The term ‘explosive’ is an exaggeration often used to get people excited about something, but make no mistake – it’s a 100-per-cent-accurate description of the Firefighter Games (see attached video, in which the 2014 opening ceremonies include blowing up a car and RV, and check out the resulting 100-plus-foot fireball). Family...

While the Sitkum Creek Wildfire continues to grow — now estimated at 450 hectares — the BC Wildlife Service is placing a public access restriction for areas around the interface fire that takes place immediately. The bans will remain in force until the public is otherwise notified for the wildfire that is now 20 percent...

The pigs have won the day! At a special meeting this afternoon (July 9), council voted unanimously to reconsider the motion of July 6 regarding the Lamonts’ pot-bellied pigs (for full story, click here). “In today’s meeting, council confirmed their intent not to amend the Animal Control bylaw, but to allow the Lamonts to keep...

What could have been a dangerous fire was dealt with by three quick-thinking Samaritans this afternoon, when a power line went down on Columbia Avenue at about 2 p.m., according to fire chief Gerry Rempel. “We were standing outside the fire hall and watched the line go down,” he said, adding he quickly headed over to where ...

Digital cameras mounted inside a clearly-marked van will soon be on the residential streets of Castlegar as BC Assessment continues to use innovation to update photos used for property assessment purposes. The residential photo update initiative will take street front digital photos of approximately 2,755 single family homes...

More than 200 people gathered Wednesday evening at école de Sentiers-alpins (formerly A. I. Collinson School) to attend a public address on the Duhamel-Sitkum Creek wildfire burning on Nelson's North Shore. Incident Commander Glen Burgess, whose team arrived on the scene Tuesday morning once the fire had outgrown the capacity...

The bustle in the Selkirk College hallways and classrooms slows during summer, but the excitement of educational opportunities never takes a break thanks to Community Education & Workplace Training (CEWT). Each year across the West Kootenay-Boundary region, Selkirk College offers hundreds of classes through its CEWT...

Thanks to a successful AGM and a decision from council Monday night to offer some financial support, Castlegar’s Community Garden is now blossoming and ready to run riot into the coming seasons despite almost withering into obscurity just months ago. “Last year we were running with a skeleton crew, just enough to keep the...

I think Castlegar Mayor and Council owe a local family both money and an apology – not because of a decision made at last Monday’s meeting, but because of the way it was handled, which I feel was heartless. To be clear, I’m a big fan of the sitting council, who seem to me to have a ton of heart. They volunteer relentlessly,...

A Castlegar family will be forced to part with their pet pot-bellied pigs – and eat a several-thousand-dollar investment in said pigs - after city council decided, at its regular meeting Monday night, to deny their request for an exemption from the city’s animal bylaw. City director of Development Services Phil Markin compiled...