If it wasn’t for all the media hype damning Prime Minister Harper for proroguing Parliament, would anyone have even noticed? The federal services won’t suddenly freeze up just because ineffectual politicians are not sitting in the House of Commons. There will be no interruptions in employment insurance or old age security...

The other day I found myself in a rather heated debate over the new law that prohibits people from using a cell phone while driving. The individual I was discussing this issue with was adamant that it was one more stupid law and another attempt by the government to control the rights and freedoms of Canadians. I do not agree...

There has been a lot of passion and concern expressed regarding the possible cuts in our local schools. Meetings in the district have been well attended and numerous people are also expressing their thoughts in writing to the school district. Meanwhile, the school district trustees and board staff have faced the tough questions...

School District 20 (SD 20) has recently made the proposal of closing down several area schools, in an attempt to save some much-needed money. It should not come as a surprise to anyone that the parents of students and, even the City of Trail, have formed a coalition of sorts to prevent the closure of Glenmerry and Webster...

My office has recently learned of the latest credit card scam, which I thought would be worthwhile sharing with readers during the holiday season. The scam works like this: A person will call saying, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge Number is 12460, your card has been...

The following is a letter to the Honorable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, sent by local NDP MP Alex Atamanenko: Dear Minister Finley, I write to you on an urgent matter affecting not only my constituents, but those across the province of B.C. The BC government has made an abrupt...

What happens if top scientists in their field of study seem to be doctoring facts, colluding with one another to control the peer review process and evading legal requests for their underlying data? You get Climategate. The name itself is absolutely ridiculous, but the actual story is very incriminating and saddening. I had...

This week a parliamentary committee has heard testimony from diplomat Richard Colvin, concerning alleged torture of Afghan detainees that were captured by Canadians and then handed over to Afghan authorities. And even though I wanted to discuss this, this column has been the most difficult for me to get through, mainly because...

The following is a press release issued by B.C. Southern Interior MP Alex Atamanenko:Over the past years, life has become more difficult for our post-secondary students. This past summer saw the second-highest level of student unemployment since 1977. Those who found jobs faced lower wages and fewer hours. Most students need...

On Nov.4, our MP, Alex Atamanenko, voted against Bill C-391, which would scrap the long gun registry, throwing his support behind what has become known as the “$2 billion boondoggle”.Why would our MP vote in favour of keeping the colossal waste of money?He states that, “I believe the registry may be working. Between 1991 and...