DOBBIN: A response to the banker's association
When is a bank bail-out not a bailout? When the Canadian bankers’ Association President, Nancy Hughes Anthony says so. In her letter to the Vancouver Sun (which published my blog on the issue) Hughes Anthony points out that not a single bank went bankrupt and therefore did not require a bail out.But call it what you will ...
Bellingham, WA first municipality to shun tar sands oil
The city of Bellingham, Washington has resolved to avoid fuel from refineries connected to the tar sands, becoming the first city in North America to take action against the controversial fossil fuel.Bellingham’s city council unanimously passed two resolutions on Monday, Jun. 7 with the aim of eliminating tar sands in their...
OP/ED: City disregards residents in dog park decision
Not many things guarantee re-election problems for local politicians more often than regularly demonstrated inconsistencies in process. In fact, process problems, or lack thereof, contributed heavily to the huge turnover in the faces at city council in Grand Forks during the last election. Although one might agree that the ...
Elections task force reports to the province
Co-chairs Community and Rural Development Minister Bill Bennett, and Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) president Harry Nyce announced that the final report from the Local Government Elections Task Force has been delivered. The task force, started by Premier Gordon Campbell at the 2009 UBCM meeting, has been hearing input ...
Road to Big White gets a partial face lift
The Province of B.C. has awarded a $250,000 contract to resurface two kilometres of Big White Road north of Highway 33 to provide a smoother ride for tourists and industry.“Repairing this section of Big White Road will improve the route to ensure safe vehicle operation during the removal of pine beetle affected timber,” says...
Taxes shifting around for property owners in Grand Forks
City taxation rates are shifting, growing and decreasing all at once. At the last meeting of Grand Forks City Council, they passed first, second and third readings of their property taxation bylaw. Two key goals impacted the final rates for all property owners within the city limits: to maintain taxation revenue at the same...
SUMMING IT UP: Greenwood City Council
Greenwood City Council covered a lot of ground in their last meeting from updates on a potential mini-series to be filmed in the city to health care.Mini-seriesOriginal Pictures Inc. has been communicating with the City on and off for the past year to explore options to shoot a 13 part reality style mini-series in Greenwood....
LETTER: Regional district rep should speak for constituents
Dear Editor;On Wednesday, May 12, I attended the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) Planning and Development Committee meeting in Trail. I went to support a resident from Bridesville who is concerned about the Regal Ridge Development east of Osoyoos along Highway #3. New Growth Capital Corporation, owned and operated...
Playing the futures game
It’s always easy to critique local politicians who make decisions that impact the future of their communities if you’re sitting on the outside. How would you do if you were sitting at that table? Would your region become a “Gem of the Gem” or could you end up in “Poverty with a View?” You might find that the task and the...
Grand Forks Council re-opens call for applications for grant-in-aid funding
Organizations seeking some extra money to help their endeavours have another opportunity to submit a proposal to the City of Grand Forks for support. In March the city opened the call for proposals for their grant-in-aid program, and on April 19, council made their decisions on the proposals received granting $62,750 to groups....
