MP says Tories wiping out rural services
Southern Interior MP Alex Atamanenko says he was dismayed to hear the news that the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) office in Kelowna is slated for closure earlier today. “The Conservatives are dismantling Canada piece by piece,” he said. “This will result in a critical reduction in services related to citizenship and immigration matters for […]
OP/ED: Castlegar and Trail need to put down the banjos and grow up
“Our airport is better.” “No, OUR airport is better.” “You’re not closing OUR school.” “Well, you’re sure not closing OURS. So there.” Every time I try to imagine how dialogue between Castlegar and Trail must sound to ministry officials at both the provincial and federal levels, I can almost hear the banjos playing in the […]
How many roads?
Bob Dylan wrote the lyrics; Peter, Paul and Mary recorded it in the early 1960s and I, coming of age as a young civil rights supporter and believer, always found the song "Blowin' In The Wind" as evocative, emotional and energizing as the fight for equality and social justice took hold in the U.S. and Canada, including the...
Budget 2012: At least the war on the environment is going well
Until this year, the purpose of the annual Canadian federal budget was to project government revenues, lay out spending priorities and forecast economic conditions for the upcoming year. Reading Budget 2012, announced last week by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, it soon becomes clear that this government has no intention of ...
Dix to be commended for renewing NDP's call for a ban on corporate and union donations
IntegrityBC congratulates NDP leader Adrian Dix for renewing the BC NDP's call for a ban on corporate and union donations to political parties in the province. Dix is honouring the pledge that the NDP made in its 2009 platform. Dix made the call during a media scrum last Wednesday while responding to questions over the annual...
Proposed Nelson Budget Includes Tax Increase, No Increases to Programs or Services
There will be a 3% tax increase to homeowners in the coming year, if City Council passes its own budget proposal later this month. For a $330,000 home (the average assessed value in Nelson), that would amount to about $39 per year. It will bring in about $195,000 for the city. The Nelson City Police will not get their staff...
Court decision keeps health care intact
The B.C. Supreme Court today told the BC Anesthesiologists’ Society its members cannot withdraw services from B.C. hospitals, at least not until after the judge rules on Apr. 20 on an injunction request from health authorities. The decision means no elective procedures or surgeries will be postponed as previously expected, ...
Tory budget plan — gut Canadian institutions while supporting Big Business
It should come to the surprise of no one the official oppostion, NDP, is less than thrilled at Thursday’s Federal Budget. Alex Atamanenko, MP for BC Southern Interior, is disppointed with the direction taken by the Conservative government in the 2012 federal budget introduced today in the House of Commons. Atamanenko said the government’s plan to […]
RDKB executes court-ordered removal at Demski property
The Regional District Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) lost no time when the spring thaw hit to execute a court-ordered removal of ten unapproved structures from Peter Demski’s property on Granby Road in rural Grand Forks this week. The wrecking crew arrived on the morning of Wednesday, March 28 with dump trucks and a trackhoe to take […]
Mourning Mulcair’s win
There will be lots of soul searching and head scratching going on this week about what happened with the NDP leadership race. The mechanics of the convention, the interesting lack of deal-making, and how the balloting progressed are all fodder for those who enjoy going through the entrails of leadership conventions. Others ...
