We’ve been lulled into believing that all technological advancement is good — or at least inevitable. Of course, much depends on how we use and regulate it. Many of us remember pre-internet times. It was supposed to speed things up, to make life easier for everyone. But most people are working the same number of […]

Question: A while ago you wrote about the test that new drivers have to take to get their licence. I took the practice test and there were at least two road signs in it that I had never seen before. I’m worried that there are other signs I wouldn’t recognize and wonder if there is a […]

To all my Kootenay neighbors.  We can’t just sit back wringing our hands and let the West Coast Pipeline happen.  The Premier of Alberta Danielle Smith may think it’s a great idea for our tax dollars to help keep fossil fuel companies in business.  She may think our coastline and its wildlife is not that […]

The Health Care Needs Home Care campaign welcomes the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services’ recommendation that B.C. “invest strategically to support seniors to age at home safely” by expanding publicly subsidized home support and advancing a cross-ministry home health model. The recommendation is an important recognition that supporting seniors at home is both what people […]

Dear editor, I’m writing this to you as I just took off my mask,  which I now must wear to do anything in my garden these days.  It has been more than 10 years of me dreading rather than welcoming summer.  Our community was impacted heavily by the 2024 Slocan Valley wildfires.  Our highway south […]

The Province of British Columbia is developing a new road safety strategy that is expected to guide road safety work through 2030. The strategy is scheduled for publication in late 2026. The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) has shared information about the engagement process, including a presentation outlining the proposed direction for the B.C. Road […]

Dear Editor, I want to express my concerns regarding the proposed new West Coast Pipeline. Here is my letter to the editor: We are all impacted by wildfires. Climate change isn’t tomorrow’s crisis. It’s today’s rising insurance bills, cancelled harvests, smoky skies, sweeping floods, destructive fires and deadly heat waves. It’s checking the BC Wildfire […]

Wildfires are occurring across the province due to increased lightning and hot, dry weather. Whether you’re travelling or staying close to home, stay prepared by checking road conditions, having an emergency kit ready, and checking in on friends and family who may be affected. Be sure to check out the following. Drive BC: https://www.drivebc.ca/ Emergency Info […]

Question: Do Intersection Safety Cameras improve road safety in British Columbia, or are they simply another way for governments to collect revenue? Answer: Research from British Columbia and other jurisdictions indicates that automated enforcement reduces red-light violations, excessive speeding and serious intersection crashes. Whether the current system should do more to identify repeat offenders and hold them […]

I had a great time last weekend at Sunfest in Castlegar and at Cherryville Days. This year’s theme for Cherryville Days was motorcycles. Graduation season has begun in the Kootenays. Congratulations to all our graduates, especially to the young folk walking across the stage over the next week at Stanley Humphries Secondary, J Lloyd Crowe Secondary, Kootenay-Columbia Learning […]