Anyone hiking or biking on trails in our region may have noticed that many of those trails are being hemmed in by certain plants: burdock with its nasty burrs later in the year, spotted knapweed, common tansy, hoary alyssum, policeman's helmet (AKA Himalayan balsam) -- even, in some places, Japanese knotweed -- and other invasive species.  Yes, all those (and many more) are invasives, and they spread especially fast along the trails because we all unwittingly spread their seeds on our clothing, our bikes and our dogs' fur.

Last week, I posted an editorial criticizing negative campaigning, and posed questions for our local candidates to answer -- without mentioning other candidates or other parties. Here are two of our local candidates' answers to the first set of four questions; the third candidate, Liberal Jim Postnikoff, was unfortunately unable to respond in time. Where possible, I have looked through the Liberal platform and attempted to find the Liberal approach on the topics of the questions, and inserted what I could find.

VICTORIA– The writs have been issued for British Columbia’s 41st Provincial General Election. “Eligible voters can vote from now until the polls close on General Voting Day,” said Keith Archer, Chief Electoral Officer. “B.C. has the most accessible voting system in Canada, and we encourage all eligible voters to cast a ballot.”

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...

Over the past month I have visited most of the RCMP detachments in South Okanagan-West Kootenay.  While the conversations covered some of the obvious law and order issues such as marijuana legalization, rising levels of property crime and staffing levels for highway patrol, I was surprised that one issue dominated most of my...

 A recent documentary film, " A New Economy," explores what might happen if working together for the common good were to become the most common business model. Can the world be saved?  Can co-operation save us? Or can global capitalism, with its dependence on the infinite exponential economic growth demanded by return on...

It's income tax time. And the Canda Revenue Agency (CRA) wants to ensure that everyone knows that tax evasion schemes are illegal -- and can result in jail time.  One such scheme, called "Paradigm," has resulted in convictions and sentences for 32 people so far -- self-styled "educators" who promoted a fraudulent tax-evasion...

Bats are an essential part of the global ecosystem. They save agriculture a great deal of money by eating vast numbers of crop-destroying insects such as Colorado Potato Beetles, and they save humans a lot of itching by eating vast numbers of flying, biting insects such as mosquitoes. For years, bats had an undeserved bad...

Lacking any permanent connection to his family and culture and without the mental health supports that might have made a difference, an 18-year-old Métis youth in care took his own life in an act of desperation, says an investigative report issued today by British Columbia’s Acting Representative for Children and Youth....

There you are, flat on the floor with crushing chest pain.  "Heart attack!" you think, while the world goes a bit grey and fuzzy.  But you're able to reach your phone and dial 911.  Is this an emergency?  Are the paramedics who come to tend  you essential, or just nice to have, like a clean floor to lie on while you wait for...