CANNED: crime novel set at Penticton brewery

John Arendt
about 22 hours ago

Crime novel set at Penticton brewery

Canned, by Lynda Lock, is set in Penticton’s thriving brewery scene

Lynda Lock’s book, Canned, is a crime story featuring Penticton’s brewery scene. The book is the fourth in Lock’s Death in the Vineyard Mystery series, all set in the South Okanagan. With Lock is her dog, Sparky, who is also featured in the novel.John Arendt/Summerland Review

A crime novel, written by a Penticton author, it features the city’s thriving brewery scene.

Canned, by Lynda L. Lock, features Jessica Sanderson and her mutt, Sparky, in the aftermath of an accident at a fictional craft brewery in Penticton.

While police investigate the death, Sanderson — who is not a police officer — also does some sleuthing and uncovers clues in the case.

While Lock describes the book as a beach read, the story also touches on drug use and addiction, which are noticeable in the city and throughout the country.

“My stories are fluffy, but I also want them based on fact,” she said.

The book is the fourth in Lock’s Death in the Vineyard Mystery series, all set in the South Okanagan.

While her previous B.C. novels feature the region’s wineries and wine culture, Canned involves a death at a brewery.

“I’ve always had a soft spot for the breweries here,” Lock said.

She is familiar with the world of craft beer as she and her husband Lawrie moved to Penticton in 1992, and in 1995 the couple opened Tin Whistle Brewery Co, in partnership with Linda and Richard Grierson. It was the 12th craft brewery to open in the province, and the first in Penticton. The group sold the brewery in 1998. 

Lock’s novel, Canned, was released around 30 years after the brewery started, and 24 years after Cannery Brewing, another well-established Penticton brewery was formed. The release also occurred around the Okanagan Fest of Ale, the long-running Penticton beer festival. 

In addition to her four Okanagan novels, Lock is also the author of the Isla Mujeres Mysteries, a series of seven books all set in Mexico and written when she lived in the area. She has also written three children’s books.

Canned on 293 pages and is available through Amazon Canada and other booksellers.

A launch party for Canned is scheduled for Sunday, April 27 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Cannery Brewing, 198 Ellis St., Penticton. The public is invited to meet the author and have their books signed.

In the beginning: South Okanagan's 1st craft brewery

 

Logan Lockhart
Apr 2, 2022 3:25 PM

The start of the South Okanagan’s brewery scene can be traced back to 1994

Early results indicated that Tin Whistle was a success shortly after its official opening in 1995

The late Lawrie Lock, one of the co-founders of the South Okanagan’s first brewery, pictured in the mid-1990s inside his business. (Photo courtesy of Lynda Lock).

When Lynda Lock and her husband, Lawrie, moved to the Okanagan from Vancouver in 1992, they wanted to put their passion for being adventurous to the test.

Their idea of starting the region’s first brewery may have been simple, but to many, it was too ambitious. The two individuals, along with Lawrie’s sister and brother-in-law, Linda and Richard Grierson, embraced the challenge.

Front: Steve, Richard Grierson, Lynda Lock, Dave Prechel.
Back: Lawrie Lock and Linda Grierson

And from there, Tin Whistle, the South Okanagan’s first brewery, was born in 1994.

“For us to do the brewery, it was just a fun, crazy thing to try,” Lynda said.

At the time, there were eight wineries in the Okanagan. Before their arrival from the Lower Mainland, the Locks always believed they were destined for the wine business.

After realizing the opportunity they had to lead a new scene in the region, however, their approach quickly led to excelling in the brewery business.

“With wine, we didn’t have a clue,” she said.

“You had to grow the grapes and then you harvest them, crush them, go through a bunch of other stuff. So we just decided to stick with something much easier.”

Early results indicated that Tin Whistle was a success shortly after its official opening in the summer of 1995.

But little did the Locks know that their venture would be partially responsible for starting the now vibrant brewery scene in the South Okanagan.

“It was amazing how well it was received at that time,” Lynda said. “And today, you see about 10 breweries within 20 kilometres of each other.”

