RDCK Directors pleased to engage government officials at UBCM Convention
RDCK Directors attended the Union of BC Municipalities convention in Whistler last week to lobby fellow local governments and the Province on a number of issues of both regional and provincial concern. Chief among these were: fire insurance for rural homeowners, broadband for rural areas throughout the Columbia basin, provincial cost sharing for potential disaster […]
UBCM continues to lobby against province giving $1 mill to town with no residents: Jumbo
Today, the Union of BC Municipalities unanimously passed a motion opposing provincial funding of municipalities without residents. Today, delegates representing municipalities across British Columbia voted unanimously to urge the Province of B.C. to stop funding towns without a population. Put forward by Invermere Mayor Gerry...
Regional District directors approve Saturday service for Nelson/Castlegar transit riders
The people have spoken and, believe it or not, government officials have listened. West Kootenay transit riders are getting increased service from Nelson to Castlegar, and, if all goes well at the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary board meeting, on to Trail. (The RDKB meets October 2 to vote on proposed changes for the Trail […]
Celgar responds to midnight train controversy; CPR to appear before council
Zellstoff Celgar is responding to a misconception that it was at the pulp mill’s request that CP Rail has started running nighttime trains through Castlegar. Celgar spokesperson Sandy Hinter told The Source that, in fact, the opposite is true. “CP Rail recently implemented changes to its service policy and schedule on the...
MLA and MP join forces to offer congrats on Communities in Bloom win
BC Southern Interior MP Alex Atamanenko and Kootenay West MLA Katrine Conroy join in congratulating the City of Castlegar on winning the 2014 Communities in Bloom International Challenge. Castlegar received 5 Blooms and competed against other cities across Canada and in Ireland for the overall win in the small category (less...
City thriving with year-over-year jump in building permits, business licenses
City beautification and marketing efforts appear to be bearing fruit, as per business license and building permit reports submitted to city council, according to city councillor Kevin Chernoff. Chernoff said a substantial increase over last year’s numbers in both licenses and permits indicates the city is successfully attracting...
UPDATED: Petition to save Pass Creek Fall Fair
The link to sign a petition letting the RDCK know you'd support taxpayer investment to save the Fall Fair is here: http://passcreekfair.com/ Previous story: The 19th Annual Pass Creek Fall Fair last weekend was, by all accounts, a screaming success … but will this popular regional event still happen next year? That’s not ...
Residents riled over post-midnight train
Many Castlegar residents got a rude awakening at roughly 12:40 a.m. this morning when CP Rail’s new nighttime train whistled its way through Castlegar. City councillor Sue Heaton-Sherstobitoff, who lives directly adjacent to a train crossing, said the new schedule is a source of great frustration. “I’m extremely upset –...
Leaders discuss rural health care at UBCM in Whistler
The following is a press release issued by the B.C. government: Mayors from throughout B.C. discussed the future of rural health care yesterday in discussions with Health Minister Terry Lake and health authority representatives at the annual Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) convention in Whistler. "We know there...
Privacy commissioner says lack of provincial response, 'erodes the public's right to know'
The B.C. government has taken a step backward in providing timely responses to access to information requests under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, according to a special report issued today by Information and Privacy Commissioner Elizabeth Denham. "This is my office's fourth report examining...