Cross-border deal's grave threats to Canadian food security
The following is the third installment of a three part investigation by Nelle Maxey into the wide-ranging environmental and socio-political implications for Canada of the recently signed US-Canada cross border security deal and ancillary agreements related to the Regulatory Cooperation Commission. Read part 1 and part 2 here....
Police 'attacked' with Tim Bits on Christmas Eve
The Castlegar RCMP were kept busy over the Christmas season, reporting 90 files between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day. There were 13 motor vehicle accidents reported in that period. None of these accidents resulted in serious injury or death. On Dec. 26, at approximately 2:30 p.m., officers responded to a roll-over...
Climbing enthusiasts have four months to find new digs after Gravity Centre receives eviction notice from new owners
By Bruce Fuhr, The Nelson Daily Editor Is indoor climbing going the same way as squash in Nelson? A group of local climbing enthusiasts are going to do their best not to let the sport go the way of the dinosaur. “As it stands we are just beginning to organize and look for venues,” said […]
Tax assessments don't reflect any major changes in Castlegar property values
More than 8,000 property owners in the Castlegar area can expect to receive their 2012 assessment notices in the next few days. “Most homes in Castlegar and its surrounding rural area have changed only marginally from last year‟s assessment roll,” said Dennis Hickson, deputy assessor. “For example, a typical single...
Province increases homeowner grants threshold
British Columbians who own homes worth up to $1.285 million may be eligible to receive the entire homeowners’ grant this year, after the Province raised the threshold to accommodate rising property values. BC Assessment estimates the value of all homes based on their market value on July 1 each year. The Province then reviews...
Top five mortgage trends of 2011
By: Rob McLister, Canadian Mortgage Trends Cheap money fuelled another buoyant year for real estate in 2011. That helped housing values climb a wall of worry (prices rose another 4.6 percent year over year as of November) despite numerous predictions of a correction. Mortgage balances went along for the ride, growing another 7 percent. 2011 was a […]
No decision yet by government for Midway border crossing
A Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) official says no decisions or action timelines have been made for any of the Midway, Boundary and other B.C. area border crossings listed in a document accidentally released in early December. “Our government is focused on ensuring our shared border is secure while easing the flow of legitimate […]
One man dead after avalanche in back country
A skier triggered avalanche left one man dead in Revelstoke, B.C. on Friday as a group of heli-skiers took to the backcountry.Ronald Gregory Sheardown, age 45, from Dubaï, a former Canadian from Stouffville, Ontario, was the victim of the heli-skiing avalanche on Friday, Dec. 30.Shearman was with a group of eleven skiers and...
Midway border crossing on secret closure list
A leaked government document about the future of Canada’s border crossings — including possible closure, reduced hours, sharing of facilities and remote monitoring — lists Midway, Cascade, Nelway and Chopaka crossings. The document, “Small Port Working Group – Initial Results and Paths Forward”, was done collectively between Canada’s Customs and Border Services Agency(CBSA) and […]
Oh, Canada’s become a home for record fracking
By Nicholas Kuznetz in ProPublica.Early last year, deep in the forests of northern British Columbia, workers for Apache Corp. performed what the company proclaimed was the biggest hydraulic fracturing operation ever. The project used 259 million gallons of water and 50,000 tons of sand to frack 16 gas wells side by side. It...
