because changing market conditions made the combined building unviable, the district said in an announcement last winter. As well, that project would have required expropriation of land currently occupied by the Peachland Baptist Church, which didn’t want to relinquish the property and never agreed to the price the district offered for the land.
But in an interview Van Minsel said you have to go back as far as 2019 to trace the trajectory of the new firehall, when then-firechief Dennis Craig put forward a vision for a new facility that would also have contained a community policing office, space for BC Ambulance Service and other services and facilities.
In 2022, that proposal went to a referendum in which Peachlanders were asked to green-light the district to borrow $17.5 million to fund it. According to Van Minsel, of the Peachland citizens who voted in the referendum, 75 per cent approved and that was the mandate for council to direct district staff to investigate what a public-private partnership (P3) could look like.
“We’re always trying to find efficiencies, and we thought, okay, we need to go and speak with all those partners that we want in there, and we also need to see that we maybe do it right from the beginning. A P3 would have helped our residents because we would lower our borrowing also and it would give a higher property tax (revenue) coming to our town. And it took a while, because in the meantime, a province started downloading a lot of things on our municipality, as you know, and all municipalities,” said Van Minsel.
When the request for proposals
finally went forward, Van Minsel said market conditions had changed and only three proposals were received. The numbers no longer worked, and staff eventually concluded that a P3 including commercial and residential space was not viable. That left two options: wait until market conditions improved or move to building a stand-alone firehall now and adding features in the future. That led to last spring’s request for proposals for a scaled-down project. Nine viable proposals were received, the best was awarded the contract, and the announcement was made last week, Van Minsel said.
He’s excited to see one of council’s top priorities moving ahead and noted that the $17.5 million cost could be offset by a $7 million grant from the Union of BC Municipalities for the new firehall. The district should find out in a few weeks if that grant is approved, and the funding would mean a more state-of-theart facility and reduced cost for Peachland residents, he said.
“If we get that money, great, so it means that we can instead of a basic firehall, we can add some services here and there in the building that are necessary in the long run. So we can do them now so the building is more complete and we can use some of that money to buy a fire truck because that’s allowed and the rest of the money we will use to lower the borrowing for our residents,” Van Minsel said.
Peachland’s community policing service, currently stationed in the 50 Plus Activity Centre, is the only other group that will be located in the new facility. BC Ambulance Service will remain where they are on 3rd Street, and Central Okanagan Search & Rescue has chosen to locate in Kelowna, said Van Minsel.
The new firehall will be constructed “to meet modern National Fire Protection Association standards, ensuring Peachland firefighters have the tools and facilities they need to serve our community safely and effectively,” the district announcement said. It also noted that the design-build team for the new firehall has completed 30 firehalls or public safety buildings, including the West Kelowna firehall completed last August.
As for the current structure on 3rd Street in downtown Peachland, Van Minsel said it was never designed to function as a firehall and is near the end of its lifespan. It could be part of the Downtown Revitalization Implementation Strategy or it could be used for District of Peachland office space, at least temporarily, he said.
“There’s no fixed idea what we’re going to do with it,” he said.••
The totem pole story: It was originally carved by Oliver Jackson for BC’s Centennial in 1958 and presented to Rutland Park.
Many years later it fell over, having rotted at the base. The original wing shattered so it was laid on the ground behind Rutland Hall. To save it from complete destruction it was given up for restoration.
Peachland agreed to display it in Heritage Park, where it has been enjoyed for many years and the background for many pictures. Its characters are based on images of the West Coast Kwaiiutl.
Photo: District of Peachland Peachland’s new firehall will bring improved tools and facilities.
New wing for old totem
by RICHARD SMITH
COLLECTIVE SUPPORT
Age-friendly communities foster healthier quality of life
The B.C. Seniors Advocate was here and has travelled elsewhere, but his comments took root and led some to think about possibilities. He mentioned age-friendly communities, ones that promote healthy living for all ages and conditions.
The World Health Organization came out Global Age-friendly Cities: A Guide, written after a 2006 conference in Vancouver, B.C. Fast forward to 2026 and the Government of Canada website, Age-Friendly Communities. These help seniors live safely, enjoy good health and stay involved: to age in place in their own communities.
In Peachland, we have organizations that foster the physical and social wellbeing of seniors. Look at the Post Events page in this paper. The Community Rec Centre, notfor profit and service groups have a smorgasbord of options. Volunteers run the majority of these choices. And volunteering is one of the ways to stay healthy. Keep involved, feel you are part of things larger than yourself, contribute.
