Chocolats Favoris, the Quebec-born chocolatier will open its newest location in Kelowna on Saturday, April 4th, 2026, at 3349 Watt Road, next to Boyce-Gyro Beach, In the Movala development. Owned and operated by franchisees and delightful couple, Jézabel Pouliot and Jay Hedley, this marks the brand’s continued expansion in Western Canada and its fourth location in B.C. The Kelowna shop will feature Chocolats Favoris’ signature real chocolate dipping station, where soft serve is lavishly dipped into one of 12 decadent flavors, including Salted Caramel, Dulce de Leche, Cookies and Cream, and Cotton Candy. Customers can also enjoy the brand’s iconic Kooky Cones, rotating surprise dips, take-home fondue tins, and a wide assortment of premium chocolate bars. Chocolats Favoris Kelowna is set to become the ultimate after-beach, after-winery, and after adventure destination. This new chocolate and ice cream shop offers a warm, indulgent stop to savour the moment. With a spacious patio, Chocolats Favoris is the perfect place to enjoy time with family or friends, ending the day on a sweet note. I went home with the Favoris Mini Fondues in Original Dark and Salted Caramel. Both were incredibly divine. www.chocolatsfavoris.com
IKEA has finally come to Kelowna. IKEA is opening a new Plan and Order Point in our city at Unit 103 – 1500 Banks Road (Central Park Power Centre) opening on Wednesday, April 8th after 10:00 a.m. Plan and Order Points offer customers one-on-one planning services with IKEA experts to design and purchase home furnishing solutions for any room in the home, such as kitchen renovations or bedroom storage solutions. Once orders have been placed, they can be delivered to homes or collected from the pick-up location at the Plan and Order Point. For those looking to instantly refresh their spaces, customers will be able to ship a limited range of IKEA products (excluding food) for immediate purchase and takeaway. With a surface of 1,269 m2, the Kelowna store will offer nine-bedroom, four-bathroom, and two-living room inspirations. There will be a team of twenty IKEA experts to provide advice and help. IKEA is committed to offering affordable and sustainable products to better meet the needs and dreams of their customers, no matter how they choose to shop with them.
There is a new tabletop gaming and hobby store in Kelowna. Tabletop Depot, founded by two best friends, Patrick Dumont and Kieron Duckworth hosted their grand opening in March at Unit 140 – 1715 Dickson Avenue. Tabletop Depot has become a gathering place for players of games including Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, and miniature tabletop games such as Warhammer. The store also offers hobby space for painting miniatures, learning new games, and connecting with other tabletop enthusiasts. Patrick and Kieron’s goal is to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for both newcomers and longtime players. Community patrons, hobbyists, families, and friends are all encouraged to drop into Tabletop Depot and check it out.
After six years in the Landmark District, Mid-Town Station will be closing their doors. Owned and operated by well-known restauranteurs, Dave and Rhonda Lindsay, Mid-Town was a place for quick lunches, after-work drinks, and everyday connection in the heart of Landmark, along with a huge number of events, fundraisers, and community moments. You will continue to see them at their Train Station Pub, including the Station’s 100-year legacy in Kelowna. From now until May 8 (Rhonda’s birthday), they are celebrating the only way they know how: All Day Happy Hour – Every Day, along with a few fun features and pop-ups along the way. May 8th will be the Mid-Town send-off party, and they would love you to join them.
Art for Impact is Kelowna’s largest art auction event, featuring artists from across the Okanagan and throughout Canada at the KF Centre of Excellence on April 18th, 2026. The event, in support of Kelowna’s Gospel Mission, will feature both live and silent auctions, amazing culinary creations by Chef Jeremy Luypen and his team, close-up performances by Kelowna’s own Ryan Michael Magic, and live music. With the help of Hambleton Galleries and Gallery 421, this year’s auction will feature artists including Rod Charlesworth, Robert Wood, Debera Martins, Shannon Cross, Angela Morgan, Jordan Perkins, Alex Fong and more than twenty more artists. The silent auctions feature more than forty works, including pottery, carvings, and paintings, offering one-of-a-kind pieces. The presenting sponsor is Troika. Spencer Larsen is the Resource Development Specialist of the Gospel Mission. Tickets at trellis.org/2026-art-for-impact
Ryan Malcolm is the new CEO of the West Kelowna Economic Development Corp. He brings over 24 years of leadership experience in economic development real estate, and community engagement across Indigenous, municipal, and private-sector environments. Ryan has served as CEO of Ntityix, the economic development arm of the Westbank First Nation, and most recently was Director of Development for Emil Anderson Properties. He then moved into the role of Director of Business Development and Indigenous Relationships with Emil Anderson Group. Ryan holds a BA and Urban Studies Certificate from SFU and a Diploma in Marketing Management (Commercial Real Estate) from BCIT. He is currently serving as the Vice-Chair on the Advisory Committee for the Central Okanagan Development Corp. ryan.malcolm@wkedc.ca
O-Lake Café & Bistro at 375 Lawrence Avenue in downtown Kelowna is celebrating their 3rd Anniversary in business. Over the past three years, O-Lake has grown into more than just a café. It has become a real place for gathering in downtown Kelowna. To celebrate this milestone, they will be creating a giant anniversary cake and sharing it with the community. Join them for an afternoon of sweetness, laughter, and celebration as they thank everyone who ha supported O-Lake along the way on Saturday, April 4th starting at 11:00 a.m. for cake. Owned and operated by Susan Feng and master baker Siqi Zhong, O-Lakes offer breakfast, high tea, specialty coffee, extensive tea choices, slush, iced tea, milk tea, custom cakes, party hosting, bingsu, a large variety of home-made buns and pastries and, of course, all kinds of bubble tea. O-Lakes specialize in incredible custom cakes, including wedding cakes. Their unique baking offers curry beef turnovers, mille crepes, cake sandwiches, coconut paste buns and apple pie, just to name a few. Everything is made in-house and fresh daily. They have also added Shanghai noodles to the menu which are delicious.
