Fails at first reading again

After getting one private member’s bill past first reading, an Okanagan MLA has returned to familiar territory, with her latest proposal failing to advance in the legislature and drawing a swift rebuke in the process.

Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream MLA Tara Armstrong on Thursday tabled proposed legislation titled the Defunding Aboriginal Title Claims Affecting Private Property Act, and it was promptly defeated with 38 MLAs voting in favour and 49 opposed at first reading.

“The bill will require the suspension of all non-essential provincial funding to any Indigenous group that has commenced an Aboriginal title claim affecting private property within British Columbia,” Armstrong told the legislature.

She said the proposed legislation would immediately suspend non-essential provincial funding to the Cowichan Tribes, which were granted Aboriginal title over private properties in Richmond last summer, and to the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc which she said is currently pursuing an Aboriginal title claim affecting homes in Kamloops.

Armstrong said the legislation would also prohibit the use of provincial funding to support Aboriginal title claims involving private land.

“This prevents non governmental organizations from supporting these claims using tax dollars they receive from the province,” Armstrong said.

“This bill will only apply to aboriginal title claims that include fee simple lands owned by private businesses and citizens in B.C. so if the province's 200 plus indigenous groups wish to continue receiving funding from B.C.'s generous taxpayers, the solution is simple, leave the private properties of British Columbians alone.”

Most bills are given first reading in the B.C. legislature, as a courtesy, to encourage debate. Armstrong has found herself the exception to that rule on several occasions.

In February, she introduced a bill that would have banned medical gender transitions of minors and “classify the promotion of gender ideology as a form of emotional harm” under the Family Law Act.

In October, a similar bill, was voted down at first reading. It was tabled when she was still a member of OneBC, and would have given parents the right to sue doctors up to 25 years after they provided care for transgender children. A bill tabled by Armstrong last week that would end B.C.'s human right code was also defeated at first reading.

Under the interim leadership of Trevor Halford, the BC Conservatives have decided to stick with tradition and support all bills at first reading regardless of their content. Under John Rustad, the party voted against a handful of bills at first reading.

Rohini Arora, MLA for Burnaby East, rose on a point of order, to address Armstrong's legislation.

“I want to highlight the very harm that comes from even bringing these types of bills forward that the member for Kelowna–Lake Country–Coldstream just did,” she said.

“I would like to bring it on the record that this is stochastic terrorism. It is using your platform to mobilize people who are willing to cause harm, and I think that we should do something about this. I just want to bring this to your attention and I would like a response from you on it.”

Snow levels at historical low

Snow levels in four parts of the Okanagan are at historical lows, making the region susceptible to drought as it enters the spring.

Data released Tuesday by the BC River Forecast Centre shows the McCulloch, Postill Lake, Brenda Mines and Islaht Lake snow monitoring stations are at record lows as of March 1. Records have been kept at each station for 85, 76, 30 and 44 years respectively.

Across the region, the Okanagan is sitting at 62% of normal snowpack, making it the “most susceptible region to upcoming drought” in B.C.

Snowpacks provincially are sitting slightly below normal, averaging at 91% of normal.

The Boundary region (75%), Similkameen (85%), Nicola (65%) and South Thompson (83%) are all sitting below normal while the North Thompson (106%), Upper Columbia (113%), West Kootenay (99%) and East Kootenay (106%) are at or above average.

“February temperatures were generally near to above normal across much of British Columbia, with the warmest anomalies observed in parts of the Interior and southern regions,” said the BC River Forecast Centre report.

“Several stations recorded notably warm conditions, including Vernon, Kelowna, Kamloops, Cranbrook, and Vancouver, which ranked among the warmer Februaries in their historical records.”

The report notes that fresh snowfall occurred in the first week of March and more is expected this month.

The La Nina conditions, which typically bring more snowfall over winter, are expected to fade to neutral some time this spring, the report says.

“Well below normal (40-60%) inflows are forecast for Okanagan Lake, Kalamalka-Wood Lake, Nicola River and Nicola Lake, with low forecasts being driven by low antecedent flow, dry seasonal weather and below normal snowpacks,” the report said.

By early March, approximately 80% of the annual B.C. snowpack typically accumulates.

While much hinges on the weather, areas with higher-than-normal snowpacks are at increased risk of spring flooding. Drought hazards later in the spring and summer are possible for areas lacking snow.

The city of Kelowna has released the priority sectors and occupations being targeted under the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP) in 2026.

This year, Kelowna—located in south-central British Columbia on the east shore of the Okanagan Valley—has added an additional priority sector and eight new in-demand occupations.

To be considered for permanent residence (PR) through the FCIP, foreign nationals must have qualifying French language abilities and possess a job offer from a designated employer.

This article will provide information on Kelowna’s 2026 priority sectors and occupations, as well as recommendation intakes.

Kelowna’s 2026 priority sectors

This year, Kelowna is prioritizing six sectors under the FCIP—all of which are currently listed as “open” by the British Columbia Economic Development Corporation (SDECB), which oversees recommendations and designations:

Overall, these sectors reflect Kelowna’s 2025 priorities, with the sole change this year being the inclusion of the “Business, finance and administration” sector.

Note: For the sales and services sector in particular, the SDECB will issue no more than 10 community recommendation certificates (or “referrals”)—and a maximum of two referrals per National Occupational Classification (NOC) code.

