Reading letters to the editor and speaking with individuals here and there in our communities has led me to understand that convincing some people that humans have a part in climate change is about as likely as convincing others that our current MP is doing a good job, or that our MLA belongs to the right party. I've had the...

With Parliament back in full swing I would like to reflect a bit on the 2011 general election which for several reasons was quite historic. The 41st Parliament obviously changed our party by thrusting us into the role of Official Opposition for the first time, but it also changed the face of the House of Commons, by making ...

I read three things on the back of a vehicle in Victoria last week: “Free Tibet!”  and the Sanskrit symbol “Om.” Then, on the licence plate, “the Best Place on Earth.” I like how these concepts relate. We live in BC, a long way from China, but it feels good to stand in solidarity with colonized Tibetans ruled by China. Things...

Smoky skies in the Kootenay-Boundary region are due to wildfires burning in Washington and the Okanagan. The fires in Washington are approximately 100 kilometres southwest of Grand Forks and pose no threat to any Canadian forests or communities. There are currently no fires in the Southeast Fire Centre that threaten any...

The Mir Centre for Peace at Selkirk College is pleased to host Justice Murray Sinclair, Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation of Commission of Canada.  The first speaker of the 2012-13 lecture series, Justice Sinclair will speak at the Brilliant Cultural Centre in Castlegar on September 21, about his role in educating all...

The Kootenay-Boundary region is a hotbed of entrepreneurial spirit, talent and creativity that continues to hatch innovative small businesses. While great ideas and enterprise are here in abundance, the legal steps required to translate ideas into a fully operational and functional businesses can be a major hurdle. Launching...

The numbers are disturbing. In Canada suicide claims the lives of more than 3,500 people each year. In 2010, over 450 deaths in B.C. were attributed to suicide. Hospitalization due to self harming and suicidal behavioursis even more common. Between 2010-2011, there were over 2,800 self-inflicted injuries that required...

The readers read, they considered—and they voted. Author Rita Moir’s The Third Crop: A personal and historical journey into the photo albums and shoeboxes of the Slocan Valley 1800s to early 1940s (Sono Nis Press 2011) is the book to read in 2012 according to Kootenay book-lovers who took part in the 2012 One Book, One Kootenay...

This fall Selkirk College’s second year Studies in Writing courses will be offered on multiple campuses (Nelson and Castlegar) and in a hybridized format that combines face-to-face sessions with online work. Beyond that, the courses will offer a new ‘project mentoring’ focus designed to support writers who aspire to complete...

Rossland’s Rubberhead Bike Festival is back for its fourth year with two-wheeled fun for all types of riders, from dirt jumper/slopestyle rippers to enduro racers to cross-country heart pounders. The always-popular Seven Summits Poker Ride goes down Sunday, Sept. 2 on the IMBA Classic Seven Summits Trail, featuring 36 kilometres...