Minister`s visit to Lemon Creek meets with mixed reviews
A visit to the Lemon Creek spill site by B.C. Environment Minister Mary Polak on Aug. 30 has not been met with universal approval from local residents. Polak spent several hours touring the area with RDCK chair John Kettle, who said meetings they held were in camera (not open to the public) because of ongoing litigation...
OP/ED: Ottawa lines up with Washington against rest of hemisphere
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird’s recent mission to Latin America cannot mask Canada’s unprecedented diplomatic isolation in the hemisphere. Despite shifting ‘aid’ to the region and claiming to have made Latin America a priority, Ottawa is increasingly offside with a region breaking free from centuries of Western imperialism. On July 9 the Organization of American […]
72-hour animal destruction policy only a housekeeping concern
A local citizen's group may be shouting at the rain in trying to change Castlegar's 72-hour animal euthanasia policy despite their excellent intentions, according to city councillor Deb McIntosh. “It's what's written in the bylaw, but it's not what we do,” she said, referring to Section 22 of Bylaw 572 (Animal Control and...
City council byelection All Candidates Forum draws 60+ people
More than 60 people were on hand last night for the city council byelection All Candidates Forum at the Sandman Inn, hosted by the chamber of commerce. Candidates Kirk Duff, Florio Vassilakakis, Antoinette Halberstadt and Tyler Maddocks offered opening and closing statements, as well as fielding questions from the crowd and...
BC Chambers of Commerce join litigation to stop 'draconian' policy of US border officials
The BC Chamber of Commerce has joined litigation filed in a U.S. court to push back against border measures that pose a serious risk for B.C. businesses and tourists. Currently, British Columbians heading to the U.S. for business or tourism purposes face a border regime that empowers border guards, at their own discretion and...
LETTER: Trail city councillor speaks to lack of Gay Pride events in city
Letter to the Editor: This week is Gay Pride Week in the Kootenays. This is a celebration of love and understanding to millions of people worldwide and, in many cases, the acknowledgment of equal rights for LGBT couples. I am afraid to say that I have been remiss in my duties as a councillor as I did not bring up the topic ...
Greens have new party leader
After former leader Jane Sterk resigned, the B.C. Green Party has appointed a new interim leader. Former Central Saanich councillor Adam Olsen, a B.C. Green Party candidate in Saanich North, is taking over the role of leader. Sterk, who announced in June she would resign at the party’s annual AGM this weekend after leading the […]
Support staff strike may disrupt back-to-school season
West Kootenay public school students may be gearing up for a new year of classes, but the support staff who work within those schools are bracing themselves for a potential strike, according to Castlegar's Cherryl MacLeod. MacLeod works as an education assistant as well as serving as president of CUPE Local 1285, representing...
City council by-election candidate Tyler Maddocks - in his own words
Live in Castlegar. Raised in Castlegar. Born in Castlegar. As the youngest candidate it's time for one seat to sit a new councillor to bring forward energy and a different perspective for the extended future of this community. I first ran in the 2011 election, which proved to be an amazing experience. Just as it was then; it...
City council by-election candidate Florio Vassilakakis - in his own words
There’s an old greek proverb that says “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” Eleven years ago, my family and I came to Castlegar with a vision. It was just months after graduating with a B.Sc from the University of British Columbia, that my father and I set in motion,...
