Straight From DeHart - July 15, 2026

The wait is over. The patio at MR MIKES Steakhouse Casual, (formerly Mickie’s Pub patio) located in the Ramada Hotel & Conference Centre on Harvey Avenue will be open for lunch, dinner and their happiest hours officially on Friday, July 17th at 11:00 a.m. The patio will be open from 11:00 a.m. to close, seven days a week. MR MIKES patio is a place to unwind, feel at home and enjoy great food, great times and great company in a beautiful outdoor atmosphere. The patio menu is the same menu that is offered by MR MIKES, including its famous Mike Burger and many other burger choices. Enjoy start and share items or a steak with all the trimmings. Not a steak lover. MR MIKES extensive menu offers salads, pastas, bowls, fish and chips, tacos and vegetarian options. Join them for the Happiest Hours every day from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. until close, offering the Bites ‘N’ Booze menu. Don’t miss out on their Wing Wednesdays from 4:00 p.m. until close (dine in only). MR MIKES has a large selection of cocktails, beer, wine, coolers and ciders, perfect to enjoy on the lovely patio. No visit is complete without my favorite dessert: the warm sticky toffee pudding, a truly exceptional treat and one of the best you will every enjoy. Reservations are accepted for both in-house dining and the patio. Come join us for a memorable summer experience. Paula Bjornson is the General Manager of MR MIKES. www.mrmikes.ca

Monashee Manufacturing has been a part of the fabric of our city for 91 years, opening in 1935 as a small Kelowna machine shop and today is the oldest established machine shop in the Okanagan and still fabricating and repairing in downtown Kelowna at 1247 Ellis Street. Owned and operated by Dale Armeneau, Monashee service clients in our city and across Canada and the US. The company fabricates almost anything from steel stainless steel, aluminum, brass or copper and they repair almost anything you have broken. As an ISO 9001 certified and CWB approved shop, Monashee backs every job with the standard their name has stood for since 1935. www.monasheemfg.com

Banh Mi Bo Bakery & Restaurant opened at #8 – 2070 Harvey Avenue, in the same center as Wendy’s. Owned and operated by delightful couple Anh and Chin Nguyen, this Vietnamese bakery & restaurant offers fresh, authentic Banh Mi (sandwich) and Vietnamese flavors to our community. The business was named after their son, Bo who loves Banh Mi. The bakery focuses on fresh high-quality bread baked daily in small batches, with the menu inspired by the traditional flavors of Vietnam. Banh Mi is one of the most popular and beloved foods in Vietnam. It is simple, fresh, crispy, and flavorful. The menu offers Banh Mi in many flavors including beef, pork, chicken and vegan. Bowls and fresh spring rolls come in beef, pork, vegan,n and chicken. The Banh Mi is also fresh and house made. They also offer Vietnamese signature coffee, peach iced tea, avocado smoothies and passion fruit juice. When I was first approached by Anh, I was not sure about Vietnamese Banh Mi. Upon visiting the restaurant and seeing their unique menu and product, it’s a great place to visit for lunch and dinner. Open from 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.

Roberta Fidalgo has been appointed Chair of the KGH Foundation. This volunteer position was formerly held by Janine Karlsen, who has completed her term. Roberta has served on the board since 2021 and brings over 25 years of expertise in Human Resources and organizational strategy. She is the owner and Principal HR Consultant of YET Human Resources and Coaching. Five new directors that are on the board are Ben Smit, National Bank Financial; Garrett Jones, Delphi; Das Kandola, City Furniture and Appliances; Dr. Cara Wall, Interior Health, and David Harrhy, Independent Consultant and Certified Executive Coach. The outgoing directors are Dr. Ryan Foster, Manik Dhir, and Shauna George. There are 21 individuals on the KGH Foundation Board. www.kghfoundation.com/board.

Realtor Braden Koop has joined in partnership with Gerry Fraser of REMAX/Kelowna in January of this year with Koop Homes Group. Braden was born and raised in Kelowna and prior to being in real estate, he was in the construction and trades industry, specializing in furnaces and air-conditioning. He was awarded #17 ranked nationally in Canada for REMAX realtors under 30 years old. Gerry has been in the real estate industry for over 32 years with major involvement in the Gallagher’s Canyon Community.

