When it Comes to Political Ideas, How Big is ‘Big’?
The notion of ‘big ideas’ periodically raises its head in Canadian politics and I recently criticized the NDP for taking a good idea – a national day of action – and wasting it in on, well, small ideas. Specifically I suggested that the party’s focus on excessive interest rates and other charges effectively redefined citizens...
RDCK passes on savings to taxpayer- Calls for input into Master Plan and pool repairs
The good news in the Regional District of Central Kootenay is that a $1.5 million surplus from 2013 means no increase in taxes for the next two years for RDCK residents. And RDCK chair John Kettle is “elated.” Kettle credits the surplus to the integration of new accounting services delivered by Chief Financial Officer Stuart...
Should the frequency of municipal elections be determined by the provincial government?
Fifty years ago municipal councils were elected to one year terms. Forty years ago the law was changed to allow for two-year terms. Twenty-four years ago terms were extended to three years, and now councils are to be elected to serve four year terms. The reasons for every term extension were to reduce election costs, to give...
Fire centre reminds people to use caution this spring
The Southeast Fire Centre is asking the public to exercise caution while conducting any outdoor burning activities this spring. As the snow melts, dried grass from last summer gets uncovered and that material can be highly flammable. Almost all wildfires at this time of the year are caused by people and are therefore preventable. ...
Selkirk College’s Multi-Million Dollar Capital Project Receives Boost from Columbia Basin Trust
Selkirk College has kicked off the next exciting chapter in post-secondary education in the West Kootenay-Boundary by securing a $1 million donation from Columbia Basin Trust for facility and equipment upgrades to the trades-based Silver King Campus. With the generous infusion of funds, Selkirk College is now poised to move...
Fifth Annual Castlegar Garden and Nature Fest looking for Vendors
Well, here we are suffering from somewhat spring-like weather. Snowy nights and minus 10 degrees, followed by sunny days and plus seven degrees! In some places the grass is laid bare, in other places there are drifts of snow four feet deep! Some of us are peering longingly into the snow banks and inspecting bare branches for...
Mir lecture series presents Sally Armstrong
After having witnessed the horrors that conflict thrusts upon innocent victims in some of the most unstable nations of the world for more than two decades, Sally Armstrong manages to stay incredibly optimistic. One of Canada’s foremost journalists, Armstrong has covered women and girls in zones of conflict from Bosnia and...
RDCK Tackles Recycling on its Own — Asks Minister To Enforce Recycling Legislation
A plan to keep the recycling facility at the Nelson transfer station will be discussed at Thursday’s RDCK board meeting — along with a possibility of an Eco Depot located on the site. This comes after Multi Material BC (MMBC) refused to allow the RDCK to become part of the stewardship program legislated by the […]
GF talks future and politics
The City of Grand Forks, participated as one of three municipalities out of 26 in a pilot ‘Community Engagement’ project sponsored by the Association of Kootenay and Boundary Local Governments (AKBLG) on March 12 at the Omega Restaurant. Seventy-five local citizens registered to join in a lively discussion facilitated by...
Interior Health closely monitoring outbreak of measles in Fraser Valley
Although no cases have been reported in the region, Interior Health is closely monitoring the recent outbreak of measles in the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland, asking the public to be aware of the symptoms associated with the disease. “We’re monitoring the situation in the Fraser Valley and provincially for any signs of the...
