Okanagan Mountain Fire Watch

A special high traffic / low bandwidth edition of Castanet.net   regular site here

Effective September 19th - this page is no longer being updated. 

  Charitable Donation Funds   Donation Locations   Donation Requests

Free Offers of Assistance to Evacuees/ Firefighters

Donations Not Needed   T-Shirts/Hats/Posters

Charitable Donation Funds
Kelowna and Area Okanagan Fire Recovery Trust Fund: The City of Kelowna has established the Kelowna and Area Okanagan Fire Recovery Trust Fund to help rebuild lives and areas that were directly impacted by the Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park forest fire. Donations can be made at any Scotiabank branch in Canada to account number 80150-00058-19. Cheques should be made payable to the City of Kelowna Fire Recovery. Charitable donation tax receipts will be issued for donations of $10 or more. Press Release.

Myra Canyon Trestle Restoration: The process of rebuilding the Kettle Valley Rail Trail through historic Myra Canyon and area has begun and donations are now being accepted to start the process. The Kelowna and Area Okanagan Fire Recovery Trust Fund now has a sub-account specifically for the Myra Canyon Trestle Restoration.  Click here to donate to the trestle restoration online.  

Only four wooden trestles remain 1, 12, 16, 17.  The wood decks on the metal trestles 6 and 8 have been burned off. See maps for trestle placement. (Map 1 JPG 42K) (Map 2 GIF 87K)  See also our photo gallery for trestle pictures.

The Red Cross has established a B.C. Fire Relief Fund that you can contribute to by calling 1-800-418-1111 or via the internet at https://secure.csfm.com/redcross/. The Kelowna office is at 2280B Leckie Road - office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:40 p.m.

The Central Okanagan Foundation has set up a fire relief fund.  See full press release for details.

Okanagan Fire Relief - Donation Web Site - Acro Media has set up a dedicated web site for those wishing to donate money to the families affected by the Okanagan fires. Donations can be made online using Visa or MasterCard. Money collected will be given to the charitable organizations assisting in the fire relief for the Okanagan.  For questions or more information, contact Paul Kiefte at [email protected] 

ADRA (Aventist Development and Relief Agency) is a non-profit, charitable organization, that offers relief to disaster victims and it develops programmes.  They are accepting goods donations at their warehouse at 2300 Leckie Road.

Trails BC is working with private and public partners to establish a Trestle & Trail Building Fund. Trails BC can accept donations and issue tax-deductible receipts. The fund will go toward rebuilding the Myra Canyon Trestles as well as the peripheral Trans Canada Trail infrastructure such as repairing route damage, replacing trail marker signs and installing route maps."

Donations can be made to Trails BC at 315 - 1367 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6H 4A9.
Or at Mountain Equipment Co-op at 150 West Broadway in Vancouver.

A Trails BC Membership/Donation form is available on the web site at http://www.trailsbc.ca See also PDF 407K.

SPCA: The SPCA is issuing an urgent appeal for funds to deal with housing needs pets it has housed as a result of the forest fires. Click to donate online or call 1-800-665-1868  Buckerfields at Springfield and Spall is also accepting money donations on behalf of the SPCA for feed etc.

Noah's Wish: Noah's Wish is trained in emergency response for animals and is set up at the Parkinson Rec. Center.  In demand is cash donations, crates of assorted sizes, name tags, polaroid 600 film, Canadian Tire gift cards/money.  Phone 763-8732 or donate via their website.

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Donation Locations

Silk FM:  Yellow Ribbon Campaign - Show your support of the firefighters and stop by Silk FM at 1598 Pandosy, and pick up your yellow ribbon.  By Donation.  All proceeds to the fire relief fund.

Safeway: Employees and customer donations will be matched dollar for dollar and donated to the red Cross Fire Relief Fund.

Wal-Mart: All 22 BC Wal-Mart stores are now fund raising and Wal-Mart Canada will match every dollar donated.  All monies raised will go to the Yellow Ribbon Campaign.

