If last year's provincial budget could be described as petty, after Finance minister Mike de Jong doled out an increase in assistance rates for those living with disabilities, only to claw must of it back by ending the subsidized bus pass program, this year's budget could best be described as petulant. This is de Jong's “I ...

To The Editor: The issue of problems with the quality of care in senior facilities has been widely reported in the last year which has been confirmed by the Senior Advocates Reports. As a result of these reports, the citizens of BC have been expecting some news of improvements concerning staffing levels, enforcement procedures...

Independent elementary schools in British Columbia continue to perform well above average, but this year more than 90 per cent of all elementary schools in the province that showed significant improvement are public, according to the Fraser Institute’s annual ranking of B.C. elementary schools released today.

To The Editor: The Liberal Government under Justin Trudeau has chosen to abandon its commitment to reform our voting system. This is something that the Canadian voting public should not take laying down. Our voting system stands at the core of our democratic process and represents our most fundamental democratic right. Our current “first past […]

“Government was intended to suppress injustice, but its effect has been to embody and perpetuate it.” – William Godwin Like Henry David Thoreau, I heartily agree with the motto – “That government is best which governs least”. When one considers the long list of problems that our governments have tried unsuccessfully to resolve,...

(Editor's Note:  The article below is contributed by the Canadian Cancer Society.  Readers should note that on January 9, 2017, the City of Trail  adopted Bylaw #2821, which restricts outdoor smoking.  It says:  " 2.1.  No person shall smoke: (a) In any Park; (b) At or within 6.0 metres of a Recreation Facility;  (c) At an ...

Mere hours before the New York Times went to press with its look at the B.C. Liberal party's ethical scorecard, the party chose to get its 2016 fundraising results out ahead of the storm. One last chance at political counter-spin and what a marvel of spin it was. U.S. Republican party strategist Karl Rove would have been...

The lighter’s flame touches the end of your cigarette; you take a deep drag and the warm smoke enters your lungs. If it’s your first cigarette, you might instantly find it harder to breathe. The smoke tastes heavy and robust, not entirely unpleasant and reminiscent of drinking coffee for the first time. Then comes the nicotine...

To The Editor: A Christmas poem to all the Liberal MPs in Canada. Oh Liberal MP, oh Liberal dear Pull up a chair and lend me your ear. My tale is short, I won't keep you long Just a wee ask to fix a big wrong. Twas not long ago Trudeau made clear FPTP had had its last year. The people cheered and voted in trust that Trudeau's...

To The Editor: The mydemocracy.ca survey that the government has invited all households to take part in, has been designed to confuse and ultimately dodge the vital issue of fair voting (proportional representation) in Canada. The postcard invites Canadians to take part in the national "conversation" on electoral reform however...