Opening Tin Whistle didn’t come without feedback from skeptics within the community, who believed the idea of owning a sustainable brewery wasn’t possible in what was known as “wine country.”

“People said ‘are you crazy?’ and I said, yes, I guess we are,” she added.

Lynda Lock is proud of the legacy Tin Whistle, the South Okanagan’s first brewery, has left on the community almost 30 years later. (Photo courtesy of Lynda Lock)

The family sold Tin Whistle in 1998 after three years of existing among the South Okanagan’s first-ever breweries. Lock’s husband passed away in 2018 due to Rapid Onset ALS.

That didn’t come before he sparked the idea to start the community’s very own beer festival, better known today as the Okanagan Fest of Ale.

“Lawrie told the sales manager at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre about this festival in Victoria,” Lynda explained. “They checked it out for themselves and then in the spring of 1996, a board of directors at the centre decided to do the same thing right here.”

Since then, the festival has been a community success each year. The 2022 edition of the Okanagan Fest of Ale is set to begin on May 14.

Reminiscing about the start of the festival and what Tin Whistle’s legacy has meant to Penticton after all these years still makes Lock as proud as ever.

“It’s nice to get a little bit of acknowledgment that we as a group of four people did something kind of cool and different and has helped spawn this other part of the tourism scene,” she said.

Alexis Esseltine and Tim Scoon purchased Tin Whistle Brewing on Oct. 30, 2020, and continue to call the business “the original craft brewery of the South Okanagan.”

Stories of Resistance: Charlie Angus

 Stories of Resistance

Because This Isn’t Just a Moment - It’s a Movement

CHARLIE ANGUS / THE RESISTANCE APR 11

Resistance Silk Screens at Peach Berserk, Toronto

Yes, Charlie Angus / The Resistance has swag.

But we aren't selling it.

We’re giving it out to folks who are making a difference in these dark times because we believe the resistance lives in the everyday acts of ordinary people.

Last week we posted this photo of the very cool tote bags screened by the brilliant folks at Peach Berserk - and then we put a call out:

Tell us how you’re resisting - big ways, small ways, at home, at work, in your community - and what brings you hope.

The plan was simple - we’d take these stories of resistance, draw a few names and send out some limited edition tote bags as a thank-you.

We thought we'd get a handful of replies.

What happened instead stopped us in our tracks. In minutes the inbox filled up with over 100 voices from across the continent.

The recipients have been contacted by email, but we wanted to share a few stories that inspired us, reminded us of our purpose, and demonstrated once again that resistance is not just a moment—it is a movement.

Grocery Store Revolutionary

Jean is a senior who shops daily and takes the resistance to the grocery store aisles. She's spreading the word in her apartment building about buying Canadian-made products and how to resist U.S. corporations without hurting Canadian workers.

"We need more info on companies that employ Canadians," she told us.

Jean is doing her part by helping her neighbours understand where their products come from—and why it matters.

On the Frontline of Social Justice

Kevin, a lifelong resister, didn't mince words. He wrote passionately about how he fights every day for 2SLGBTQ+ rights and against anti-Black racism. He's one of many who are pushing back hard against the right-wing war on social programs and social justice.

"I stand with people like yourself," he wrote, "against the regime of PP."

That's solidarity. That's the frontline.

Art & Activism

Richard is a fierce defender of Canadian values. He came to a recent Grievous Angels show and passed along his beloved bumper sticker with the slogan:

"Fck Putin, Eat Perogies."

He'd planned to slap it on his Yamaha this spring but wanted us to have it instead. Turns out they're no longer available—he gave away the last one.

Richard shares political commentary, amplifies the work of the resistance, and even worked the message into a local theatre production where he volunteers as a sound designer.

Bringing Care and Grassroots Hope to the North

Rachel travels to Attawapiskat First Nation every Tuesday to meet with clients. She never goes empty-handed - bringing granola bars is what’s she’s known for.

Rachel's been buying reusable bags for years, but said this tote bag hit different.

She's been examining every label in the grocery store, turning shopping into activism.

"I feel proud, strong, and free," she wrote. "We are part of something huge."