Canadian Tire: Owner Keith Gostlin will match every dollar donated.

Sears: Sears will be making a $10,000 donation and will also accept any of their customers donations which will go to the Red Cross Fire Relief Fund.

London Drugs: All BC London Drugs sores are taking part in raising funds which go to the Red Cross Relief Fund.  As of September 10th, $114,000 has been raised.

The Bay and Zellers: Donate your HBC Reward points and Hudson's Bay Company will convert them to dollars and donate them to the Red Cross Relief Fund.

Coopers: Coopers Foods has donated $2,000 and will accept your donation.

Save on Foods: Donate your points and Save on Foods will donate a dollar for each 1,000 points donated and match with another dollar, which will be donated ti the Red Cross Relief Fund.

Bone Appetite : Anybody wanting to donate money to buy food for animals please drop  donations off at Bone Appetite on Kane Rd in Glenmore.

Westbank Animal Care Hospital : There is an account set up under "Noah's Wish Animal Fund" at Westbank Animal Care Hospital that is receiving donations for use by folks with animals in need of care, or who require special diets etc. Please contact the clinic at 768-4688 to arrange to drop off a donation or for mailing information. 

Buckerfields:  Buckerfields located at Springfield and Spall is accepting money donations on behalf of the SPCA for feed etc.

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Donation Requests
All Registered Massage Therapists who are available to donate their time please go to the Kelowna Firehall on Enterprise Way (across from Orchard Park). Please contact Matthew Longman at 878-0409 or 878-3936 to let him know when you are available.

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Free Offers of Assistance to
 Evacuees & Fire Personnel

Housing

  • RentBC has created a Community Listing Board where people and companies looking to provide help and people needing help can list and look for short term housing (hotels, B&B's etc.) , shared accommodation, storage, animal care and services. There is also a link to the Castanet rental listing classifieds which is free to search and post during this time of crisis.
  • Trinity Baptist Church is a place where evacuees can come for lodging and food. We still have many beds available. Bedding and supplies have been donated by businesses in our city. Trinity Baptist Church 1905 Springfield Road Kelowna, BC V1Y 7V7 (250) 860-3273 Fax: (250) 860-9466
  • A number of Whistler accommodation properties are offering assistance to the fire victims and evacuees. Participating properties will provide accommodation on a complimentary basis while the evacuation order is in place, based on availability at time of booking.  Kelowna residents requiring accommodation simply need to call Tourism Whistler's toll-free central reservations line at 1-800-WHISTLER and identify themselves as a Kelowna resident from the affected area. Upon check-in at the hotel, identification will be requested to confirm home address.
  • Voyager RV has numerous Travel Trailers, and 5th. wheel homes that are furnished and can be financed up to 15 years with no money down (OAC). They can be prepaid with no penalty or the initial payment can be deferred for up to 6 months. Those who lost their homes can move in quickly, on their own property, during reconstruction. As these homes have holding tanks Voyager RV can provide them with portable "Totes" which can be taken to a sanitary station for dumping. When they are finished with the RV they have the option of selling it privately or we will be pleased to sell it for them. Voyager RV does not charge for this service. This could be much less than renting. Please call Dennis at 250 766 4607 or 800 668 1447 for more info.
  • Lifemark has a large clinic on Ambrosi by Art Knapp's and can offer their facility for showering, etc for any volunteers who need it.  Call 860-4122 and ask for Jamie MacGregor or Jennifer Olsen for more info.

