Kalamalka Eye Care in Vernon is celebrating its official grand opening this Friday, June 27, with a full day of community-focused festivities, exclusive promotions and a fresh start in a beautifully restored heritage home in downtown Vernon, beside the courthouse.
Stop by 3107 27th St. from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and find door prizes, refreshments and live on-site coverage from Beach Radio. Frame representatives will also be on hand to showcase new eyewear collections – find up to 40 per cent off frames from brands like Tom Ford, Oakley, Etnia Barcelona and 50 per cent off Sensity transition lenses throughout the day!
“We can’t wait to show the community our new clinic,” says Dr. Tanner Udenberg, Kalamalka Eye Care owner and Optometrist. “We’re excited to let everyone know we’re here and we’re ready to help!”
Dr. Udenberg grew up in Vernon attending Kidston and Kalamalka Schools, and has been practicing optometry in the city for more than 13 years. He adds that opening a new clinic in his hometown has been a goal of his for many years.
“I love my job. Helping people with their vision has a huge impact on their lives,” he says. “When patients are struggling with their vision or another ocular health concern and we can sort out the issue or help manage their condition, it’s a really rewarding experience.”
The new space offers modern eye care in a restored 1930’s art-deco home. The clinic retains many of its original architectural features, including stained glass, curved corners and elegant archways. “It’s important to preserve these heritage houses. It gives our clinic a sense of place and patients recognize the house as a long standing feature in the community,” Udenberg says.
Kalamalka Eye Care also offers eye exams, glasses, sunglasses, custom contact lenses, dry eye treatment and surgical referrals. The clinic features state of the art technology, including Corneal Topography, OCT and Optomap imaging. No referral is necessary and new patients are welcome.
“If it’s eye-related, we can do it,” Udenberg says. “We’ve got a good team of fully trained staff and we’re proud of the level of care we provide.”
There’s also a local twist that makes Kalamalka Eye Care stand out: the ‘Kal Car,’ a teal 1963 Thunderbird often spotted parked in front of the clinic. Its signature colour pays homage to the vibrant, shifting hues of Kalamalka Lake. “The lake refracts the light, just like the eye,” Udenberg says. “It’s a beautiful optical phenomenon and it ties into what we do.”
The clinic is also raising money for the Starfish Backpack Program. The program delivers backpacks full of groceries to local schools on Fridays and students take them home over the weekend. “The program was originally started by Kalamalka Rotary and I have seen the difference these bags make in the life of children experiencing food insecurity and how appreciative the families are,” Udenberg adds.
Kalamalka Eye Care will donate a portion of each sale of glasses towards the Starfish Backpack Program, Udenberg’s own children will also have a lemonade stand in the front yard of the clinic to help raise funds for the cause.
For Udenberg, Friday June 27 grand opening is a chance to reconnect with the people who’ve supported him over the years – adding that “We are looking forward to sharing the new space with the community!”