DeHart: New look and menu for popular Kelowna pub stop

Relocating from Hinton, Alberta, partners Les Biernacki and Virginia Stafford are the new owner/operators of The Mission Tap House and Grill at 3110 Lakeshore Rd.

Beirnacki is well versed in the restaurant industry as he is also a Red Seal Chef. Mission Tap House now offers a new menu with fresh homemade buns and bread baked daily. They make their own dressings, sauces, soups and burgers. No preservatives or additives are used and gluten free options are available for both buns and burgers. The menu offers a wide selection of shareables, flatbreads, big salads, burgers, sandwiches, several poutines, bigger plates and dessert. I had the soup and sandwich special with a delicious homemade bun and Les’s famous pizza soup with homemade pita croutons which he created while in Hinton. Both were delicious. With 200 seats in the restaurant and a patio, the plan is to create a “Man Cave” sports area where the former beer and wine store was located. It will feature pool tables and sports memorabilia with a fun sports atmosphere. The restaurant is open seven days a week with daily specials and a $7 breakfast from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, along with other brunch items. Call 250-860-3472; online www.themissiontaphouse.com.

Russ Johnson was the winner of the fifth Dewalt Drill/Driver Kit sponsored by the Central Okanagan chapter of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association at the Maxine DeHart-United Way, Ramada Hotel Drive-Thru Breakfast.

PMF Chartered Professional Accountants Inc. announced their new name and unveiled a new look this week. Founding and senior partner Peter McFadden started the firm in 1996 in a small office. Managing partner Amrit Buttar joined the practice in 1999 and has been a substantial part of the firm’s growth over the years. The new name of McFadden - Buttar and Associates CPA’s Inc. represents a better promote the firm’s commitment of building solid relationships with the core principals of unique and personalize client service. The name change and new brand is hoped it will elevate the company’s position in providing services that are beyond the traditional accounting firm and are characteristic to the McFadden - Buttar philosophy of building lasting, long-term relationships with clients. Call 250-763-4660

Congratulations to three Kelowna Toastmasters who have won regional competitions. Gary Johnston, Dean Desrosiers and Moya Webb won best of the best in humour and impromptu-speaking contests for the Okanagan and West Kootenay. Johnston won the humour contest with a story about himself as a 13-year-old hitchhiking to Vancouver from Williams Lake; Desrosiers won the two-minute impromptu-speaking contest with his response to the question “What is B.C.’s greatest resource and why?” and Webb was second in both contests. Both Johnston and Desrosiers and Dean will now compete at a provincial Toastsmasters event in Parksville this month.

Quality Greens Farm Markets, owned by Chris Holmes and Lisa Taylor, has opened their fifth new 5,000 square foot store in the Mission area of the city at 4624 Lakeshore Rd. (corner of Collette and Lakeshore). The store is bright with high ceilings and features modern stainless steel and glass wall tiles. New to this Quality Greens market is an organic bulk food section, a remedy section and a charging station for electric cars. Along with a full selection of produce, dairy, deli, cheeses, frozen goods and grocery products from local Okanagan and imported suppliers, there is also organic, Non-GMO, gluten free and preservative free products. There is also a good selection of homemade baked goods. The new large deli offers a good selection of specialty coffees, muffins, sandwiches, wraps, hot dishes, two homemade soups daily and gluten free options. You can enjoy lunches in the store or on the go. Party take-out platters can be ordered for any event. The deli also offers a large community table with charging stations. The store deli section is open daily at 7 a.m. daily for coffee, muffins or a breakfast sandwich. The main market is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Craig Jablonski is the store manager, Barb Noble the deli manager and Kristen Chadwich and Ofri Barmor the assistant managers.

Darrin Surminsky, Licensed Insolvency Trustee, has joined the firm of MNP, LLP as senior vice-president and leader of their insolvency group for the Okanagan region. Relocating from their Winnipeg office, Surminsky brings over 20 years of expertise building teams of trustees. Call 250-979-2582 or email Darrin.surminsky@mnp.ca.

Kelowna Chamber of Commerce CEO Caroline Grover is back in the office after her medical leave. Everyone is glad to have her back on the job. Meanwhile, communications and events coordinator Sarah Lust has left the Chamber to pursue other opportunities. Allison Conroy, events/communication manager, will take all concerns or questions at this time. The Chamber’s monthly networking event has a new, permanent name. Previously known as Business After Hours, with a brief stint as Business & Bevvies, it will now be called Commerce ConneX. Call 250-861-861-3627; online www.kelownachamber.org.

