Are you thinking about running in the next Municipal election? First and foremost, I say congratulations for wanting to put your name forward. Second, do not be naive as to what is needed from you, and Third, you can no longer say that you are not a politician. The hours vary but, as an example, I put in more than 20 hours ...

I'm sure there are writers out there who could witness what happened in our community last night and respond with a coherent, linear narrative of the true significance of same. Sadly, I am not one of them. Linear, by definition, means 'in a straight line'. All of what I saw last night overwhelmed me with the inherent ripple...

I have agonized for days – in fact, years – over what and how to write in this situation. I am unspeakably angry with the IIO for torturing you like this, and with the provincial government for creating such a body, then ignoring what damage they do, thus brutalizing the public servants we so fundamentally need. Not to mention...

Even I got snowed into thinking, at first, that the announcement of four new full-time paramedic positions in Castlegar is good news. Now, I’m torn between feeling heartsick, outraged, and not a little ashamed. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll start with the positive aspects of this announcement. The community paramedic...

Some of the most common complaints I’ve heard from Castlegar residents include: There are no family doctors taking patients; we don’t have any big box stores like Costco, Walmart, etc; there are no jobs for my adult kids so they’re moving to a larger centre, downtown is unsightly and has too few businesses, and; there’s nothing...

It’s International Women’s Day – a day I usually use to applaud the progress and accomplishments of my gender. How cool that few would dare, any longer, refer to us as the “weaker sex” (at least not in our hearing), and that no one bats an eye when a woman’s title is Dr. rather than […]

To the Editor, I wanted to follow up on your February 28, 2018 article (Some good news from Teck. And other things to consider) and provide some additional context for your readers on the extensive work Teck has underway to protect water quality in the Elk Valley. Selenium is a naturally-occurring element throughout the environment, […]

Pipeline politics have been in the news a lot over the past couple of weeks, as British Columbia and Alberta square off over Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain expansion project.  Both provincial governments are doing exactly what they promised to do when elected, so their positions are not surprising. But where is the federal ...

The BC government’s announcement to increase the minimum wage to $15/hour is good news for low-wage workers in BC but the long timeline will continue to keep workers in poverty for too long. Following the recommendations from the first Fair Wages Commission report, the government will increase the minimum wage incrementally...

Yesterday MP Richard Cannings’ Bill C-354 an Act to amend the Department of Public Works and Government Services Act, (Use of Wood) passed its first vote at second reading. The bill will now be sent to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources for review. Bill C-354 proposes to require the federal government...