The polar bear has become the poster child for climate change impacts in the Arctic. Sea ice, which the bears depend on for hunting, is melting at an ever-expanding rate. For other species, climate impacts are not as direct. The 2019 State of Canada’s Birds report found aerial insectivores like swifts, swallows and nightjars...

Last week I cycled around the beautiful riding of South Okanagan-West Kootenay—436 km of rail trail and highway, 18 cafes and restaurants and lots of good conversations!  While the talk over coffee and food was wide-ranging—from caribou to craft distilleries, health care to infrastructure, agriculture to electoral reform—the...

It’s time to reflect on our driving habits, and on the facts cited below – especially for the safety of everyone’s children.  According to the  Canadian Paediatric Society, motor vehicle incidents are the leading cause of unintentional injury and death in Canada for children from 1 year old to 19 years old. The  BC Injury...

As I knock on doors across the south Okanagan and West Kootenay, one issue is a common topic of conversation—health care.  Canadians are rightfully proud of our public health care system, and the NDP is proud that it was Tommy Douglas who fought for the free, universal program that we enjoy. It is not perfect, but...

UPDATE:  Canada's Chief Electoral Officer, Stephane Perrault, issued a public statement today, clarifying that environmental groups can say "whatever they want" during the election period, subject to the usual rules. There had been a rash of reports and opinion pieces, including this one, and a fine piece in The Beaverton, ...

Dated:  July 29, 2019:  For over two decades the Tsilhqot’in have battled to keep Taseko Mines Ltd. (TML) from destroying Teẑtan Biny and Yanah Biny with TML’s plan to create an open pit mine on a place of profound cultural and spiritual significance. Both TML and TNG have filed injunctions in B.C. Supreme Court and are in...

Betty was very quick of wit, usually quite agreeable and very funny.  She was gentle, accepting, and supportive and she rarely took crap from anyone.  She always had a ready response.    Her kindness and generosity of spirit usually stopped her from giving voice to unkind sentiments. She could always see the positive side of...

The current humanitarian crisis of migrants and refugees seems overwhelming. The sheer scale of the challenge leaves many feeling disempowered, sometimes resorting to racism or xenophobia. This is only the beginning. The best evidence suggests the climate crisis will continue to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis--as if an ...

I love my Grandma. I think I learned more from her than I ever did from any school. From her, I learned about a very practical and common sense approach to the challenges in life. I honour her spirit by trying to impart her knowledge to the next generation, as well, practice her pearls of wisdom in my own life. Of all the...

Editor’s note: At the Mighty Men Conference hosted recently near Castlegar, the keynote speaker encouraged participants to espouse the late-ancient household code that includes wives “submitting” to husbands. Because the speaker had elsewhere voiced strong anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments, a group protested the conference. Thousands ...