Nelson News

Dear editor,

We all witnessed how our Olympic athletes inspired and unified our nation. Whether they won or not, their stories touched our hearts and we applauded their efforts. We are writing in response to Interior Health’s proposed cuts to our Hospital. Instead of going for gold in our Health Care system it seems we allow the towel to be thrown in, apparently bowing to the almighty Dollar.

The Health and Hospital Committee (HHC) of the Lower Columbia Community Development Team are planning a groundbreaking ceremony for the new heliport at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital.

The project has been made possible by the generous donations of a number of different groups:

$100,000            Signature Sponsor Kootenay Savings Credit Union Foundation

$100,000            West Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital Board

 You may not like or agree with the B.C. government, but you have to give them credit for knowing and understanding how to deal with the current state of B.C. media. With the help of VANOC and the 2010 Olympic Games,  Premier Gordon Campbell and his ministers and government officials have had  the B.C. media right where they no doubt want them: mesmerized by Games fever.

The Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC) is issuing a special public avalanche warning for a widespread area of the province’s backcountry. The warning includes the mountainous areas of the North Coast, the South Coast, the North Rockies, the Columbia Mountains and the Kootenay Boundary. The warning is in effect from Friday, Feb. 26 through to Monday, March 1.

Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) is now accepting applications for its Youth Community Service Awards, valued at $2,000 and awarded based on volunteer community service rather than academic standing.

"We are particularly proud to be able to present these awards to youth, who have shown a commitment to volunteering in their communities, for them to use towards any post-secondary training or education," said Lynda Lafleur, CBT Community Liaison. "We believe in the difference youth can make in their communities by volunteering their time amidst busy academic or athletic schedules."

Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) is pleased to announce that 19 local governments will be participating in the Columbia Basin Water Smart Initiative (Water Smart) to address water conservation in the region.

CBT is partnering with 17 municipalities and two regional districts to embark on this ambitious initiative to reduce community water use across the Basin by 20 per cent by 2015. Communities will determine their own local water conservation target that will contribute to the overall Basin-wide target.

MLAs Katrine Conroy and Michelle Mungall have written a letter to the Minister of Health, Kevin Falcon, describing to him the concerns that area surgeons, anesthetists and operating room nurses have with the decision by the IHA to cut surgeries at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital.

In their letter dated February 15, 2010, Conroy and Mungall described to the Minister that the KBRH serves 2 large regions and by shutting one of the operating rooms this puts patients at risk in both the East and West Kootenay Boundary regions.

by Tiffany Kanda

The Steps Dance Company has been working hard to create a once in a life time opportunity.They will be presenting a fashion show titled 27 Dresses, which will show case wedding dresses throughout the century.  It is truly a celebration of women.

 Teck and the BC Cancer Society (screening Program) have donated a very useful pelvic exam table to the Selkirk College Nursing program. The table was donated following a fourth year student nursing project that partnered with the community to provide cervical cancer screening for the college population. This screening took place at the Castlegar Campus, providing excellent accessibility for the college’s students.