At Monday, April 1st council meeting a gentleman stood up and made some very inappropriate homophobic comments, along with comments about the homelessness in our community. When I got home, I could not sleep as it really bothered me that not one of us on council or our staff intervened to tell him to sit down and be quiet -...

The B.C. Poverty Reduction Coalition (BCPRC) congratulates the provincial government for launching the first ever poverty reduction plan for B.C.: TogetherBC. After a decade of advocacy, B.C. is no longer the only province without a poverty reduction strategy. The BCPRC welcomes the strong start outlined in the plan tracking...

To The Editor: Dear Senators, The First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) is calling on each Senator of Canada to support the passage of Bill C-262, An Act to ensure that the laws of Canada are in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, without delay. The Truth and Reconciliation...

Dear Council Members,      I am writing to implore you to reconsider your upcoming tax budget. The proposed 34/35 per cent over five years is astronomical, particularly in light of the current three-per-cent cost of living increase. We have all seen groceries and gasoline prices go up much more than that, which impacts us all...

One of the primary reasons that many citizens are drawn to Castlegar, is the economy. It attracts people who are not wealthy, like retirees and those on fixed incomes. Many politicians want to build arbitrary monuments to themselves. They want to be remembered so they can bask in kudos for re-election. We do not need to become...

I’m writing this in response to a widely-publicized column by MP Richard Cannings earlier this week about issues in his riding. He says, “This week one issue dominated the conversation—housing, housing, housing.” But there’s no mention of it in reference to Castlegar. “I met with the new mayor of Castlegar as well, and his ...

OPEN LETTER: The discriminatory, sexist comments about Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould being spread by government officials and staff are appalling and condemnable   Dear Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, We demand that you immediately and categorically publicly condemn the racist and sexist innuendo about Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould...

On February 5, a longer version of the following letter went to Castlegar Council, signed by 15 area residents. We are hoping that Council will deliberate on this before finalizing the budget in April. Please redouble efforts to make Castlegar’s public spaces cosmetic-pesticide free, by increasing the maintenance of our lawns...

To The Editor: In light of the Greyhound bus lines reducing service in British Columbia, the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) wanted to take the opportunity to reach out to any people living with cancer who may be impacted by this withdrawal of service. No matter where you live, CCS is here to ensure that no Canadian has to face...

Dear Editor, BC taxpayers miss out on almost a billion dollars every year due to our government's dangerous and misguided fossil fuels subsidies; dangerous because fossil fuel expansion threatens to further degrade the health of BC's citizens and environment, misguided as it unfairly skews the market away from the clean energy...