'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...
UPDATE: Coroner releases name of ATV fatality
The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of a woman who died following an ATV incident near Castlegar on June 11. She was Nicole Anne Rodrigues, 32, of Castlegar. Rodrigues was the operator of an ATV that was travelling on the Gladstone Forest Service Road about 40 kilometres from Castlegar on the afternoon of June...
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...
Tragic ending in search for local woman
An exhaustive search for a local woman who went missing May 24 has come to a very sad end, according to BC RCMP. Neva Evdokimoff, 48, was last seen at Gyro Park in Trail, and Search and Rescue efforts including boats, quads, helicopters, a plane, and foot searches revealed nothing (for earlier coverage, click here ). This...
Busing fees to be halved in SD20
Controversial busing fees for SD20 students are being cut in half after the province provided a rebate of almost $200,000. A post on the district's website underlines a decision made by trustees this week: "Given our Board is now able to keep $178,000 of funding originally required to go back to government, trustees voted to...
Local overdoses more common than fatality statistics might imply, say police
In response to a report issued by the BC Coroner Service this morning regarding fentanyl overdose deaths in Trail, Castlegar and Nelson, Trail top cop RCMP Sgt. Darren Oelke pointed out that, from a policing/public health perspective, those statistics are just the tip of a growing iceberg. “We get lots of close calls, where...
