UPDATE: IHA provides more information on RDCK release regarding Kootenay Pass fuel spill
Update from Interior Health: This incident resulted in fuel contamination in the South Salmo River. Interior Health has identified no registered drinking water users downstream of the spill site and there is a low risk to public health. Residents who may draw their water from the river between the crash site and the Salmo...
Editorial Rant: RCMP Surveillance of Social Media -- to What End?
Recent articles in The Tyee discuss the revelation that the RCMP have been engaged in monitoring social media – characterized in the article as “ongoing wide-scale monitoring of individuals’ social media use [that] could pose a threat to Canadians’ privacy and charter rights, say experts.” But ...
Provincial amendment to add 35 hectares to Syringa Park
Syringa Provincial Park may be getting 35 new hectares added, according to an announcement by the Province of B.C. yesterday. “Proposed amendments to the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act will expand B.C.’s parks and protected areas system, adding approximately 107 hectares of new land to six existing Class A parks,” ...
Canada’s oldest Postmaster still sorting mail at 91
Eileen O’Krafka, who’ll be 92 this summer, is Canada’s oldest working Postmaster. Five days a week she sorts mail into the 68 post office boxes, collects outgoing mail, sells money orders, weighs packages and keeps the books balanced. She works out of a small post office in a former general store she and her late husband,...
Investigation: Petrowest numbered company awarded $10 million Site C dam contract on eve of bankruptcy
Petrowest’s financial woes were widely known when BC Hydro quietly awarded a major contract to a B.C. numbered company — 1054143 — that an investigation by The Narwhal reveals was incorporated by key Petrowest executives. The numbered company received millions in public funds while Petrowest fell into...
BC government announces historic partnerships for mountain caribou recovery
The government of British Columbia recently announced two important agreements that will influence the fate of mountain caribou in the province. The first agreement is a historic partnership between British Columbia, Canada and the West Moberly and Saulteau First Nations. This collaborative partnership follows the leadership...
Help for a community in grief after two kids lost in Pend d'Oreille
The Trail and Greater District Detachment Victim Services would like to offer their assistance to the members of the public who were affected by the fatal motor vehicle accident which occurred Sunday, March 17, on Seven Mile Dam Road, in Trail, BC, that claimed the lives of two local teenagers. Victim Services has a wide...
Economic forum addresses natural disasters in Central Kootenay
Registration is open for the Community Futures Central Kootenay 2019 Community Economic Development Forum in Castlegar, BC on April 8 – 9. The theme for this two-day event is Natural Disasters – how to prepare, respond and recover. The forum will bring together experts who have helped businesses through recent natural disasters,...
Column: From the Hill -- Canada needs Pharmacare
When Canadians are asked what makes them proud to be Canadians, many say that our health care system is a big part of that pride. We care about each other and want to make sure that everyone has access to health care when they are sick or injured. But our medicare system has some big gaps, and one of those is our access to...
Union: Staffing shortages affect ambulance service levels across B.C.
The Ambulance Paramedics and Emergency Dispatchers of BC (APBC) are raising concerns over staffing shortages affecting service levels across the Province. While recruitment and retention in many communities has been an ongoing challenge for BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) for some time, the staffing shortage has reached...
