Doctors reach tentative agreement with Province
A tentative agreement has been reached between the British Columbia Medical Association (BCMA) and the B.C. government on a renewed Physician Master Agreement covering approximately 10,000 specialists and family physicians in the province. Building on the success of the previous master agreement, the proposed four-year deal...
Think FAST during stroke awareness month
Stroke is the third-leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in Canada. Treatment is complex and time sensitive. In light of this, Interior Health urges residents to know the signs of stroke and get help as quickly as possible. “The importance of early recognition can’t be overstated,” says Dr. Todd Collier,...
Community Foundation to create sustainable funding pool for social needs in Castlegar
City council heard, at its regular meeting Tuesday night, that Castlegar's fledgling community foundation will be taking wing in a comparatively dramatic way, thanks to a $147,000 donation from Kootenay Savings Credit Union (KSCU). "That donation is kind of what gave us the momentum to get started," said foundation president...
New bracelets protect 'Life Lines' for dialysis patients
For a dialysis patient, healthy veins are a life line. But sometimes when Renal staff plan to create a permanent vascular access (called an AV fistula) to facilitate the necessary blood flow for hemodialysis, they find a patient’s veins have been damaged from previous IVs or lab work. Renal staff have been working with...
Modernizing technology for women's health
If you could ensure women in the Kootenay Boundary access to mammography with less radiation, better results and the capacity for non-surgical biopsies would you even question the potential? It’s a clear win situation for the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital Foundation in their quest to purchase digital mammogram equipment....
Got bats in your Koots?
The successful Kootenay Community Bat Project (KCBP) is gearing up for another year of identifying local bat species, providing educational programs and workshops, and assisting landowners with bat issues. Of the sixteen species of bats in BC, half of them are considered vulnerable or threatened and an additional species, the...
HIGH STREAM ADVISORY: Boundary on watch for flooding
A few days of warmer temperatures led to a shift from accumulating snowpack to melting resulting in rising river levels across the Southern Interior this week, putting the Kootenay / Boundary regions on flood alert. The high stream advisory was posted by the B.C. River Forecast Centre on Thursday as they anticipate continued...
USA: The best, most disgusting reporting on food safety
By Blair Hickman in ProPublica. The recent brouhaha over pink slime (and other lovely mass meat production processes) is only the beginning. Here’s our roundup of some standout reporting about the food on your plate. This is a multifaceted, perennial topic. If you think we missed any, we’re happy to hear suggestions. Please...
Food Sovereignty: An idea worth fighting for
The concept of ‘Food Sovereignty’, was developed by La Via Campesina as the best way to promote social justice and human dignity. La Via Campesina is an independent, non-partisan body of local and international organizations from 70 countries, including Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, representing 200 million small ...
St. John Ambulance needs...you!
The volunteer opportunity of a lifetime is about to come open, as the longest-standing humanitarian organization in the world puts out the call for Branch Executive Committee (BEC) members. The Trail branch of St John Ambulance (SJA) serves the entire Kootenay region, from Sparwood to Grand Forks; Nakusp to the U.S. border,...
