Working with local companies and investing in local people is a common theme in the Skills Centre’s 2024 Community Impact Report. From the Trail and area companies working on the Skills Centre’s major renovation of its new building, to new training programs that partner with local businesses and serve area residents, to a focus on poverty […]

By Anna Dulisse As a logger and third-generation caretaker for his acreage near Castlegar, Quintin Sperling has carried on the legacy of working hard, by spending his life in the forests both on and off his family’s land. “I’m a certified faller and in B.C. I’ve done practically everything related to timber harvesting, logging, road […]

Saturday, June 1, 2024, the general minimum wage increased from $16.75 to $17.40 an hour. The BC Government said that the 3.9% increase also applies to minimum-wage rates for resident caretakers, live-in home-support workers and live-in camp leaders. The increase will help approximately 240,000 workers who currently earn less than $17.40 per hour. On Dec. […]

The Province is supporting the development of a new mass-timber production facility that will create 90 sustainable, local forestry jobs in Castlegar and continue to grow to position B.C. at the forefront of this emerging wood-manufacturing and housing-construction sector. “We’re taking action to increase the available supply of housing that’s needed throughout B.C. by partnering […]

Suzan Hewat is joining the Board of Directors of Columbia Basin Trust, becoming part of the 12-member Board which helps ensure that the organization continues to support the efforts of the people in the Columbia Basin. “I’d like to welcome Suzan, who, with fellow new members Angus, Karen and Christine, will be part of a Board […]

Interfor today announced plans to reduce its lumber production by approximately 175 million board feet between May and September of 2024, representing just under 10% of its normal operating stance. The temporary curtailments will impact all of Interfor’s operating regions, including the US South, through a combination of reduced operating hours, prolonged holiday breaks, reconfigured […]

Submitted by Kootenay Conservation Program Eight important conservation projects were approved last month by Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) Directors to receive funding from the RDCK Local Conservation Fund (RDCK LCF) in 2024. A local government service, the Local Conservation Fund provides dedicated funding to valuable conservation projects in Electoral Areas A, D, E, […]

There’s a significant milestone for outdoor enthusiasts across British Columbia as the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC (ORCBC) unveils the launch of the Outdoor Recreation Fund of BC grant program. This initiative is designed to empower communities and volunteer organizations in their efforts to enhance outdoor recreation opportunities and stewardship across the province. As a leading advocate for […]

The federal government’s plan to phase out gas and diesel passenger vehicles by 2035 requires the Canadian economy to shift, with battery recycling at the forefront in the Lower Columbia region of BC’s Southern Interior. Economic development agency Lower Columbia Initiatives Corporation (LCIC) is leading the charge by investigating ways to further augment the region’s […]

A leading voice for conservation in southeastern British Columbia said a report shows that the partial clean-up cost of water pollution from coal mines in the East Kootenay will be substantial. A new report commissioned by Wildsight, a non-profit charity that protects biodiversity and encourages sustainable communities in Canada’s Columbia and Rocky Mountain regions, has […]