Sales of electric cars are surging
Change Up 3
Kelowna Nissan and Kelowna Chevrolet are on the leading edge of the clean-energy vehicle craze and are being provincially recognized for it.
Kelowna Nissan, which sells the battery electric Leaf compact car, won the Green Star Award from the New Car Dealers Association of B.C. for selling the most battery electric vehicles per capita in the province.
Kelowna Chevrolet, which sells the plug-in electric hybrid Volt compact car, won the Green Star Award for moving the most plug-in electric hybrid vehicles.
Electric and hybrid cars cost more than standard gasoline-powered vehicles because of the new technology and-or extra batteries that go into them.
However, provincial goverment incentives of up to $5,000 for purchasing a qualifying clean-energy vehicle can help offset some of the extra cost.
Car dealers may also offer some rebates.
While so-called clean-energy cars are gaining in popularity, they still make up a tiny minority of the total vehicles in the country.
In 2016, 11,000 clean-energy cars were sold in Canada, a 56 per cent increase from the previous year.
In total there are about 30,000 clean-energy vehicles on the road across the country.
Ninety-five per cent of clean-energy sales are in B.C., Ontario and Quebec because they are the provinces that offer the best incentives.
$100 bills
The $100 bills flew Thursday as Interior Savings Credit Union handed out 100 of the brown currency, for a total of $10,000, during its fourth annual Day of Difference.
The credit union asked citizens what good they would do with $100 and the first 100 people with qualifying good ideas received the money to make the deed happen.
“It could be buying coffees for strangers, donating to the local food bank or creating a care box for someone in need, the possibilities are endless,” said Interior Savings CEO Kathy Conway.
As well, the Day of Difference saw Interior Savings’ 21 branches and 16 insurance offices throughout the Southern Interior open at 9:30 a.m. as usual, but with treats and gifts for members.
They all closed early, at 2 p.m., so staff could volunteer at a local community organization to do everything from donate blood, bake cookies and paint to build book shelves, weed gardens and clean.
Some of the organizations helped included the Daycare Connections Society, Kelowna Women’s Shelter, Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs, Hands in Service, Cottonwoods Care Facility and Arion Therapeutic Farm.
U-Haul
The new U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 program means you can access trucks and vans at dealers every hour of every day through the self-pick-up and self-return options on a UHaul.com account.
To set up an account and take advantage of the 24/7 perks, you must have an internet-connected smartphone with camera and GPS.
The latest facility to become a neighbourhood U-Haul dealer is StorageBear at 3384 Carrington Rd. in West Kelowna, where you can use the 24/7 service or rent a truck or van and buy moving supplies and boxes during regular opening hours.
After-hours drop off is also available without the full 24/7 account.
StorageBear is owned by Curtis Morrison and Kevin Johnson.
U-Haul is the leader in do-ityourself moving and self-storage.
Murad Al-Katib, who donated 700 million meals for Syrian refugees, will be in Kelowna Nov. 2 as the keynote speaker at Okanagan Changemakers’ Change Up 3 event.
Change Up is a pitch competition for local social entrepreneurs to launch or grow their business.
Al-Katib is the founder of Regina-based AGT Foods and Ingredients, a company with $2 billion in annual revenue and 41 facilities on five continents processing lentils, beans, chickpeas and wheat.
The meals made with AGT ingredients went to Syrian refugees through the United Nations, International Red Cross and Red Crescent.
For his business and charity acumen, Al-Katib, who is of Turkish heritage, was named global entrepreneur of the year by the international consulting firm Ernst & Young and was awarded the 2017 Oslo Business for Peace prize.
Tickets to Change Up 3 at the Kelowna Community Theatre are $43, $23 for students, at OkanaganChangemakers.com.
Steve MacNaull is The Okanagan Weekend’s business and wine reporter and columnist. Reach him at steve.macnaull@ok.bc.ca.