Crimea Knock knock. Who’s there? Crimea. Crimea who? Crimea a river. Click. (phone is hung up.) Putin is knocking on Obama’s door… This was a Facebaook cartoon posted March 4. Clever joke. For me it says enough. Who told the USA it is the champion of global rights and the law of international politics? It seems to think that...

Horses are not raised according to the food safety protocols required of food animals. The wide array of highly toxic medications they are commonly administered convinces me that horsemeat poses an unacceptable risk to the health of those who consume it.  In the hopes of legislating severe restrictions on Canada’s horse...

Footloose the musical graced the stage of Grand Forks Secondary School on March 7th, 8th, and 9th. The main character of the play is a boy named Ren McCormack (played by Aaron Baker), whom I have known for a long time and had no idea he could sing so well. The nice thing about the play was the set. The set was simple and...

For those of you who follow the proceedings in the legislature you will very likely see the best and the worst of the process of government. It is a process steeped in tradition and is somewhat archaic and slow to respond to change. However, I believe that those who put their names on a ballot to represent the people in their...

Alex Atamanenko, MP (BC Southern Interior) couldn’t be more pleased that Humane Society International/Canada has launched a new campaign to support his private members bill C-571 that will severely restrict the slaughter of horses for human consumption. Parliament will be debating Bill C-571 at the end of this month. “There...

I was surprised at the reaction the public has had towards water metres. Not floored, change is uncomfortable and there is almost always a backlash. What surprised me is how vehement and ongoing the reaction has been. I’ve been fortunate enough to have travelled quite a bit and lived in many parts of the world. In most places...

For years many people have wondered about the effects of electric and magnetic fields (EMF) on human health. More recently, these concerns have extended to radiofrequency (RF) exposure from wireless technologies like cordless phones, cell phones, cell phone towers, GPS devices, “smart” meters, and WiFi.  In 2011, the WHO...

Dear Editor,We are told that conserving water is worthwhile.And, our City Council is telling us that we need water meters to conserve water.  But, do water meters conserve water?  Or, is it people who conserve water?Are water meters just an expensive way to encourage people to conserve water?How much would water meters actually...

Letter to the Editor I have a question for those complaining about water meters. Should a household that conserves water pay the same water rate as those who consume considerable amounts? Is this just and fair? In July, 2004, while living in Grand Forks, I wrote a letter to the Editor of the Gazette expressing my observations....

The funny thing about provincial budgets is that sometimes they tell you a lot more about a government's attitude than what the politicians might have intended when they first wrote the document. Case in point: most governments like to pat themselves on the back at budget time by highlighting the impact of their fiscal ...