(Hon. Steve Thompson)  Once again Minister Thomson I urge you to review an extremely weak argument that has resulted in the Gilpin Grasslands becoming an important motorized vehicle recreation area. None of the salient points in a letter dated Dec. 30, 2014 and signed by Assistant Deputy Minister Gary Townsend will stand up...

As many may already be aware, the Kootenays have a combination of geology and gas permeable soils that make homes and workplaces susceptible to high concentrations of radioactive radon.  It surprised me to learn that the radiation from radioactive radon gas found in homes and workplaces is estimated to cause 16 percent of the...

Government policies are normally designed to help citizens as they try to move up the economic ladder, not penalize them for trying. And on that one count alone, this week's budget from Finance minister Mike de Jong is an abject failure. In its budget highlights, the B.C. government presented four scenarios to bolster its...

In recognition of the valuable work the B.C. Chamber of Commerce does supporting its business members, the week of Feb. 16 to 20 is Chamber of Commerce Week. At the recent awards ceremony for the South Okanagan Chamber, the following businesses were recognized. Nunes/Pottinger, Vintage Hospitality Management, Greg Wheeler of...

The Conservative government accuses MPs who voted against their new “Agriculture Growth Act” as having no understanding of farming. However, this claim does not jibe at all with the farmers that I have spoken to who seem to think otherwise. The omnibus bill C-18 makes changes to nine different pieces of legislation in which...

NDP leader Tom Mulcair has recently launched a plan for affordable childcare in Canada.  It is no secret that Quebec has the most affordable childcare in the country, and Tom, as a former Quebec cabinet minister, witnessed the success affordable childcare played in helping families and boosting the economy of the province. ...

To Mayor and Council of the City of Grand Forks, I write you today as a concerned citizen of this amazing City. I am compelled to write to you about some concerns I and many other citizens have arising from the Regular City Council meeting this past Monday January 12th, 2015.  I was unable to attend the meeting in person but...

Dear Editor, The recent election has shown, emphatically, how local residents felt about how the city was run by the previous mayor and council. It was clear that the voters wanted change; a change from government that didn’t listen. They wanted a voice in how the city is run. At the Dec 15th, 2014 city council morning meeting,...

Since 2005, Eileen Delehanty Pearkes has researched and explored the natural and human history of the rivers of the upper Columbia River Basin.  She speaks frequently at conferences and symposia throughout the Basin on the history of the Columbia River Treaty and its effects on Basin residents.  She has recently completed a...

Dear Editor, I’m writing this because I am just livid.My neighbour is 70 years old. She has suffered a stroke, has had two heart attacks, and multiple surgeries on her pancreas. She is not in good health, to say the least. Doesn't stop her though, she was out shoveling snow yesterday! She is leaving tomorrow for surgery on ...