Lowe’s Canada celebrated the achievement of one of its RONA stores at this year’s Outstanding Retailer Awards in Niagara Falls. RONA Home and Garden Kelowna was selected in the Best Large Surface Retailer Category. RONA was the first home and garden big-box store to open in Kelowna in 1995, boasting 130,000 square feet of retail and contract sales space and more than 160 employees. Led by store manager Matt Wachter, RONA offers 35,000 different products as well as many special order items, carrying everything from lumber to dog food. They offer a wide variety of services such as contract sales, commercial sales, installs, kitchen design, deliveries, a cut shop, assembly, financing, Air Miles and online shopping @rona.ca. The contract sales team offers estimations free of charge for the build of a home from start to finish. RONA has been a major sponsor of the Maxine DeHart – United Way, Ramada Hotel Drive-Thru Breakfast for many years, giving back to their community.

Sotheby’s International Realty Canada has expanded its operations in Kelowna. “Continued expansion in the Okanagan has been one of our brand’s objectives and we are proud to be able to grow with the community,” states Tom Stratton, managing broker for Sotheby’s International Realty Canada in Kelowna. Located at 108-1289 Ellis St., the new office will service Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley. Sotheby’s has 11 offices in B.C. Their goal is to provide clients with the best possible experience in buying and selling real estate. Top sales associate of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada and the new owner of the downtown Kelowna office is Justin O’Connor. Call 250-826-9961; email joconnor@sothebysrealty.ca.

The Royal Canadian Legion is in need of more volunteers for the Poppy Campaign which runs until Nov. 10, with three hour shifts being scheduled. Seventeen locations are covered by volunteers. Many of the locations allow volunteers to be inside the premises and many have chairs available for use. Anyone who has three hours available to assist the Legion can call the poppy campaign office at 250-762-2961 to book a time and location. Funds collected go to many worthwhile local causes. Please help if you can.

Greater Westside Board of Trade is hosting an Economic Development Breakfast on Nov. 9, 7:30 a.m., at The Cove Lakeside Resort. To register call 250-768-3378 or email admin@gwboardoftrade.com.

The Okanagan College Trades Building was named the Judges’ Choice Best Overall entry in the 8th annual Southern Interior Construction Association Commercial Building Awards. The building was the Excellence Award winner in the commercial Institutional category as well. The general contractor for the project was PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. and Architect/Design was Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc. Other local Excellence Awards winners were: Grizzli Winery of West Kelowna (developer, Blossom Winery/Grizzli Winery; architect/designer Sandford Design Group); Skogies Express Car Wash of Vernon (same owners as Kelowna Skogies, general contractors ENCAN Construction Ltd.; architect/designer, Ted J. Thomas & Associates). Green Square Townhomes (developer, Troika Management Corp.; general contractor CorWest Builders, architect/designer, NORR Architects Planners Inc.); Lakestone Pool Amenity Building of Lake Country (general contractor, Forma Construction Ltd.; architect/designer Rostitch Hemphill Architects); Callahan Lake Country Commercial (general contractors TKI Construction Ltd. and Sawchuk Developments; architect/designer MQN Architecture & Interior Design); Pleasantvale Homes (general contractor VanMar Constructors Inc.; architect/designer NORR Architects Planners).

Do you have a household item needing repair, do not want to toss it out but you are stumped on how to fix a lamp that needs rewiring, a toaster that just won’t toast, a bike with a flat tire, a clock that won’t tick or even clothing that could use some light mending. If so, the Repair Cafe could be just what you are looking for. Hosted by the Regional Waste Reduction Office, the Repair Café is at the brand new Trades Building at Okanagan College, 1000 KLO Rd., on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and it’s all free. Call 250-469-6250; online www.regionaldistrict.com/repaircafe.

The annual FFC Sale is Sunday, Nov. 6, from 1 to 4:30 p.m., at Mekong Restaurant (corner of Gordon Drive and Highway 97). Fine jewelry made with pearls and semi-precious gems. Costume jewelry, scarves, silk jackets, purses and throws form India. All proceeds to the Canadian orphanages in Dhaka, Bangladesh and Tamel Nadu, India.

Winfield United Church’s annual Jingle Bell Bazaar is Saturday, Nov. 5, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at 3751 Woodsdale Rd., in Lake Country. Home baking, Christmas boutique, sewing, knitting, preserves and produce.

Kelowna Women in Business are hosting a branding and new website launch celebration Nov. 9 at the Kelowna Golf and Country Club at 5:30 p.m. Register in advance at www.kwib.org as payment is not accepted at the door.

Birthdays of the week: Shaun Pierce (Nov. 1); Nathan Flavel (Nov. 1); Gabe Cipes (Nov. 1); Mark Whittle (Nov. 1); George Colpron (Nov. 2); Chrissie Leathley (Nov. 2); Glen Knuth (Nov. 2); Doreen Gray (Nov. 3); Bob Callioux (Nov. 3); Ezra Cipes (Nov. 4); Frank Williams (Nov. 4); Kristi Williams (Nov. 5); Alison Moscrop (Nov. 6); Terri Hoogewoonink (Nov. 5); Rick Appleby (Nov. 6); Sid Ottenbriet (Nov. 6); Don Jane Rampone (Nov. 7); Geoffrey Cooper (Nov. 7);