General

“We have been overwhelmed with such great support,” says volunteer Kari Cobalchini.  “When this was first being brainstormed, it became something tangible that we all felt we could help with in a way to support the rebuilding efforts in Haiti after the horrible devastation caused by the earthquake. Trail and area coffee shops are hosting coffeehouse style evenings and other events to support fundraising efforts towards rebuilding Haiti from the ground up.

This week marks the start of a new feature here in the Telegraph. Tech Bits, by Rossland's own Amber Hayes, will be appearing in these pages on a regular basis. Through Tech Bits, Amber will help us all understand and better appreciate the cyclonic world of technology as it constantly changes and grows.

Over a span of five days in the past week the Rossland area hit the public money jackpot with $3.6 million dollars in Federal and provincial spending allocated for Rossland and surrounding areas. Following last Thursday’s announcement of $1.1M for lodge upgrades at Red and the arena roof upgrade project (reported in the Telegraph here), Monday saw another $2.5 million announced for the long-overdue repaving of Highway 3 from the Paulson Summit to the Paulson Bridge.

Windshields and wheel alignments breathed a sigh of relief at news of the upgrade.

For the third weekend in a row, the Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC) is issuing a special public avalanche warning for large sections of B.C. The warning includes the backcountry areas of the North Rockies and the Columbia Mountains, from Mackenzie south to the US border and east of Prince George, Kamloops and Osoyoos. Also included are the South Chilcotin Mountains, north of Pemberton. The warning is in effect immediately, through to Monday March 8.

Is radon gas putting you or your family at risk of lung cancer?

That's the question Dana Schmidt is trying to get all Castlegar residents to ask, as he continues to promote radon-gas testing in this, the second-worst radon hot-spot in the province.

The Health and Hospital Committee (HHC) of the Lower Columbia Community Development Team are planning a groundbreaking ceremony for the new heliport at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital.

The project has been made possible by the generous donations of a number of different groups:

$100,000            Signature Sponsor Kootenay Savings Credit Union Foundation

$100,000            West Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital Board

Eaters and producers are joining the Kettle Valley Food Co-operative around the Boundary region over the next few weeks. With funding support from the Co-operative Development Initiative, a granting program of the federal government delivered by the Canadian Co-operative Association, the newly formed Co-op is recruiting members and developing their initiatives for 2010. Information sessions being hosted as outreach by the Co-op, are assisting them to reach their goal of signing up 60 members by the end of March.

The Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC) is issuing a special public avalanche warning for a widespread area of the province’s backcountry. The warning includes the mountainous areas of the North Coast, the South Coast, the North Rockies, the Columbia Mountains and the Kootenay Boundary. The warning is in effect from Friday, Feb. 26 through to Monday, March 1.

A red letter day for Rossland's recreation infrastructure today. This afternoon, Jim Abbott, MP for Kootenay-Columbia, announced two grants designed to strengthen the local economy. Red Resorts will receive repayable funding to the tune of $670 000 through the community Adjustment Fund to upgrade and expand the lodge into a “fully accessible four season conference centre”. The project will begin as soon as the ski season ends and, according to Don Thompson of Red Resort, will be completed nine months from today.

Photo by Kyra Hoggan: BC minister of Forests and Range Pat Bell, along with mayor Lawrence Chernoff and other industry stakeholders, pose in front of Castlegar trees while promoting new forestry initiatives.

In a public announcement made at the Castlegar Forum last Thursday, provincial forestry minister Pat Bell said he thinks innovative technologies like bio-energy just may be the silver bullet for the region's beseiged forestry sector.

He said the province won't be stepping in to address the Celgar taxation issue, "that's clearly a local government issue," and added any true hope of seeing Interfor's local mill re-opened lies with the workers and the city, in creating an environment conducive to competing in tight world markets.