"Complacency is not an option"—Attainable Housing Committee presents findings that demand action
The times they are a-changing and housing in the Lower Columbia region needs to meet new demands on several levels, Attainable Housing Committee (AHC) chairperson Janet Morton told Rossland's council on July 16. Last year the AHC—a committee of the LCCDT (Lower Columbia Community Development Team)—hired consultant Matt Thomson...
Calling all innovators, inventors, creatives and entrepreneurs: Nominations are open for the KAST Spirit of Innovation Awards
Have you developed a new or innovative product or service? Implemented an innovative process or system? Turned your idea into a new venture? Tell us all about it in your nomination for the Spirit of Innovation Awards. Join KAST in celebrating Regional Heroes of Innovation by nominating yourself, your company, or another,...
Rossland's Energy Diet sparks a trend
The "Rossland Energy Diet," a unique energy-saving program that brought notable local rewards and has started to draw provincial and national attention, has celebrated great success in “phase one" and will now move into "phase two."A crowd gathered under a large tent beside the Rossland Mountain Market on July 12 to hear the...
A "distinctive" make-over and cascading falls for the Esling Park water feature
After weeks of work on a complete revamp of the Esling Park pond and creek, Dave Morris is just now building in the pièce de résistance: the third tier of an elaborate waterfall feature that flows into the pond. Morris learned his trade in stone walls working beside his father and brother over the last decade, starting in...
Free ice cream and laundry lines at this week's farmers' market to celebrate a successful Energy Diet
FortisBC will be out in force at this week's Mountain Market to celebrate Rossland's "impressive losses after six months on an energy diet" that has so far helped "to shed excess electricity and natural gas" usage in the city, said Nicole Bogdanovic of FortisBC.Exactly how much the Rossland Energy Diet shed will be announced...
Crowd demands answers from mining proponents
Proposed environmental and safety precautions are not enough for residents along the Granby River north of Grand Forks to believe that a granite mine, whose products are heading to China, should proceed. “The negative impacts far outweigh the benefits to this community or to Canada,” said Dana Riester who lives near the bluff....
Don't see no CCC? Development charge regulations replaced indefinitely by negotiations
The "CCCs"—Service Capacity Connection Charges—suggested by city staff in 2011 to replace DCCs—Development Cost Charges—appear to have fallen off the table, replaced instead by "flexible" negotiations."I am very curious about the Capacity Connection Charges," Coun. Kathy Moore said during members' reports at last week's regular...
Employment: Myths versus reality
When it comes to jobs and the economy we often get conflicting messages as to how many jobs were actually created. I thought it would be interesting to share some figures that Statistics Canada released for the month of May. THE BASICS The Canadian economy as a whole added just 7,700 jobs in May – a relatively weak showing. ...
Small businesses in Koots FLIP over savings
More than 1,300 small businesses in the Okanagan and Kootenays are reaping big savings on their electricity bills thanks to a $6.85 million lighting installation program sponsored by the Province of British Columbia and FortisBC. “Small businesses in the Okanagan and Kootenays wanted a program that would make saving energy...
UN advisor returns to Kootenays from Rio with new hope for local solutions … and little faith in global ones
United Nations trade and climate change advisor Aaron Cosbey—a Rossland resident—attended the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and he was back again last week for the glitz, fanfare, and "complete failure" of the Rio +20 anniversary conference."It was a very predictable thing," Cosbey said, listing many reasons...
