Editorial Note:   In the column below,  Dermod Travis points out many instances of close correlation between large donations  by corporations to the Liberal Party of  BC and lucrative contracts awarded to  those corporations.  Now, as any scientist will tell us, correlation is not proof of causation -- but it's a good reason...

Tuesday, March 8, 2016:  Today, at Selkirk College in Castlegar, local women are being celebrated for their achievements under our relatively enlightened  culture.    Yesterday, a BC man was sentenced to 21 years in prison without any chance of parole for murdering his ex-girlfriend because he saw her studying at a university...

Women Grow: Kootenay Region Chapter held its inaugural event in Nelson on January 7th of this year– an event that brought in an all-encompassing crowd: women, men, younger folk, older folk, locals and non-locals, activists, advocates, educators, entrepreneurs, and those simply open to learning all made up the successful event...

I am now back in Victoria at the Legislature until the end of May. While there are many events and meeting requests that come across my desk, I am only in the constituency on Fridays and Saturdays and quite often that time is limited by weather and other unforeseen issues. I depend on my very resourceful and knowledgeable...

As the NDP critic for post-secondary education, I’ve met with a number of groups over the past weeks and months to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing universities, colleges and technical institutions, as well as with the students who are working hard to better their futures.  And the benefits to post-secondary ...

I am sending you a news release from the Wildlife Stewardship Council that is a reminder to all British Columbians that First Nations have the leverage to demand their constitutional right to harvest a fair share of the province’s wildlife resource! How many BC First Nations bands are going to ask in the immediate future the...

In the last column I reviewed a few of the main activities and initiatives of 2015 for the Kettle River Watershed Management Plan. Today I want to look ahead to 2016, sharing a few of the priorities in the Plan that our Steering Committee and Advisory Group are committed to achieving. On November 19 we held a second meeting...

Dear Editor,   Phase 2 of the universal water meter boondoggle is in progress… there were approximately 400 meters remaining to be installed. Here are a few things all residents and homeowners should know: Were you aware that all homeowners could get a water meter installed without the radio frequency (RF) feature? Apparently...

Newsletter... I am sharing a few pictures that represent a typical water/grassland scene on the Gipin Grasslands. The pictures showcase the largest tributary to Morrissey Creek before the creek drops into a canyon and an adjacent meadow that was the site of a recent forest thinning burn. Morrissey Creek watershed is one of ...

Is The US Dollar Collapsing, or is it Not? There are three schools of thought on where the US dollar is headed, some say it will be dead before Sept. 2015  is over. Some believe it is business as usual, while a third group points to the US dollar as deflating. Now I’m a Canadian, and personally, I do not care who is right, ...