From Food Bank to Front Porch - Resistance at Home

Scott and his wife cancelled their Netflix and Prime subscriptions. They cut out U.S. groceries and support their local food bank with cash and non-U.S. goods.

This summer, they're planting a victory garden.

And they've hung a Canadian flag on their porch—not in some hollow nationalistic gesture, but in defiance. In resistance. In solidarity.

"Elbows up, my friend," he wrote. "We're all in this for the long haul."

Holding the Line in MAGA Country

Lisa wrote to us from Florida and her story hit hard.

Her husband is MAGA. Her community is overrun by right-wing extremism. But she's out there every day—organizing rallies, joining networks, running social media for resistance groups, fighting voter suppression, speaking truth online despite threats from MAGA trolls.

"I get tired. I get depressed," Lisa shared. "But I have faith. I have faith because I know there are more of us than them. We're gonna win this—because we have to."

Lisa, your friends in Canada hear you.

We see you. We're with you.

Finding Power and Purpose on the Family Farm

A teacher who reached out to us shared a question they recently asked their class:“What have you done, or do you plan to do, in response to tariffs and policies from the usa?”(Lowercase intentional, he said.)

Most students mentioned shopping choices and travel plans.

But one response stood apart. She didn’t include her name.

She’s a student from Manitoba, the daughter of a small cattle farm family, and she hopes to one day write children’s programming for the CBC. Because of the tariffs, her family is now worried about putting food on the table.

Here’s what she shared:

"Elbow's up reflection: The tariffs have and will continue to change my life through my family. I come from a small cattle farm that is now worried about having food to put on the table. For me, I'll be moving back home for the summer as free labour around the farm so that we can start taking crops to local markets in hopes of having enough money to last through the winter. Before the tariffs and the fear in my grandfather's farm, I had no plan to be working the farm again, but I know that I can make an impact by going home this summer. And right now, that feeling of control in my life is worth being overworked and underpaid back home."

Gratitude as a Form of Resistance

Emily wrote:

Send me a cool Charlie Angus Resistance tote — or not. Doesn't matter. Just know I'm grateful. Grateful for your resistance. For your Substack. For your tour. For your posts that push us through the dark days. For standing the gaff beside your fellow Canadians — elbows up, hearts steady, unbought, unbroken.

💯🇨🇦♥️💯🇨🇦♥️

📢 Sol, Sol, Sol, Solidarity!! 📢

Thank you, Emily, this means more than you know.

The Artist Behind the Merch

Kingi Carpenter runs Peach Berserk in Toronto. She’s been part of the punk rock resistance since she was 16 - sneaking out of her all-girl school dorm to see Charlie Angus' punk band in underground Toronto clubs. Charlie was 17.

The amazing folks at Peach Berserk with owner & artist, Kingi Carpenter - centre.

Charlie Angus / The Resistance is about solidarity - not sales.

But Kingi is an incredible talent, a longtime supporter of the movement, and small business owner where sales do matter. If you want a Resistance t-shirt or tote bag, get in touch with Kingi directly.

Because people are resisting in ways that might never make the headlines - but are just as important as a protest or picket line. People are on the move and they’re staying strong, even when they feel surrounded.

And that’s the heart of this work. We’re in this together.

Elbows up.

Donald Trump's liquidation day: chaos and consequences

 

DONALD TRUMP'S LIQUIDATION DAY: CHAOS & CONSEQUENCES CHARLIE ANGUS / THE RESISTANCE APR 4

April 2 will go down in history as the day the President of the United States flushed jobs, economic security and global stability down the loo.

Why? Because he wanted to show that he was calling the shots — not just for the United States but for the world. He has framed this moment as a great act of leadership, a so-called "Liberation Day" for the American people.

But let's be honest: this isn’t liberation. It's a fire sale of credibility and stability.

April 2 will be remembered as Donald Trump's Liquidation Day.

The fact that he dares to call this recklessness “liberation” is another example in the long line of Trump's debasement of language and political office. We must reclaim this powerful word from the clutches of the criminal from Mar-a-Lago.