Animals

  • Evacuees can take their pets to the BC SPCA - Kelowna Branch shelter on Casorso Road, which has not been evacuated. Pet food and hay are also available.  The shelter can be reached at 861-7722.
  • Doggietopia has offered to take in spayed or neutered animals from the evacuees at no cost.  Contact Brenda at 712-0899 for more details.
  • The Kelowna Riding Club on 3745 Gordon Road has stalls to take in horses or animals. Phone 762-6370.
  • Jan has a small farm that can take in horses or any other animals except cattle, dogs, cats or snakes.  Phone 765-3461.
  • Barble's Piglet Factory (1823 Pandosy) is offering free housing (in cages) for cats, small dogs and piglets. Phone 764-7773.
  • R & U Seene is offering their property (almost 6 Acres) all fenced for horses. We also have shelter and water, but no feed except pasture.  Phone 768 3392.
  • Kin Racetrack Park in Vernon can take in over 70 horses.  You can just take your horses there the stalls are open and there is camping there so you can stay with your horses.  There has been hay donated as well.  Their number is Robin 542-6456 or 542-7885.
  • Property set up for horses (6 acres) is available with water. No food only pasture. Shelter and stables.  Call 768-3392.
  • Medi-cal Veterinary Diets: Medi-cal has shipped a large quantity of pet food for evacuated animals to Fairfield Animal Hospital in Kelowna. Clinics or organizations in need of food for evacuees can contact Fairfield at 860-6550 to arrange pick up.

Moving

  • Williams Moving and Storage is offering free moving boxes to evacuees.  Pick up at Leckie Road and Dilworth Drive.  Phone 763-3540.
  • St. George Moving and Storage is offering free moving packing boxes.  They are located at 1505 Hardy St. Phone 860-2392.
  • BC Trailer has offered to donate any of their available moving rental trailers at no charge for those people that are on evacuation alert that need to move furniture, etc. from their homes.  Various sizes available, flat deck trailers also available if people need to move un-insured or collector vehicles.  People should call and ask for Bert at 765-7779.
  • Nancy from Enigma has boxes available for packing.  Phone 862-5959.
  • Recall has offered a 5 ton truck to help move personal items.  Call Jeff 878-7606.
  • Packing boxes will be made available at all Coopers stores. Call Patrick Laidlaw at  765 6158 or 860 0608.
  • Rick and Sylvia Hermans have 100 moving boxes (cartons) to be picked up for free.  Please call  769-6939 or mail to [email protected]

Storage

  • Doreen from Lake Country is offering free RV or boat storage for evacuees. Phone 766-4958.
  • Karen from Craftsman Collision will store vehicles.  They have a locked compound. Phone 861-6191. 
  • K&R Marine has spots for approximately 20 boats or trailers in their fenced compound.  Phone 860-4447.
  • Free vehicle storage is available at the Cook Road Boat Launch Parking Lot (corner of Cook Road and Lakeshore Road) for any displaced residents scrambling to find short term storage for extra vehicles.  For more information please contact Jerry Dombowsky at 862-3339 x 618.
  • Added Touch Detailing has room to store vehicles, boats and etc.  Secured site.  Phone Dean 765-6689.
  • Dockside Marine is making storage available.  Call Bill or Eric 765-3995.

