Four school districts in the region will receive a combined $80,000 in funding for the Youth Work in Trades program to boost trades training for young people.

Students, teachers and staff at Uplands Elementary school in the Okanagan – Skaha school district will benefit from $530,000 in provincial School Enhancement Program funding.          

Under the BC Rural Dividend, the Province is providing $140,000 to the communities of Summerland and Peachland, Penticton MLA Dan Ashton announced.

Families in the Okanagan-Skaha school district will benefit from improved transportation services thanks to $167,035 in funding under the new provincial Student Transportation Fund.

Individuals in Penticton who are at risk of homelessness will soon have access to a new affordable rental housing option with the recent purchase of a 42-unit motel.

Recent wind storms or a viral outbreak are potential causes of the ongoing die-off of Okanagan Lake kokanee. More than 1,000 kokanee have washed up on the shores of the lake since July 14.

Premier Christy Clark and MLA Dan Ashton led the official groundbreaking for the new patient care tower and parkade at Penticton Regional Hospital (PRH) with hospital staff, community members and health-care partners.

The green bond issued to finance Penticton Regional Hospital’s new patient care tower and parkade is one of only two issuances to date for B.C. public-private partnership projects.

Families and individuals with low incomes will soon have access to more affordable housing options when construction is complete on a new apartment-style building in central Penticton.