Mayoral candidate Mike Martin, in his own words
I came to Trail as a young engineer 42 years ago and like so many, when you come to Trail, it gets in your blood, and you stay in Trail… that is exactly what happened to me. I met my wife Debbie and next thing I knew, I was part of a large Italian family with deep roots into the community. I worked my entire 40-year career...
Good turn out in Castlegar and Trail for early polls
Advanced polling numbers in both Trail and Castlegar indicate a better turn out than either city has seen in previous years. Castlegar’s advanced polling was held on Nov. 4 and 5, and city manager John Malcolm says 389 people showed up to cast an early ballot, as compared to 216 in the byelection in September of 2013. Malcolm...
ELECTION RANT: Castlegar residents need to wise up
I don’t think it will come as any kind of wicked surprise to anyone that I’m a supporter of democracy – I’ve always pushed people to rock their vote, participate and be involved. I usually totally enjoy elections. This one? Not so much. I can’t wait until it’s over – which will be in roughly six generations, if the ugliness...
OP/ED: Castlegar Council says City strike misguided, urges Union to reconsider
Ed Note: The following is a press release issued by the City of Castlegar in response to CUPE 2262's notice, given today, of full strike action. The union representing Castlegar’s unionized city workers has decided to take full-blown strike action effective Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014. “We have bargained in good faith and at...
Internet technology and social media forever altering face of municipal election campaigns in Trail/Castlegar
Even just since our last general municipal election, the internet and new technologies are dramatically changing the way civic campaigns are designed and implemented in our region. From websites to Facebook pages, online polls, You Tube and video-taped addresses, technological options are phasing out other campaign methods ...
Jumbo Glacier opponents say day lodge built in avalanche zone
The ruling Liberals took it on the chin in the BC Legislature Tuesday after a heliski operating company said a poured concrete foundation for a day lodge of the Jumbo Glacier Resorts project is in an avalanche zone. “Pouring the foundation for their day lodge in the path of class 4 avalanches isn’t the only […]
COMMENT: City pans union for hijacking election; speaks to labour stalemate
Ed. Note: This press release was issued Monday night, after CUPE's delegation to council's regular meeting, but before CUPE's public announcement of fullblown-strike action issued this morning: CUPE 2262, the Union representing city workers in Castlegar has taken to the press to boast about how they dominated the Castlegar ...
City CUPE workers announce full strike action to start Nov. 8
In a press release issued at noon on Wednesday, city workers announced they will be taking full strike action by the end of this week, with picket lines in place by Saturday. "CUPE 2262 members who work for the City of Castlegar have issued 72-hour strike notice of a full withdrawal of service," read the release. "CUPE 2262...
Four Prime Questions about Harper’s Response to Ottawa Shooting
Two weeks after the senseless murder of a soldier on Parliament Hill (and another earlier in Montreal) there are several things we know and many we don’t. Obvious questions have been asked and inconvenient ones have been left aside. We know — and indeed could predict one second after the shooting — that Stephen Harper would...
Corrupt elevations: killers of Canadian soldiers and the Jian Ghomeshi scandal
Is Canada at war? This is not the simple question it once was. We have witnessed the steady degradation of language, as Orwell predicted, so that “war” has been cheapened by repetition. War on poverty, war on drugs, war on diseases, etc. have left us jaded about the meaning of war. War on terror is another such phrase with ...
