SCAMS: callers purporting to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) are again, or still, targeting residents. The caller will provide a name, and say that the resident owes back taxes and fees; he or she may also threaten the resident with a visit from the police if the resident fails to pay.  A new twist to the tired old ...

When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency increased safety and environmental standards for cars in the 1970s, automakers responded. Although they had to adhere to the new rules, they didn’t base their entire response on safety or pollution concerns. Instead, they looked for loopholes. Under the U.S. Clean Air Act, vehicle...

How do the oceans affect life in the Kootenays? With World Water Day coming up on March 22, let’s think, not only about how lucky we are to have enough fresh water, but also about how vast and distant saltwater oceans affect us all, everywhere. Many people have viewed the video clip of a diver swimming near Bali through a sea...

Zoning amendment for cabins near Paradise Lodge attracts a crowd Rossland City Council’s Public Hearing, held at the Miners Union Hall, attracted quite a crowd on Monday, March 12, 2018. Many chairs had been set out for the public gallery, but as people kept coming in, they got more chairs for themselves from the stacks along...

Anishinaabe economist and writer Winona LaDuke identifies two types of economies, grounded in different ways of seeing. Speaking in Vancouver recently, she characterized one as an “extreme extractive economy” fed by exploitation of people and nature. The second is a “regenerative economy” based on an understanding of the land...

Thinking of going electric with your next car? The BC government is encouraging that, with rebates on installing charging stations at private homes, multi-family units, and even workplaces. The Fraser Basin Council today announced rebates in its Plug in BC program to help offset the purchase and installation of electric vehicle...

(Part One ended with this paragraph: On the political right and left, fascists and communists have similarly tried to impose social engineering on the peoples they ruled. But the fascist type of right-wing ideologues are modernists, not traditional conservatives.) Part Two: It is time to consider conservatism. Conservatives:...

Accepting cash in US funds? Be wary, and check to make sure it's genuine before accepting it. Trail RCMP have recovered counterfeit US bills from several businesses and banks locally; $1, $10, $20 and $50 US bills have been passed at several businesses within the last week.   The bills are slightly smaller, have poor colouring...

To the Editor, I wanted to follow up on your February 28, 2018 article (Some good news from Teck. And other things to consider) and provide some additional context for your readers on the extensive work Teck has underway to protect water quality in the Elk Valley. Selenium is a naturally-occurring element throughout the environment, […]

First, a bit of background.  ICBC is in dire financial straits. Back in 2016, ICBC applied to the BC Utilities Commission for permission to raise its rates by 4.9%.  This publication posted an article by Dermod Travis of Integrity BC on ICBC’s request. Travis unpicked the rationale for the proposed increase in rates, delved...