Yet even those who do so, may find themselves adrift with health concerns, financial worries, food insecurity, isolation. Life happens. One organization that was designed to help in those times is the Peachland Wellness Centre (PWC). They offer social programs but it
NATURAL
is their services that are critical to helping people age in place.
The Transportation Service is central. Call up, get registered, and a friendly driver can be arranged to take you to medical appointments, grocery shopping, and more. Drivers are stringently vetted.
Friendly Callers keep in touch with people feeling isolated. It may be from anything like lifestyle to illness. A phone call, someone keeping in touch, letting you know you’re not alone. And that can lead to helping someone get the social services they need. Sometimes we don’t know what’s available. Sometimes we don’t see that we need a little leg up to get started again.
Need someone to clean house?
Do yard work? The PWC keeps a binder full of businesses and people that have been recommended by others. Trusted workers.
ROAD NAME OF THE WEEK
They can give you a few names, and you make the choice about who to contact. It’s Peachlanders supporting Peachlanders.
Peachland has many assets found in an age-friendly community. Yet there are gaps. If you live at the top of Trepanier, where’s the bus to take you to the Medical Lab and back? Large parts are without regular bus service.
Transportation is just one area. Consider housing, respect and social inclusion, communication and information, community support, elder abuse, digital learning, legal advice, food security.
The Age-friendly BC Communities Grant Program offers
grants to local governments to complete age-friendly assessments, planning and projects. These grants are delivered by BC Healthy Communities Society in partnership with the Ministry of Health. Funding for the grants is provided by the Ministry of Health.
Such a grant to Peachland would open up a world of opportunities.
Judy Wyper is a lifetime member of the Peachland Wellness Centre and is involved with the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance and the South Okanagan Chapter of the Council of Canadians.
This road, which joins Princeton Avenue at each end close to the intersection with Turner Avenue, is named for Charles O. Whinton, who was Peachland’s 14th Reeve, serving in that position in 1948 and 1949, and again from 1960-65 inclusive.
Prior to that, he also served as a councillor in 1946 and 1947. Charles Whinton, who had previously lived in Winnipeg and Vancouver, came to Peachland in 1937. In 1940, he married Peggy Heighway, after whose family Heighway Lane is named. He served as a Flying Officer Air Gunner in World War II, and was a Justice of the Peace for B.C. from
1952 to 1974. Charlie and Peggy Whinton owned and operated an orchard at what was then called “the top” of Princeton Avenue, and both of them were very active in several organizations in Peachland.
Eventually they subdivided their orchard and the road servicing the new lots was named Whinton Crescent. Later, in retirement, the Whintons left Peachland and moved to Ladysmith, Vancouver Island. Charles Whinton is included in a remarkable photograph held in Peachland Museum that features seven Reeves of Peachland who, between them, served for 22 years.
Photo: Contributed
Seniors live safer, healthier lives with community support and involvement.
WONDER
Judy Wyper
HARMONIC VISION
Cuban musicians working to raise profile as pressure for change increases
By Jeff McDonalD
I’m walking with a group of musician friends on San Rafael Street, a popular pedestrian-only street in Havana. We’ve just left the Casa de La Musica, one of Havana’s most popular venues. The group had never played there before, was excited to play the venue and was minutes away from taking the stage when the power in the old Havana area failed and the show was cancelled.
It’s frustrating but not uncommon these days in Cuba that people lose work and wages because of power outages, although Havana is far better off in that respect than smaller Cuban towns, where power outages now last for days.
So we’re a little down tonight but the Los Sones de Oriente (in English, Sounds of the East, reflecting their eastern Cuban roots) soon return to their upbeat vibe. They appeared on live TV yesterday, they’ve got concerts lined up for the coming evenings, and they’ve been invited to perform on Cuba’s most popular music program.
I met these musicians on a trip to Cuba last year. We became friends and I watched them per-
form many times in their home city of Santiago de Cuba. I was blown away by their talent and energy. This year, with the collapse of Cuba’s tourism industry, they can no longer make a living playing bars and venues in Santiago de Cuba, so I’ve sponsored them on a trip to Havana, where they can raise their profile nationally, play some gigs and make a little money.
The Sones de Oriente love to play the traditional music known as son cubana, made popular to a global audience in the 1998 Wim Wenders film Buena Vista Social Club. But they’re professionals who can play any of Cuba’s musical styles, including salsa, bolero, rumba and Latin jazz. They can give also you a good rendition of the Eagle’s Hotel California or a Beatles tune. Hanging around with these guys is to be immersed in beautiful Cuban music all the time. It’s a great privilege and lots of fun.
A few days later, I’m watching the band wow an audience in a restaurant in old Havana and I’m amazed by their talent all over again. I feel the joy they project through their music, but I’m worried for what will happen
to them and their families.
