DISCUSSION & DECISIONS Request for Proposal 2026-03 Command Unit/Emergency Response Unit – Recommendation for Award (Report No. 26-29) Council approved a report to award Request for Proposal 2026-03 to AM Ford in the amount of $60,358 plus applicable taxes for a new Command Unit/Emergency Response Unit. Council also approved borrowing up to $110,000 through the […]

March 27 saw fire crews responding to a residential fire on Hazelwood Drive according to KBRFR Acting Captain Kyle Boutin. Boutin said the call came in at 10:33 p.m., and crews arrived at 10:39 p.m. to find heavy smoke and flame coming from the rear of the home. “The fire started accidentally from a faulty […]

Beginning Wednesday, April 1, 2026, the health professions and occupations act comes into effect, which will improve patient safety by increasing transparency and ensuring good and consistent governance for regulators. For health-care professionals, it means more support and structure from regulators, so they can focus on patient care. This regulation will not cause any disruption […]

“Eight former members of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) have announced that they will create their own independent league starting in 2026-27, called the Western International Junior Hockey League (WIJHL), and will no longer be affiliated with the KIJHL, Hockey Canada or BC Hockey, following the end of the 2025-26 season. The eight […]

The Government of Canada is strengthening accountability for passport processing by introducing a new guarantee for passport services. On Tuesday, the Honourable Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that, effective April 1, 2026, applicants will receive a full refund of their passport or travel document fee if it takes more than […]

A few mild afternoons don’t mean winter is over, especially in colder and higher-elevation parts of the Kootenays. Snow flurries are in the forecast around the region. Road Safety at Work reminds drivers that winter tires are still legally required on many highways in the Kootenay regionthrough April 30. This includes Highways 3, 38, 93, 95, […]

It has become a habit to check the gas price every time I leave the neighbourhood. I would not have imagined that I would be seeing prices over $2.00 per litre a few months ago. Since I don’t yet own an electric vehicle, I choose ecodriving techniques to save money and realize that my choice […]

When large tracts of forest are clear-cut, we lose more than the trees and their shelter and all the other plant and animal species they nurture and protect; we also lose water. Our demands for water are increasing. Growing populations, water-hungry industries (including fracking and nuclear power production) and the growth of data centres all […]

BC NDP MLAs Brittny Anderson and Steve Morissette say that provincial funding distributed to volunteer and composite fire departments across the province, including in the Kootenays, will support fire department capacity and operations, making people in the community safer and better protected against fire and local emergencies. “Fire crews respond to emergencies in every corner of […]

Josh Gamble of the Castlegar Rebels has committed to play for the University of Flint-Michigan Wolverines in the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 1 next fall. The Wilcox, Sask., native led the Rebels in points with 34 in 44 games, and led the team in points for a third straight season. “We really like his […]