Counseling / Medical

  • Energy for Life Wellness Center (Unit 11 - 605 KLO Rd. in Mission Park) is offering the following services as long as the need is present:  Pulsed Electro Magnetic treatments for injuries sustained by either the firefighters or any of the evacuated residents (including children).  Treatments also available for fire distress citizens for stress relief, exhaustion,  lung disorders, sleep disorders, or any other stress or lack of energy related conditions. Treatments are non-invasive and painless, with no negative side-effects and last between 15 and 45 minutes.  Call 717-1831 for appointment. Treatments will begin on Tuesday September 2. Firefighters and children will be treated at NO CHARGE. Donations accepted from adults.
  • The Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society is offering support to residents of the Okanagan Mission that are affected by the Fires in Okanagan Mountain.  Staff are volunteering counseling and support services free of charge to individuals that may need extra emotional support during this time.  Call 763-4613 to arrange and an appointment.
  • Likemark Health Okanagan is offering free physiotherapy and orthopedic medical attention for any firefighters and volunteers who are injured while doing their part with the fire.
  • Kelowna-area Registered Psychologists and other mental health professionals are offering limited duration counseling free of charge to evacuees, 911 personnel, and their families affected by the Okanagan Mountain and related fires. Please call the Kelowna Professional Group at 762-2525 for assistance weekdays from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM through September 30, 2003.
  • Energy for Life Wellness Center located at Unit 11 - 605 KLO Rd. in the Mission Park Shopping is offering the following free service to firefighters and children as long as the need is present starting September 2nd. Call 717-1831 for appointment.  Recent injuries such as sprains, strains, bruises, fractures or burns repair 2 to 3 times faster with our treatments. Most serious burns heal with NO scars.
  • The Kelowna Chiropractic Centre is offering urgent chiropractic services to those involved in fighting the fires. We are about a 1-2 minute drive down from the kelowna fire department on Enterprise way. We are in the Cooper centre plaza and are directly behind Wendy's on Hwy 97.
  • True Connections, a Kelowna-based non-profit society which provides personal growth programs, life coaching and counseling services, youth retreats, leadership and relationship development workshops, is reaching out to help our community by offering an eight week program on Dealing with Loss and Sustaining Community Spirit. This is True Connections' gift to the Okanagan community and will be held at no cost.

    True Connections along with the Mekong Restaurant is hosting six Wednesday evening sessions running from Sept 10th to October 15th. Please pre-register by the previous Tuesday 4:00 p.m. Call True Connections at (250) 763-5556.
     

Transportation

  • Air Canada and Air Canada Jazz are offering a free trip anywhere in Canada to families in the Kelowna, Penticton and Kamloops areas whose primary residence has been destroyed by fire. This offer allows individuals or families to travel to other parts of the country to stay with family or friends if needed. Deadline for making reservations is September 20th with all travel completed by September 30th. See press release for more information. See press release for more. 
  • Checkmate Cabs 861-1111 will provide free rides for people (not goods) out of the evacuation areas.

  • Joe Charboneau has a 22 passenger bus available to transport people or fire personal.  Call 545 6322 or cell 503 7667.

  • Can Am Cruisers has a wheelchair accessible van and driver available for evacuation needs of those people with mobility issues.  Phone 470-9077.

Internet

  • Vancouver Career College is continuing to offer use of their computers for e-mail and news updates to evacuees and fire victims.  The service is available 1pm - 6 pm Mon - Fri.   # 200 - 410 Bernard Avenue Kelowna BC V1Y 6N7. Phone 763-5800.

  • Search Engine Position is offering computer and Internet access to Kelowna residents who have had to evacuate their homes.  The company will make up to 20 computers available.  Staff will be on hand to help people access their email accounts and for other assistance.  For more information you can contact Searchengineposition at 861-5252.

  • Simply Computing Kelowna is opening its doors and computer access to all forest fire evacuees. Enabling them to email out-of-town friends and relatives on their well-being. Visit 543 Lawrence Ave. Phone 861-8340 
  • Cyber Zone still has 40 LAN Gaming Stations of 105 open for kids having been evacuated. To play for free. This should help as parents are implementing a plan.

Childcare

  • The YMCA-YWCA of the Central Okanagan has opened up 40 childcare spaces at the Rutland Centennial Hall location to accommodate children six to twelve years that are without childcare due to the fire destruction and fire evacuation notices. For further information please call 765-4225.

Clothing

  • Ricki's and Bootlegger in Orchard Park Shopping Centre is giving 25% Discount on all clothing to all evacuees. To receive this discount you must bring your evacuation forms and valid identification. The discount will continue until further notice.
  • Apple Blossom, Crosstown, Home Style, Kelly's, Henderson, Busy Bee, Minnella, Kelowna Crossing, Quality, Capri, Mission, and Glenmore dry cleaners are offering free uniform cleaning for fire fighters and RCMP through September 15th.

Food / Dining

  • The Laughing Moon Restaurant (4600 Lakeshore Rd, Kelowna) is available to fire fighters to eat for free, or for evacuees with meal vouchers.