Cuba feels like it’s in a ‘hinge’ moment. The pressure, external and internal, on the regime to change is growing every day. Cubans, like any people, deserve to chart their own course. But I hope for them economic and political reforms to help the country rebuild its infrastructure, health system and education system. A plurality of political parties and free elections. A market economy with government regulation where necessary. A free press and free speech. Freedom of association. A social safety net. Pathways to save money and build wealth. Choice. Opportunity. Stability.
I’m asking for a lot; history provides few examples of authoritarian regimes in Latin America successfully transitioning to social democratic systems. And it’s fantasy to believe that the man-child Donald Trump cares
even a little what happens to the Cuban people. All he wants is his name on the Capitolio building in Havana. Maybe the best that we can hope for is that when change comes, it will not be violent.
But I’m trying not to think about that tonight. My time in Cuba is winding down and my mission to deliver supplies to hospitals and an orphanage is complete, as is trying to help launch this band to another level. I will say goodbye to my dear friends soon. I don’t wish to be here if there is to be a U.S. military incursion, but it’s never easy to leave this country and its smart, helpful, cordial, warm, friendly people. “Cuba has a way of taking care of you even though you’re the one who came to help.” Those words were part of a online post I saw and they ring so true for me. Hasta pronto, mis amigos. Cuidense mucho.
Photo: Jeff McDonald
The Sones de Oriente preparing for an appearance on live afternoon television program Hola Habana on June 3, 2026.
Photo: Jeff McDonald Peachland Post reporter Jeff McDonald (left) and the Sones de Oriente hitting the road to Havana.
CROSSWORD SUDOKU
Fill the grid so that every column, every row & every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9.
Keyword: MEXICO
Across Young horse (4)
Showing mettle (8)
Arranged neatly (7)
(8) Arranged
Sends out in the post (5)
(7) Sends
Japanese poem (5)
Taller and thinner (7)
Inform (6)
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(7)
(5)
ACIREMANITALARI
FPNOELOPANHNOQW
RAGPUEBLAWNCRRL
ELTNEPTNOUDRLYL
NISUSWRTATJAAAV
CKZEEBNLEAVOODI
HCCTDSPLJICURIC
(5,2,3,3)
EJULAATSTICRDLT
Excuse
MRLSRTRSXSELROO
(6)
PSTRADEEZRRJTHR
(12)
IPUBPFMAYEECCLY
(7)
RIRCSDSQTAMLCMQ
EDETABDRANOPASP
(12)
Boneless piece of meat (6)
Coiffure (7)
Inform (6)
Boneless
Friend (Spanish) (5)
Group of lions (5)
(6)
MNRJTFRNUBNSINT
(7)
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(6)
(Spanish) (5)
Coiffure (7) Friend (Spanish) (5)
Capital of Georgia in the
Making ineffective (8)
Address a deity (4)
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OAUYMRASTWYTYXT
(5)
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Keyword:
The setting sun sends out waves of color over the mountains.
Photo: Teresa Harris-Triggiano
POST EVENTS
JUNE 20-26
We invite you to post your group’s meeting times. Registration may be required. Please contact the organization for more details.
SATURDAY
50 PLUS CENTRE 250-767-9133
Carpet Bowling 9:30-noon
Fellowship Party 3 PM
PEACHLAND ART GALLERY
Hours Wed. to Sun. 10 AM-4 PM Exhibit “Dwell”
PEACHLAND LEGION
Tues. to Sun. opens at noon
Smash Burgers Meat Draw
50/50 3 PM
PEACHLAND LIBRARY
Global Justice 10 AM Drop in PEACHLAND MUSEUM & VISITOR CENTRE 250-767-3441
Open Tues. to Sun. 10 AM-4 PM Train exhibit is operating
SUNDAY
FATHERS DAY
PEACHLAND ART GALLERY
Wed.-Sun. 10 AM-4 PM
