On one hand you can't fault the B.C. government for trying, but on the other hand their enthusiasm for it – consulting British Columbians on public policy and pending legislation that is – seems a little wanting. Gung-ho it's not. In the last year, there have been government white papers, discussion papers, no papers but input...

I cannot decide if I should laugh or cry in response to the Provincial government’s exasperating effort to come up with lock-out terms for teachers. The government’s objective is to entice teachers to accept its conditions for a new contract. How can restricting the teachers’ hours at work, reducing their income by an arbitrary...

Tap tap tappity tap tap. One of the strongest memories I have from my childhood is my dad tapping away at the computer. It’s not my earliest memory, but it happened nightly, so it was burned into my head. It was a comforting sound. My room was across the hall from his office and he would be working steadily into the night, ...

When I sing about love and war I don’t really know what I’m sayin’ I’ve been in love and I’ve seen a lot of war I’ve seen a lot of people prayin’ --- and mostly they pray about love and war. Neil Young, “Love and War”   “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.                  Jesus,...

I originally started to write this as a straight news story, then realized my personal opinions on the matter are too strong to allow me to be certain of balanced reporting, so instead I'm going for an opinion/editorial piece. The issue at hand is current BCTF job action, and the way teachers are getting blamed for greed and...

Becoming a Teacher is a many things, but I would hazard to say more a “Lifestyle choice” where you work desirable hours with weekends, long weekends, summers, and holidays all off. Any teacher knows what also comes with their chosen occupation, which is some work done at home, and also putting in time with the kids after...

Dear Parents and guardians: I regret to inform you that the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF), the union representing teachers, has informed the school district that they will be engaged in rotating strikes and will be withdrawing teaching services in all SD20 sites on Tuesday, May 27, 2014. As of this time, this...

The federal government--that is, Stephen Harper--is expected to announce its long anticipated decision on Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline sometime in June. The decision could well determine whether or not the Conservatives can win the 2015 election. The momentum of opposition to the pipeline — and perhaps more importantly...

(Ed. Note: This letter is in reference to a situation outlined in coverage you can read by clicking here. ) This has been a difficult 10 days for our community.  Many people and agencies have come forward to help us.  We would like to thank: -          RCMP; -          New Denver & Area Fire Department; -          BC...

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of spending some time with Kris Stanbra.  She had just been awarded the prestigious Courage to Come Back Award.  I was truly impressed by her story and thought I would share it with my constituents in the B.C. Southern Interior Kris grew up as a fun-loving, athletic child with a competitive...