Peachland POST YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
PEACHLAND PROUD! YOUR LOCAL REALTOR
Chad Rogers REALTOR®
The week of February 13, 2026
ROMANTIC STORY A couple’s story of finding love in the later years of life P.3
FOREST FINDINGS Report released on the status of BC’s forests P.6
Visit our website at peachlandpost.org • Vol. 2 Issue 6
ABOUT TOWN Find out what’s going on and where it’s happening P.11
250-808-8143 chad@chadlist.com
Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.
IT’S OFFICIAL!
Peachland confirmed as
By
CANADA’S KINDEST COMMUNITY
Teresa Harris Triggiano
N
o doubt that by now we have all learned of the remarkable February 4 announcement proclaiming Peachland to be the Kindest Community in Canada. And with this well deserved title, an empowering award of $100,000 for Peachland charities. But how did this delightful turn of events come to be? Here’s how. The contest was created in 2024 by Coca Cola and Coke Canada Bottling (a family owned company) in cooperation with Community Foundations of Canada. According to Coca Cola, the contest was created and designed to “bring together Canadians, spread holiday cheer, and emphasize acts of kindness.” The first winning community, the town of Jarvis, Ontario, was awarded $50,000. The contest was such an enormous success, the prize money was doubled for 2025. Over 800 communities entered the current contest, with over 5,400 submitted stories collected across the country from Colinet, NL to Iqaluit, NU all the way to Chemainus, BC. The top ten finalists were determined by the number of valid entries submitted per capita for each community. A judging panel consisting of representatives from the previous town winner, Jarvis, Coca Cola,
HOW IT ALL CAME ABOUT
Kiana Haner-Wilk photo
Peachland was selected for its heartfelt submissions – both big and small – that stood out above the rest. These included stories of residents’ generosity, as well as nominations highlighting community organizations.
Coke Canada Bottling, the Community Foundations of Canada, and an independent third party then selected a winner through a blind evaluation of each of the finalist community’s submissions. Peachland’s submissions were especially touching with stories ranging from poignant descriptions of the generosity of neighbours opening up their homes to strangers during the wildfire evacuations, to heartwarming accounts of the fine work of our numerous volunteers with the Food bank and Peachland Wellness Center. As Abbie Norrish, the
Interim Managing Director of the Central Okanagan Foundation, says, “Peachland is a community that shows up for each other.” Despite inquiries about the number of stories entered by residents, the total is unknown. But, after a little research, it was discovered that Kim McFadden, a Peachland resident, certainly began the chain of events that increased our odds. In what can only be described as an appropriate example of kindness, Kim was volunteering her time for the Salvation Army’s 2025 Christmas Kettle Campaign,
ringing bells at a donation kettle stationed in front of the Peachland IGA, when she noticed literature and signage about the search for Canada’s “Kindest Community.” After returning home on December 12, 2025, Kim posted a message on the Peachland Good Neighbours Facebook page stating, “Peachland Neighbours -- I think WE LIVE in Canada’s Kindest Community. Do you?” In the post, Kim mentioned that the winning community would receive a $100,000 prize for their community charities. SEE KINDEST PAGE 7