COLUMN: Old growth forest, and how much we (don't) have left
[Editor's note: the map accessed by the link at the beginning of the fourth paragraph from the bottom takes a long time to load, but provides sobering information about the state of BC's forests.] Anyone who’s read the book I wrote with Wayne Grady, Tree: A Life Story, or Peter Wohlleben’s The Hidden Life of Trees, knows...
Sunday incident at Teck no cause for concern
An incident Sunday at Teck had Trail residents concerned and curious as to what was happening, leading to a variety of Facebook conversations speculating on the matter. Teck’s Community Engagement Leader, Carol Vanelli Worosz, cleared up the matter with the Trail Champion. “On Sunday, April 4, 2021 at approximately 9 p.m., ...
Editorial: Graffiti -- when spray-painted stuff is vandalism
A Rossland landmark, a designated Heritage Building privately owned by a couple who have had it beautifully (and expensively, need we add?) restored, has been defaced by a graffito. Of course, it’s not the only place around town where graffiti have appeared; but this seems a particularly offensive example –...
Column: Heading for the stars? (PART TWO)
The Third Promised Land: outer spaces and the star-colonizing project "We have to colonize Mars to ensure humanity's seed will survive if something happens on earth, like a nuclearthird world war or asteroid strike that could end human life." -- Elon Musk, owner, SpaceX “Elon Musk says he plans to send 1 million people...
COUNCIL MATTERS: Rossland City Council Meeting March 8, 2021
Opioid crisis; the “plastic bag” bylaw; property taxes; changes to bylaw enforcement; RDKB report; and more Present: Mayor Kathy Moore and Councillors Dirk Lewis, Chris Bowman, Janice Nightingale, Andy Morel, Stewart Spooner and Terry Miller; Staff present included CAO Bryan Teasdale, Planner Stacey Lightbourne,...
Business recovery grant program extended
The B.C. government has extended the deadline for the Small and Medium Sized Business Recovery Grant program to ensure businesses have the time they need to apply. One of the main requirements has also been lowered to ensure more businesses are eligible. “We continue to listen to B.C. businesses about what they need to navigate...
Kootenay Savings continues to give back to community
As part of Kootenay Savings ongoing commitment to giving back to the Kootenays, through good times and challenging times, the credit union has teamed up with their community-minded employees to distribute $9,500 in donations to seventeen deserving non-profit groups. “Many local charities are struggling to deliver their programs...
Work experience grant’s third intake expands eligibility
The third intake of the Province’s Work Experience Opportunities Grant has opened to help more British Columbians move toward economic recovery, thanks to broader eligibility requirements. “Based on feedback we received during the first two intakes, we’re broadening the grant’s eligibility criteria,” said Nicholas Simons,...
Column: The lessons of COVID -- are we good students?
“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” All in this together, but not all suffering together The coronavirus pandemic has been rich in lessons. We have been told one lesson over and over as a kind of mantra, by authorities in government, science, and medicine, and we know what we are supposed to have learned:...
COLUMN: From the Hill -- BC apple farmers and food security
Many sectors have been hard hit by the pandemic, and agriculture is one of them. Despite concerns about food security and pleas to buy local, orchardists and farmers in the region have had a number of serious headwinds facing them over the past year. B.C. apple growers have had to deal with huge production from just across...