have now come forward in the Maxine DeHart 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ United Way Ramada Hotel Drive-Thru Breakfast. Congratulations to Marie Shandella (Haven Sleep Co.), sponsored by Scott Amis of Haven Sleep Co.; and Pamela Pearson (Penticton Lakeside Resort Accommodation), sponsored by Penticton Lakeside Resort. 

Ukrainian Food Store, Ready to Cook has opened a second location in Orchard Park Shopping Centre near the mall Apple Entrance. Owned and operated by chef Tetiana Kopets, the food store offers flash frozen Ukrainian dishes that are all made-in-house with fresh local ingredients by more than 50 employees, all from Ukraine and all versed in Ukrainian cooking. As you enter  the food store, you can see all the food being prepared through large windows and it is quite the show. The food is then flash frozen for the upmost freshness. Some of the items that you can purchase are many varieties of perogies, Ukrainian meat balls, meat patties, dumplings, pies (quiche), crepes, cabbage rolls, borsch, apple doughnuts, red snapper fish patties, home-made sausage, chicken dumplings, sauerkraut buns, and cottage cheese pancakes. All the food products come with easy cooking instructions. Tetiana sent me home with several meals and they are all absolutely delicious and so easy to prepare. You can also order on-line at  

I was truly honoured to have received an Honorary Life-Time Membership to the  Kiwanis Central Okanagan Association in a ceremony this past week. Thomas Cockrell is the Kiwanis president, Clarence Johnson the vice-president and Wendy Falkowski the membership chair of the organization. Mayor Tom Dyas is also a member of this club. The club91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s draw for the 2-VIP Taylor Swift Tickets was done by Miss Kelowna Lady of the Lake Anaya Settler, who pushed the online button to pick the winner.  Congratulations to Linda Stirling of Kelowna. Linda is taking her daughter to the concert.  Over $58,000 was raised with the net proceeds going to help children and youth in the Central Okanagan. 

Both certified electricians by trade, Dalton Callies and Mat Leighton have started Maven Electrical Inc.  Launched in July 2023, Maven Electrical services the entire Interior B.C. region. At this time, they are presently working on some major projects including Stober Group91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s Central Green and Mission Group91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s Bertram Jr. Tower in downtown Kelowna. Both Dalton and Mat have a history with large scale projects as they have worked for well-known Kelowna based company Krueger Electric for five and four years respectively. This, they say, laid the ground work for the connections they have built today to start Maven Electrical. Before Maven they worked on complex commercial and industrial builds in Edmonton including the Stantic Tower, Norquest College, Edson Hospital and Edmonton International Airport. Maven Electrical work on all types of projects, including commercial, multi residential, light industrial, design build, and alternative energy.  Both Dalton and Mat share their positions as project managers and estimators.  

Shelley Adams, co-author of Whitewater Cooks - The Food We Love is coming to Kelowna. This is the seventh book for Shelley  in her bestselling series. In this collection of all-new recipes, Shelley, from Nelson, has collaborated with her son Conner Adams who lives in Venice Beach, Cal., to create and develop recipes that have Shelley91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s Kootenay mountain-style tradition meeting Conner91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s healthy California cuisine. Think Wild Mushroom and Gruyere Tarte, Sweet Potato Thai Green Curry and the Best Key Lime Pie ever. Why are the Whitewater Cookbooks so popular? The recipes, in the main, are simple to make, delicious and pretty much fool proof; ingredients are often in the average pantry or easy to locate; the recipe selection is innovative and different from many of those found in other cookbooks; the recipes use fresh ingredients and span a wide selection; the cookbook boasts stunning photographic presentation of completed recipes that makes you want to make them; Shelley91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s comments are appealing and personal and the photographs suggest elegant and casual dining. Join Shelley on Sunday Nov. 17, at Lakehouse Home Store, 1264 Ellis St. in Kelowna, for her book launch event. Get tickets online at  .           

