Mark Hume of the Globe and Mail has done an outstanding job of taking the Sea to Sky highway shadow toll story to an entirely new level in the Monday edition of the paper, and managed to get some rather creative answers from both Macquarie and the BC government.   Truly,creative doesn’t even begin to describe […]

Make no mistake about it: Carole James will be gone as NDP leader well before the next provincial election. But remember: in politics, like comedy, timing is everything. And the next BC election isn’t scheduled until Tuesday, May 14, 2013.  Yes, 2013.  So for the NDP there’s no rush: in fact, it would be politically dumb to replace James […]

Katrine Conroy released a statement today from her office in Victoria. Effective immediatley she has stepped down from her role as Whip for the opposition caucus. Andrew Zwicker of the Rossland Telegraph caught up with Conroy shortly after her announcement today to chat further in depth on why she’s stepped down, if she’s still behind Carole […]

 We should have known it was too good to be true. Harper’s many, many repetitions of his government’s commitment to get all the troops out by July 2011 are well known. I think he may actually have meant it because by these repeated statements he framed the issue so strongly that all Canadians expected – […]

Now that I’m back from some well-enjoyed fun in the sun, I am amazed at the number of people who have suggested the biggest story that happened in BC in the past few weeks was the decision by Premier Gordon Campbell to step down.  They are wrong.   As repeatedly explained on this blog long […]

For those considering issue triage — picking five or six issues to focus on — in the fight to rid the country of the current government, one area that is critical to the outcome is exposing the Harper government’s construction of the national security state.   I am referring here to the commitment of the […]

The pretty village of Kaslo on Kootenay Lake has a population of less than 2,000 and one licensed daycare, the Periwinkle Children’s Centre. The centre has a long history in the community and also a long history of the same problems repeating themselves.  Sarah Lawless, chair of the board of directors for the non-profit centre, […]

 The official results are not yet in, but the preliminary ballots show such a resounding “no” vote that no other finale is a possibility in today’s $25-million recreation referendum in Castlegar. The Regional District of Central Kootenay posted the unoffical results on the district website Saturday night.   With just under 40-per-cent voter turn-out, the […]

 Ed Broadbent, one of Canada’s most respected progressive sages, sat down with the CCPA’s Trish Hennessy to talk about the Canada he grew up in and how it’s changed over his lifetime. During this candid conversation — in Mr. Broadbent’s own Ottawa backyard — he reflects on the profound shift away from equality. When he […]

 I think most of us can safely bet the farm on which news story will be dominating B.C. media in the coming weeks – but I hope it doesn’t distract Castlegar from the huge looming issues our community will face over the same timeframe, regardless who holds power in Victoria. Truth be told, with the […]