The BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) has reached a tentative agreement with the provincial government, bringing an end to a historic strike that involved more than 25,000 public service workers and eight weeks of job action across British Columbia. The next step is ratification: all 34,000 members of the public service will now have the […]

Monday, October 20 Statement – I rise today to shine a light on a remarkable organization serving the Cherryville community, the Cherryville Community Food and Resource Society. This small but mighty centre is proof that when people care deeply about one another, they can build something truly special. Cherryville is a tiny, unincorporated rural community with […]

Selkirk College is permanently closing the Victoria Street Campus at the end of the current academic year as it continues to address financial pressures from federal restrictions on international student enrolment. Guided by its strategic plan, Land Learning & Legacy: Our Path to 2040, the college is taking steps to mitigate an anticipated ongoing budget shortfall of […]

The Castlegar & District Recreation Commission is in the planning stages for a potential secondary indoor arena and walking track at the Castlegar & District Community Complex. Since June, staff have been reviewing current bylaws, developing funding models, and working with HCMA Architecture + Design to create concept designs and cost estimates for the proposed […]

People in Fruitvale will have access to 31 new, affordable rental homes with the opening of Blizzard Mountain Place. “A safe, affordable home offers stability, dignity and a foundation for a thriving life,” said Christine Boyle, B.C. Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. “For families, seniors and individuals in Fruitvale, these new homes will bring […]

Shortly after 1 a.m. on Oct. 23, emergency services in Castlegar were alerted to fire situated behind a business located in the 1700 block of Columbia Avenue in Castlegar, according to Castlegar RCMP Sgt. Monty Taylor. “Upon attendance the fire was active, engulfing a male and personal items on the ground.  The fire was extinguished […]

The suicidal insanity of non-stop growth Growing economies, growing industry, growing cities, growing population, growing pollution… When does it stop? Our current economic system is obsessed with constant growth; everything must keep expanding — except for the natural systems on which our health and survival depend. Those are shrinking, destroyed by our obsession with growth. […]

DELEGATIONS Association of West Kootenay Rock Climbers Yann Troutet and Daniel Raber provided Council with an introduction to the Association, a registered non-profit organization with ten volunteer directors and approximately 150 members. They outlined ongoing maintenance and improvement projects at the Kinnaird Bluffs climbing area, described their goal of maintaining the site for recreational use, […]

Following a small fire that occurred on the roof above the pool area in the early morning of Thursday, Oct. 16, we are pleased to confirm that contractors have completed inspections and the necessary repairs have been done to the affected area. The pool will reopen on Friday, Oct. 17, for its regular hours of […]

In my youth, I worked as a carpenter for eight years, helping build houses in London, Ontario, as a framer for my uncles’ company, Suzuki Brothers Construction. A framer constructs the foundation and skeleton of a house. I would build the forms for the footings and foundation, mix and pour the concrete and, after the […]