The Trail Regional Airport (TRA) is fundamental to affordable and reliable air transportation in the Lower Columbia, and that is central to the area’s economic prospects, argued the airport’s chief volunteer Don Nutini and Mike Martin, the chair of the LCCDT—Lower Columbia Community Development Team—in recent interviews with the Rossland Telegraph. TRA is owned and […]

When it comes to jobs and the economy we often get conflicting messages as to how many jobs were actually created.  I thought it would be interesting to share some figures that Statistics Canada released for the month of May. THE BASICS The Canadian economy as a whole added just 7,700 jobs in May – a relatively weak showing. ...

More than 1,300 small businesses in the Okanagan and Kootenays are reaping big savings on their electricity bills thanks to a $6.85 million lighting installation program sponsored by the Province of British Columbia and FortisBC.  “Small businesses in the Okanagan and Kootenays wanted a program that would make saving energy...

City officials played a comparatively rich card in today’s bid to draw WestJet to the West Kootenay Regional Airport (WKRA) in Castlegar, promising to purchase $350,000 navigational software to reduce airport landing ceilings by 1,000 feet. “We’ve been working on RNP (Registered Navigational Procedure) for ages – it will lower the ceiling to land from […]

Alex Atamanenko, MP for BC Southern Interior, paid a visit to the Pacific Northwest to learn firsthand about the proposed Enbridge pipeline project. He, along with Federal NDP Environment critic Megan Leslie and BC MPs Fin Donnelly and Randall Garrison were hosted by their colleague, Nathan Cullen, MP for Skeena Bulkley Valley.  The group met with […]

Ed Note: The following is a press release issued by Teck Resources: Teck Resources Limited (TSX: TCK.A and TCK.B, NYSE: TCK) (“Teck”) today announced a $1 million investment to support the completion of a section of the Trans Canada Trail (TCT) connecting communities in the Kootenays. “The Trans Canada Trail is part of our shared […]

United Nations trade and climate change advisor Aaron Cosbey—a Rossland resident—attended the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and he was back again last week for the glitz, fanfare, and "complete failure" of the Rio +20 anniversary conference."It was a very predictable thing," Cosbey said, listing many reasons...

A group of seven Grade 7 kids and their four adult group leaders are singing the praises of Scottie’s Marina after being stranded with no supplies or communications during yesterday’s flooding. Youth leader James McFaddin said the convoy set out, prepared to camp in the rain and experience some adventure, when Nature changed their plans. […]

Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) is partnering with BC Ideas to provide five $10,000 cash awards to reward innovative solutions addressing issues which will improve the lives of residents in the Columbia Basin region. BC Ideas: Solutions for Stronger Communities is an online competition seeking to identify solutions to deal with challenges facing BC communities now […]

Castlegar mayor Lawrence Chernoff said letters are coming in fast and furious from across the region in support of the West Kootenay Regional Airport’s bid to entice WestJet to Castlegar … with some glaring omissions. “We’ve received letters from most communities – not all, but most – and we’re getting them from residents, businesses, everyone. […]