DriveSmart BC: Beware the Morning After
Party Hearty! Early in my policing career it was not uncommon to find a drunk driver with a blood alcohol level between .30 and .36. These people were truly drunk and not just impaired as most of us would start to be at the .05 level. Time to head for home and sleep it off because some of us have to be at work in the morning....
From the Hill: MP speaks to gas prices
This summer we’ve all been feeling the effects of inflation. The price of almost everything has risen dramatically, but the issue that I’ve been hearing a lot about is the cost of gas. In January, the world oil price was about $70 per barrel, up significantly from its early pandemic lows. Then in late February, Russia invaded...
OP/ED: Demand the 9-1-1 Service You Deserve
An Open Letter to all British Columbians: As British Columbians, we all rely on certain core services being available at the most critical moments of our lives. Because when they aren’t, an urgent situation can become catastrophic. We are taught from a young age that, when there’s an emergency, we should reach for the nearest...
Newsletter from Kootenay West MLA Katrine Conroy
Dear Neighbours, Friends and Community Members, June is National Indigenous History Month, a time to learn and show support for the ongoing work of reconciliation. This month, B.C. and the Tahltan Central Government entered the first ever consent-based decision-making agreement under the Declaration Act. This agreement honours...
FROM THE HILL: MP Cannings and NDP leverage their power for big wins in Budget 2022
Parents, workers and advocates across healthcare and housing sectors are celebrating some key wins the NDP secured from the Liberal government in Budget 2022. “It is day worth smiling about if you’re a kid or parent. By the end of the year all children under 12 will have access to free, quality dental care. The Liberals and...
FROM THE HILL: NDP MP Richard Cannings introduces a beer bill that makes sense
As the cost of gas, groceries and housing continues to rise, NDP MP Richard Cannings wants to make it a bit easier at the end of the day to enjoy a cold beer. Cannings’ new Bill C--- is proposing to eliminate the federal excise tax on low-alcoholic beer. “An error was made and the result is that Canada doesn’t treat all...
Open Letter to the Public from Kootenay Boundary Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners
To the citizens of Kootenay Boundary, Everyone in our region has been stressed by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years. We have all been subjected to a barrage of information, advice, and instructions; always evolving and sometimes conflicting. We write to explain our perspectives as Family Practitioners (Family...
From The Hill — Full inquiry into Emergencies Act a must
After more than two weeks of an occupation of downtown Ottawa and serious border blockades in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia, the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act on February 14. Local police forces had seemed unable or unwilling to act and both the Ontario and Alberta governments had asked for...
Special OP/ED Series; Health care workers talk climate change
I first moved to the Kootenays in 1985 with my partner and first child. After a leaving a few times for work we finally settled here in 1993 with two more children because we love it. Now I’ve lived here longer than anywhere else in my life and I plan to stay for the rest of my life. At least I hope I can…. Several months ...
From the Hill — Affront to democracy in Canada
I’ve been in Ottawa for the past nine days, in the centre of the protest by the “Freedom Convoy”. My offices have been flooded by emails and phone calls on both sides of this issue, so I want to make it clear where I stand and why. First, a short description of how the last week in Ottawa has gone. The organizers of the...
