Queens Bay residents call for regional park to be made of proposed new ferry terminal site
Concerned citizens opposed to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure plans to relocated the Balfour Terminal want elected officials to designate the area a regional park a member of a steering committee coordinating residents and businesses said in a media release. The information came after 125 local residents and...
Wolf hunting limits increased for the region; province on the lookout for squatters
The bag limit for hunting wolves in the Kootenay region has been increased for the new hunting season, according to the recently released provincial regulations. The new bag limit for hunting wolves is three when it opens in September, as the province endeavours to reduce the number of wolves in the region in an attempt to ...
Selkirk College Grad Scores Scholarships for University Transfer to UBCO
Financial aid can go a long way in helping post-secondary students achieve great things and one Selkirk College Associate of Arts Degree graduate is a prime example. Darren Paterson is taking his goal of achieving a doctorate degree one step at a time – next stop, the University of British Columbia-Okanagan (UBCO). There he...
Local fishermen grill Ministry of Environment reps about Kootenay Lake Action Plan
The Balfour Community Hall was packed to the rafters with concerned citizens anxious to hear Ministry of Environment representatives discuss the the nuts and bolts of the Kootenay Lake Action Plan. The Action Plan is the MOE's take on how to restore the troubled kokanee fishery in Kootenay Lake. Jeff Burrows, Senior Fish...
'Why trash a beautiful piece of nature' — everyone is not happy with the proposed changes to the Balfour Ferry Terminal
Back in 1970, about the same time rumours began circulating that the provincial government was considering changing the location of the Kootenay Lake ferry terminal in Balfour, Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell penned the hit single, Big Yellow Taxi. A verse in the song made referenced to paving paradise in favour of...
Winlaw community not taking closure of local elementary school sitting down — threatens legal action
Emotions ran high and the tension inside the building could be cut with knife as the Kootenay Lake Board hosted a public meeting to discuss the potential closure of Winlaw Elementary School Monday evening in the Slocan Valley. The meeting was yet another in a long line of similar events that have taken place during the last...
Overdose response measures roll out in emergency departments
Interior Health has begun implementing measures in emergency departments to improve overdose surveillance and arm those at risk with naloxone, a life-saving drug that can reduce the risk of brain damage or death, from future opioid overdoses. Emergency departments in Castlegar, Kamloops, Kaslo, Kelowna, Nakusp, New Denver...
NDP pressures Trudeau government to decriminalize marijuana — now
The federal New Democrats used its opposition time Monday in the House of Parliament to petition the Liberal government to decriminalize pot before it is legalized. Kootenay/Columbia MP Wayne Stetski said the Liberals have flip-flopped on the issue since winning the election last year and now is the time to make move forward...
Forum This Fall to Explore New Approaches to Freshwater Decision-Making in BC
With yet another season of drought facing many B.C. residents, the need to manage our water wisely is greater than ever. Fortunately, the evolving freshwater movement in British Columbia is primed for a breakthrough on protecting this most precious resource, which could serve as a model for the rest of the country. Across...
River Talks — Stirring the waters of the Columbia River Treaty
Eileen Delehanty Pearkes has been researching and writing about the history and politics of water in the upper Columbia Basin since 2005. Her book on the Columbia River Treaty, A River Captured, is expected to be released in a few months. Recently, her travelling exhibit on the Columbia River Treaty, curated for Touchstones...