Children sing that “when you wish upon a star, it makes no difference who you are.” By adulthood, most of us have given up on that idea and a few – just to hedge their bets – donate to political parties rather than testing their luck on a star. And that's what makes the annual financial reports from B.C.'s political parties...

Selkirk College is recognizing retiring British Columbia Southern Interior MP Alex Atamanenko with a Honourary Diploma in Peace Studies for his contribution to furthering the cause locally and across Canada. The representative for the region in Ottawa since the 2006 federal election, Atamanenko has been a strong national voice for peace as a member of […]

Staples Canada yesterday awarded Castlegar’s own Kinnaird Elementary School $25,000 worth of new technology in a surprise school assembly yesterday morning. Kinnaird Elementary was selected for their outstanding sustainability efforts and environmental initiatives. In collaboration with Earth Day Canada, the nationwide contest...

Residents got their first glimpse of Castlegar’s 2015 budget in a finance department report presented at city council’s regular meeting last night. The budget includes a tax increase of roughly $56 per year (roughly $4.67 a month) for the average household and a two-per-cent hike for commercial taxes. The total...

Eighty per cent of all feedback during the Liquor Policy Review asked for it, government promised it and now consumers will benefit from it: liquor sales in grocery stores started yesterday. First out of the gate for the wine-on-shelves model is the Save-On-Foods in Surrey, partnering with the BC Wine Institute to represent...

A small crowd of Healthcare supporters gathered Tuesday outside the Nelson Courthouse to protest the one-year anniversary of federal Conservative cuts to healthcare. On March 31st, 2014, the federal Conservatives announced a $36 Billion cut to healthcare over the next ten years. The decision means $5 Billion in cuts to British Columbia’s health services. To […]

Alex Atamanenko, MP for BC Southern Interior is angry that the bombing mission in the Middle East will be expanded from Iraq into Syria. The mission was extended for another year following the motion passed Monday by a Conservative majority in the House of Commons. The Conservative dominated House passed the motion by a 142-129...

NDP MLA Selina Robinson introduced a bill in the legislature on Thursday that would help prevent animals from suffering or dying in vehicles without adequate ventilation. The Coquitlam-Maillardville MLA proposed the Distressed Animals Act after the tragic 2014 case of the six dogs who died after being left in the back of...

Some bad news for Castlegar on the job front – despite gaining five salaried jobs/employees from Nakusp Interfor (announced in March), the city is now losing nine positions as Caterpillar distributor Finning Canada’s Castlegar branch closes its doors and the parent company attempts to relocate its Castlegar employees to other...

There’s fresh excitement brewing and a movement afoot in our city’s downtown core, as businesses and non-profits alike connect with the city in the hope of furthering their growth and sustainability goals. This, after a small steering committee met with city council’s Cultural and Civic Pride Committee on March 11 to gauge ...