The board of School District No. 20 (SD20) voted last night 6-3 against K-12 in Rossland. The majority voted in favour of both K-7 at MacLean and K-9 at RSS, and these options will be left on the table for the bylaw's second reading at the special open board meeting at the RSS gym on Feb. 12.The board voted on each of the...

I had the opportunity in January to represent our country at the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) in Vladivostok, Russia.  This was the 21st annual Forum which hosted over three hundred parliamentarians from 23 APPF member states as well as representatives from other countries, the UN and other world organizations. Our...

School District 51 Board of Education trustees say enough is enough when it comes to deer poop on the playing fields around Perley Elementary School, Grand Forks Secondary School and Hutton Elementary School. Last night they voted unanimously to send a letter to the City of Grand Forks telling the deer committee to get on...

In this column I will continue the discussion on the creation of a Department of Peace by highlighting some of the initiatives undertaken in other countries. Over 30 countries have campaigns to create a Department of Peace.  In three countries – Nepal, the Solomon Islands and Costa Rica this is a reality. On September 14,...

Arc of the Cognizant XXI “What do you mean ‘we,’ Paleface?”  -- Tonto to the Lone Ranger By Charles Jeanes Oh, Canada. If ever there was a time for Canadians to take a prominent place in global affairs, it would seem to be now. But is the consciousness of our people up to this task? We have a very favourable ratio of population...

I am not sure if Idle No More is a movement or merely a passing protest. Like Occupy Wall Street before it, Idle No More, above all, appears to be an expression of frustration. Earlier protest actions opposed the status quo, but they did have a clear focus — civil rights, women’s rights and gay rights — visions for a new...

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...

It’s because he loves animals that Richard Smith, the new Boundary Animal Control Officer, chose his job. Smith, who moved to Grand Forks last year from Abbotsford, has been around animals all his life and grew up on a farm. He is a horse enthusiast and has served as a Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) steward in horse...

The B.C. government likes to boast that the province's personal income tax rates are among the lowest in the land, if not the lowest. Expect to hear it repeated a lot in TV ads over the coming weeks, when the legislature reconvenes in February and when the 2013 provincial budget is tabled.   On one level they're right. On...

More than 30 people braved the chilly temperatures to show their solidarity in the national Idle No More movement during a peaceful public protest at Gyro Park in Grand Forks, Saturday, Jan. 12.  “This is not just an Indian thing,” said event organizer and local Metis Patrick Stephenson during his prayer. “This is for human...