“March 8 is International Women’s Day (IWD) and this year we are hopeful that justice for Indigenous Women will move forward with the government’s announcement of the long awaited inquiry on missing and murdered aboriginal women,” said Debbie Bird, President of the West Kootenay Labour Council. “Every year women and men around...

This year, 2016,  is shaping up to be a fantastic year for the City of Grand Forks. The federal government announced today that Grand Forks is one of 57 communities across Canada to receive Gas Tax Strategic Priorities funding.    The City submitted an application for Performance Measurement and Reporting Framework for...

I am now back in Victoria at the Legislature until the end of May. While there are many events and meeting requests that come across my desk, I am only in the constituency on Fridays and Saturdays and quite often that time is limited by weather and other unforeseen issues. I depend on my very resourceful and knowledgeable...

As the NDP critic for post-secondary education, I’ve met with a number of groups over the past weeks and months to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing universities, colleges and technical institutions, as well as with the students who are working hard to better their futures.  And the benefits to post-secondary ...

Local leaders are divided in their reaction to the Provincial Liberals' 2016 budget. City councillor Deb McIntosh pulled no punches in a critique she posted on Facebook. “Balanced budgets are fantastic, but not when we allow a high level of child poverty and no changes to income assistance rates,” McIntosh wrote. “Fantastic...

In a budget that rewards the wealthiest British Columbians at the expense of all other citizens, Christy Clark maintained a billion-dollar tax cut for millionaires and created a slush fund with unfair MSP tax hikes. "This is not a budget for B.C. families,” said Katrine Conroy, MLA. “This budget continues the tax break for ...

The growing proliferation of medical marijuana dispensaries in Nelson not only prompted city council to roll up a change to its business licence bylaw, but it piped up two resolutions directed at upper levels of government to help deal with it. Over the past year, several storefronts — at least five — selling medical marijuana...

Last month, lobbyists gathered in Vancouver for The Future of Lobbying, a one -day conference put on by B.C.'s Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists, Simon Fraser Institute's Governance Studies and Public Affairs Association of Canada (B.C. Chapter). Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there does seem to be a future for the...

Nelson’s Chinatown, located on the two blocks of Lake Street — bordered by Vernon, Front, Ward and Hall streets — is one of 21 sites in the province of historical significance to the Chinese Canadian community that are being provincially recognized under the Heritage Conservation Act fulfilling a commitment in the Chinese...

Trail residents can sleep easier knowing that at the end of 2015, Trail was the second-safest city in the region, having experienced significant crime reduction rates. Last year, the city saw a 17-per-cent reduction in overall criminal code offenses, along with an eight-per-cent reduction in property crimes during the same ...