What is the only thing standing between the City of Castlegar and Official Bear Smart Status? Unlocked and unsecured bear-resistant garbage carts. A recent meeting between City officials, local Conservation Officer Ben Beetlestone, Wildlife Conflict Manager for the Conservation Officer Service, Mike Badry, and WildSafeBC...

Now celebrating its tenth year, the BC SPCA’s Wildlife-in-Focus Photography Contest is officially open for entries. Whether the subjects are in your own backyard, foraging for food in rivers, or exploring B.C.’s beautiful forests, amateur photographers at least 14 years of age are invited to send in their work. The contest ...

Filmmaker Mark Kitchell (Berkeley in the Sixties, A Fierce Green Fire) brings his new film EVOLUTION of ORGANIC to the Castle Theatre on Monday, July 23 at 8 p.m. This film tells the story of organic agriculture, in the words of those who built the movement. A motley crew of back-to-the-landers, spiritual seekers and farmers’...

As a result of a July 4 search warrant conducted by the RCMP Joint Crime Reduction Unit and Castlegar RCMP, one adult male remains in custody, according to Castlegar RCMP Cpl. Jason Olney..  "Castlegar resident Andrew Lee Cancela, has been remanded in custody on two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance, and one count...

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for our area, warning of Friday windstorms: A vigorous cold front is expected to sweep across the southeastern Interior Friday night. Strong southwesterly winds with gusts up to 60 km/h are expected ahead of the front on Friday afternoon. Stronger northerly winds with...

A recent, failed recreation referendum in Castlegar is being echoed by the city’s namesake a half a world away. Townsite founder Edward Mahon named Castlegar after his home in Castlegar, County Galway, Ireland, back in 1897. On June 23, the Canadian contingent of Castlegarians was presented with a vote authorizing $22,000,000...

The BC Coroner’s Service is investigating the death of a Trail man after a climbing incident above the Trail Regional Hospital yesterday afternoon. “I can confirm we are in the early stages of our investigation involving a male in his 30s from Trail,” said Communications Manager Andy Watson in a phone interview Thursday. “Due...

Residents may find themselves confusedly trying to understand who’s at the helm of our local police detachments, as RCMP work to manage staff shortages and attrition while still providing optimal service delivery. In Castlegar, Top Cop Sgt. Laurel Mathew retired June 6, leaving now-Acting Sgt. Brett Turner at the helm for the...

Kootenay Boundary Regional Fire Rescue has responded to three vehicle fires in four days, two of which were called in Wednesday night. The first vehicle fire was near Columbia Gardens Road on July 9, with the call coming in at 12:23 a.m. The fire was in a forested area, and crews had it knocked down very quickly. The cause ...

To The Editor: One of the things that first attracted me to proportional representation, PR, apart from the fact that it just made sense, is that it is supported by people across the political spectrum. At my first PR meeting in 2004, I sat next to someone from the Canadian Rate Payer's Federation and Andrew Coyne was the...