From Parliament Hill: Electoral Reform
Voters made clear choices for change in the federal election, and one of those choices was for electoral reform. The Liberals, NDP and Green parties all loudly pledged that the 2015 election would be the last held in Canada under the first-past-the-post voting system, and those parties collectively received nearly two-thirds of the popular vote […]
Trail mayor says 2015 set foundation for exciting developments this year
Last year proved to be an active one for the mayor and city council. Trail Mayor Mike Martin completed his first year as a first term mayor and says he came into the role with clear plans after a strategic planning session with councilors. “It was an exciting year and we accomplished much of what we set out to do,” said Martin....
Learn to navigate your city on-line
The City of Trail is pleased to announce it has entered into a partnership with the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy (CBAL), the region’s not-for-profit literacy organization, to provide free how-to classes for the City’s online payment system for utility bill payments, property taxes, Home Owners Grant claims and online...
BC ski hills (including Red) offering half-off for Family Day
On Feb. 8, BC residents can ski and ride for half price at participating ski areas in celebration of BC Family Day. This offer is a partnership between 30 BC ski areas, Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA) and Destination BC, to make family snow sports more accessible to all British Columbians. Each year the program […]
IIO Chief Civilian Director to Retire at End of Term
Following a 30-year career as a civilian oversight practitioner, the Chief Civilian Director of the IIO will be retiring at the end of his term in January 2017. Richard Rosenthal has notified the Attorney General of B.C. that he will not be seeking a re-appointment when his current term expires. Rosenthal will shift his focus...
Significant spike in CBT community grant money
Community projects will be getting access to more funds this spring through Columbia Basin Trust’s popular Community Initiatives and Affected Areas programs. The Trust announced a 15-per-cent increase from $3.6 million per year throughout the Basin, to over $4.2 million per year for each of the next five years. “We are pleased...
RANT: Are investigative delays a form of torture against cops, loved ones, and the public at large?
I’ve wracked my brain on this issue, but I can’t see any other way to get the government’s attention on this issue, the issue being what I perceive to be outrageous delays in IIO investigations of officer-involved fatal shootings in our area (for the background story, click here): I think the RCMP members in question […]
Investigations into local officer-involved fatal shootings still incomplete
The Independent Investigations Office is responsible for investigating two officer-involved fatal shootings in the region in the past two years. In a second interview, conducted this week (the first was in March of 2015, to read that story, click here ) the Source again asked why the investigations were taking so long (to put...
BC government increases home owner grant threshold in 2016
British Columbians are getting a bit of a reprieve a few days after the 2016 assessment notices were sent out to homeowners. The Liberal government has said in a media release homes valued up to $1.2 million may be eligible to receive a full home owner grant this year, while a partial grant may be available if the home is...
High cost versus low flood reduction stalls Grohman Narrows project
BC Hydro has elected to scrap its Grohman Narrows dredging project in face of high costs and potential risks versus the degree of flood risk reduction it would bring, the corporation announced Monday. The results of a two-year investigation by BC Hydro into the potential improvements at Grohman Narrows have concluded that...
