Business

Tuesday was a great day for low-end wage earners as the provincial government held true to their word by implementing the third increase to the minimum wage over the past year.

This increase follows on a commitment by the Clark government in March 2011 to increase minimum wage in three stages to $10.25 per hour by May 1, 2012.

At the same time, the minimum wage rate for liquor servers and hand harvesters will increase to $9 per hour.

When one thinks of the word ‘businessman’, the mental image one conjures is unlikely to look like Castlegar’s own Yanive Fenier.

But, resplendent in his “Kootenay business suit” (jeans, T-shirt, running shoes), with bushy long black hair and five o’clock shadow, Fenier is perhaps the perfect Shop Local poster boy – someone who earns a living sharing his passion with his community, and who gives back to his community at every opportunity.

A Castlegar city councillor is using social media sites to try to gauge how much community support there is for allowing urban chicken husbandry within city limits.

Kevin Chernoff, now serving his third term at the council table, says the majority of the people attending council on the issue are in support of the notion … but he’s not convinced that’s providing an accurate cross-section of the community and her residents’ wishes.

“I think if the vote came up right down, we could have a council divided down the middle – that’s unusual, and speaks to how complicated the issue really is,” he said. “So I think it’s important we don’t make any assumptions about what residents want.

The Regional District Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) lost no time when the spring thaw hit to execute a court-ordered removal of ten unapproved structures from Peter Demski's property on Granby Road in rural Grand Forks this week.

The wrecking crew arrived on the morning of Wednesday, March 28 with dump trucks and a trackhoe to take down ten trailers and remove the debris from the unapproved trailer park in Peter and Lisa Demski's yard.