I was trained to be a scientist. A book I cowrote with Tony Griffiths became the most widely used genetics text in the United States. But as I was beginning my career in Canada, I was struck by the priorities of newspapers and television. Whole sections and programs were devoted to politics, business, sports and […]

I’ve written in a previous column about the exciting developments in battery recycling in Trail. There, KC Recycling is one of western North America’s largest lead-acid battery recyclers and Cirba Solutions (formerly Retriev) is a major recycler of literally every other kind of battery. Both these businesses are important components of the circular economy we […]

“We all live in a network of stories. There isn’t a stronger connection between people than story-telling.” — J. N. Smith Reconciliation, after Truth is taught I have written in this column before about Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, most recently in the last Arc in December. I feel it’s a subject that I might […]

Canada is regarded as a country of spectacular nature, with magnificent forests. The boreal forest alone, stretching from Yukon to Newfoundland and Labrador, makes up 55 per cent of Canada’s land mass and is home to numerous plant and animal species and human communities. Listening to government, you could be forgiven for thinking that our […]

For the past three and a half months the world has witnessed the devastating situation in Palestine and Israel. Since the horrifying Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7 and the beginning of this latest assault on Gaza by Israeli forces, tens of thousands of innocent people have been killed, of whom two-thirds are women and […]

At the start of a new year, many of us take time to set goals and make plans for the months ahead. As MLA for Kootenay West, and Minister of Finance for the entire province, I know there is so much work to be done this year to make life better here and across B.C. […]

Dear editor, Pro-oil politicians like Premiers Danielle Smith and Scott Moe are lying to Canadians about renewable energy and I’m sick of it. The risk of losing power during a brutal cold snap like the one Alberta just had is terrifying. The province’s power grid struggled because extreme temperatures took out multiple gas generators, not […]

A media release arrived in my inbox, to publicize the message of a coalition of communities and businesses urging government to take more effective action to reduce crime. The coalition calls itself “Save Our Streets” — SOS.  Their message is a call “for all levels of government to coordinate their efforts and put an end […]

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? Anyone resolve to help overthrow consumer capitalism? If we come together and resolve to do better for each other and the planet, we could find a better path. It would be easier if the gas, oil and coal industries and their supporters would resolve to clean up their […]

This past year has been a difficult one for many Canadians, struggling to find a home they can afford, struggling to pay for their groceries, struggling to access proper health care.  And then on top of that we faced the worst year for climate disasters with widespread fires, floods and droughts. Throughout the year, my […]