Fitness

  • Gold's Gym and Racquet Club has opened its doors at no charge to military personnel and fire fighters who would like to use their facilities. 
  • The Woman's Place Fitness Group is offering complimentary full club usage to all female evacuees until September 15th, 2003.  Please present your evacuation registration papers.

Rebuilding

  • Weinmaster Home Designs is offering a 25% discount to all of the fire victims on the over 2200 Canadian house plans available on their  website.
  • Now that the destructive fire has passed, some Kelowna residents have been left with a vacant lot, with no easy means for insurance agents, building trades etc. to find them. Nite Glo Reflective Address Signs and Posts would like to offer all families who lost their homes a highly visible reflective address sign at 65% off the regular price and 25% off decorative scroll posts. The signs are made of high quality rust resistant galvanized metal with double rolled edges for strength and safety. These 911 approved signs are powder coated black and have highly visible 4"high and 3" wide reflective numbers. For more information or to order a sign call in Kelowna (250) 212-2564.

Legal

  • If you lost your original Last Will and Testament or Power of Attorney documents in the fire, Porter Ramsay, Lawyers would like to offer to you, at no charge, their services to replace these documents for you.  It is hoped that this will, in a small way, lighten your burden.  Please call Porter Ramsay at 763-7646 for more information or email [email protected]
  • Apex Audio Visual is offering free video taping for residents who have lost their homes, and/or have serious damage to their property for insurance purposes. Taping is done with a Digital Video Camera and Still Digital Images which can then be transferred to CD, DVD or VHS or even print.  Contact Gord Gibbs - Apex Audio Visual  1917 Dayton Rd Kelowna 250-861-6500

Employment

WCG (Job Wave / Job Stores) is offering free employment and HR services to those affected by the fires any.  These include the following:

  • All clients of JobWave™ who have been affected will be offered both help with finding stable employment and financial assistance where necessary.
  • Anyone else who is worried about their income and employment stability during or after this crisis, are invited to call or visit The JobStores™ locations where our staff can help with any employment and human resources services that we offer, free of charge.

Bedding

  • The Brick has achieved it's goal of assisting Families with over two hundred mattresses. All of the employees and management at The Brick are proud that we could assist our community during this current crisis. Special Thanks to Simmons, Serta and Sealy for their generosity with supplying these beds.

Furniture

Furniture Heaven is assisting families displaced by the Okanagan Mountain by creating a registry of items needed by those seeking temporary furnishings. Furniture Heaven also has other items that make a house feel like a home, including pictures, mirrors, lamps, silk plants, etc.

Many people who are ordering new furniture may have to wait weeks or months to receive their items, and we want to provide them with the things they need now to get back to a comfortable routine. Once their homes are rebuilt and they receive their new home furnishings, we will further assist by re-consigning their temporary furnishings.

We need consignors to bring in unwanted home décor and accessories right away. People who may need to create additional storage space at home to accommodate victims saved belongings are asked to bring in photos of their furniture now, so we may catalog it and match it up with those who need to redecorate their temporary homes with basic living requirements. We require bedroom suites, kitchen sets, dining room suites, entertainment units, tables and more. Please bring in photos you can leave with us, or call about emailing them into us. Accessories & home décor can be brought in to the store during regular business hours.

Furniture Heaven is further assisting the firefighting efforts by being an official drop-off for donations to the “KIN-Spire to Stop the FIRE”, a National Kin Canada effort to raise money from across the country. Donations will be forwarded to the campaign that is assisting with the cost of fighting the fire and re-building those lives touched by the fires.

To register your needs come into the store or call 762-2231.

Hair / Manicure

  • Five of the hairdressers at Picture Perfect Hair & Esthetics are donating free haircuts and free manicures to firefighters & RCMP.  Please call 765-8824.

Misc.

