There is a discussion brewing in many of our communities right now about the opportunity to access broadband. If your community is in the Columbia Basin catchment area like my home town of Rossland the conversation is likely taking place for you as well. The Columbia Basin Trusts subsidiary Columbia Basin Broadband Corporation is offering […]

The BC Coroners Service announced Monday new dates for the inquest into the death of Sheilah Lorraine Sweatman. The dates are Nov. 19-23 at the Nelson courthouse. The inquest was originally scheduled to begin on Monday, June 4 but was postponed to ensure availability of all required witnesses, including counsel for parties with standing. The […]

It’s just under a year that Search and Rescue volunteer Sheilah Sweatman went out on a “recovery mission” near Nelson, B.C. only to have her life ripped away.This past weekend two more female search and rescue volunteers lost their lives in a “training mission” near Skookumchuck Rapids just outside of Halfmoon Bay, B.C. What...

An estimated 1.7 million households in 10 major centres undertook renovations in 2011 according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC’s) Renovation and Home Purchase Survey released today. This represents about 37 per cent of homeowner households, a slight decrease from 42 per cent, or 1.9 million households, in...

A tentative agreement has been reached between the British Columbia Medical Association (BCMA) and the B.C. government on a renewed Physician Master Agreement covering approximately 10,000 specialists and family physicians in the province. Building on the success of the previous master agreement, the proposed four-year deal...

Anyone who thought Dan Albas’ private member’s bill was going to open the floodgates to cheap cross-border shopping for wine should think again. When Albas’s Bill C-311 is finally passed, the provinces will experience an immediate shortfall in revenue. Indeed, John Skinner, the owner of Painted Rock Winery in Penticton is...

BC Hydro is anticipating Kootenay Lake levels will continue to rise slightly during the weekend. Currently the lake is just marginally below last year’s peak of 1751.71 feet. The exact level and date of this year’s peak is dependent on temperature and rainfall amounts. Lakeshore property owners are urged to protect their homes and waterfront […]

The Regional District of Central Kootenay declared a State of Local Emergency in Area B of the Regional District Friday. Bill Macpherson, Public Information Officer for the Emergency Operations Centre said in a press release, “the declaration pertains to a narrow strip of land at the bottom of the Goat River, bordered by Highway 21 […]

All of the celebrations surrounding SunFest recently have me thinking about small-town dynamics. I am definitely a small-town girl through and through. I love the community support, the sense of safety, and being able to walk down the main drag and wave at a dozen people I know as they drive by. Don’t get me […]

The compassionate efforts of a Harrop man sadly didn’t save the life of a little black bear who was struck on Highway 3A last week. Gary Urquhart and his son were driving home on the North Shore, about three miles from the Big Orange Bridge at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 26 when they saw […]