The BC Oil and Gas Commission recently revealed some concerning figures about abandoned oil and gas wells in British Columbia.  In one example, Ranch Energy recently declared bankruptcy, leaving up to 500 abandoned wells in care of the Commission.  Much of the cost to clean up those sites will likely fall on the shoulders of […]

The sun is shining, snow is melting and the birds are singing again.  This is one of my favourite times of the year, however for a lot of patients the melting snow and pollen means a season of sneezing, itchy eyes, and a runny nose. The common term for seasonal allergies is ‘hayfever’ and the medical term is ‘seasonal allergic...

The City of Castlegar has received a $65,000 grant from the Columbia Basin Trust that will help the community move toward energy efficiency and self-reliant community energy generation objectives contained in its Official Community Plan. The grant will enable completion of a $100,000 project to place solar panels on the roof...

Three young men are extremely lucky to be alive today after an MVI about two-and-a-half km up Deer Park Forest Service Road yesterday. Castlegar top cop RCMP Sgt. Darren Oelke said a 25-year-old Castlegar man was showing his two Surrey friends, 20 and 21 years old, the area Sunday afternoon. “The truck was at the highest part...

BC RCMP are clawing their way through crime by proudly introducing a new tool in law enforcement, Police Cat Services. Frontline officers throughout the Province who have been volunteered for the pilot project will be assigned their police cats over the next few months. Each Police Cat handler will also be given a Cat carrying...

ICBC premiums are rising! The corporation is losing billions, we have to get costs under control! Let's put out the ICBC dumpster fire by reducing what we pay out in claims, but assure crash victims that they will be properly taken care of. That's about all you can get into a 30 second sound bite but if there are a few more...

With fire season underway, the Castlegar Fire Department is reminding residents that burning yard and garden waste is an absolute no-no - and could cost you big bucks. The following is a Facebook post CFD published detailing just how expensive it can be to violate burning rules within city limits: Please be aware, City of...

Castlegar police re-enacted their own version of Animal Farm this morning, as livestock concerns took the limelight in calls for response. Castlegar top cop RCMP Sgt. Darren Oelke said (after much hectoring from a local reporter for a story to cover) police got a call at 10:44 a.m. Thursday morning about a mule on the […]

New information is surfacing about a fatal MVI  and fuel spill on Hwy 3 near Salmo last night. RCMP West Kootenay Traffic Services Sgt. Chad Badry said the vehicle involved was a B-Train fuel truck, meaning a tractor hauling two fuel tankers. “They were carrying gasoline and diesel,” Badry said. “A significant amount was...

Update from Interior Health: This incident resulted in fuel contamination in the South Salmo River. Interior Health has identified no registered drinking water users downstream of the spill site and there is a low risk to public health. Residents who may draw their water from the river between the crash site and the Salmo...