In less than nine months the Kootenay region went from the lowest unemployment rate in B.C. to the highest, more than doubling in that time. In November, the Kootenay region recorded an unemployment rate of 6.9 per cent, more than one per cent higher than the rate in October (5.7 per cent), and up significantly […]

There’s no need to travel the country to find the best baker in Canada. A simple commute to the diverse community of Creston will locate the winner of the Great Canadian Baking Show (GCBS) Season 7. The local teacher Loïc Fauteux-Goulet claimed the top prize in the national baking competition series, a cooking competition series […]

The old schoolhouse in South Slocan is slated for demolition after the contract was awarded recently to take the building down. The Regional District of Central Kootenay board of directors approved the demolition project — awarded to Hydraclean Disaster Restoration Services Ltd. for $119,250 — on Nov. 16 “as determined by the project team through […]

Columbia Basin residents are being asked to get ready for the ReDi program now as it prepares to kick into gear early in the new year. Grant applications will be accepted for Columbia Basin Trust Resident Directed grants (ReDi) on Jan. 3 — through the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) — in support of […]

The will be a virtual regional learning event regarding the toxic drug crisis in the Kootenays on Tuesday, December 5th. The Bridging Community Connections in Nelson: Human Rights and Harm Reduction event is being held from 1-2:30 p.m. During the December 5th virtual event, the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition will release a new report with […]

The city’s police force is looking for an increase of two more constables, the same amount the service pays out for overtime because it is understaffed. Nelson Police Department (NPD) chief constable Donovan Fisher made the annual pre-budget ask for city’s police force, which amounted to two first class constables to add to the current […]

The region’s transit providers might not be passing on the U-Pass system. Partners in the West Kootenay Transit System — which includes Nelson, Castlegar and the regional district — are considering implementing the U-Pass system, which gives post-secondary students unlimited access to transit for a heavily discounted rate. U-Pass BC — a program pass that […]

A pilot project to utilize biochar technology in a regional context and help the agricultural industry is being put forward by Wildsight. The Fire to Food project would be a circular economy pilot to produce biochar — a specific type of charcoal that is made by pyrolysis, which is when an organic matter like wood […]

Taking action at the local level that contributes to knowledge and results through climate-focused projects is at the heart of the fourth annual TEDxSelkirkCollege Countdown event that works to unite the planet in a proactive way. As part of a worldwide effort to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis, this free event will […]

Wildsight said that Teck’s proposed sale of its Elk Valley coal mines to Glencore, a large mining company with a poor environmental record, has environmental advocates concerned that the water pollution disaster in the Elk and Kootenay Rivers could get even worse. In a media release, Wildsight, a non-profit organization based in the East Kootenay […]