Have you heard of type 2 diabetes remission? It is defined as having non-diabetes glucose levels while eliminating all diabetes medications. Dr. Jonathan Little and Dr. Barbara Oliveira, both from the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at UBC-Okanagan are conducting an implementation study testing low-calorie and low-carb diet programs for the remission of type 2 diabetes. The study lasts one year and involves following diet advice from a health coach and/or a registered dietitian with support from a pharmacist, answering online questionnaires, providing your weight, height, waist circumference and blood pressure, going to a local laboratory for blood draws and wearing a flash glucose monitoring sensor. To see if you are a candidate or for more information, contact Jake Winkler at jake.winkler@ubc.ca or fill out the recruitment survey online at  

Business leader  Reeve Bunn has launched his EOS Implementer practice in the Okanagan. Having used the Entrepreneurial Operating System in their company for nine years, Reeve saw how EOS helped achieve sustainable growth.  EOS is a comprehensive system that has helped over 100,000 businesses worldwide strengthen their leadership teams, achieve a shared vision, gain consistent traction and foster a healthy team culture. To learn more about EOS and to see if it91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s a good fit for your business, contact Reeve for a complimentary appointment at . 

The S.H.A.R.E. Society has added Tascheleia Marangoni (Tosca) to their staff team as the new director of business development. Her role will be to develop and direct a new social enterprise for the organization. Tascheleia is also the executive director for the Central Okanagan Performing Arts Festival. Both roles are part-time with these non-profit organizations.

Speaking of  S.H.A.R.E., the society is looking for sponsors for their 39th Adopt a Family Hamper Program. The program pairs sponsors with families in need to provide them with food and gifts over the holiday season. All monetary donations are used to purchase gift cards for those who were not able to be paired with a sponsor. If you can help, contact Heather Makortoff, director of programming, at info@kelownasharesociety.ca or 250-763-8117.

Events Around Town91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ¦.

Best Little Christmas Bazaar Ever supporting the rebuild of Camp OAC, which burnt to the ground two summers ago in the 2023 McDougall Wildfire is Saturday, Nov. 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at St. Michael and All Angels Cathedral, 608 Sutherland Ave. There will be crafts, home baking, canning, jams, pickles, vintage items, a silent auction, coffee and tea and treats. Bring your own shopping bag and cash if possible.

Hands in Service will host its  15th annual Touch of Christmas Craft Fair on Saturday, Nov. 23,  rom 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Trinity Church. They will be over 100 booths, free photos with Santa, colouring contest for children and an on-location café. Admission free for 12 and under, $5 for everyone else.

Join the  Okanagan Recorder Orchestra for A Musical Mosaic in St. Michael91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s Cathedral on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2 p.m. There will be a delightful program of music to share with you, ranging from Baroque to contemporary pieces. Admission is by donation.

Birthdays of the week 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ Mark Filatow (Nov. 13); Susen Brown (Nov. 13); Alli McNeil (Nov. 14); Samuel Alicalas (Nov. 17); Ron Wittenberg (Nov. 15); Rob Munro (Nov. 15); Nancy MacKellar (Nov. 15); Nick Imthorn (Nov. 15); Dale Beaudry (Nov. 16); Stacey Hadden (Nov. 17); Samuel Galvez (Nov. 17); Albert Krasniqi (Nov. 18); Sharron Simpson (Nov. 18); Gulshan Brar (Nov. 18); Carl Stef (Nov. 19); Steve Sweeney (Nov. 19); Jay Christensen (Nov. 19); Keith Funk (Nov. 19); Cari Jahns (Nov. 19).

The Specialty Bakery Birthday Cake Winner of the Week is Jay Christensen. Jay, please pick up your birthday cake from any Specialty Bakery by Tuesday, Nov. 19.

Maxine DeHart is a Kelowna city councillor and local hotelier. Phone her at 250-979-4546 or 250-862-7662, email max@maxinedehart.ca.