There’s an old saying – if you don’t show up, then you should shut up. I think this holds particularly true right now in Castlegar, as a contentious budget debate will be on the table in two meetings this week at the Community Forum – one tonight at 5:30 p.m. and the other Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Bear in mind, there are all...

Last Wednesday we heard riveting testimony from former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould on her account of events in the SNC-Lavalin story.  This is a long and sordid tale of corruption both abroad and here in Canada. As the SNC-Lavalin scandal rolls out, I’m reminded of Tommy Douglas’ political fable “Mouseland”. In it,...

Skiers accessing Cutblock Peak and environs:  please contain your irritation about the logging operation there that is inconveniencing you – it won’t be there for much longer.  Please stay well clear of the logging -- and please do not park on the logging road, or try to ignore the logging operations.  Here’s why: First, let’s...

On Feb. 14, Air Canada gave Penticton fliers a Valentine’s Day present—they announced that this spring they would be switching out the old Dash 8 aircraft they use now for newer, larger and quieter Q400 planes. That would provide more seats in and out of Penticton on a daily basis, good news for travellers and tourism operators...

B.C.'s NDP is now doing precisely what it criticizes the Liberals for doing — manufacturing a need for power while pushing forward with a project that produces energy that can’t be sold for even close to the price it will cost to produce it. By Sarah Cox, for The Narwhal Of all the years of political spin to...

The B.C. budget will be released tomorrow (February 19) and we’re waiting with bated breath to see the investments in B.C.’s first poverty reduction strategy! Given that the provincial government has been talking about this since they came into power, this is really the time for it to put its money where its mouth is. The...

Pulling together the annual City budget is one of the most complex duties that staff and council performs each year and one that I take very seriously. As a result, at the last council meeting on Feb. 4 – I voted against staff preparing the draft 2019 budget inclusive of an Infrastructure Levy that would be phased in over...

There has been much discussion in the community over the recently proposed 2019-2023 municipal budget and what I believe to be its overly ambitious 37-per-cent increase on residential taxation. My opposition to it has been well documented in the news pages and on social media over the last few weeks. Every year, during budget...

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...