Year in Review: A look back at Observer headlines from November 2025
Published 2:00 pm Friday, December 26, 2025
November
City council approved of a development permit for a project that may help address the need for missing middle housing in Salmon Arm. A public hearing that began two weeks prior resumed at the Oct. 27 council meeting. The hearing was for a development permit and related variances for an 86-unit residential townhouse complex with a commercial daycare proposed for the 2.16 hectare property at 1150 12th Ave. SE, at the 12th/10th Avenue SE intersection.
Increasing demand pushed a Salmon Arm food bank to limit the size of the area it services. In October 2025, the Observer contacted the city’s Second Harvest Food Bank, seeking comment to a complaint received that users from Blind Bay had been turned away because they did not have a Salmon Arm address. While the food bank couldn’t speak to a specific matter, it’s board confirmed via written response that Second Harvest has had to reduce its service area in order to remain sustainable.
The School District 83 board voted not to add two more trustees and will remain status quo with five. The board first broached the subject of adding additional trustees back in May, given the size and diversity of the district, and conducted a survey to gauge public support. There were 326 respondents, with feedback indicating that additional information on the number of students and schools in each electoral area might have impacted their responses. To accommodate that, a second survey was done throughout the district in September offering three options: adding an additional trustee in both Salmon Arm and the Armstrong/Spallumcheen/Falkland/Silver Creek/Ranchero area; adding a trustee to the latter area and another in Sicamous/Enderby; or maintaining the five-trustee board.
The flurry of red wigs and kitschy caftans did not go unnoticed in downtown Salmon Arm. On Saturday, Oct. 25, the city was treated to what may have been its first Roper Romp, courtesy of Crystal Stunzi and friends. A Roper Romp is a gathering where people dress up as Helen Roper from the late 1970s/ early ’80s TV sitcom Three’s Company. Helen and Stanley Roper (played by Audra Lindley and Norman Fell) were the landlords to the show’s main characters.
Weekend snow clearing approved for the city’s 2025 budget is now policy. At its Nov. 10 meeting, city council approved an updated Salmon Arm Snow and Ice Control Policy, with expanded definitions for working hours for the roads and parks departments. For roads, those hours are now 5 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Friday (excluding holidays) and from 5 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For parks, it’s now 5 a.m. to 3:30 p.m daily, excluding weekends.
Rob Niewenhuizen frequently uses words like “we” and “team” and “community” when reflecting on his 18 years with the City of Salmon Arm, The city’s director of engineering and public works said he’s been doing a lot of that – reflecting – as of late, with his final day on the job, Nov. 28, and subsequent retirement drawing near. “Looking back, it has truly been a privilege to serve the City of Salmon Arm,” said Niewenhuizen, who has been in the engineering field for 38 years, 15 of them with the City of Swift Current, Sask. before relocating to Salmon Arm. “The projects, challenges and late nights were all worthwhile because they were about building something lasting – not just roads, pipes and facilities – but a stronger community.”
The B.C. government has been fined for a “lack of planning, training, and communication” behind a 2023 planned ignition that put firefighters’ lives at risk in the North Shuswap. WorkSafeBC fined the province $759,388.84 for two incidents involving BC Wildfire Service. One involved the death of 25-year-old firefighter Zack Muise, who was killed when the utility terrain vehicle (UTV) he was on rolled over while fighting the 2023 Donnie Creek wildfire. The second incident, on Aug. 17, 2023, involved a plan ignition along a power line in response to what was at the time called the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire. During the ignition, a crew of five Brazilian firefighters in one truck became entrapped.
A liquor store and drive thrus are part of a commercial development proposed for a property for Salmon Arm’s west end. At its Nov. 17 meeting, the city’s development and services planning committee received a rezoning amendment for 3091 9th Avenue SW, a now vacant lot along Highway 1, west of SmartCentres, which had been used by the adjacent Country Camping Leisure Products. The amendment would see the property rezoned from C-4 to CD-26, to allow construction of new commercial buildings including a fuel service station and licensee retail store. This is to accommodate a liquor store at the proposed development, that would include two commercial buildings.
Shuswap Launch-a-Preneur concluded with participants sharing pitches and being honoured on stage at Song Sparrow Stage. Reaching the stage for Launch-a-Preneur’s Final Night celebration on Friday, Nov. 14, involved a two-month journey during which participants in business 18 months or less, took part in numerous workshops while receiving mentorship from past Launch winners and Thompson/Okanagan Community Futures director Nicole Clark, with a focus on developing business plans and essential entrepreneurial skills. The Final Night event was their “graduation ceremony.”
The city sought permission to use a piece of agricultural land for a future roundabout. The Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) has received an application from the City of Salmon Arm and Brad DeMille (1424762 BC LTD) for 3181 11th Ave. NE, the planned future home of DeMille’s Farm Market. Information shared by the ALC states the application is for land (.01297 hectares) required for the construction of a roundabout and adjacent multiuse path at the intersection of 30th Street and 11th Avenue NE.
