A new indoor playground, Play Area, has opened its doors in Kelowna, providing families with a way to beat the summer heat.
Located on Enterprise Way, the new family-run business offers fun and educational activities for kids aged 10 and under.
"Every parent is looking for a place for their kids to go to blow off steam, but they are also looking for opportunities for kids to learn while they are doing it," said owner Gavin Dew.
"At Play Area, we have lots of ways for kids to learn about water and air pressure, working with their hands, and sensory play."
The Dews are originally from Vancouver and moved to Kelowna, quickly realizing more options for places for kids to play were needed in the city.
"We needed to do something for families and moms who just need somewhere to hang out and have a cup of coffee without worrying about where our kids are hiding. With Play Area, we have a really great sight line," said co-founder and operator Erin Dew.
Play Area officially opened two weeks ago and has already been busy.
"We are already seeing a lot of people coming in, but we wanted to start spreading the word," Gavin Dew added.
Families can learn more about Play Area by visiting www.playarea.ca or by stopping by between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
GreenStep, in collaboration with The City of Kelowna, have launched GreenStep Certified to help businesses go green and reduce costs.
Program Highlights:
Free online self-assessment and expert review
Personalized coaching and action plan for quick-win carbon reduction
Certification logo, marketing toolkit, and credibility enhancement
With support from FortisBC, the first 50 businesses that sign-up will receive $500 in savings on their first year of Certification fees! Use the code GSCFortis500 at checkout to automatically apply the discount.
Applications are now open for the 6th annual Okanagan Angel Summit, apply before March 24.
The 6th annual Okanagan Angel Summit is an elevated pitch program for entrepreneurs and accredited investors. Powered by Accelerate Okanagan, this 8-week program is not just about choosing a who will receive the big investment, it’s about training entrepreneurs and investors in the capital-raising process, making it easier to invest and get investment. It’s all happening April 2 to May 23, 2024.
Through a guided process, participating companies will learn about the capital raising process and how to effectively build relationships with prospective investors.
Investors will receive training around the investment and due-diligence process, providing new investors with a chance to actively learn how to vet companies, provide feedback, and help to support early-stage companies.
At the end of the program, 6 finalists will pitch to an audience of community members. During this finale, the investors will decide which company receives an investment of up to $200,000. View The Process »
There’s a new winter wellness activity for people of Kelowna to enjoy as Loyly Outdoor Floating Sauna has officially opened to the public downtown, giving people the chance to heat up in their sauna before cooling down right in Okanagan Lake.
Jessica and Nick Rastas came across something similar when they were visiting family in Australia for Christmas last year and were instantly hooked and hoping to bring their own floating sauna to Kelowna.
“We wanted to bring a wellness activity to Kelowna in the winter, which we find there’s not a lot to do here in the winter unless you’re a skier, so yeah, something to do to warm you up but also just to really invigorate you. It’s quite an amazing experience. I’ve never felt as much clarity as you do after getting out of the plunge pool, and then being able to get back in the sauna is such a treat,” said co-owner Jessica Rastas.
Ice baths or cold plunges have gained popularity over recent years as studies show there are some great health benefits for regular users.
Jessica highlighted a few health benefits from cold plunging, including increased blood flow, help with inflammation, as well as lowering the chance of cardiac arrest.
"Some really amazing things that can come from it. But one of the things that I really like when I’m thinking about mental health is the resiliency you feel when you’ve done the cold water plunge. After you get out of there you feel like you can do anything,” said Jessica.
“It’s not about how long you stay in the water, it’s really just about listening to what you can do and how much you can handle really. One second to 30 seconds, anything is good. Even for the people saying they can’t get into the water, if you just step outside into the cold air for a couple of minutes … that’s called exposure, so it’s all a benefit."
Constructing the building itself, which comes with a sauna room, a cold plunge room and change rooms, the couple finished putting on the final touches this week and decided to run a soft opening with family and friends to test the waters before the official launch.
“Everyone was pretty excited for it and it went well. The heat was good. There’s a few little tweaks we made today and then we’re ready to open to everyone tomorrow," said Nick, the other co-owner of Loyly.
Loyly Floating Sauna is open from now until mid-April with bookings available daily.
If you want to check out the Loyly Floating Sauna and its cold plunge located at the Marina in downtown Kelowna, you can book a session through their website or find them on Instagram.
