City officials played a comparatively rich card in today’s bid to draw WestJet to the West Kootenay Regional Airport (WKRA) in Castlegar, promising to purchase $350,000 navigational software to reduce airport landing ceilings by 1,000 feet. “We’ve been working on RNP (Registered Navigational Procedure) for ages – it will lower the ceiling to land from […]

Alex Atamanenko, MP for BC Southern Interior, paid a visit to the Pacific Northwest to learn firsthand about the proposed Enbridge pipeline project. He, along with Federal NDP Environment critic Megan Leslie and BC MPs Fin Donnelly and Randall Garrison were hosted by their colleague, Nathan Cullen, MP for Skeena Bulkley Valley.  The group met with […]

Ed Note: The following is a press release issued by Teck Resources: Teck Resources Limited (TSX: TCK.A and TCK.B, NYSE: TCK) (“Teck”) today announced a $1 million investment to support the completion of a section of the Trans Canada Trail (TCT) connecting communities in the Kootenays. “The Trans Canada Trail is part of our shared […]

United Nations trade and climate change advisor Aaron Cosbey—a Rossland resident—attended the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and he was back again last week for the glitz, fanfare, and "complete failure" of the Rio +20 anniversary conference."It was a very predictable thing," Cosbey said, listing many reasons...

A group of seven Grade 7 kids and their four adult group leaders are singing the praises of Scottie’s Marina after being stranded with no supplies or communications during yesterday’s flooding. Youth leader James McFaddin said the convoy set out, prepared to camp in the rain and experience some adventure, when Nature changed their plans. […]

Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) is partnering with BC Ideas to provide five $10,000 cash awards to reward innovative solutions addressing issues which will improve the lives of residents in the Columbia Basin region. BC Ideas: Solutions for Stronger Communities is an online competition seeking to identify solutions to deal with challenges facing BC communities now […]

Castlegar mayor Lawrence Chernoff said letters are coming in fast and furious from across the region in support of the West Kootenay Regional Airport’s bid to entice WestJet to Castlegar … with some glaring omissions. “We’ve received letters from most communities – not all, but most – and we’re getting them from residents, businesses, everyone. […]

Ed Note: The following is a press release issued by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure: This summer, key sections of provincial highway and local side roads in the West Kootenay region will be resurfaced to improve safety and travel for local residents, tourists and commercial vehicles.  A $1.7-million contract has been awarded to Interoute […]

Rossland will send a letter to support the West Kootenay Regional Airport’s (WKRA) pitch to get West Jet service into Castlegar. Coun. Kathy Wallace raised the motion as a late addition to the agenda at last week’s regular council meeting on June 11. “Part of the time constraint is that this [issue] is coming to […]

  Candace Batycki doesn’t want more flights or more airlines at the Castlegar airport because the increase in traffic would lead to greater carbon emissions.  At the June 11 Nelson City Council meeting, Councillor Batycki spoke against a motion that would support an effort by municipal leaders in the West Kootenay to lobby WestJet to […]