COMMENT: Government consultations--is anyone really listening?
On one hand you can't fault the B.C. government for trying, but on the other hand their enthusiasm for it – consulting British Columbians on public policy and pending legislation that is – seems a little wanting. Gung-ho it's not. In the last year, there have been government white papers, discussion papers, no papers but input...
KETTLE RIVER Q&A: The twisted tale of a MAD trout
Adapted from a presentation to classes at West Boundary Elementary, May 2014. Today I want to tell you the story of Maddy the trout. This is a true story, kind of. One that requires a bit of imagination, and no fear of statistics of a very basic kind. Maddy is a rainbow trout (formally Oncorhynchus mykiss for those who like...
The provincial government needs an education about education
I cannot decide if I should laugh or cry in response to the Provincial government’s exasperating effort to come up with lock-out terms for teachers. The government’s objective is to entice teachers to accept its conditions for a new contract. How can restricting the teachers’ hours at work, reducing their income by an arbitrary...
Volunteers badly needed to have a terrific time at this year's Relay for Life
The Trail Relay for Life is a go for tomorrow (Saturday), but organizers say they'd love a few more volunteers tonight and tomorrow help the day go smoothly. "We are looking for Volunteers to join Relay For Life in Trail and be a part of the biggest cancer fundraising event in Canada," said volunteer event development chair...
Thate releases first EP and radio single
Many Boundary residents already know who Amanda Thate is – a 20-year-old local singer known for her vocals. But in the next few months, her name is going to become more familiar in the industry and on radio stations as Thate continues to advance her career. The first big news for Thate is that she is launching her debut album...
No joy in Osprey land, webcam goes down
Former Nelsonite William Dove was pleased to see Nelson Hydro and Columbia Wireless joined forces to have a camera at the nest of an Kootenay Osprey family just off Highway 3A west of Nelson by Grohman Park. Dove, who got his start as a raptor rehabilitator, educator and falconer when I lived in Nelson about […]
Pedestrian vs truck accident in downtown core sees Trail man hospitalized
An accident on Trail's main drag during yesterday's lunchtime rush hour saw one man sent to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to RCMP Sgt. Darren Oelke. He said the call came in at 12:14 p.m., indicating a 10-ton truck had been navigating a right-hand turn onto Victoria Street by the Best Western downtown,...
LETTER: 70+ hours unpaid overtime in Slocan tragedy nets school psychologist pay dock for `job action`
May 27, 2014 Christy Clark, Premier Via email. RE: $596.82 pay deducted for 70 hours of overtime? Dear Ms. Clark: Today wasn’t a great day for me personally. Neither was yesterday. Nor last week. Not even the week before. In fact, difficult days have been the norm since I was pulled away from preparing Mother’s Day brunch for...
Interim Trail/Warfield recreation deal paves way for new councils as election looms
The City of Trail and the Village of Warfield have reached a new recreation and library agreement. “Our five-year agreement expired in January and we didn’t renew it,” said Bert Crockett, the mayor of Warfield. “So we met with [Trail] and the negotiations broke down. We figured what they were asking was too much. We opted to...
Rotating teacher strikes to continue; community rallies
Rotating teacher strikes will continue next week, with instruction brought to a halt in every school district for another full day (in SD 20, that will be June 2, and June 5 for SD 8. See end of story for all district schedules). “On Monday, June 2, schools and other SD20 locations will be picketed by members of the BCTF,” ...