Regional leaders agree on importance of bringing broadband to the Koots
What do you think a room full of 12 significant community leaders in the West Kootenays would be talking about? If you guessed the future of the region acquiring broadband infrastructure, you’d be right. On June 17, West Kootenay city officials including the mayors of Nelson, Trail and Kaslo as well as representatives for Trail, […]
Canada’s failure to uphold the human rights of Indigenous peoples in its approval of Northern Gateway
BC Assembly of First Nations, First Nations Summit, Union of BC Indian Chiefs, Amnesty International Canada, Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers), Chiefs of Ontario, Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee), Indigenous Rights Centre, Indigenous World Association, and KAIROS:...
The teacher's strike is more about the BC government's contempt for the Constitution than pay or working conditions
On the eve of the teachers’ full-out strike, the government proposed that “if either party is unhappy with the outcome of the government’s appeal of the court case the entire collective agreement can be terminated and a new round of bargaining begins.” To appreciate this proposal I examined the 2014 and 2011 decision of the...
Year end show spotlights Kootenay Studio Arts students
Kootenay Studio Arts (KSA) students are closing out their studies with a Nelson springtime tradition. The annual Kootenay Studio Arts Year-End Show and Sale opens Friday afternoon at the Selkirk College downtown campus on the corner of Victoria and Josephine streets. The two-day student run show will feature works from students in the Blacksmithing, Ceramics, […]
Opponents of Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline rally at Chahko Mika Mall
Tempers flared as protestors and mall management jawed at each other during Wednesday’s Occupy the Pipeline Everywhere rally oppose Northern Gateway outside Save-On Foods at the Chahko Mika Mall. The rally was held in protest of the federal government announcement approval of the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline project Tuesday in Ottawa. The pipeline will carry […]
Body of Michael Mucha found by Nelson Search and Rescue Wednesday
Nelson RCMP announced in a media release this afternoon that the body of Michael Mucha was located by Nelson Search Rescue near the north end of the Big Orange Bridge Wednesday morning. Search Rescue found the 21-year-old Nelson man in a wooded area near the bridge at 10 a.m. Wednesday (June 18). RCMP said the exact cause of...
Occupy the Pipeline Everywhere rally planned Wednesday to oppose Northern Gateway decision
Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline opponents are lining up to voice their displeasure after the federal government announced its approval of the project Tuesday in Ottawa. Included in the group against the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, that will carry petroleum and condensate from Bruderheim, Alta., to Kitimat, B.C., is the Kootenays for a Pipeline-Free BC. “We’re […]
Wynne’s Win, and the Agony of Right-Wing Pundits
While I realize it is churlish to take so much pleasure in the whining and wingeing of the usually arrogant right-wing pundits, I just can`t help myself. This gaggle of ideological nut bars rarely get angry at the fact that most governments in this country have been doing their duty in dismantling the democratic, activist...
Education Minister releases statement on BCTF negotiations
Education Minister Peter Fassbender released the following statement on the status of bargaining with the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF): “The bargaining teams worked hard through the weekend and progress was made. “On Sunday, the British Columbia Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) tabled a comprehensive proposal to help end the stalemate, get kids back in […]
Broadband the key to economic development in the Koots
One thing everyone seemed to agree on at the Community Futures Economic Development Forum held in late May was that the economy is shifting towards broadband dependent industries. And that local communities need to adapt and keep up. Community Futures Central Kootenay hosted and organized the conference at the Prestige Lakeside...