OUT OF LEFT FIELD: One of the most important ways to manage tragedy
It makes me very sad to be having to write this again, and that we once more find ourselves coping with a horrific couple of months in our region – motor vehicle fatalities and injuries, fires, unexpected deaths, community icons lost. I think the knee-jerk reaction of most good people is to want to do something, to help in ...
Opinion: BC Hydro asking for a loan? Overheard by a fly on the wall
Loans Officer (LO): So you'd like to borrow $10.7 billion? BC Hydro (BCH): Yes sir. It's for a hydro-electric dam. LO: Well that's a lot of green for green energy. How exactly did you arrive at that cost? BCH: Happy to report we went to the same team that came up with the $1.5 billion estimate for the Port Mann bridge....
Opinion: The second 'Warning to Humanity' and what we can do
A year ago, we revisited the 1992 “World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity.” Signed by a majority of Nobel laureates in sciences at the time and more than 1,700 leading scientists worldwide, the document warned, “Human beings and the natural world are on a collision course.” It called for a new ethic that encompasses our...
Column: From the Hill
Earlier this month I helped out at the Salvation Army Christmas hamper distribution event. It felt good to play a small part in making hundreds of people have a happier Christmas—healthy food, toys for the kids. It was especially nice to see boxes of local fruits and vegetables on their way to homes that have a tough time...
Op/Ed: Year in Review, by our MLA Katrine Conroy
Despite the many rewarding experiences of recent months, I’m grateful to come home for Christmas to the Kootenays and my family. It has been an eventful year in B.C. politics with the election in May resulting in a new NDP government under Premier John Horgan. We promised to make life more affordable, to improve the services...
Letter: A decision for all British Columbians
To The Editor: In response to 'From the Leg:' by Linda Larson published on December 11th: In BC we use an electoral system called 'First Past The Post' (FPTP), a system that most of the developed world has abandoned due to a number of issues — a notable one being 'the spoiler effect' which causes many people to not vote for...
Board chair pens Interior Health year in review
As 2018 approaches, it is a great opportunity to reflect on the past year. On behalf of Interior Health, it is my pleasure to recap some highlights. Of course the biggest story of 2017 was the wildfires that tore across several communities. In total 19 hospitals, health centres and residential care homes were evacuated. Close...
From The Leg: Bills with tax implications, Daylight Savings Time
As we work our way through a long fall session at the legislature, we continue to hold the NDP/Green Coalition's "feet to the fire" on legislation that will have an economic impact on the provincial economy — Bill 2 and Bill 3 both have tax implications that will affect everyone. The bill that raises the greatest concerns for...
From The Hill: Fix the Phoenix payroll system
Recently, the Auditor General of Canada released a report that addressed the Phoenix payroll that has seriously affected the lives of thousands of civil servants across this country. More than half of the public service sector is caught up in this -- many are being paid well below their proper salaries, some are not being...
Letter: Parking woes at Strawberry Pass
How fortunate we are to have so much snow so early in the season. Rosslanders, being the avid out doors people that we are, were out in droves, cross-country skiing, touring, and snow shoeing. On Friday we headed up to Strawberry Pass, to the Rossland Range Recreation Site, for our first turns on Lepsoe...