Congratulations to two well-known outstanding individuals in the culinary and hospitality industry. Christina Ferreira of Impact Events + Brand Management and Chef Ned Bell will be inducted into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame in October 2026, hosted by the BC Restaurant and Food Service Association (BCRFA). They join a prestigious roster of more than 150 culinary and hospitality trailblazers who have shaped B.C.’s vibrant food and dining culture. Along with 22 outstanding individuals, they represent excellence across all corners of BC’s food and restaurant industry, honoured across several categories. Ian Tostenson is the President/CEO of the BCRFA. www.bcrfa.com

Family Hub is celebrating 10 years of building family wellness, including offering summer programs that are free and easily accessed Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Pearson Road Elementary School. This includes drop-in playtime, parent talk, short-term food support, and connection to valuable community resources so that families get access to the correct programs that they need the most. It targets support for children 0 - 12 years old as well as their caretakers. The Family Hub continues to grow with a 19% increase in families coming to the centre this past year. They provided 1,026 referrals, 267 educational workshops, 354 drop-in play times, 1,207 food hampers and 2,714 baby and life essentials in the past year. Family Hub is run by KCR Community Resources, with Katelin Mitchell as the Executive Director. www.cofh.ca

Gallaghers Canyon Arts Annual Art Show and Sale is August 8th and 9th, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Village at Gallaghers Canyon. There will be a large variety of art and craft items including, paintings, pottery, jewelry, photography, fiber arts, woodworking and much more. Artists will be onsite performing demos. Admission is free with plenty of parking and lots of door prizes.

Twenty of the Okanagan’s finest pickleball players put their paddles to the test at the 7th Annual 2026 RPL Memorial Tournament. Congratulations to Dawson Yates and Dave Newton, who were the winners of the coveted trophy. The tournament was started to honour their former members and buddies Kody Umpherville and Chris Anagnostopoulos who have passed. Shawn Spring, Doug Stienstra and Quentin Thiessen were the organizers.

Okanagan Founder & Investor Social 2026 is Sunday, August 2nd, 2026, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Perch Sky Lounge, hosted by Marketing Consultant, Crystal Lau. This is an afternoon built for honest conversation with three speakers who have built businesses, raised capital, and navigated the hard parts. It is in a panel format so attendees can ask the real questions, with professional headshots will be offered on-site. Speakers are Alex McFadyen, The Mortgage Pub, Flow Mortgage Co. (Money, mindset, real estate, wealth building); Aubtin Sharifpour, Dan Martell’s AI Venture Studio (AI, Self-Development, Scaling); Johannes van Leenen, Fifth Ave. Properties (Reception talk + VIP dinner session) and one other surprise speaker. www.laumethod.com/events. Promo Code CRYSTAL10

The Okanagan Historical Society Summer Social is Sunday, July 19th, 2026, at the Benvoulin Church Hall from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Enjoy refreshments and treats as you socialize with other members of the community. There will be displays and historical books for sale. Admission is free and all are welcome.

The Apple Race Series kicks off on August 8 and 9th, 2026 where triathletes from across the country will dive into Okanagan Lake and tackle a challenging course. This year the event serves as the official Triathlon Canada National Age Group Championship and is a primary qualifying event for the 2027 Age Group Triathlon World Championship in Germany. The momentum continues in the fall with the Argus Apple Marathon, Half Marathon and 8k races on September 26th and 27th, 2026 in City Park. This route is fully certified as a 2027 Boston Marathon qualifier for first timers and seasoned race veterans. Organizers are soliciting local businesses, health and wellness vendors and sports brands to secure a booth at the Race Expo. Over 500 local volunteers are needed with no experience necessary. www.appleraceseries.com

Birthdays of the week – Happy 50th Bryan Mazdas (July 17); Magda Kapp (July 15); Darrell Porubanec (July 15); Amber Hall (July 15); Christine Greer (July 15); Nancy Curatolo (July 15); Pierre Piche (July 15); Bruce Vermee (July 16); Lil Moller (July 16); Marie Mandl (July 16); Brent Wadsworth (July 16); Nicole Martiez (July 16); Ardeth Galitzine (July 16); Ron Langevin (July 17); Jerry Heickel (July 17); Bill Jack (July 17); Tina Bisson (July 17); Audrey Carlson (July 17); Dennis O’Rourke (July 17); Carla Weaden (July 17); Navjot Takhar (July 17); Karli Kunzli (July 17); Trevor Hill (July 18); Ken Green (July 18); Nataley Nagy (July 18); Gregg Turkington (July 18); Cheryl Stecko (July 19); Sue Mann (July 19); Ray Warren (July 19); Merle Engel (July 19); Shirley Bodie (July 19); Brian Welke (July 20); Heather Robinson (July 20); Al Waters (July 20); Luke Turri (July 20); Kane Shepetunko (July 20); Lynda Grant (July 20); Zack Irmen (July 21).

The Specialty Bakery Birthday Cake Winner of the Week is Kane Shepetunko. Kane, please pick up your Birthday Cake from any one of the four Specialty Bakery locations by noon on Tuesday, July 21/2026.

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