Straight From DeHart - Oct. 28, 2026

Mathew Morazain has joined Specialty Bakery as Culinary Director, collaborating with owner Brent Browne and bistro manager Tia Bleackley, along with the entire team in both the front and back of the house. Specialty Bakery has a huge loyal following in Kelowna at all their locations. Mathew’s role is to add to that, bringing his 30 years of experience in leading kitchens and culinary programs to help the bakery keep growing. Mathew has been working in both the bakery and the bistro, getting to know the products, the people, and the customers. He is looking for fresh ideas for the bistro, new seasonal offerings starting with Christmas, and new ways for people to enjoy the products they already love. Mathew will be developing new menus, working on standards and operations, promotions, catering, systems helper, quality control, and workflow coordination. He is remodeling the kitchen line in the bistro for better flow and coordination. Mathew has a long line of culinary experience including Executive Sous Chef at Quails Gate Winery, UBC Culinary Director, and MTL Restaurant for six years. Mathew represented UBC Okanagan at the National ACE Culinary Excellence Challenge and won Silver at the 2011 American Culinary Federation Competition. www.specialtybakery.ca

MR MIKES Steakhouse Casual in the Ramada Hotel & Conference Centre, 2170 Harvey Avenue, hosting a Singles Cribbage Tournament every Thursday at 6:00 p.m. Drop-in with a $10.00 entry fee which includes house beer/non-alcoholic beverage upon arrival. Win prizes weekly and a grand prize at the end of the season. Paula Bjornson is the General Manager of MR MIKES Steakhouse Casual.

Kelowna Yoga Hub (KYH) formerly Kelowna Yoga House at #105 – 1751 Harvey Avenue, in their new more accessible location, is celebrating 25 years of serving the Kelowna community through yoga, movement, mindfulness, and connection and has become one of Kelowna’s longest-standing yoga communities. The non-profit Society opened its doors in 2001 at 1272 St. Paul Street, thanks to the generous vision and donation of benefactor Margaret Lunam, who passed in 2016 at the age of 94. The organization has been sustained by dedicated volunteers, teachers, board members, students, and supporters who contribute their time and expertise to create a welcoming space where people can improve their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. They operate with a central belief that Yoga should be accessible to everyone. While their facility is new, KYH remains committed to the same principles that inspired its founding of inclusivity, accessibility, volunteerism, lifelong learning, and community well-being. Through new initiatives, workshops, community events, and collaborative programming, the organization hopes to continue making yoga accessible while creating meaningful opportunities for connection. All are welcome and encouraged to visit the new facility. Ruth Rochlin is KYH’s Board President, Carola Jaspers is the Vice-President and Carole Jacobs is the Studio Manager. www.kelownayogahub.org

Nola Kilmartin, MUP, RPP, MCIP is the new Vice-President, Property & Buildings of PRI Engineering. The company specializes in engineering and environmental services including civil engineering, structural engineering, hydrotechnical engineering, environmental services, forestry and resource analysis, and GIS and remote sensing. Their markets include earth and environment, transportation and infrastructure, renewable energy, energy and resources, and property and buildings. Manish Nayar, P.Eng. is the CEO of the company.

Theatre Programming Director and Gallery Curator, Andrew Stauffer of The Rotary Centre for the Arts (RCA) has been named BC Live Performance Network’s 2026 Presenter of the Year. The provincial award recognizes presenters who demonstrate artistic and managerial excellence, community engagement, inclusion, and professionalism. It honours his work in bringing professional performing arts to Kelowna and building relationships between artists, audiences, and community organizations. Colleen Fitzpatrick is the Executive Director of the RCA.

The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) has a new Board of Directors for 2026/27, welcoming new and returning directors, representing tourism businesses, organization, and communities throughout the region. A three-way tie for the final board position has resulted in an election runoff, currently underway. The final position on the board will be announced October 26th, 2026. Kimo Linders of ERTCU Travel Group has been elected Board Chair after previously serving as Vice-Chair. He is joined by Cassandra Zerebeski of Tourism Kelowna as Vice-Chair and Kelley Mullin (Glazer) of Destination Osoyoos as Secretary Treasurer. Sandra Oldfield of Elysian Projects continues as a board member moving into the role of Past Chair. Directors are Michael J. Ballingall, Big White Ski Resort; Mandi Carroll, Westbank First Nation; Monica Dickinson, Lac le Jeune Resort; Lumin Kite, Trails to the Boundary Society; Aaron Macdonald, Sun Peaks Resort; Jim Moroz, Kamloops Airport; Kevin Pearce, Travel Penticton; Dale Sivucha, Coast Capri Hotel; Steven Tulloch, Bluestar Coachlines and Aggie Weighill, Okanagan College.

Katja Oldendorf is the new manager at Metro Liquor Westside located at 1751 Ross Road. Katja has been in the hospitality, winery, and liquor store industry for over 40 years. Metro Liquor is a private group of specialty liquor stores established in 2003 with locations in Kelowna, West Kelowna, and Tsawwassen. They emphasize to shop local and carry a large selection of local and international wines, beer, and spirits. [email protected]

100 Women who Care Kelowna raised $11,675 for the Kelowna Cancer Rehabilitation Centre at their last charity evening. The evening featured a presentation from three local charitable organizations including Mamas for Mamas, Habitat for Humanity, and the Kelowna Cancer Rehabilitation Centre. The monies donated will help advance its work supporting people affected by cancer through rehabilitation services that focus on improving recovery, function, and quality of life. For more information, to attend an event or nominate a local charity visit www.100womenwhocarekelowna.com

Chez Vincent Thrift Store, operated by St. Vincent de Paul is hosting their grand opening on Friday, October 30th, 2026, at 1829 Harvey Avenue from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There will be a ribbon cutting, draw baskets to be won, sweet treats, and gift bags for the first 20 customers. All proceeds from the thrift store remain local to support their ongoing food hamper delivery program, rent support, and other local needs. The thrift shop is bright and well-appointed with both men and women’s clothing, a good selection of housewares, jewelry, footwear, books, games, puzzles, and one-of-a-kind unique treasures and finds. Chez Vincent accepts donations Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the back of the shop. Open Monday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Birthdays of the week – Happy 65th Deb Diebholz (Oct. 28); Mark Bartyik (Oct. 28); Gary Topham (Oct. 28); Mark Bernath (Oct. 28); Darran Light (Oct. 28); Loyal Wooldridge (Oct. 29); Mark Beaulieu (Oct. 29); Jessica Samuels (Oct. 29); Reagan Krivsky (Oct. 29); Tara Graves (Oct. 29); Parm Sandher (Oct. 30); David Knapp (Oct. 31); Roy Kunicky (Oct. 31); Cathy Vinkle (Oct. 31); Katie Janzen (Oct. 31); Shaun Pierce (Nov. 1); Nathan Flavel (Nov. 1); Mark Whittle (Nov. 1); Greg Pidlaski (Nov. 1); Janet McCartney (Nov. 1); Gabe Cipes (Nov. 1); George Colpron (Nov. 2); Don Urquhart (Nov. 2); Doreen Gray (Nov. 3).

The Specialty Bakery Birthday Cake Winner of the Week is Shaun Pierce. Shaun, please pick up your Birthday Cake from any one of the four Specialty Bakery locations before Wednesday, November 4/2026.

Maxine DeHart is a local hotelier. Phone her at 250-979-4546 or 250-862-7662 (cell). E-mail [email protected] or Maxine.dehart@ramadakelowna.com