Exhibit “Dwell” Last day for exhibit
PEACHLAND LEGION
Steak Sandwich
LITTLE SCHOOL HOUSE
English Cream Tea on June 28
Reserve
Jerry Dober Breakfast on June 28 8-11 AM Banquet Room
MONDAY
50 PLUS ACTIVITY CENTRE
50+ Fitness 8-9 AM
We Art Here 12 PM
Bridge 1-3:30 PM
Tae Kwon Do 5:30-7:30 PM
PEACHLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE
Indoor Walking 8-9 AM
Events listings are free to non-profit and community groups. Submit by Friday, 3 PM for publication the following Friday at info@peachlandpost.net
Summer Pickleball All Play
Drop-in 10:30 AM-12:30 PM
Yoga Strength 10:45 AM-noon
Yoga for Your Back Level 2 1-3 PM
Summer Pickleball All Play
Drop-in 1-3 PM
Fitness Blast 6:15-7 PM
Spin, Core & Stretch
6:30-7:30 PM
PEACHLAND LEGION
General Meeting 3 PM
PEACHLAND WELLNESS CENTRE
Adult Day Service 9 AM
Ladies’ Social 1 PM Last day
TUESDAY
50 PLUS ACTIVITY CENTRE
Yoga 8:30-9:30 AM
Carpet Bowling 9:30-noon
AA 12-1 PM
Mahjong 1-4 PM
Passion 4 Art 1-4 PM
Line Dancing 4:30-5:30 PM
Cloggers 6-7 PM
Treasure Hunters 7-9 PM
PEACHLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE
Flow Yoga 9-10 AM
Remedy Yoga 10:30-11:45 AM
Summer Pickleball All Play
Drop-in 10:30 AM-12:30 PM
Fitness Blast 12:30-1:15 PM
Summer Pickleball All Play
Drop-in 1-3 PM
Yoga for your Back 3:45-5:00 PM
Cycle Fusion 5:45-6:45 PM
Kata Flow Tai Chi 6:30-8 PM
Cousins Park
PEACHLAND LEGION
Catch the King 5 PM
Darts 7 PM
PEACHLAND LIBRARY
Summer Reading Program
Pick up registration packages
PEACHLAND WELLNESS CENTRE
Ladies’ Cards 10:30 AM Last day
Men’s Coffee & Crib 1 PM
Last day
Love, Loss, Grieving Group 1:30 PM
Register Meet at United Church Hall
PEACHLAND WHEEL NUTS
Show and Shine at Heritage Park 5-7 PM
WEDNESDAY
50 PLUS ACTIVITY CENTRE
50+ Fitness 9 AM
Chair Yoga 11-noon
Bridge 1-3:30 PM
Zumba Gold 1-2 PM
Tae Kwon Do 5:30-7:30 PM
Last class for summer
PEACHLAND ARTS
Drawing with Terry Moore 1-3 PM $5
PEACHLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE
Indoor Walking 8-9 AM
Summer Pickleball All Play Drop in 10:30 AM-12:30 PM
Summer Pickleball All Play Drop in 1-3 PM
PEACHLAND LEGION
Wings Special Karaoke 3-6 PM Dona-Lea
PEACHLAND MODEL TRAIN
GROUP 6:30 PM Museum
PEACHLAND WELLNESS CENTRE
Tai Chi 10 AM in Heritage Park
THURSDAY
50 PLUS ACTIVITY CENTRE
Zumba 8:30-9:30 AM
Art In Peachland 10 AM-2 PM
Ukelele 1-2:30 PM
PEACHLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE Yoga for your Back 9:15-10:30 AM
Summer Pickleball All Play
Drop In 10:30 AM-12:30 PM
Yoga Strength 11 AM-12:15 PM
Fitness Blast 12:30-1:15 PM
Kata Flow Tai Chi 6:30-8 PM
Cousins Park
PEACHLAND LEGION
Liver & Onions
Meat Draw 50/50 3 PM
PEACHLAND WELLNESS CENTRE
Adult Day Service 9 AM
FRIDAY
50 PLUS ACTIVITY CENTRE
50+ Fitness 9-10 AM
Coffee Beans 10:15-noon
Chair Yoga 11 AM-noon 1-4 PM Canasta
Potluck 5:30-8 PM Paul Smith
PEACHLAND ARTS
Paint with Wally 10 AM-noon Register for space 250-801-0416
Oasis Exhibition Opening & Awards Get free tickets
PEACHLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE
Indoor Walking 8-9 AM
Flow Yoga 9-10 AM
Creative Playtime
9:30 AM-12:15 PM
Myofascial Yoga 10:30-11:45 AM
Summer Pickleball All Play Drop-in 12:30-2:30 PM
PEACHLAND LEGION
Fish & Chips
Quiz Night 6:30 PM
PEACHLAND LIBRARY
Cozy Stitch Group 1 PM Drop in adults
For information on more programs at Peachland Community Centre search on-line at peachland.ca/recguide or phone 250-767-2133.
Make sure YOUR BUSINESS is included in our SPECIAL CANADA DAY FEATURE PAGE!
APPEARING IN OUR JUNE 26TH EDITION
Contact us for more details and pricing. email: sales@peachlandpost.net or call LARRY MERCIER 250-490-5626
