RANT: From coffee cups to remembrance to refugees - we are getting it ALL wrong
There’s an insidious either/or mentality invading our political lexicon that I think is actually becoming an outstandingly effective camouflage for genuine evil, and it’s making me crazy to see how few people seem to realize how totally they are being manipulated by it. It starts off benign enough – in fact, in such a stupid...
Castlegar to host climate change rally
Castlegar citizens will come together to demand climate justice from our leaders on the eve of the Paris UN climate summit. The rally will be at the Celgar Pavilion in Millennium Park on Sunday, November 29 at 2pm. There is also a march starting at City Hall leaving precisely at 1:30pm to arrive at the Pavilion for the rally’s...
Head of Food Bank says local working families going hungry, homeless
Dear Premier Clarke, Katrine Conroy MLA, Richard Cannings MP, Prime Minister Trudeau, Castlegar Community Harvest Food Bank can no longer meet the needs of the working poor. We can not continue to rob Peter to pay Paul. We do not have the capacity to raise any more funds than we already do. We operate 100-per-cent on volunteers...
Time out needed for bullies at city halls
There's something about local government that brings out the worst in some people. Staff get spat on. Mayors and councillors are often the victims of what can only be described as cyberbullying. In some towns, process servers would be well-advised to offer volume discounts to local governments. It takes place every which way...
City to purchase AEDs for City Hall and Civic Works Department
Castlegar city council, at its regular meeting Monday evening (Nov. 16), unanimously approved the purchase of two AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) for roughly $5,500. City utilities manager Jesse Reel, in his report to council, recommended the move, as well as changes to training and Occupation Health and Safety...
Communities in Bloom seeks pride of place in city marketing materials
Castlegar Communities in Bloom (CiB) is riding the incredible success of an entire decade, and is now asking the city to include their efforts in municipal marketing undertakings such as entrance signage and the city website. At its regular meeting Monday night, council heard from a CiB delegation headed by B.C. CiB chair...
City council to hold regular meeting at SHSS to engage city youth
A tentative date has been set for city council to hold a regular meeting at Stanley Humphries Secondary School, providing an opportunity for youth to learn about, and engage in, municipal politics. At its regular meeting Monday night, council heard from councillor Florio Vassilakakis, who said the afternoon of Jan. 18 will ...
Garbage in, garbage out: City unveils new approach to waste management
Trash talk took centre stage at the Community Forum Tuesday night, with roughly 25 people, not including city staff and council, on hand to hear what the city proposes in terms of garbage collection and waste management. A presentation offered by director of Transportation and Civic Works Chris Barlow indicated some changes...
Recreation talks between Trail/Rossland break down
Ed. Note: The following is a press release issued by the City of Trail: Trail City Council reports that, following weeks of negotiations with the City of Rossland to reach a Parks and Recreation Funding Agreement, unfortunately discussions have discontinued at this time. Mayor Mike Martin, who formed part of the City’s...
COLUMN: It’s fall, and time to savour our agricultural riches
After a very long, dry summer we are still experiencing a relatively dry fall. There has been a bit of rain and cooling of temperatures, but I am, as many of you are, still concerned about our forests and what the next year could bring. Whether we like it or not, we should all be wishing for a lot of snow this winter. Fall ...