Civil Suit Alleges B.C. Blacklisting Forestry Consultant Who Warned of Timber Overcutting, Faulty Data
This article is by Judith Lavoie, and is from DeSmog Canada
Forestry has been a passion and a career for Martin Watts for 25 years, but, since attempting to point out problems with B.C.’s process for setting logging rates, his forestry consulting business has nosedived and Watts is claiming in a civil suit that he was blacklisted by the provincial government.
A Dam Big Problem: unauthorized dams built for Petronas
By Ben Parfitt. This article is from DeSmog Canada. A subsidiary of Petronas, the Malaysian state-owned petro giant courted by the B.C. government, has built at least 16 unauthorized dams in northern B.C. to trap hundreds of millions of gallons of water used in its controversial fracking operations. The 16 dams are among ...
LETTER: Taking a Longer Term Perspective of the BC Elections
Dear Editor: As we head to the polls on May 9, a question we should be considering is what type of world we want to leave for our children and grandchildren. Are we are doomed to go over the climate cliff – facing a world with ever increasing extreme weather, mudslides, catastrophic wildfires, and sea level rise? Or should ...
Failed referendum sparks new approach; your input required
Castlegar and area residents are going to get another hands-on opportunity to help shape the future of the Complex, and of local recreation in general, at a public open house slated for next week.
This, after a $25-million recreation referendum in November 2010 was overwhelmingly defeated (roughly 40 per cent of registered voters weighed in, with 20.94 per cent voting in favour and 79.06 per cent voting against).
Poll indicates children's health may become platform issue in provincial election
Today, BC Healthy Living Alliance is releasing results from their Health Priorities Survey which shows that 80% of residents in the Interior are very concerned about the impact of physical activity on children’s health – followed by nutrition (64%) and poverty (60%). Scott McDonald, Chair of the BC Healthy Living Alliance, ...
BC quietly grants Mount Polley permit to pipe mine waste directly into Quesnel Lake
This article is from DeSmog Canada, written by Carol Linnit. The B.C. Ministry of Environment has quietly granted the Mount Polley Mining Corporation permission to drain mining waste directly into Quesnel Lake, B.C.’s deepest fjord lake and a source of drinking water for residents of Likely, B.C., as part of a “long-term water...
Candidates Answer Four Questions (or not): Part I
Last week, I posted an editorial criticizing negative campaigning, and posed questions for our local candidates to answer -- without mentioning other candidates or other parties. Here are two of our local candidates' answers to the first set of four questions; the third candidate, Liberal Jim Postnikoff, was unfortunately unable to respond in time. Where possible, I have looked through the Liberal platform and attempted to find the Liberal approach on the topics of the questions, and inserted what I could find.
City budget presentation well worth the “wasteâ€
A public open house Tuesday night to present the city’s 2017 budget and five-year financial plan only drew 17 attendees, other than senior city staff, mayor and council, but a lively discussion kept the meeting running until well after its scheduled end at 7 p.m.
The bulk of the discussion and questions about the roughly-$29-million budget centred around waste management issues, as newly introduced programs have left some residents confused as to the new protocols.
RCMP Sgt. Backus calling on gov't to 'Back Us'; many local cops getting on board
A former West Kootenay police officer has started a movement which has spread throughout the country in protest of working conditions within the RCMP. Former Kaslo top cop Sgt. Chris Backus (now with the Sunshine Coast detachment), risked censure or even dismissal by approaching the media with a ‘yellow stripe campaign’ to ...
Salmo seeks public input on parks
The Village of Salmo is seeking public input on the use, function, and infrastructure in Salmo’s two community parks – Lions Park and Knights of Pythias (KP) Park. A survey form is available online and at the Village office and ideas and suggestions are due by May 15, 2017. The Village intends to use the input to shape parks...