Homeowners will have access to practical information and hands-on learning opportunities this fall through free Home Energy Efficiency Workshops being offered in 25 communities throughout the region. The workshops are being delivered by the Community Energy Association on behalf of Columbia Basin Trust to help residents better understand how energy is used in their homes and […]

Critical ecosystems throughout B.C. will be safer and better protected, thanks to provincial funding for a new partnership led by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF). B.C. is providing $1 million to HCTF to identify and assess water-control infrastructure on conservation lands and other areas that support ecological values throughout the province, helping guide investments […]

When my wife Tara and I arrived on Quadra Island in the late 1980s, we were awestruck. Forests stretched to the horizon, fishing boats chased salmon, scores of herring rushed about as eagles circled above. Coming from Vancouver, the cove where we bought our cabin seemed like a secret oasis. Our neighbours told a different […]

It’s not utopian to envision a Canada with less pollution, lower household costs and a smaller gap between rich and poor. We have the technology, knowledge and skilled workforce to make it happen — and we’re seeing effective solutions employed worldwide. But time is running out, and consequences are mounting: record heat killing thousands; extreme […]

The struggle for Record Ridge goes on and it’s very expensive. As anyone following the issue of the proposed open-pit magnesium mine on Record Ridge knows by now, a BC Supreme Court judge, Mr. Justice Weatherill, ruled that the proposed mine does not need an environmental assessment. For a more complete discussion of the situation, […]

[Editor’s Note:  we are re-publishing this article as a reminder, and to provide information to new residents who may not be familiar with local wisdom about bears.] By Sue Wrigley and Nancy Bulman Late June to early July is an important time for bears. It’s mating season. A cub stays with its mother for 16-17 […]

Metal Tech Alley was invited to participate in the RESOLVE Policy and Practice Labs held June 10–11 in Victoria, BC. The workshops were convened by RESOLVE and REGENERATION, international organizations focused on accelerating practical solutions for responsible resource development, restoration, and the recovery of critical minerals. The two-day event brought together industry leaders, policymakers, researchers, […]

Library funding by the province of BC is the lowest in Canada by far; the woods are full of fallen trees and branches but FireSmart fuel reduction funding eliminated by the Province; suggestions about the new Zoning Bylaw; a rainbow crosswalk; Rossland’s informative Annual Report …   PUBLIC HEARING – ZONING BYLAW Present:  Mayor Andy […]

The climate crisis is not simply an isolated technological challenge. It’s part of a much larger “polycrisis.” After all, everything is interconnected. The magnitude of this “system disequilibrium,” as Canadian author, social scientist and Cascade Institute executive director Thomas Homer-Dixon calls it, can cause a sense of hopelessness, but it is resolvable — with major […]

 Rossland’s Mayor, Andy Morel, has added his signature to a letter signed by at least 300 other municipal leaders across the nation, urging Canada’s federal government to undertake a suite of actions intended to improve the country and our climate efforts.  The letter is part of a campaign by a large group of municipal leaders […]