It's hot and dry in the Boundary area and this means that wildfires are an ongoing concern. On July 8, an open fire ban was initiated by the Southeast Fire Centre. This means that pretty much everything except controlled campfires are banned including burning waste and grass fields. Some people may even be surprised to learn...

Organic gardeners share one challenge that has many faces – how to nurse newly emerged seedlings along to the point when they are strong enough to defend themselves. Because seedlings are so tender and tasty, and low to the ground, they are easy pickings for a host of animals, from the very tiny to the enormous. Everything ...

When she stood on stage at the Chicago Pro Bodybuilding Show, Nancy Clark was nervous for the first time in a long time. "I thought I was having a heart attack," she said, laughing at the memory. "I had to remind myself to breathe." Thankfully, she was only on the stage for a few moments during the preliminary show but when...

Selkirk College nursing graduate Kara Sundberg recently won the University of Victoria (UVic) Faculty of Human and Social Development Award of Distinction for the highest grade point average (GPA) of all graduates in the faculty. Kara’s GPA was not only the highest in her nursing program, it was the highest in the faculty, ...

The federal Fisheries Act was designed to protect aquatic species, including preventing the dumping of harmful materials into fish-bearing waters. In 2012 Bill C-38, the Budget Implementation Act, began the gutting of the Fisheries Act by the Harper Conservatives in earnest. Four former federal Fisheries ministers were compelled...

Long-time Rosslander Carol Enns and her family need our support.  On June 29th, Carol and her niece, Amy Enns, were traveling south to Spokane when a truck driving in the opposite direction veered into their lane, hitting their vehicle and causing a horrific crash.  Carol and Amy were taken to hospital in Colville.  Police are […]

In a recent column about sediment I noted that fecal coliform bacteria had been rising in the Kettle River at Midway. Some readers asked me to spell out what that means. Fecal coliform bacteria are a large group of microscopic organisms which live in the intestines of warm-blooded animals, including humans, cattle, and deer....

With hot and sunny days ahead this summer, FortisBC PowerSense is reminding customers to be aware of the energy they use to keep their homes cool, especially during peak electricity usage hours of 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. when people come home from work or other daytime activities. “By taking simple steps to save energy, customers ...

I’d had my column already written; the topic was Canada’s war in Afghanistan. Then the events at the Victoria Legislature hit the news, and it is clear that something must be said about that. It is noteworthy, to me at least, that I was thinking about our war against the Afghan Taliban at a time […]

The Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (CBEEN) was awarded the highest prize for an organization of its type at the national environmental education awards ceremony last weekend in Victoria. CBEEN was named ‘Outstanding Environmental Education Membership Organization’ by the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication (EECOM) at its national conference. Celebrating 10 years of […]