BC Government wants your opinion on ICBC rates
First, a bit of background. ICBC is in dire financial straits. Back in 2016, ICBC applied to the BC Utilities Commission for permission to raise its rates by 4.9%. This publication posted an article by Dermod Travis of Integrity BC on ICBC’s request. Travis unpicked the rationale for the proposed increase in rates, delved...
Crash sends woman to hospital in critical condition
Highway 3 was closed for roughly an hour this morning after an MVI involving a small car and a logging truck, according to Ootischenia Fire Chief George Hamm. Hamm said the call came in at 8 a.m., and both Ootischenia and Castlegar Fire Departments attended a crash roughly one-and-a-half km past the weigh scales, heading...
RDKB says, swap out that smoky woodstove and get a good rebate
The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) wants residents to change out old, smoky wood stoves for cleaner appliances including heat pumps, gas or pellet stoves or cleaner burning wood stoves. The RDKB has put a total of $6,000 toward the 2018 Wood Stove Exchange Program and $5,000 is still available to fund rebates...
CFD evacuates Kootenay Market, responds to MVI Monday afternoon
Castlegar Fire Department had a busy afternoon Monday, first with an evacuation and then responding to a single-vehicle MVI on Kinnaird Bridge. Fire Chief Sam Lattanzio said it was just before noon when they received a report of a gas leak at Kootenay Market. “When we arrived, they had already evacuated the grocery store,...
Going Green on Highway 3 gets boost with five new Fast Charging Stations
People in the Boundary region are now connected with the West Kootenay after the opening of five electric vehicle Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFCs) stations along Highway 3. The stations have been strategically sited in Greenwood, Christina Lake, Castlegar, Salmo and Creston to ensure connected travel and charging options...
Kootenay Gallery exhibits use art to address climate change
What do art and science have in common? For many scientists and academics such as Timothy Morton, they are looking to the art world to help communicate the reality of the threat of climate change. While scientific data appeals to the brain, art appeals to emotions. As a group, society hasn’t generally been motivated by facts...
Interior Health CEO to retire this fall
Interior Health’s Board Chair Doug Cochrane announced today that president and CEO Chris Mazurkewich has provided the board of directors with his letter of resignation, expressing his decision to retire at the end of October. “Chris Mazurkewich has spent nearly three decades working to build a strong, sustainable health system...
RDCK votes to hold referendum on over-$32-mill upgrades to Complex
At its meeting yesterday, the Board of Directors of the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) considered two bylaws pertaining to the proposed “Option B” enhancements to the Castlegar and District Community Complex. The bylaws were prepared to establish a new recreation service to replace the two existing services and...
Survey sees majority approving almost $32.5 mill upgrade to Complex
The majority of survey respondents in Castlegar and area have voted for Complex upgrades estimated to cost $32,370,000 (Option B. For more information about facility options, visit https://myactivityhub.ca/the-project/facility-options/ ). In a press release issued today, the RDCK indicated that almost 1,200 households completed...
Column: A strange way to pick a leader
When a political party sets rules for a leadership race and tries to be all things to all members, the result can end up looking more like the proverbial camel designed by a committee than a true and fair method for members to choose a new leader. As they did in 2011, the B.C. Liberal party opted to continue with its practice...
