When I was posted in the Okanagan in the 1990s I was answering phones in the detachment dispatch office. A caller from Summerland asked what would happen if he decided to take his protest sign down to the highway and conduct his own personal blockade. He expressed the opinion that if he did that the police would arrive quickly...

While the ground remains snowy, communities throughout the Columbia Basin are thinking ahead to how they can reduce the risks of wildfires. Several projects will be helping to keep people and places safer with over $1 million from Columbia Basin Trust’s Community Wildfire Program. “Anyone who’s been in the region in the past...

A chimney fire this afternoon has prompted the Castlegar Fire Department to remind residents to get their chimneys cleaned on a regular basis, according to CFD Fire Chief Sam Lattanzio. He said the call came in at 2:04 p.m. to attend a fire in the 3000 block of 5 Avenue, and Engine 1, the Ladder Truck and one command vehicle...

Dear Editor, As I write this, patients are travelling long distances for consultations with specialists. Many of these journeys, for simple face to face meetings are made even though the required workup has been completed and the results forwarded. BUT - What if you could visit a GP, have the referral and information forwarded...

Kootenay Boundary Regional Fire Rescue (KBRFR) has received $6,591 worth of high-powered LED flashlights from Retriev Technologies in Trail to assist firefighters on the job. The 25 specialized Streamlight Survivor rechargeable flashlights were delivered this week complete with chargers and will be installed in firetrucks in...

What comes After Eden? Visual and performance artist Stephanie Kellett and sound artist Robert Livingood explore this question in a multi-media exhibition at the Kootenay Gallery of Art in Castlegar. Kellett and Livingood are life partners as well as artistic partners, based in Nelson, the pair has travelled on several occasions...

Bats are fascinating and often-misunderstood creatures.  They’re also very useful to humans and ecosystems; in our region, by eating a lot of night-flying insects that damage crops and forests. To learn more about bats and how they’ve been unfairly targeted for abuse over the years, read the book “The Secret Lives of Bats: ...

Rossland Search and Rescue (RSAR) is hosting Backcountry Awareness Day on Saturday, February 8 at Red Mountain Resort. RSAR normally holds Avalanche Awareness Day in January, but this year decided to expand its efforts to include backcountry safety more broadly. “While avalanches are a serious risk, most of the calls ...

The City of Castlegar will see a major development near the West Kootenay Regional Airport early in 2020. FedEx has purchased land near the West Kootenay Regional Airport and plans to construct a warehouse building that will serve as a distribution centre and office space. The company chose Castlegar for a variety of reasons,...

This week in the House of Commons we are debating the new NAFTA agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico, known by the acronym CUSMA. The original NAFTA was negotiated by Conservatives and signed by Liberals in 1994 with promises of more jobs and secure access to the largest market in the world. Supporters of ...