Canadians had high expectations for change but instead of help, this budget is marked by the Liberals backtracking on their promises to tackle inequality. In particular, breaking promises to First Nation children, just like so many previous Liberal and Conservative governments “Residents of South Okanagan — West Kootenay were...

“Your Donation Boomerangs Back To You” – what does that mean? We don’t have a hospital anymore! We did before! This was overheard being said in frustration by a person as they passed the elevator in the Castlegar & District Community Health Centre. I assume that this person was on their way to get bloodwork done, or an ...

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...

“March 8 is International Women’s Day (IWD) and this year we are hopeful that justice for Indigenous Women will move forward with the government’s announcement of the long awaited inquiry on missing and murdered aboriginal women,” said Debbie Bird, President of the West Kootenay Labour Council. “Every year women and men around...

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 a budget that rewards the wealthiest British Columbians at the expense of all other citizens, Christy Clark maintained a billion-dollar tax cut for millionaires and created a slush fund with unfair MSP tax hikes. "This is not a budget for B.C. families,” said Katrine Conroy, MLA. “This budget continues the tax break for ...

“It is impossible to argue with a story that simply reflects the experience of the storyteller.” – Mary Pipher Climate change has aroused the concern of the human family for decades through scientific analysis, media attention, and letters to the editor. Yet because a reported three percent sliver of scientists do not believe...

Last month, lobbyists gathered in Vancouver for The Future of Lobbying, a one -day conference put on by B.C.'s Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists, Simon Fraser Institute's Governance Studies and Public Affairs Association of Canada (B.C. Chapter). Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there does seem to be a future for the...