Special Air Quality Statement issued for Kootenay, Boundary regions
Environment Canada has issued a Special Air Quality Statement for most of the southern areas of BC, including the Kootenays, Boundary, Arrow and Kootenay Lake regions. “Smoke is causing poor air quality and reducing visibility. Smoke is expected or occurring,” the Environment Canada Statement said. “The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, in collaboration […]
NEW PROGRAM HELPS AGRICULTURE GROW
Agricultural producers in the region now have access to a new service offering technical support and expertise to help them succeed. Kootenay and Boundary Farm Advisors is a free service that is launching this summer. The regional districts of Central Kootenay, Kootenay Boundary and East Kootenay have partnered with Columbia Basin Trust to provide […]
City sits on a ticking time bomb of West Arm Provincial Park forest
The possibility of an evacuation in Nelson this summer due to the threat of wildfire is very real, with the city situated next to arguably one of the greatest fire risks in the province. West Arm Provincial Park forest east of the city could set the stage for the next big B.C. blaze — and […]
Temporary highway in place near South Slocan Village
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure redesign of the Highway 3A at South Slocan Village is beginning to take shape as crews have completed the temporary road beside the old bridge a few kilometers east from the Highway 3A/6 junction. The construction replaces the bridge at South Slocan, which was built in the early 1960s […]
FortisBC urges public to stay cool, save energy when the heat spikes
The record-breaking heat expected in the coming days could cause an increase in energy use as cooling systems work harder to keep up with demand. FortisBC finds that demand on its system typically peaks between 5 and 7 p.m. on weekdays when people are returning home from activities. Which is why […]
Harrop Creek wildfire grows to 1,000 hectares
To protect the public and to aid in fire suppression, BC Wildfire Service has closed the Harrop Mainline Forest Service Road and the East Harrop Mainline Forest Service Road. The closure was announced in a Southeast Fire Centre media release Wednesday. The Harrop Creek wildfire once again increased in size Tuesday night, going from 655 […]
Sale of Teck's interest in Waneta dam to BC Hydro announced
The sale of Teck's two-thirds share of the Waneta dam to BC Hydro is now subject to "a number of conditions" according to press releases dated August 1, 2017. Those conditions include review and approval by the BC Utilities Commission, and assuming that it goes forward, the sale is not likely to be completed before early ...
Southeast Fire Centre says equipment theft hinders Harrop Creek wildfire suppression efforts
The RCMP has been called into investigate theft of equipment that has hindered the fighting the Harrop Creek wildfire the Southeast Fire Centre said in a media release Tuesday. The BC Wildfire Service Southeast Fire Centre said one water pump and 10 100-foot lengths of hose went missing during the night of July 31-Aug. 1, […]
A Cycling Salmon and the Columbia River Treaty
This weekend, Graeme Lee Rowlands reached the end of an impressive six-week journey across the Columbia Basin. Calling himself “the anadromous cyclist”(in reference to the Columbia River’s spawning fish), the 22-year-old university student has spent the past month cycling up the river – from its mouth...
Harrop Creek Wildfire grows to 650 hectares, still no threat to communities
Despite continuing to grow — the Harrop Creek wildfire is now estimated by BC Wildfire Service at 650 hectares — the blaze remains approximately 16.5 kilometers from said Nelson Fire Chief Len MacCharles. MacCharles, who took a fly-over the wildfire Tuesday morning, said the fire grew in size Monday evening which resulted in a significant […]