  • Fire victims that have had their house destroyed or damaged by fire or water may come to the Adventist Disaster Relief Warehouse at 2300 Leckie Road.  They can supply you with what they have on hand including new products that have been delivered by retail and wholesale companies, beds, beddings, furniture, food, and clothes. Please bring your EFF # with you. 

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Donations Not Required

  • The Public Health Office has advised for public health safety that home-made food cannot be accepted at the City of Kelowna Fire Hall, the Parkinson Recreation Centre and Kelowna Secondary School Reception Centres or Trinity Baptist Church. (You might want to make your food donations to your friends or neighbours who have taken in evacuees.)

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Castanet

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News tips: [email protected]
Comments: [email protected]
 

Cher donated $106,500 to the North Thompson fire relief fund today.  September  10 - 4:00 pm

DT's "Time to Believe" CD's for the Fire Relief Fund will be for sale this weekend in the Kelowna Canadian Tire Store and the Kelowna Wal-mart this weekend. You can also purchase online.  Hear a special message from DT.  (MP3 705K) September  10 - 7:05 am

The Sikh Community has donated $100,000 to the restoration of the  Myra Canton Trestles. September  9 - 12:53 pm

 

Donate Online, by Phone, at Bank

Red Cross 1-800-418-1111  (Funds Use Note)
Salvation Army 1-800-SAL ARMY
Myra Canyon Trestle Restoration
Acro Media Salvation Army Donation

Okanagan Fire Recovery Trust Fund - Any Scotiabank branch in Canada to account number 80150-00058-19.  See press release for more information.

Myra Canyon Trestle Restoration Fund: Please make a cheque payable to "The City of Kelowna" and indicate "Myra Canyon Trestle Restoration" in the memo area.  Mail or drop off the cheque to 1435 Water Street Kelowna BC V1Y 1J4. You can also donate online.

The Central Okanagan Foundation
has a fire relief fund.  See full press release.

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Important Phone Numbers

Public Information Line 868-2632

Recovery Social Services & Housing 868-2605

PRC Reception Centre 762-5361

Accommodation (PRC) 763-9276

Family Reunification (PRC) 763-4872

Report a Fire
1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on your cell to Forestry Officials

Red Cross Assistance 763-1859 ext. 215

Check the status of loved ones 1-888-350-6070

Provincial Emergency Information Line 1-800-311-7044

Terasen Gas 1-877-711-8877

Black Mountain Irrigation District 765-5169

Wildlife problem 1-800-663-9453

Ambulance  860-0054 if 911 is busy

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Agency Links

City of Kelowna Emergency Bulletins
Interior Health
Provincial Emergency Program
CORD Regional Emergency Plan
BC Forests Wild Fires
RCMP News Releases
Kelowna Weather
Air Quality Index

Find your water provider  Black Mountain Irrigation
Federal Disaster Relief
Terasen Gas
Highway Report
DND - Operation Peregrine

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Evacuee Reception Centre

Parkinson Recreation Centre (PRC)
1800 Parkinson Way
762-8646

PRC Reception Centre 762-5361
Accommodation (PRC) 763-9276
Family Reunification (PRC) 763-4872

Okanagan Fire Recovery Centre

Address:
520 Bernard Avenue  (the old Royal Bank building)

Hours:
open 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday

Telephone:
• 868-2632 Public Information Line
• 868-2605 Recovery Social Services and Housing

Services in the Okanagan Fire Recovery Centre include:
• Damage assessment
• Agency referral
• Demolition permit information
• Building permit information
• Sewer connection and septic tank permit information

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Special thanks to Rackforce who have been turbo powering our site on four load balanced servers on their  multi-homed network. 
We also thank Rackforce and Shaw Cable (Big Pipe) for their generous bandwidth donation
so that we can bring you continuous up to date Internet coverage of the fire.

News tips: [email protected]
Comments: [email protected]

This is a special high traffic / low bandwidth edition of Castanet.net as we are getting a record number of visits due to interest in the fire. 
We'll keep this special site here until the fire threat passes and our traffic levels return to normal.