As summer approaches thoughts start turning to lapping waves, crackling campfires and tranquil forests. It’s the time of year when cottage, cabin or beach house fever starts to take hold.   But the sunny dream of owning a vacation home may be dampened by the reality of property prices in many of the region’s popular vacation […]

A new state-of-the-art Cross Laminated Timber plant in Okanagan Falls, which officially opened Friday, features innovative technology that will change the way wood is used in B.C., providing another boost to B.C.’s forest industry and regional economic growth. Structurlam’s new 1,400-square-metre plant expansion was supported by $5.7 million in provincial and federal funding. The plant […]

Half of all Canadian employees are disengaged at their work. That message comes through loud and clear in a new survey, conducted over the past two quarters among nearly 30,000 workers in 17 countries, including more than 2,000 workers in Canada (not including workers from the public sector). Slightly more than one in three (36 […]

Kootenay folk will now be able to give a green boost to the environment, and receive a carbon tax credit to boot. FortisBC announced it has launched its renewable natural gas product offering for residential customers in the Kootenays. Eligible customers now have the option of designating 10 per cent of their household’s natural gas […]

The recovery is over in Canada and the country has entered a new expansion phase. Despite a relatively enviable position, Canada’s economy will have to deal with a number of challenges. These include the winding down of government stimulus plans, budget cuts, as well as a currency whose high value is still hurting exports. Interest […]

A big broadband boost to the tune of $50,000 will be going out to the communities of Shutty Bench, Fletcher Falls and Ainsworth Hot Springs as the Province is providing cash to expand Internet service. Overall, the province is providing $2.34 million to over 60 locales in rural B.C. to expand broadband Internet into B.C.’s […]

Finally, some news out of Victoria for the rural areas of BC: your property taxes are due. Some of the more than 397,000 rural property owners in British Columbia and the Regional District of Central Kootenay may be wondering how to pay their property taxes by the July 4 tax deadline during a postal strike. […]

Tax Freedom Day, the day when Canadians start working for themselves after paying off the total tax bill imposed on them by all levels of government, fell on Monday, June 6, two days later than in 2010, according to the Fraser Institute’s annual Tax Freedom Day calculations. However, Tax Freedom Day is actually 16 days […]

Maurice Poulin, BA CAIB of Poulin Agencies Ltd. in Nelson was sworn in as the 2011-12 president of the Insurance Brokers Association of B.C. (IBABC) at the annual general meeting held in Burnaby last month. Despite being the third-generation owner of Poulin Agencies Ltd., Poulin did not originally intend to pursue a career in the […]

B.C. small businesses have innovative ideas on how to conserve energy, but many do not have the time or money to make their ideas happen. The $550,000 LiveSmart Champion Program can help small business make their energy-efficient ideas a reality. Small business can submit their energy saving ideas to the Ministry of Energy and Mines […]