Historically, liberation has been a sacred concept.

Biblically, liberation invokes the Passover of the slaves out of Egypt. In the United States, liberation is celebrated by the Black community on "Juneteenth" — the day in 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas, finally ending slavery. In France, Liberation Day is June 6, and in the villages of Normandy, it is a powerful thing to behold.

For Canada, liberation wasn’t about declarations - it was about action.

The Canadians who landed on Juno Beach in 1944 were not there to celebrate. Not yet. There was still much work to do—so much bloodshed and sacrifice. Our people weren't in a position to celebrate until Canadian soldiers made it to the Netherlands.

When the job of securing their freedom was accomplished, we celebrated a true liberation day over fascism and lies.

But now, we find ourselves facing a new era of fascism and lies. And worst of all, the grifter-in-chief is trying to appropriate a powerful word that our young people paid in blood and heartache to make real.

No, Donald, you have no right to use the world liberation. You sully its noble meaning.

Trump's so-called "Liberation Day" is one where an unhinged billionaire plunged his nation and the world into economic chaos.

"Whether the country is headed over an economic cliff or to the new golden age that he's promising, Trump's party – and every other American – is going with him." - CNN

Many are searching the political tea leaves to make sense of this action. It somehow feels more reassuring if we know there was some bigger plot driving the madness. But the reality is that this is what happens when you give unlimited power to a spoiled narcissist.

Is anyone surprised? The conman's lies were obvious at every step along the campaign trail. Did anyone really think he wanted to return to power to make life more affordable for the struggling working class?

With "Liberation Day," Trump has shown his willingness to throw those voters over the side in pursuit of an unhinged economic agenda. When pressed over the fact that he would drive up costs beyond the point of affordability for those voters, he said he "couldn't care less."

The impacts will be immediate.

The Stellantis plant in Windsor is already going into shutdown. Other key American auto plants will soon follow.

Flavio Volpe, a longtime expert on the North American auto scene, says the production on both sides of the border will grind to a halt: "Don't be distracted. 25% tariffs are 4 times the 6/7% profit margins of all the companies. Math, not art."

Auto is a major driver of the economy. If the assembly lines stall because parts become too expensive, it will hammer the market like a pile driver. And only one man is to blame.

What was stunning about the "Liberation Day" announcement was how bizarre it was. This was total whack-job economics, with Trump throwing tariffs on nearly every country in the world, including an island of penguins off the coast of Antarctica.

Aside from the penguins, other nations will hit back, driving up costs and making the United States more hated, isolated and economically weak.

But April 2 may also be remembered as the day the MAGA mayhem began to fall apart.

In a shocking vote, four key Republicans senators joined the Democrats in calling out Trump's illegal use of "emergency measures" to throw tariffs on Canada. Those Republicans came from Alaska, Maine, and Kentucky, states that were being hammered economically by the power of the Canadian boycott.

Republicans are learning the hard way that when Canadians pull their dollars out of their markets, then the economic cost is being felt by their voters.

We are fighting back.

Meanwhile, Trump also suffered a humiliating loss of a key vote in Wisconsin, where fascist oligarch Elon Musk attempted to buy the election of the Supreme Court - and failed.

Why Musk hasn't been charged is something this Canadian observer just doesn't get.

Needless to say, Mr. Musk-olini is now claiming the Supreme Court election was "stolen." It may be early days, but I have a feeling that Mr. Musk is rapidly wearing out his welcome.

As the previously strong American economy faces growing instability, Trump's tariff war follows the same disastrous playbook that plunged the world into a global depression in the 1930s.

If history is any guide, we risk a similar economic catastrophe.

But Canada has been preparing for this fight. We know what’s at stake.

Throughout these months, I have been thinking of the enormous sacrifices our relatives made in past struggles to bring a true liberation of people.

The last time we faced a challenge of this magnitude, our American allies were just one beach over from us. We were united in the fight again tyranny. Together, we were unbeatable.

And our Canadian soldiers were as inspired as their American cousins by the words of General Eisenhower issued on the morning of June 6:

"The hope and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory! I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!"

