OPINION: An update after disappointing Castlegar All Candidates Forum
Update: Unfortunately, the really big news coming out of last night’s All Candidate Forum in Castlegar was that less than one per cent of the Greater Castlegar population attended – roughly 55 people. Hopefully, residents will inform themselves via media and the Internet about the various candidates – but I’m afraid this doesn’t bode well […]
UPDATE: NDP incumbent Conroy responds to critical Kootenay Savings letter
Update: Letter to the Editor: On May 7, President and CEO of Kootenay Savings Credit Union, Brent Tremblay, wrote a letter to local media outlining his concerns with the proposed capital tax on financial institutions that the NDP has discussed implementing if we win government on May 14. Firstly, I want to thank Brent for […]
Jazz announces more flights to Castlegar's regional airport
Castlegar will be seeing more flights at its regional airport, according to a press release issued today. “The West Kootenay Regional Airport is pleased to advise that Jazz Air has increased its summer passenger service to better meet the needs of the travelling public in the West Kootenay region,” the release said. Airport manager Gerry […]
City chooses land for library/museum; residents to vote on loan
Trail City Council has decided to dedicate the land previously occupied by the Eagles Building for the construction of a new Trail Public Library and Historical Museum; this decision was made during Council’s 2014 Strategic Planning Session on May 2. Although this city-owned land has been officially allocated for the new...
COMMENT: What ails B.C.'s democracy?
Trivia time: who was the last leader of the BC NDP to lead his party to more than 45 per cent of the popular vote in a provincial election? One would have to go back six leaders and eight elections to 1979 when Dave Barrett won 45.99 per cent of the popular vote and still lost the election to Bill Bennett and the Social Credit...
Generation Squeeze Campaign: A Better Generational Deal?
CBC Radio recently aired an interesting interview on with Dr. Paul Kershaw, an associate professor in the College for Interdisciplinary Studies at UBC, who has started an initiative called Generation Squeeze. We’ve all either heard of or personally experienced the Boomerang Generation, where children we thought we had...
Liberals narrow margin on NDP says Ipsos Reid poll
An Ipsos Reid poll taken in the days following the leaders’ debate shows positive movement for both the BC Liberals and leader Christy Clark. The NDP lead among decided voters has fallen from 19 points at the start of the campaign to 10 points today. And Adrian Dix’s lead over Christy Clark as Best Premier […]
Council to hear March crime reduction report
At its regular meeting Monday, Castlegar City Council will be receiving its monthly Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) report for the month of March. In said report, CRU commanding officer Cpl. Darryl Orr outlines some of the Castlegar CRU’s accomplishments for the month (except those that create privacy issues in terms of reporting). March 1: “An […]
Know where to vote in this month's provincial election
Knowing where to vote can be confusing, and election day draws nigh, so District Electoral Officer Don Vinish gave us a clear list of where you can vote, in advance or on election day, in the West Kootenay District. First, Vinish says you can vote anywhere in the province, as well as anywhere within the […]
Nanaimo cuts place patients at risk says BCNU
Nurses on Vancouver Island are demanding an immediate halt to a plan to cut nurses at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital because it puts patients’ safety at risk. The Vancouver Island Health Authority scheme would eliminate a total of 26 nurses – both Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses – from teams providing bedside care […]