COLUMN: From the Hill -- Electoral Reform, and a Cycle Tour of the Riding
As summer winds down, our thoughts naturally turn to back-to-school shopping and back-to-work after a break for a good Canadian summer. I’ll be going back to Ottawa in September to resume work on all the issues before Parliament; one of the major issues we will be discussing is electoral reform. In last year’s campaign, both...
Letter: How do privately owned prisons compare with privately owned senior facilities?
To The Editor: I have been trying to increase public awareness of the poor quality of care that our seniors receive in facilities with the hope that more people will raise their voices against this outrage, to our provincial government. The Senior Advocates reports verify that the quality of care is declining due in part to...
COLUMN: From the Hill -- Site C and Treaty 8
On February 18th of this year a group of First Nations activists came to Ottawa to speak to the government about the Site C dam project on the Peace River. They met with myself and other MPs in the BC NDP caucus to discuss their attempts to delay construction of the dam until the concerns of their people were heard in federal...
LETTER: Local postal workers union frustrated over flawed negotiations
Dear Editor On behalf of the women and men who process and deliver your mail and serve you at the Castlegar Post Office, I want to thank the public for your participation in the postal review and especially for your ongoing support during our difficult negotiations with Canada Post. You may remember that on July 2nd, Canada...
LETTER: Speak up during government review of Canada Post
Dear Editor: Canada Post management has given every indication that they will lock out their clerks and letter carriers and rural drivers any time after July 2. Negotiations have been ongoing for six months and in the spring, management applied for conciliation and requested that process be speeded up so they could lock us ...
Letter: Open letter to Minister of Education Hon. Mike Bernier
To The Editor: Open letter to Minister of Education Mike Bernier Dear Minister Bernier, We are writing to bring your attention to the financial struggle rural school districts face in this province. In our constituencies of Nelson-Creston and Kootenay West, rural schools are facing closure and districts are charging...
River Talks — Stirring the waters of the Columbia River Treaty
Eileen Delehanty Pearkes has been researching and writing about the history and politics of water in the upper Columbia Basin since 2005. Her book on the Columbia River Treaty, A River Captured, is expected to be released in a few months. Recently, her travelling exhibit on the Columbia River Treaty, curated for Touchstones...
Column: From the Hill -- Bill C-14 and Access to Medically Assisted Dying
By Member Of Pariliament for South Okanagan- West Kootenay, Richard Cannings: Bill C-14, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make related amendments to other Acts (medical assistance in dying) In March I wrote in this column about the ongoing debates in Parliament around medical aid in dying, brought on by the Supreme...
LETTER: Construction at Millennium Park is overkill
For the past several years, Millennium Park has undergone many changes. The path allowed access and allowed the community to stroll through nature. The ongoing additions for the past several years have just taken away from the beauty of the walkway, in my opinion. Now I am greeted by tractors driving down the paths, sometimes...
LETTER: Former councillor pans parcel tax
As most of us know the City budget is very complex and takes considerable time to put together. Weighing out what to fund and what not to fund or somewhere in between can be very stressful for those directly involved. My experience has been that decisions made by our elected officials are done with the best intentions using...