Recent brush fires - including one today - underline importance of regional mutual aid agreements
Ootischenia Fire Department responded to a brush fire just outside of town this afternoon, according to OFD Captain Cody Kabatoff. He said the call came in at roughly 4:15 p.m., and OFD responded to a wildfire about six km up Hwy 3 toward Christina Lake, with mutual aid assistance from the Castlegar Fire Department. “We...
LETTER: Insurance Brokers Assoc exec rebuts article re: rural insurance
To The Editor: Editors Note: This letter is in response to the following article: http://bit.ly/2bLDDvf The Insurance Brokers Association of B.C. would like to respond to inaccuracies in your story of Aug. 18 entitled: “RDCK director pushes for rural fire insurance change.” “’We have areas in the Regional District where people...
Local company raises $2,000 for Search and Rescue
Endless Adventures Fundraising campaign for the West Kootenay Search and Rescue Training weekend was a huge success. Endless Adventure raised $2,000 to help support and alleviate the pressure on volunteers who occasionally need to use their own funds for training and equipment. At the Saturday-night dinner, Andrea and Chris...
Rash of B&Es spurs police to request public assistance
Police are requesting public assistance after six break-and-enters Friday night, according to RCMP Sgt. Laurel Mathew. “Castlegar RCMP are investigating a rash of commercial break and enter crimes that occurred overnight on Aug. 19. The break-ins were discovered early the next morning. Two of the break-ins were on 6th Ave.,...
COLUMN: From the Hill -- Electoral Reform, and a Cycle Tour of the Riding
As summer winds down, our thoughts naturally turn to back-to-school shopping and back-to-work after a break for a good Canadian summer. I’ll be going back to Ottawa in September to resume work on all the issues before Parliament; one of the major issues we will be discussing is electoral reform. In last year’s campaign, both...
‘Swim In’ gathers support for protecting Queen’s Bay from ferry terminal plan
More than 300 people gathered for a ‘Swim In’ on Kootenay Lake on Sunday to protest against plans to build a new ferry terminal near Balfour. The protesters drove, walked, boated, and swam to the event, held on Queen’s Bay, just outside Balfour, 40 kilometres north of Nelson. They’re upset the government is talking about...
Interior Health announces expanded primary care hours for Kaslo Victorian Health Centre
Local physicians, Doctors of BC and Interior Health have joined together to offer an expansion of primary care for residents at the Victorian Community Health Centre in Kaslo. In a media release Friday, starting in September, the primary care clinic at Victorian Community Health Centre will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for...
Chicken issue to fly again at council meeting
A hugely contentious issue is once again going to take wing in an open city council meeting Sept. 6 – whether to allow urban poultry and bee-keeping within city limits. The issue has come up in years past and drawn near-record crowds of community members to council chambers, both in support of, and opposition to, such a change...
More than 12K Dorel Juvenile Canada strollers get recalled
Dorel Juvenile Canada has issued a recall of more than 12,000 jogging strollers, said Health Canada. This recall involves single and double occupant swivel wheel jogging strollers that have a quick release mechanism for removing and re-attaching the front wheel. Health Canada said Instep, Instep Safari and Schwinn Grand Safari...
Smoke visible around Castlegar/Arrow Lake from wildfire in Granby Provincial Park
The BC Wildfire Service is monitoring a 40-hectare wildfire burning in Granby Provincial Park. Depending on wind direction, drifting smoke from this fire may be visible in the Lower Arrow Lake region, Castlegar and surrounding communities. Fire is a natural process and helps maintain a healthy forest and a diversity of plant...
