Utility hike once again defeated, garbage rates go up instead, council divided
Tempers ran a little higher than usual at the regular meeting of Castlegar city council Monday night, after Mayor Lawrence Chernoff presented - for the second time in as many weeks - a utility hike recommended by city director of financial services Andre Buss. The staff report outlining the rationale behind an increase of...
SD 20 changes direction; communities react
Contention continues even after School District 20 (SD 20) voted 5-3 Monday night in favour of a motion that will table the Planning for the Future document that recommended closing schools in Rossland and Castlegar. The district will proceed, instead, with 'education focussed' public consulations, in keeping with a new...
School district free-for-all threatening much more than education
After hearing the perspectives of many of the key players in the latest round of nastiness inspired by School District 20’s (SD 20’s) Planning for the Future document, I can only conclude that the well-being of the entire region is at stake, and in more far-reaching issues than education alone. The angry rhetoric being wantonly […]
ATAMANENKO: Food banks
Food Banks Canada released its HungerCount 2010 survey in November. The report paints a grim picture of poverty in Canada and the continued growth in the need for services like food banks and other charitable food providers in our communities. This snapshot from thousands of hungry Canadians and from hundreds of food banks across the […]
Liu Xiaobo: humanity’s hero
It seems like such a simple right: I’m sitting here writing my blog, or you’re sitting there reading it …neither of us fearing that the state Police will break down our doors, throw handcuffs on us, scare the hell out of our families, seize our computers and cart us away to be imprisoned … maybe even beaten. […]
RDCK board elects new chair and vice chair
By Timothy Schafer, The Nelson Daily From one side of the West Kootenay to the other, the regional district has a new chair. Texas-born John Kettle and Area B director was acclaimed as chair of the Regional District of Central Kootenay board of directors on Thursday at their inaugural meeting in Nelson. He replaced Montana-born […]
SD 20 to reconsider community perspectives in regard to Planning for the Future
Next Monday will see a special open board meeting of School District 20 (SD 20), in which trustees will vote on a motion that may well see the district heading back to the drawing board regarding future cuts and district configuration. The meeting, to be held in the Trail Middle School gymnasium at 7 p.m., […]
Tri-city mayors/Chambers of Commerce seek economic development synergy
Riding the high of a successful tri-city bid to host the 2011 B.C. Senior Olympic Games, the tri-city mayors and Chambers of Commerce met last week to discuss further economic development in the region. Castlegar Mayor Lawrence Chernoff, along with Trail Mayor Dieter Bogs and Nelson Mayor John Dooley, met with Chamber of Commerce representatives […]
The deadly, unforeseen consequences of inequality
Last May, the OECD put out figures comparing infant mortality rates in countries around the world. Perhaps the biggest story of all the figures were those attributed to Canada. This country has always boasted of its social stats — life expectancy, infant mortality, university graduates, and other measures of our success as a nation. But not […]
Katrine Conroy surprised by timing of James decision
As one of the key players in the break-away group of 13 NDP caucus members that have been calling for Carole James resignation as party Leader, Kootenay West MLA Katrine Conroy is looking forward to the opportunity to begin rebuilding the troubled party now that James has stepped down. Placing one of the single […]
