Rural residents may be asked to contribute more to aquatic centre through taxation
A $4.9 million renovation to the aquatic centre will start in April, shutting down the use of the pool until the fall. In the meantime, Nelson and surrounding rural areas will revamp their process for deciding how much some of the rural areas will pay in taxes to support the facility. Currently, citizens in some […]
MP promotes affordable child care plan
NDP leader Tom Mulcair has recently launched a plan for affordable childcare in Canada. It is no secret that Quebec has the most affordable childcare in the country, and Tom, as a former Quebec cabinet minister, witnessed the success affordable childcare played in helping families and boosting the economy of the province. ...
Trading Away Environmental Rights
Science Matters Vol. 17, No. 4 27 Jan 2015 By David Suzuki In 1997, Canada restricted import and transfer of the gasoline additive MMT because it was a suspected neurotoxin that had already been banned in Europe. Ethyl Corp., the U.S. multinational that supplied the chemical, sued the government for $350 million under the...
The War On Democracy and What Fuels It
Downsize Democracy for 40 Years, Here’s What You Get by murraydobbin If you are searching for significant anniversaries for 2015, one that you might find illuminating is the publication of a book published 40 years ago entitled The Crisis of Democracy. The title would seem fitting today but that's not the crisis...
RDCK pitches in to complete the Trans Canada Trail
If all goes well, a 25 year dream will be completed in 2017, just in time for Canada’s 150th birthday party, when the East and West Kootenays are linked to the Trans Canada Trail (TCT). To date, nearly 17,000 kilometres of the trail---hailed as the longest recreational trail in the world--- are operational, which is 75 percent...
Camping to cost more after province raises rates
The province says to maintain high service levels in B.C. provincial parks for an increasing number of visitors, it's raising camping fees as of March 15, 2015. "British Columbia’s world-renowned parks provide superb recreational opportunities for visitors from throughout the province and around the world. From diverse terrain...
Council committee to expand mandate in response to explosion of tech opportunities
A city council standing committee is looking to change its name and increase its mandate to ensure Castlegar keeps pace with rapidly evolving opportunities, according to city councillor Kevin Chernoff. Chernoff, reporting at Monday night’s regular council meeting on behalf of the Green Committee, said it makes sense to change...
LETTER: Open Letter to Grand Forks Mayor Frank Konrad and GF City Council
To Mayor and Council of the City of Grand Forks, I write you today as a concerned citizen of this amazing City. I am compelled to write to you about some concerns I and many other citizens have arising from the Regular City Council meeting this past Monday January 12th, 2015. I was unable to attend the meeting in person but...
Why providing affordable housing in Nelson is easier said than done
Most people in Nelson believe we need more housing for people who can’t afford market prices. Almost every candidate in the recent municipal election stated it as a priority, although they had few concrete suggestions. Solutions to affordable housing can come from at least three directions: changes to the city’s zoning and regulation of existing […]
LETTER: 70-yr-old patient to sleep in car to get medical care
Dear Editor, I’m writing this because I am just livid.My neighbour is 70 years old. She has suffered a stroke, has had two heart attacks, and multiple surgeries on her pancreas. She is not in good health, to say the least. Doesn't stop her though, she was out shoveling snow yesterday! She is leaving tomorrow for surgery on ...
