LETTER: Trail city councillor speaks to lack of Gay Pride events in city
Letter to the Editor: This week is Gay Pride Week in the Kootenays. This is a celebration of love and understanding to millions of people worldwide and, in many cases, the acknowledgment of equal rights for LGBT couples. I am afraid to say that I have been remiss in my duties as a councillor as I did not bring up the topic ...
Support staff strike may disrupt back-to-school season
West Kootenay public school students may be gearing up for a new year of classes, but the support staff who work within those schools are bracing themselves for a potential strike, according to Castlegar's Cherryl MacLeod. MacLeod works as an education assistant as well as serving as president of CUPE Local 1285, representing...
Feds commit more than $.75 million for Castlegar infrastructure
The West Kootenay Regional Airport is set to get more than $600,000 for runway maintenance equipment and systems, the Complex gets $100,000 for a new boiler and the Doukhobor Discovery Centre will receive more than $60,000 for renovations. The federal grant funding was announced at two separate events today, one at the airport...
COMMENT: What government work should be done behind closed doors and what should be done openly?
What are we to do with, to, or about our Senate? Was it meant to be a chamber of sober second thought or a retirement home for political hamsters? Recent revelations about senators cashing in on the strength of what may, at best, be considered sloppy financial administration, have renewed calls to reform the Senate or to...
City council admits it's all about waste
If you are one of the growing number of people who has a smartphone or tablet, you can download a City of Castlegar App that puts garbage, recycling, special waste collection details and much more at your fingertips, anytime you want them. “The City of Castlegar is pleased to announce that we’ve just launched a mobile App...
COMMENT: Cluster Munitions and Bill S-10
The federal government has tabled legislation, Bill S-10, An Act to Implement the Convention on Cluster Munitions. My party opposes this Bill because it does not signify an attempt to ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions but in fact, proposes to make an exception to it. Cluster munitions can release hundreds of explosives...
UPDATE: Remediation work under way; public meeting slated
Updated release as of 12:25 p.m. July 29: Extensive sampling of water courses in the Slocan Valley continues following the fuel spill in Lemon Creek on Friday, July 26, 2013. Visual inspection of the Slocan, Columbia and Kootenay rivers and Lemon Creek has occurred from the air and by boat. Little evidence of fuel was visible...
When lives are lost, have we taken deregulation too far?
The history of regulations goes back to the early civilizations of Greece and Egypt. Their purpose then as it is now is to protect society from the negative consequences of risks and hazards. Regulations, backed by the power of laws, govern what we wear, what we eat, where and how we live, and all but the most benign of our...
The Crisis of Extreme Capitalism
Our current incarnation of capitalism — variously referred to as savage capitalism, extreme capitalism or euphemistically as the “free market” (free of any constraints) — is in one of its periodic crises. For years many assumed that the smart people who ran the system and benefitted from it would find a practical way to fix...
Justin Trudeau to visit Trail and Nelson within the week
Prime ministerial hopeful Justin Trudeau and his family will be in Nelson and Trail for informal meet-and-greets in less than a week, according to Southern Interior Liberal Riding Association president Dan Ashman. Ashman said Trudeau will be in Lakeside Park in Nelson on Sunday at around 5 p.m. and in Trail's Gyro Park at 2...
