While British Columbians were divided over which of the main parties to support in the provincial election, most seem to agree on one thing: the need to get big money out of our politics. But it’s not enough to stop cash donations by corporations and unions. Any ban must be comprehensive, meaning no contributions of property...

A greater number of secondary schools in British Columbia have experienced declines in performance than have improved over the past four years, according to the Fraser Institute’s annual B.C. secondary schools rankings released today. “Our annual report card reveals how schools perform year over year, so parents can quickly...

To The Editor: A strategy to end strategic voting: The political landscape in British Columbia has been plagued by polarized politics for as long as anyone can remember. Many voters find themselves voting to block something they despise and/or wasting their vote all together. The way out of this mess is to reform our voting...

Dear Editor: As we head to the polls on May 9, a question we should be considering is what type of world we want to leave for our children and grandchildren. Are we are doomed to go over the climate cliff – facing a world with ever increasing extreme weather, mudslides, catastrophic wildfires, and sea level rise? Or should ...

To The Editor: The news from Alberta is that NDP Premier Rachel Notley has forbidden her staff from working for the BC NDP leading up to the May 9 election.  Even Notley, as an NDP Premier, realizes that the economic health of BC, Alberta and Canada depend upon the export of energy via safe, modern pipelines.  ...

Earlier this month the 2016 donation numbers for B.C.'s political parties were filed with Elections B.C. and, not unexpectedly, it was another bumper crop for the B.C. Liberals.  The party raised $13.1 million, more than any other provincial party in Canada and $4.8 million more than the federal NDP and Green party combined. ...

More and more Canadians are using complementary and alternative medicines and therapies—such as massage, yoga, acupuncture and chiropractic care—and they’re using them more frequently, finds a new survey by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “Alternative treatments are playing...

F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote: “Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.” It's the missed opportunities over the 2012 healthy ministry firings that will forever haunt the B.C. government. Instead of seizing opportunities to set the record straight, Ombudsperson Jay Chalke's report – Misfire: the 2012 ...

Selkirk Students Deserve Fair, Transparent and Democratic Referendum (On April 5) the Castlegar Source published a letter to the editor containing  misinformation about Selkirk College students' membership in the Canadian  Federation of Students. The letter leaves out some critical information that Selkirk students need to ...

Eileen Delehanty Pearkes has been researching and writing about the history and politics of water in the upper Columbia Basin since 2005.  Her book on the Columbia River Treaty, A River Captured, was released in 2016. Recently, her travelling exhibit on the Columbia River Treaty, curated for Touchstones Nelson, won a national...