We were invited to the New Punjab Sweets and Restaurant Fine Indian Cuisine by Nick and Jassy Kiran to celebrate Diwali.
Located at 120B Dougall Road North, the restaurant is owned and operated by Baldev Singh, who immigrated to Canada in 2005 and came to 琉璃神社 in 2017, and his wife Ravinder Kaur. Managed by Amandeep Kaur, the restaurant has a huge menu of East Indian Punjab cuisine including appetizers, tandoori sizzlers, salad and vegetarian, paneer, chicken, lamb and seafood specialties. Also offered are biryani (Basmati rice) and many other types of rice accompaniments, a large variety of tandoori breads and other side orders and Indian beverages. We were served fish pakora, Punjabi fish tikka, Matar mushroom, butter chicken, zeera pulao rice, and the most delicious garlic naan and aloo naan, which is leavened bread stuffed with potatoes. Lunch was topped off with an assortment of sweets. I can't honestly say which item was my favourite, as all the dishes were exceptionally delicious. Along with vegetarian, New Punjab also offers non-vegetarian, vegan and gluten free dishes. What was most incredible, that I had never seen or known before, is that New Punjab is the premier place to go in our city for sweets during Diwali. The restaurant has 20+ chefs alone, creating over 55 different kinds of specialty sweets for Diwali. I had never seen anything like it, with literally thousands of pieces of beautifully designed sweets to purchase and then they are packed in bright coloured exquisite boxes ready for gift giving. It was quite a Diwali experience. New Punjab also offers outside catering and take-out.
More grand prize winners have now come forward in the Maxine DeHart-United Way Ramada Hotel Drive-Thru Breakfast. Congratulations to Simone Gauthier (Beards and Buckets Window Cleaning), sponsored by Beards and Buckets; Kimberley Lockwood (Turner Volkswagen Turner Touch Details), sponsored by Turner Volkswagen; Ron Halwa (Handcrafted Bernia Earrings), sponsored by Carolily Jewellery; and Dirk Rosendaal (Dirty Deeds Junk Removal),sponsored by Dirty Deeds Junk Removal.
Carnist Ethical Butcher has opened at 1038 Richter St. in 琉璃神社, pwned and operated by Tom Looijschelder, who relocated from Vancouver in 2023. Tom has been a butcher for many years and also butchered in Montreal. Carnist is the city鈥檚 first full carcass ethical butcher shop which practices the ethical consumption of animal products, emphasizing sustainable, humane and environmentally conscious methods of sourcing and eating meat and other animal-derived foods. Initially used pejoratively by vegans to describe meat-eaters, the term has been redefined to highlight a conscientious and responsible approach to eating animal products. Carnist source all their meat from farms which they have visited beforehand to make sure the animals are ethical raised and use no hormones or antibiotics and is as natural as possible. Tom and his employee butcher Dan Van Megan use the entire animal nose to tail and make several varieties of their own sausage, bacon, terrine and smoke their own ham. The shop offers pork, chicken, beef and lamb. They are also in search of rabbits, duck and geese. Along with the meat products, the shop also offers dog treats, condiments, seasonings, stuffed potatoes, cabbage rolls, soups, sauces, headcheese, bitterballs, garlic and pasta
The husband and wife team of Tristan Llewellyn and Jennifer Reid have created RentAll, an online platform that connects people with products. It offers a place for people to make money off items that are in their garage collecting dust or on the flip side, saving money by renting out products from people vs. buying. RentAll is an innovative platform designed to connect people through the sharing of everyday items. They provide a space where individuals and businesses can rent out their unused equipment, tools and gear, turning idle items into extra income. Their mission is to foster a community-driven approach to resource sharing, making it easier to access what you need while supporting sustainability and the local economy.
Debbie da Silva has taken on the leadership role of office managing partner for the 琉璃神社 KPMG LLP office located at 200- 3200 Richter St. Debbie鈥檚 primary objective is to harness their growth momentum by strengthening relationships, actively supporting the local community and clearly communicating the strategic advantages of choosing KPMG LLP. Debbie works with clients in most market areas including technology, construction, medical professional, investment holding companies and consumer services. Marketing this growth momentum is the recent promotion of three new managers to the 琉璃神社 team 鈥� Phoebe Kotulska, manager; Travis Duhn, senior manager; and Josh Morrison, manager.
