The West Kootenay is the wet Kootenay compared to the rest of the province when it comes to snow accumulation this spring. According to the Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin — issued by the B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship on April 1 — the West Kootenay region was sitting at 72 […]

West Kootenay Friends of Refugees (WKFoR) will soon be welcoming a young man of Eritrean origin to Rossland. He escaped Eritrea 5 years ago and has been living in Ethiopia. As a UNHCR refugee there, he is unable to work or study. He describes himself as someone who does not like to sit still. Coming […]

Tillie is a six month old livestock guardian (Caucasian Shepherd/Maremma/Great Pyrenees). She was not handled much as a young pup and is fearful when put in new surroundings and meeting new people, especially men. Her confidence has come leaps and bounds in her foster home. She gets along with cats and all dogs and has […]

Arc of the Cognizant CLXXXIII “Why don’t you all just f-f-fade away? And don’t try and dig what we all say … The things they do look awful cold. I hope I die before I get old.”  — The Who, My Generation “Your sons and your daughters Are beyond your command Your old road is […]

B.C. is celebrating the 10-billionth tree planted since reforestation programs began in 1930, with two billion of those trees planted in the past seven years. “Throughout the province, people are seeing the impacts of climate change on our forests,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Forests. “To support healthy forests for people and communities, we are […]

Families in Fruitvale are benefiting from a new child care centre with 37 new spaces, allowing parents to pursue work, school and other opportunities. “The Province is focused on providing Fruitvale families with access to affordable, quality, inclusive child care,” said Katrine Conroy, MLA for Kootenay West. “Improving access to child care spaces gives kids […]

On April 14, during the process of investigating an allegation of an abduction from the Lumby area, the North Okanagan RCMP located a deceased female in a rural location, according to Staff Sgt. Jason Smart, NCO i/c of the Southeast District Major Crime Unit. A male believed to be involved in this death was arrested […]

From behind the bullhorn at one of Canada’s largest acts of civil disobedience to working diligently behind the scenes with the leaders of the nation’s fossil fuel industry, environmental activist Tzeporah Berman has spent three decades as a crusader for urgent change. In 1993, Berman was one of the main voices of what became known […]

More ambulance services in rural and remote communities in the B.C. interior (bcehs.ca) People living in 21 communities in the B.C. interior are now benefiting from improved paramedic staffing models to enhance 911 responsiveness and provide consistent and reliable out-of-hospital care. As of April 1: Eight communities including Fruitvale and Rossland were upgraded to the […]

Nearly 70 per cent of damages to underground gas lines in 2023 belong to ground disturbers without a BC 1 Call ticket With April being Safe Digging Month, FortisBC Energy Inc. (FortisBC) and BC 1 Call are teaming up to ask residents and contractors to click or call BC 1 Call before they dig, excavate […]