Conservative Government’s 2012 Budget Bill (C-38)
With no other explanation, other than to dismiss the legislation as “unnecessary red tape”, one deeply buried line of Bill C-38, the Conservative government’s 2012 Budget Bill states: “The Fair Wages and Hours of Labour Act is repealed”. And with these 10 words the Conservatives ‘Trojan Horse’ bill, as it has come to be called, […]
Castlegar mayor joins Dooley in opposing pot legalization
A campaign to decriminalize marijuana in B.C. is putting local politicians on the spot – including Castlegar’s Mayor Lawrence Chernoff. A coalition of eight B.C. mayors, through Stop the Violence BC campaign, sent a letter in April urging provincial leaders to “support the regulation and taxation of marijuana”, citing public heath concerns and crime reduction […]
Chambers of commerce/businesses throw support behind Castlegar's WestJet bid
Four area chambers of commerce have offered regional airport representatives their endorsement in a bid to encourage WestJet to come to the Kootenays – meanwhile the Castlegar chamber is being flooded with letters of support from local businesses. Just last week, WestJet invited members of the West Kootenay Regional Airport Advisory Committee (including Castlegar Mayor […]
Nights of the round table: culture in Castlegar
Roughly 35 people attended a round table meeting June 12 at the Castlegar Complex hosted by the Castlegar Cultural Advisory Committee. The purpose of the gathering was to discuss future objectives of the committee, and possible actions steps for continued growth in culture. Over 23 organizations were represented, according...
Nelson Council Debates Legalization of Pot
Nelson City Council, normally quite an amiable group, descended into a tense stalemate Monday during a long discussion about the legalization and regulation of marijuana. The discussion included some acrimonious exchanges between Mayor John Dooley and Councillor Donna Macdonald. Council was debating a motion that, if passed, would have had the mayor sign a […]
City to review development cost charges
The City of Castlegar will be spending just under $50,000 to review their development cost charges, after an unanimous vote at Monday night's regular council meeting. Councillor and chair of council's planning and development committee, Kevin Chernoff, said the fee structure is more important than many realize. "They are...
BC Transit to unify services across RDCK and RDKB
The vision of a unified transit system covering both the Kootenay Boundary and Central Kootenay regions is a step closer to reality, according to Castlegar mayor Lawrence Chernoff. Chernoff is also chair of the newly-formed West Kootenay Transit Committee, which had its first meeting Wednesday. “We met yesterday with BC Transit, and that’s when it […]
WestJet clarifies invitation
A delegation (including Castlegar mayor Lawrence Chernoff) invited to present to WestJet near the end of this month will be one of fewer than 50 from across the entire country, according to WestJet media relations advisor Jennifer Sanford. She said the first step in a very complicated process began back in January, when WestJet...
WestJet one step closer to Castlegar?
WestJet has asked representatives of the West Kootenay Regional Airport Advisory Committee to meet with airline staff later this month to discuss why WestJet should come to Castlegar (see also: http://castlegarsource.com/news/westjet-clarifies-invitation-19383). Castlegar mayor Lawrence Chernoff, Nelson mayor John Dooley, city manager John Malcolm and former MP (and air traffic controller) Jim Gouk will be among the […]
Mene. Mene. Tekel. Upharsin.
The words that title my piece are biblical and mean, roughly, “number, number, weight, division.” They are apt to this moment. I believe that numbers, judgment, and a state of feeling divided, are clues to our malaise as Canadians right now. To say that Stephen Harper divides Canadians like no other prime minister before him...