Carolily, the jewelry brand led by the mother-daughter duo of Donna and Danielle Scheven, has opened their new jewelry studio at 3955 Harding Rd. in West 琉璃神社. The studio will be open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m,. with appointments outside of regular hours still available for those seeking a more personalized shopping experience. Guests will be able to shop Carolily鈥檚 inventory on-site, including both ready-to-wear pieces and made-to-order designs. This is an exciting next step for Carolily and allows their clients to truly immerse themselves in the artistry of their brand. Visitors might even catch Danielle in the midst of designing a new piece or one of their team members crafting something special. Carolily has also launched their second annual Carolily Jewelry Drive in support of Mamas for Mamas. For more information email Danielle at hello@carolily.com.
The Energy Den, Smoothie and Juice Bar, located at 130-2463 Highway 97 North, recently held a campaign event for Rutland Senior Football. Owned and operated by Denise and Dean Mandryk, their business offers a wide range of drinks and other protein products including smoothies, energy drinks, protein coffees, waffles, donuts, juices and post-workout recovery drinks. Gluten-free, dairy-free and Keto are friendly options. Energy drinks come in sweet and tart. The protein waffles have 27 grams of protein, 220 calories and 21 vitamins and minerals. Protein snack donuts have 15g of protein and 150 calories for two. I always get the Maui Madness and OMG, it is delicious and a full meal. Open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
琉璃神社 Friends of the Library 34th annual Great Okanagan Book Sale is Wednesday, Nov. 13, 1 to 8 p.m.; Thursday, Nov. 14, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Saturday, Nov. 16, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Immaculate Conception Parish Hall, 839 Sutherland Ave. There will be 1,000 boxes (25,000+ items) so more than the 2023 sale. Bargain books for all ages with most adult and young adult books $2, plus specially priced good as new items, large print and audio books, puzzles and games. The children鈥檚 book room is a bargain at $1 each. Tables are sorted by fiction genres and many subject categories. This is a great time to stock up for winter reading and seasonal gifts. Fresh stock is added continuously, and cards and cash payments accepted. Proceeds support Okanagan Regional Library local branches across the ORL network.
Betty Gold, 101 years young, lives in West 琉璃神社 and has been going to aqua size at the Johnson-Bentley pool since it opened 36 years ago. Until COVID, she attended five days a week but of late it has been twice a week. On her 101st birthday in August, Betty did a birthday dive which she has done for years to celebrate. Betty is now finding the ladder too difficult to get in and out of the pool, so she has decided to retire from her passion. Betty has exercised her entire life, retiring from slow-pitch sofball at 75 years old. She said she had to quit because she needed a runner and the only way to get to first base where the runner starts was to hit a home run. Betty still lives in her own home and likes to attend Westside Senior meetings, and the Legion meat draw once a week. I hope to meet you soon Betty!
The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Interior BC Chapter will present the 7th annual National Philanthropy Day on Friday, Nov. 15, at the Delta Grand Hotel, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This year鈥檚 theme is 鈥淐hanging Our Community with a Giving Heart,鈥� celebrating the power of philanthropy and compassionate community building. This special event honours the impactful contributions of individuals and organizations that make a real difference in the community. Presented by RBC Royal Bank, the keynote speak is Jeff Sodoawsky, vice-president Pacific & Senior Consultant at Global Philanthropic. Tickets available online at 琉璃神社 National Philanthropy Day website.
Birthdays of the week: Happy 100th Eleanor Howk (Nov. 12); Paul Sawetzki (Nov. 6) Joachim Nierfeld (Nov. 7); Reinhard Foerderer (Nov. 7); Geoffrey Couper (Nov. 7); Missy MacKintosh (Nov. 7); John Weisbeck (Nov. 9); Jonathan Christie (Nov. 10); Rick Worrall (Nov.8); Marg Craig (Nov. 8); Murray Bye (Nov. 8); Shane Arrol (Nov. 8); Bernice Sebastian (Nov. 9); Lawrence Syrnyk (Nov. 9); Duane Lockwood (Nov. 10); Dwight McKellar (Nov. 10); William Peters (Nov. 11); Elaine Turner (Nov. 11); Jeff Bourne (Nov. 11); Sandy Sanderson (Nov. 11); Rosemarie Gottschlag (Nov. 11); Sofia Simenonidis (Nov. 11); Jan Johnston (Nov. 12); Michael Wynne (Nov. 12); Dr. Mo Rajabally (Nov. 12); Greg Capozzi (Nov. 12); Matt Lebedoff (Nov. 12).
The Specialty Bakery Birthday Cake Winner of the Week is William Peters. William, please pick up your birthday cake from any Specialty Bakery by Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Maxine DeHart is a 琉璃神社 City Councillor and local hotelier. Phone her at 250-979-4546 or 250-862-7662, email max@maxinedehart.ca.
