Affordable housing initiative breaks ground in Salmo
Construction for a new 28-unit affordable housing development for families and seniors broke ground today in Salmo, thanks to funding by the governments of Canada and British Columbia and Columbia Basin Trust. "Our government is investing in affordable housing in British Columbia and across the country to help create jobs and...
LETTER: 50 Shades of Crosswalk
"It's not easy being green," said Kermit the Frog. Turns out it's not so easy being anything involving more than one colour these days, if the crosswalk debate is any indication. How did Lifesavers ever get its rainbow coalition of colours into a single package without mass revolt about things with holes in the middle (gutter...
City ups its commitment to Fortis Energy Diet
The City of Castlegar will be providing 50 additional $25 rebates for residents who take part in FortisBC’s Kootenay Energy Diet program, according to an announcement made at Monday night's regular council meeting. “FortisBC PowerSense will provide Kootenay Energy Diet participants with a discounted energy assessment,...
COMMENT: Rebuttal to letter to the editor
I've been doing this a fairly long time, and I've read lots of writing that has made me angry over the years, but few pieces have infuriated me to the same degree as a letter to the editor published in the Castlegar News last week. I believe when you put writing out into the public domain, be it as a trained journalist or as...
COMMENT: MP pans Tory environmental policy
In 2009, the Conservative government’s omnibus budget bill gutted the Environmental Assessment Act to reduce the number and types of development projects whose approvals would be subject to an environmental assessment. Conservative budget bills C-38 and C-45 were a continuation of the dismantling of Canada’s long established...
LETTER: Councillor defends Pride attendance
Editor's Note: This letter is in response to a missive sent to the Castlegar News by a local resident, in which the resident condemns three city councillors for their attendance representing Castlegar at Nelson's Gay Pride event last summer: Dear Mr. Kemperman, In response to your letter, let me assure you that I represent ...
COMMENT: Foreign affairs progress report 2
As I mentioned in Part I of the Foreign Affairs Progress Report, the federal NDP is committed to earning back Canada’s respect on the world stage. We have seen how the Conservatives, since their election in 2006 have gradually been withdrawing from our international responsibilities. For example, the Harper government has...
City to sell Esplanade lands for downtown development
Trail City Council is pleased to offer two key properties on Esplanade Avenue fronting the Columbia River for development purposes. The city is seeking proposals from developers to purchase and develop the properties in the heart of Trail’s downtown with preference as a mixed-use project, combining residential and commercial...
Province offers raise but no new funding - strike aversion may mean program cuts
A deal ratified this afternoon by CUPE and the province is a mixed blessing bringing both good news and bad, according to president of CUPE Local 1285 Cherryl MacLeod, who represented both the East and West Kootenays at the bargaining table. In an interview from Vancouver, MacLeod told The Source that she's delighted there ...
NDP leader Adrian Dix issues statement regarding his resignation/next steps
NDP leader Adrian Dix made the following announcement of his future plans on the BC BDP caucus website: “Since our defeat in the election on May 14, I have reflected both on my future as Leader of the B.C. NDP and on the future of our party. “In doing so, I have tried to put the long-term success of the B.C. NDP ahead of any...