These are dark days. But the determination of the Canadian people fills me with such hope. Slowly but steadily, we are pushing forward on the road to liberation - a liberation from lies, intimidation, and economic oppression.

We must encourage our American friends who are still pinned down on the beach.

Theirs is a tougher struggle – towards the liberation of democracy and a return to the rule of law.

But we won't stop until the job is done.

Just as we stood firm in 1945, Canada will remain true, north, strong, and free.

Join Sparky and me on BlueSky socials!

 

On March 21st 2025, Facebook banned me from using my account for a minimum of 6 months. I don't remember the exact reason but it was something like "against community standards." 

I had shared several posts from well-known newspapers in support of my country Canada, against the aggression of the American government threatening to "annex" Canada. 

As soon as I can access my Facebook account, I will post my new social media address on BlueSky socials and let my 3000 Facebook followers decide if they want to continue to follow me. 

Cheers,

Lynda

Sparky sends his woofs! 

B.C. warily reacts to apparent dodge in Trump tariff announcement

 Vancouver Island Free Daily 

Wolf Depner
about 15 hours ago

B.C. Premier David Eby said Wednesday lobbying efforts in the United States against tariffs appear to be making a difference after Canada appears to have dodged additional tariffs beyond those already announced, but Eby and other members of his cabinet also warned of uncertainty and economic hardship ahead. 

"It's clear that our work to date has been finding traction," Eby said in pointing to Republican lawmakers from Kentucky and Alaska. He said they have started to push back against tariffs and annexation threats by Trump. "Our resolve and our swift opposition to these tariffs is having an impact and we cannot let up now," Eby said. 

He made these comments while speaking in the legislature on Bill 7 and shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 10 per cent baseline tariff on all imports to the United States that do not comply with the free trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico.

But if Trump spared — for now — his country's two most important trading partners, Canada will not escape existing tariffs on steel and aluminum and tariffs on automobile and automobile parts that come into effect 9 p.m. PST. Countervailing duties on B.C. forest products also remain in effect. 

Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said he did not expect Trump to announce that he would build an "economic wall" around the United States. 

"This is going to have impacts on us, regardless of what the number or the percentage of tariff is," he said. "When the U.S. sneezes, Canada catches a cold. If they do go into a recession, which some economists have predicted, it will have some impacts on Canada." 

Kahlon said earlier that uncertainty remains.

"It was hard to make sense of President Trump's speech," he said. "We have seen some information come out and we are analyzing that now."

B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar also pointed to this uncertainty.

"I think it's bit early to say that we have dodged the bullet," Parmar said. "I think it is important for myself, for the premier and others to now go and get up to speed in terms of what's happening.

"There is still more time for another (Trump) tweet or something." 

Conservative Party of B.C. Leader John Rustad said he was very pleased Canada is not facing these additional tariffs.

"I was a little surprised when I saw that, particularly when you look at the tariffs that are in place with so many other countries," he said. "Having said that obviously, we are in a long trading relationship with the Americans, but...it still doesn't change the situation that British Columbia is very vulnerable."

These comments appear against the backdrop of the legislature debating Bill 7.

While Eby last week announced his government would change parts of the bill after a broad coalition consisting of business leaders, legal scholars and the political opposition had expressed concerns about excessive cabinet powers, Kahlon defended pushing ahead with the legislation.

"We have to have the tools available," Kahlon said. "This still creates uncertainty for us that we need to navigate and certainly we will be analyzing what this means in the short term. But in the long term, in the medium term, we have a lot of work still to do." 

Rustad questioned why government is continuing the debate on Bill 7, which he said should be withdrawn. 

"I wonder why we are in the legislature today debating Bill 7 to give this government extraordinary powers," Rustad said. "What is the purpose of doing that when we are not facing these tariffs. This is simply a power grab by this government." 

Trump's tariff announcement and the debate about whether to move ahead with Bill 7 coincided with the news that two credit-rating agencies have downgraded B.C.'s credit-worthiness. S&P Global downgraded British Columbia’s rating for the fourth time in four years. The agency downgraded B.C.'s long-term credit rating to A+ from AA- and its short-term credit rating to A-1 from A-1+. Moody’s Ratings also downgraded aspects of B.C.'s credit. 

