Severe drought conditions impact the RDCK
Severe drought levels and unprecedented conditions are being experienced not only in the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK), but across the entire Province of BC. In BC, drought levels are measured on a 0-to-5 scale and the RDCK is at level 4. This means adverse impacts to socio-economic or ecosystem values are...
Cranbrook RCMP Assist in Wildfire Evacuations and Rescue of Three-Legged the Dog
On July 17, at roughly 3 p.m., the RCMP in Cranbrook responded to an urgent call from the First Nations community of ?aq'am. The community was in immediate danger due to the rapidly spreading wildfire, believed to have been sparked by downed hydro lines. Upon receiving the alert, all available RCMP officers in Cranbrook, in...
Closure of HLK Navlock continues as repairs are briefly extended
The navigational lock at the Hugh L. Keenleyside Dam is currently closed for emergency repairs and will remain out of service until repairs are completed. Access to the navigational lock viewing lock area will also be closed during this time. Regular hours of operation for the navigational lock are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday...
Arrow Lakes Reservoir Flow Change Notification
BC Hydro would like to notify the public that the discharge rates from Arrow Lakes Reservoir will increase noticeably on Saturday, July 22. When combined with the outflows from the Kootenay River, Columbia River levels at Birchbank are expected to increase by 0.5 metres (1.6 feet). Please make safety your top priority when ...
New Garbage Carts Coming for Castlegar Residents
Starting the week of July 24, the City will be delivering new, smaller garbage carts, organics kitchen catcher bins, and a 2023-2024 Collection Calendar + Waste Guides to homes. These will be part of the introduction of a new waste management system that will reduce garbage sent to the landfill by separating household waste...
New affordable homes coming to Castlegar
New affordable rental housing is coming for families, seniors, individuals and people living with disabilities in Castlegar as construction has started on 13 new homes in the community. Ravi Kahlon, B.C.’s Minister of Housing, Katrine Conroy, MLA for Kootenay West, Ahmed Hussen, federal Minister of Housing and Diversity and...
Province putting regulations in place to protect ecological reserves
What are "ecological reserves"? Ecological reserves are areas selected to preserve representative and special natural ecosystems, plant and animal species, features, and phenomena. Scientific research and educational purposes are the principal uses of ecological reserves. Ecological reserves are established for the: preservation...
Navigational Lock at the Hugh Keenleyside Dam will be closed July 26
The navigational lock at the Hugh L. Keenleyside Dam will be closed starting at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 25 until 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 27. This closure is necessary for maintenance on the lock. Regular hours of operation for the navigational lock are 8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on...
B.C. strengthens community preparedness for climate-related disasters
First Nations and local governments throughout B.C. will benefit from funding to help strengthen resilience against climate-related hazards, such as flooding, drought, wildfires and heat. “With the severe flooding, drought and wildfires we’ve experienced recently, we are seeing direct impacts of climate change...
City of Castlegar’s New Website is Live
The City of Castlegar has launched a new website, with a fresh design and layout to give people quick access to information and services they need and want. The new site launched earlier this month and allows for new City services to be added and expanded over time. The project was necessary because the City’s old site was ...
