Ticks are back! It’s time to take precautions
An early start to warm spring weather means many of us are getting out and enjoying the great outdoors. The warm weather also brings out ticks, small bugs that bite and feed on the blood of humans and animals and can sometimes transmit disease. Ticks are most often found in tall grass and wooded areas. Fortunately, there are...
Nephelometer to continue sniffing local air for one more year
The University of Victoria has agreed to let Grand Forks borrow their nephelometer for one more year to continue gathering data on local air quality. The nephelometer has been sniffing around the major byways of Grand Forks since June 2012. It measures particulate matter in the air caused by things like dust and exhaust. It...
Ag society looking for city support on new Food Charter
Food is the focus of a new charter the Grand Forks and Boundary Regional Agricultural Society (GFBRAS) hopes will influence local policies and projects for the city. “It is a big picture document that sets the tone around food within the chambers of our leadership,” said GFBRAS director Sheila Dobie during a presentation she...
Seedy Sunday means it must be spring...
“Seed is the source of life and the first link in the food chain. Control over seed means a control over our lives, our food and our freedom.” Physicist and activist Vandana Shiva It’s time to dust off the gardening equipment and start planning your crops for this year! Rossland REAL Food’s annual Seedy Sunday and Interact...
In Winter Wonder time mittens are a must—and a magnifying glass, too
It’s Winter Wonder time! Primary students all over the snowy Columbia Basin are learning about how plants and animals adapt to winter. Kids take a magical journey to discover the natural world in winter through these walking field trips, which occur in and around their schoolyards and neighbourhoods. Exploring snow crystals...
Team in Training benefits from generous locals
The Pharmasave team has been busy this year raising money for worthy causes. From the Relay for Life, to Mo’vember and now the Team in Training, the owners and staff at Pharmasave have given, with a little help from their friends, to fight cancer. Throughout January, Pharmasave Grand Forks held a Super Bowl Fundraiser in...
COMMENT: Why this problem can’t be buried
Twenty-five years ago, after consensus on the reality and impacts of manmade climate change led to the formation of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, western governments had two choices. They could either stop subsidising fossil fuel industries and invest the savings in promoting energy efficiency and renewable...
Nephlometer continues to sniff its way around Grand Forks, woodstoves on the radar
So far the winter nephlometer studies have shown that particulate matter continues to be a problem in the same areas as during the summer study, with one exception – neighbourhoods with heavy woodstove usage are showing elevated particulate matter. Last week Grand Forks Environment Committee member and nephlometer project...
COMMENT: For frack’s sake
When Josh Fox received a letter offering him nearly $100,000 for the natural gas extraction rights on his Pennsylvania property, his first reaction was: nice chunk of change. Then he started wondering what was involved in the hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) process proposed. Looking for the answer took him on a road trip...
Changing the face of dementia
If a close friend told you she has dementia, would you avoid her for fear of being embarrassed by what she might say or do? If you answered “yes,” you're not alone. According to a recent poll by Alzheimer's Disease International, 40 per cent of people with dementia reported they had been avoided or treated differently after...
