Love for the museum
Randy Manuel, vice-president of the Penticton branch of the Okanagan Historical Society, gives Dennis Oomen, manager of the Penticton Museum and Archives, a cheque for $705. The money will be used to buy new map storage racks for the archives.
Water documentary pulls plugs on dams
In honour of UN World Water Day, the Okanagan Basin Water Board is inviting the public to an online screening and discussion of a new documentary called “DamNation.”
It’s described as “a powerful film, with bold, beautiful imagery, exploring the change in attitude from pride in big dams as engineering wonders to the growing awareness that our own future is bound to the life and health of our waterways,” said organizers in a press release.
“The themes in the documentary are especially moving and current as the Okanagan Basin Water Board and partners begin the work of modernizing the Okanagan Lake regulation system. This process, expected to take about seven years, will look at how lake levels are managed to address climate change impacts – including flooding and drought, fish management, agriculture needs, and more.”
Guest speakers include Syilx traditional knowledge keeper Calyx (Richard Armstrong), Black Mountain Irrigation District administrator Bob Hrasko, Okanagan Nation Alliance fisheries biologist Dawn Machin and OBWB executive director Anna Warwick Sears.
The film is slated to start at 6:30 p.m., followed after by the discussion panel.
To register to receive the Zoom link, obtain a virtual ticket through Eventbrite.
Everything not peachy in new Okanagan film
A feature film set in the Okanagan that places one of its most beloved crops at the centre of the story is getting a limited nationwide release with screenings in Penticton.
“Until Branches Bend” is the debut feature of Vancouver director Sophie Jarvis. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022 and was recently announced as an official selection at South by Southwest in Austin, Tex.
Recorded on 16-millimetre film in the
Okanagan, the movie stars Grace Glowicki as a pregnant cannery worker who discovers an invasive insect in a peach.
Her struggle to prove to her community that the danger the insect poses is real is underscored by her personal struggle to seek an abortion. As her obsession alienates her from friends and family, she sinks deeper into her task. Until Branches Bend reveals how trouble beneath the surface will always come to light.
“Until Branches Bend” screens one night only in Penticton, March 20, at Landmark Cinemas. It will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the director and other special guests.
Still tickets left for Grannies’ concert
Time is running out to get your tickets for a benefit concert this coming Thursday, March 16, in support of Grandmothers for Africa. The Thursday Night Jazz Band will play big-band jazz favourites and touch on some other genres during its show at the Barking Parrot Pub, 7 p.m.
Tickets cost $20 each and are available at the front desk of the Penticton Lakeside Resort.
Since 2006, Grandmothers for Africa in the South Okanagan has raised approximately $300,000 for the Stephen Lewis Foundation in its mission to find resources for the African grandmothers who are raising their grandchildren orphaned by HIV/AIDS.
Last week’s top stories on The Herald’s website
The following were the five most-read stories on The Herald’s website for the week ending March 11:
1. $25M windfall for South Okanagan
2. Transportation Strategy could see big changes to Highway 97
3. Friendship centre hit with explosive lawsuit by former boss
4. Dealer’s appeal goes bust
5. Charges dropped in attempted murder case