Dear Parents and guardians: I regret to inform you that the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF), the union representing teachers, has informed the school district that they will be engaged in rotating strikes and will be withdrawing teaching services in all SD20 sites on Tuesday, May 27, 2014. As of this time, this...

The federal government--that is, Stephen Harper--is expected to announce its long anticipated decision on Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline sometime in June. The decision could well determine whether or not the Conservatives can win the 2015 election. The momentum of opposition to the pipeline — and perhaps more importantly...

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words – and it could also be worth $100 in swag now that Castlegar has a fun new promotion on the go. City council, at its regular meeting Monday night, voted unanimously to set aside $500 for the #CastlegarSelfie Summer promotion, according to city councillor Kevin Chernoff. “The idea is...

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of spending some time with Kris Stanbra.  She had just been awarded the prestigious Courage to Come Back Award.  I was truly impressed by her story and thought I would share it with my constituents in the B.C. Southern Interior Kris grew up as a fun-loving, athletic child with a competitive...

The City of Trail will have a new sewer pipeline crossing the Columbia River, but it will be up to the citizens of Trail whether or not there will be a pedestrian/bicycle bridge as well. Councillor Robert Cacchioni is chair of the Sewerage Committee and represents Trail on the board of the Regional District. Currently, according...

Dear Mayor and Council, Instead of telling you at Monday's Council meeting, you asked me to write you a letter, so here it is: There are five things I wish to bring to your attention: 1.  In our city engineering reports, there are differences in opinion about how much conservation water meters may trigger.  In the Water Meter...

I am very dismayed that my Bill C-571 did not get quite enough support in Parliament to pass on to Committee stage where it would have received thorough scrutiny and proper debate. I had hoped to follow an example set by the EU to have the same food safety standards, transparency and accountability applied to the horsemeat ...

The Kootenay region has endured a disproportionate amount of ecological damage due to numerous upper Columbia Basin hydro developments that have generated considerable economic benefits to the province, but also caused significant social and environmental damage to the region. The most recent dam at Revelstoke caused huge...

Osoyoos will receive $322,472 from the B.C. government to support tourism infrastructure and amenities, Boundary-Similkameen MLA Linda Larson announced today. “This $322,472 funding will enhance opportunities for tourism in our community,” Larson said. “Improving infrastructure and amenities is vital to the longevity of our...

Around 40 school children and 15 members of the public came out to an information session at wells four and five, May 8. The wells, located at Dick Bartlett Park, were upgraded with generators so they can be run even with a power outage. According to Mayor Brian Taylor, this will not only keep the public supplied with water...