For the trades sector, each occupation is limited to a maximum of three recommendations.

Kelowna’s 2026 priority occupations

Okanagan Valley’s largest city has identified the following 25 occupations—and their associated NOC codes— as being in demand in 2026.

Occupations that have been bolded represent newly prioritized occupations in 2026 (eight total), whereas all others are representative of occupations that were also targeted in 2025.

There are currently 40 employers designated by the SDECB to participate in the FCIP, however, most are not hiring at this time. The full list can be found here.

The city of Kelowna notes that “Fast-food restaurants, convenience stores, gas stations, vape stores, and weed stores are not eligible for the program.”

The minimum wage for the above occupations ranges from $21–$28.

Kelowna’s 2026 FCIP intake periods + recommendation information

Kelowna will have seven intake periods in 2026, with the first intake opening in June.

Each intake will remain open from the 15th to the 30th of each month, during which time designated employers may submit candidate recommendations to the SDECB for review.

Each employer may submit no more than three recommendations for review.

The SDECB notes that at the time of this writing, there is one available recommendation remaining for NOC 60010 (corporate sales managers) and two recommendations remaining for the following occupations:

About the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot

The FCIP is a five-year pilot launched in 2025 alongside the Rural Community Immigration Pilot, designed to promote immigration to francophone-minority communities outside Quebec.

To qualify, individuals must have an offer of employment from an employer designated by the community (e.g., Kelowna: SDECB) and demonstrate a language proficiency at Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) level 5 across all four language abilities.

Once a foreign national has been issued a job offer, the employer recommends them to the community for FCIP participation. Only those with a job offer in a priority sector and occupation can be recommended.

If the recommendation is approved by the designated community, the foreign national may apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for PR.

In addition to job offer and language requirements, French-speaking candidates must also have

Note: Foreign nationals may be eligible for a special two-year work permit, which allows them to start working for their FCIP-designated employer while their PR application is still being processed.

PST exemption for clothing patterns, yarn, natural fibres, synthetic thread, fabric to end Oct. 1

Yarn and other materials used to make or mend clothing will no longer be exempt from provincial sales tax in British Columbia as of Oct. 1, a move that the owner of a Kelowna business says unfairly affects people who are looking for a more mindful approach to fashion.

The B.C. government’s 2026 budget says goods and services that were once deemed essential but are no longer commonly used will be subject to the PST. That includes “clothing patterns, yarn, natural fibres, synthetic thread, and fabric that are commonly used in making or repairing clothing."

The exemption for services related to clothing and footwear will also be eliminated, but basic laundry services will remain exempt.

LISTEN | Province to add yard, thread and fabric to PST:

Cheryl Brown, owner of Kelowna Yarn & Needlecrafts, says applying PST to such materials will negatively her clientele, who take a more DIY approach to making and maintaining clothes.

“They don't want to go to a store and buy a fast-fashion piece for $40,” Brown said of her clientele. “They're OK coming into the store and spending $70 or more to buy the product to make themselves a sweater, or a sweater for someone, that's going to last for years.”

She said the addition of the seven-per-cent tax will affect customers on fixed incomes who have already had to contend with the rising cost of yarn.

“They'll be making choices because the economy is tough right now,” she said.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance said it is expanding the PST base “to help diversify revenue sources so we can prevent cuts to services like health care and education."

The statement went on to say the tax update brings B.C. in line with the application of PST in other provinces.

Knitting has health benefits, says business owner

Brown wrote her Master’s thesis at the University of British Columbia Okanagan on the health impacts of activities such as knitting, saying it can reduce stress and offer cognitive benefits.

She says she has yet to see customers stock up on materials, saying most seem unaware of the change.

She is concerned for her business and others like it, saying they provide a place for social connection.

“We provide community for people. We know our customers by their first name. We know what's going on in their lives," Brown said.

"I find it kind of ironic that right now governments are providing grants ... to build community and to decrease social isolation, which we know impact people's well-being and yet it feels almost like they're punishing people who try to find that community by buying products and being a part of our community.”

As Vancouver prepares to welcome the world for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the BC Lions will kick off their season with Touchdown Kelowna, presented by Okanagan Collage. The Lions’ first two home games of the 2026 regular season will be played at the Apple Bowl with an increased capacity of 17,500 seats.

BC Lions Touchdown Kelowna

“The Lions are truly British Columbia’s team. It’s an exciting time for our franchise to bring two games to Kelowna for our great fans in the Okanagan,” said Duane Vienneau, President of the Lions. “The World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime event for Vancouver. Looking at all options, Touchdown Kelowna is the perfect fit. The Okanagan is home to a very passionate segment of the Lions fanbase, which makes us thrilled for the opportunity to bring two games to the region.”

The Lions host the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday, June 27 and the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, July 4. Both are 4:00 pm kickoffs at the expanded Apple Bowl. Tickets are on sale now and fans are encouraged to act quickly following the success of pre-sale windows. The Lions’ Party Zone tickets for both of the Touchdown Kelowna games sold out in five hours.

BC Lions season ticket holders will continue to get priority access for both Touchdown Kelowna games.

The historic two-game venture also features an exciting festival taking place in the City of Kelowna, details of which will be announced soon. There will also be more news soon about the BC Lions returning to Starlight Stadium in Langford on Vancouver Island for a pre-season game May 23rd.