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...

Alex Atamanenko, MP, B.C. Southern Interior, is accusing the Harper government of misusing his privilege to prorogue Parliament in order to suit its own political agenda. Parliament, which was scheduled to resume on Jan. 25, has now (had its leave) extended to March 3, a date which appears to have been contrived to coincide with […]

Last night’s public meeting in Castlegar discussing options for School District 20 (SD 20) as it tries to cope with declining enrollment and funding cuts was, for me, an education. First, I was both surprised and pleased to see such a huge turn out – more than 300 people attended, despite the Canada/USA hockey game […]

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...

It’s that time of year again, when people contemplate the previous year, and here at The Source, we’re doing the same. When I reflect on the past year, the first thing that enters my mind is how lucky I am to have my beautiful wife Nichole and the seven years we have shared together; and my […]

As you prepare to open presents or old family grievances, ski deep powder or skate on thin ice, visit or avoid family, schlep the local trails on skis or snowshoes or sled them, offer praise or gift giving advice, hoist a tankard of ale or down some eggnog (alarmingly, ‘chicken milk’ in French), sink into […]

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...

The Olympic Games are always a favourite venue for disgruntled demonstrators, and 2010 promises to be a pivotal time for activists in B.C. We have a loose coalition of anti-Olympic, anti-global, anti-poverty and anti-capitalist advocates who have been organizing protests to take place during the Games but, mixed in with the activists who may have […]