The Central Okanagan Foundation (COF) has appointed Simon Adams as its CEO effective April 13th, 2026. Simon brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience in the charitable sector, most recently serving as Vice President, Regional Centre Operations with YMCA BC. His appointment comes at a momentous time for COF as the organization begins implementing its 2025-2028 Impact Strategy, which focuses on strengthening the social sector, deepening relationships across the community, and increasing the foundation’s ability to fuel bold philanthropy and catalytic investment. Abbie Norrish has served as Interim Managing Director during the leadership transition. Dustyn Baulkham is the Board Chair of the COF.
Kiwanis Central Okanagan has a new Board of Directors for 2026/27. They are Clarence Johnson, President; Secretary/Recording, John Przywara; Secretary/Treasurer, Wendy Falkowski; Director/Past President, Tom Cockrell and Karen Germain, Director. Congratulations to Tom Cockrell who received the Kiwanian of the Year Award. Get ready for their paper shredding event on Saturday, May 30th in West Kelowna at Manchester Signs.
Sip & Play with Matthew J (99.9 Sun FM’s “Tech Tuesday”) is April 8th from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. and hosts a hands-on A.I. event at the Kelowna Golf and Country Club, open to both members and non-members. Learn practical A.I. in a relaxed setting. Limited seating, so advanced registration required. I am attending this event and will be happy to get the basics of A.I. A.I. is here, whether we like it or not, but it’s good to know about how to use it and what it is all about. For more info and tickets visit https://matthewjensen.ca/sip-and-play-with-matthew-j/.
The Okanagan Symphony Orchestra will present its season finale on Friday, May 8th, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 9th at 2:00 p.m. (matinee) at the Kelowna Community Theatre, conducted by Music Director Julian Pellicano. The program brings together two powerful works: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, one of the most recognizable and compelling works in the orchestral repertoire, performed by the OSO for the first time in over a decade, and Ola Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass, performed with the Okanagan Symphony Chorus, a deeply expressive work known for its soaring melodies and rich choral textures. The season finale marks the culmination of Julian Pellicano’s first season as Music Director and promises to be a dramatic and uplifting musical experience. Tickets are available through the Kelowna Community Box Office or online via the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra website. Visit www.okanagansymphony.com/25-26-season/beethovens-fifth/
The Rotary Club of Kelowna Sunrise will celebrate 40 years of service to the Kelowna community with a special anniversary breakfast event on April 24th, 2026, at the Kelowna Golf & Country Club from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. The milestone marks 40 years of service dedicated to making our community stronger and helping create a better world. They are inviting the community to join their celebration and gather to recognize the efforts they have supported in numerous community initiatives while raising funds for the Rotary International Global PolioPlus campaign to eradicate polio worldwide. Karin Massar is the incoming President. Tickets are $35.00 per person by contacting Paul Mulvihill at paul_mulvihill@telus.net.
The Great Closet Cleanout returns this spring with a refreshing twist: The Men’s Pop-Up Patio on April 19th, 2026, at the Laurel Packing House. Admission is $5.00 at the door with a portion of proceeds benefiting The Bridge Youth and Family Services. This year, organizers are expanding the experience beyond the racks by introducing the inaugural Men’s Pop-Up Patio, a dedicated space running in conjunction with the ladies event designed to include the men fashionista’s we all know. Visit www.greatclosetcleanout.com
The 6th Annual Fishing Derby in support of BC Children’s Hospital Foundation is Saturday, April 18th, 2026, on Okanagan Lake from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Registration is $100.00 per boat. For registration and sponsorship visit www.teambrewedincanada.ca or email Mike Bridge at mike@teambrewedincanada.ca
Birthdays of the week – Happy 60th Pamela Coates (Mar. 31); Karen Hill (Apr. 1); David Craig (Apr. 1); Carson Chan (Apr. 1); Doreen Crompton (Apr. 1); Karmjit Gill (Apr. 1). Cynthia Waldek-Peters (Apr. 2); Cary Mellon (Apr. 6); John McCormack (Apr. 2); Aniko Szabo (Apr. 2); Ken Bessason (Apr. 3); Geri Weninger (Apr. 3); Rick Methot (Apr. 3); Amber Firkins (Apr. 3); Jarrod Stocker (Apr. 3); Trevor Lutes (Apr. 4); Lyal Shoemaker (Apr. 4); John Mummery (Apr. 4); Gary McEwan (Apr. 4); Adam Relvas (Apr. 4); Yvonne Turgeon (Apr. 4); Diane Essler (Apr. 4); Dan Cloutier (Apr. 5); Denise Porter (Apr. 5); Karin Massar (Apr. 5); Rosemary Thomson (Apr. 5); Jo-Dee Hecko (Apr. 6); Tristan Llewellyn (Apr. 6); Finley Cashin (Apr. 7); Kevin Flood (Apr. 7); Kathleen Lemieux (Apr. 7); Carmen Weld (Apr. 7); Kyle Spence (Apr. 7).
The Specialty Bakery Birthday Cake Winner of the Week is Denise Porter. Denise, please pick up your Birthday Cake from any one of the four Specialty Bakery locations by noon on Tuesday, April 7/2025.
Maxine DeHart is a Kelowna City Councillor and local hotelier. Phone her at 250-979-4546 or 250-862-7662. E-mail max@maxinedehart.ca
