What you need to know about NAFTA's investigation into tar sands tailings leaks
By James Wilt. This article originally appeared on Desmog Canada. For years environmental organizations have called on the federal government to do something about the leakage of billions of litres of toxic chemicals from Alberta’s oilsands tailings ponds into the Athabasca River every year. And for years they’ve been ignored...
Editorial: On pain, drugs and addiction
The opioid crisis is deeply troubling, for many reasons. One reason is the tragic deaths of so many, so unnecessarily; another reason is the likelihood that those deaths were precipitated by pain, either physical or psychological, that caused a search for relief in the illicit drugs that were fatally used. Another reason is...
One of the region's largest employers gets sold to multi-national company
An offer is on the table to sell one of the region's largest private companies and employers later in the fall as Pacific Insight's board of directors and officers have agreed to sell to a multi-national corporation. On Aug. 1 Pacific Insight Electronics Corp. entered into a definitive agreement with Methode Electronics Inc....
'Out of the Interior' -- coming to a small-town theatre near you
In recent years, major Canadian cities have seen the demise of many long-standing single-screen movie houses. In quick succession, Vancouver lost the Hollywood, Denman and Ridge theatres. In Burnaby, Surrey, Victoria and Kelowna, still more marquee lights were permanently switched off, suggesting a trend alarming to movie-lovers:...
COLUMN: Wildfires are a wake-up call
Wildfires are sweeping B.C. Close to 900 have burned through 600,000 hectares so far this year, blanketing western North America with smoke. Fighting them has cost more than $230 million — and the season is far from over. It’s not just B.C. Thousands of people from B.C. to California have fled homes as fires rage. Greenland...
Opinion: Drinking and driving; should Canada lower the limit?
How much alcohol should a person be allowed to have in her bloodstream while being in control of a motor vehicle? Is there a "safe" limit below which someone is not really impaired, or not too impaired? Canada's Justice Minister, Jody Wilson-Raybould, is considering lowering the blood-alcohol content limit that constitutes...
Editorial: The case for white roofs; save money, be cooler
During Rossland's Miners Hall renovation, I was disappointed to see that the new roof is a dark chocolate brown instead of a more reflective, pale colour that would help to cool not only the building, but also our city. The more of a building's sky-facing surfaces that can reflect the sun's energy, rather than absorbing...
New campaign targets bad driving habits
According to a new survey completed by Insights West, most drivers say that driving in the province has gotten worse in the last five years – pointing at bad driving behaviours as one of the top contributors to B.C.’s road problems. Respondents feel that drivers today are more distracted, more aggressive and more impatient, making […]
Off-road driving restrictions imposed
A message from the BC Southwest Fire Centre Information Officer: Effective at noon (Pacific time) on Friday, Aug. 4, 2017, the operation of any off-road vehicle for recreational purposes on Crown land will be prohibited throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre, Kamloops Fire Centre and Southeast Fire Centre. In addition, all...
Rossland and wildfire preparedness
A message from the City of Rossland: As of today, there are approximately 140 wildfires burning across the province of BC. In the Southeast Fire Centre, there are approximately 20 total wildfires burning with 4 of them being fires of note (the closest to the City of Rossland is the Harrop Creek Fire, NE of Nelson). Further...