Both agencies cited B.C.'s rising debt and deficit.

"The downgrade is a reflection of a structural deterioration in British Columbia’s credit profile, characterized by larger deficits and higher levels of debt than previously projected," Moody's said in its assessment. 

The latest provincial budget pegs the provincial deficit at a record-setting figure of almost $11 billion. 

B.C. Finance Minister Brenda Bailey said this development "was a strong likelihood given the complex circumstances we find ourselves in with the high risk of tariff impacts." 

She added that B.C.'s economy remains diversified and resilient and Kahlon said B.C. still has "fiscal strength" to respond to the tariffs. But he also echoed Bailey when he said the government is reviewing every single program. 

"(We) have a huge fiscal problem in this province," Rustad said. "There is no question that this government has been completely fiscally irresponsible, putting our children at risk, putting this province at risk." 

Tesla’s sales on a steep downward trend around the world

 

By Melissa Eddy and Jack Ewing

Melissa Eddy reported from Oslo, and Jack Ewing from New York.

April 2, 2025Updated 10:58 a.m. ET

If there is anyplace Tesla should be thriving, it’s Norway. Electric vehicles account for more than 90 percent of new car sales in the Scandinavian country, and buyers here are among the most sophisticated in the world when it comes to understanding the nuances of batteries, charging and range.

So, it hardly bodes well for Tesla that its sales in Norway have declined more than 12 percent so far this year. Sales for the first three months of the year were even worse in Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Sweden.

In fact, Tesla’s sales have been on a steep downward trend around the world: The company said on Wednesday that its global sales in the first quarter fell 13 percent from a year earlier.

Tesla said that it delivered nearly 337,000 cars during the quarter. That is down from 387,000 in the first three months of 2024 and less than in any period since the second quarter of 2022.

The company’s tepid sales at a time when electric vehicle sales were rising around the world reflected a number of serious problems, not least a consumer backlash against the prominent role that Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, is playing in the Trump administration.

Geir Rognlien Elgvin, an urban planner with the City of Oslo, bought his first Tesla in 2013, months after they were introduced in Norway. He has toured the company’s battery Gigafactory in Nevada. He met Mr. Musk when the executive was still mostly known for wanting to address climate change with electric cars and his rocket company, SpaceX.

But as Mr. Musk drifted to right-wing politics, Mr. Elgvin’s enthusiasm waned. And he grew concerned about the company’s data security policy.

Several months ago, he swapped his Tesla for a battery-powered cargo bike and a shared electric Volkswagen. “I would never drive a Tesla again,” he said. “It’s a question of ethics.”

Last year, Tesla accounted for nearly a quarter of car sales in Norway, far more than any other carmaker. But in the first two months of this year Tesla slipped to third place behind Volkswagen and Toyota. Teslas made up just 9 percent of new cars sold, less than half of its market share a year earlier.

For Tesla, the decline in the world’s most advanced electric vehicle market is ominous, signaling problems to come elsewhere. “Norway is always a good place to look into the future,” said Will Roberts, who follows electric vehicles at Rho Motion, a research firm.

There are several explanations for Tesla’s sales decline. The company depends on two models, the Model Y sport utility vehicle and the Model 3 sedan, for almost all of its sales. The Cybertruck pickup, Tesla’s newest and most polarizing model, has been plagued by recalls and has not sold as well as Mr. Musk predicted it would.

Tesla once set the standard for battery range, software and driver-assistance technology. But traditional carmakers have become more adept at building electric vehicles and have begun to catch up to Tesla in technology. Competitors like Volkswagen, Volvo, BMW — and, outside the United States, BYD, Xpeng and other Chinese manufacturers — offer a diverse selection of luxury sedans, minivans, pickups and compact cars.

“Tesla pretty much all of these years has been alone in Europe and the U.S.,” said Felipe Munoz, global analyst at JATO Dynamics, a research firm. “That’s not the case anymore.”