SUMMERLAND REVIEW
HAPPY NEW YEAR SUMMERLAND!
from Colin and the staff at IGA Summerland
THE VOICE OF OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1908 ~ WWW.SUMMERLANDREVIEW.COM
VOLUME 69 • ISSUE NO. 1 • SUMMERLAND, B.C. • THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2016 • $1.15 INCLUDING GST
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WHAT’S INSIDE:
Highway fatality
A Summerland woman died this week after her car slid off Hwy. 97 in icy weather and into Okanagan Lake.
Page 3
Community awards
The Summerland Chamber is asking for nominations for the annual Business and Community Awards.
Page 6
Out on bail
A Summerland man, already on bail for an alleged assault, was granted bail for a second charge.
Page 7
A look at arts
Columnist Douglas Paton takes a look at the community’s arts scene.
Page 9
New Year’s baby
Summerland welcomes the first baby of 2016, born to the Gaytons at home on New Year’s day.
Page 12
Refreshing dip
Mark Brett Black Press
The expressions really say it all on these polar bear dippers, rushing out of the water as fast as they rushed in. About 100 people took part in the Summerland Kinsmen Club’s 31st Annual Polar Bear Dip at Sun-Oka beach on Jan. 1. See more images and the story on Page 2.
Property values on the rise Steve Kidd Black Press If you haven’t received it already, be prepared for a jump in your property assessment this year. Across urban areas of the Thompson Okanagan, B.C. Assessment is reporting increases in the average residential home price of
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zero to 10 per cent. Rural areas are seeing changes in the -5 to +5 per cent range. Summerland is seeing an increase of 4.58 per cent, meaning that an average home, assessed at $435,000 last year will jump to $455,000 on the 2016 assessment role. Neighboring Penticton is seeing a larger increase at 7.93 per cent, but the powerhouse com-
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munity in the Okanagan this year is Salmon Arm, with an increase of 10.23 per cent. Kelowna has a 9.63 per cent increase. Tracy Wall, deputy assessor, said they base their assessments on market values as of July, and the increases are a clear trend for Okanagan communities. “What we found is that not only did the volume of sales increase,
but the value of those sales increased,” said Wall, adding that a couple of communities in the region, Princeton and Sicamous, saw slight drops. “Everywhere else across the board we are seeing values increase, everywhere from zero to 10 per cent, on average, for a single family home,” said Wall. See ASSESSMENT Page 3
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