The BC Legislature resumed Feb. 20 with a Speech from the Throne that outlines our commitments for the fall session. The 2024 Budget will be announced on February 22. Our government has taken on some of the biggest challenges facing British Columbians, like childcare, housing, and healthcare. We will continue to add important pieces to […]

Government apologizes for historic wrongs against Sons of Freedom Last week in Castlegar and Grand Forks, Attorney General Niki Sharma delivered a heartfelt and a long overdue apology to the Sons of Freedom Doukhobor community for historic wrongs committed by the provincial government. Along with this apology, a $10 million compensation package was also announced for […]

A Federal Court Justice has ruled in favour of conservation groups that challenged the federal Environment Minister for failing to take action to protect the critical habitats of at-risk migratory birds across the country. This includes the threatened Marbled Murrelet, a seabird that relies on coastal old-growth forests in B.C. for nesting. Ecojustice lawyers, on […]

I’ve written in a previous column about the exciting developments in battery recycling in Trail. There, KC Recycling is one of western North America’s largest lead-acid battery recyclers and Cirba Solutions (formerly Retriev) is a major recycler of literally every other kind of battery. Both these businesses are important components of the circular economy we […]

Community programs, research, education, wellness and mental-health supports are part of a $10-million compensation package announced to provide lasting recognition of historical wrongs committed by the Province of B.C. against the Sons of Freedom Doukhobor and their families. Attorney General Niki Sharma announced the package, on behalf of Premier David Eby, at an event held Thursday […]

Cancer touches all of us, and in British Columbia, lung cancer stands out as one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers, while also being the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. With this in mind, in Rossland, Castlegar, TrailMay of 2022 the provincial government through BC Cancer launched the Lung Screening Program, providing access to eligible […]

For the past three and a half months the world has witnessed the devastating situation in Palestine and Israel. Since the horrifying Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7 and the beginning of this latest assault on Gaza by Israeli forces, tens of thousands of innocent people have been killed, of whom two-thirds are women and […]

At the start of a new year, many of us take time to set goals and make plans for the months ahead. As MLA for Kootenay West, and Minister of Finance for the entire province, I know there is so much work to be done this year to make life better here and across B.C. […]

This past year has been a difficult one for many Canadians, struggling to find a home they can afford, struggling to pay for their groceries, struggling to access proper health care.  And then on top of that we faced the worst year for climate disasters with widespread fires, floods and droughts. Throughout the year, my […]

Following two days of deliberations, City of Castlegar Council approved a Draft 2024 Budget and is now seeking community input. The budget will result in 6.43 per cent tax increase for residential properties and 6.70 per cent for business and light industrial properties. This equates to $83.89 annually, or approximately $6.99 per month, for the […]