Balfour residents worried about smart water meters in their homes might end up costing local taxpayers a lot of money. A handful of residents voted against a proposal for the Regional District of Central Kootenay to borrow nearly $600,000 to upgrade the area’s creaking water system. By rejecting the proposal, they’ve turned their back on nearly $3 million in matching federal and provincial funds to pay for the project.

The Castlegar RCMP are asking for the public's assistance in locating 59-year -old Leo Patrick Remy, according to Sgt. Laurel Mathew. Remy  was last seen leaving a local hotel on April 1. Remy’s car, a 1996 grey Honda Accord, was located parked at the west end of the Kinnaird Bridge on Monday, April 3. It was first noticed ...

What poses the greatest hazard to BC's endangered Southern Mountain Caribou -- habitat loss, wolves, or corporate donors?  Or are all three of those factors linked, and if so, how? This opinion piece is from DeSmog Canada.  Read and contemplate. The B.C. government is granting logging permits in critical caribou...

We are calling for film submissions from youth! The Rossland Council for Arts and Culture (RCAC) proudly presents the 10th annual West Kootenay U19 Youth Film Showcase on Thursday, May 4th, 2017, at the Rossland Summit School. The showcase will be part of the Youth Week Gala, which is organized in partnership with the Rossland...

Assistant Coach Curtis Toneff has left the Trail Smoke Eaters to accept a position as the Head Coach and General Manager of the Nanaimo Buccaneers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL). Though we are sad to see a young coach of Curt’s calibre leave our organization, we are excited for him as he takes the next...

The City of Trail is pleased to announce that Chris McIsaac, the City’s Utilities Superintendent, has been appointed the new Director of Public Works.  Chris will assume his role new immediately and will work directly with the current Manager of Public Works, Larry Abenante, until Larry retires in May after 21 years of service with the City.

A Selkirk College job skills pilot project has introduced a group of 16 students to industrial and trades careers, ultimately changing lives in the process. The Pathways to Employment in Trades & Industry Program brought together students of diverse backgrounds from across the West Kootenay in early-November for a 19-week...

The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations will be conducting a 22-hectare prescribed burn 15 kilometres north of Deer Park (near Twobit Creek) to help restore local ecosystems. This controlled burn will occur sometime between April 4 and May 15, but timing will depend on weather and site conditions. While...

A Castlegar man who made some poor decisions is now paying quite the price for them, according to RCMP Sgt. Chad Badry. “On April 2, at 4:30 p.m., a member of the West Kootenay Integrated Road Safety Unit came across a 43-year-old male motorcyclist driving his brand new Harley Davidson in excess of 127km/h in an 80km/h zone on Highway 3A near Thrums,” Badry said in a press release Monday.

While it still may not look very much like it in some corners, winter is releasing its grip on the West Kootenay. Snowfalls turning to rain showers, songbirds returning to the trees, and creeks swollen with runoff signal the return of spring to the region. And, along with the seasonal turns, every four years also brings with...