A recent scathing opinion piece by Murray Dobbin outlined the shortcomings of food in some health care facilities administered by the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (VCHA). Both the quality and the quantity of the food served were reported as inadequate, even for institutional food which is understandably challenging to...

Here in southern BC, it is still alarmingly warm for skiers awaiting snow.  It rains, or the sun shines, and we wait, and look at a thin bit of white decorating local mountain-tops, and look askance at the thermometer registering over 12 degrees C. -- or whatever well-above-freezing, balmy temperature it happens to be at the...

Nelson City council says it doesn’t plan to close down any of the city’s marijuana dispensaries… even though it’s just given itself the power to do so. Council voted Monday night 4-3 to amend the zoning bylaws to define what a cannabis dispensary is, and to prohibit their operation in all land zone uses in the city. Violators...

It’s official – the urban chicken pilot project in Castlegar is set to soar, after city council’s regular meeting Monday night. But it won’t be a poultry free-for-all, and not everyone with a hen yen can fly out and buy birds. A key element of the project will be a steering committee involving members from SPCA, Bear Aware,...

In the wettest October ever recorded in the Kootenays, volunteer crews made up from serving and retired members  of all ranks of 39 Combat Engineer Regiment (39 CER), members from 531 City of Trail Air Cadet Squadron, and members of the local community affiliated with 39 CER have succeeeded in getting Chimo Cabin ready for […]

After an unprecedented voter response from the registrants of the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia (CVBC), 91.5 percent of those who voted cast their ballots in favour of banning the cosmetic tail docking of dogs, horses and cattle, and tail alteration in horses. The decision bringsBritish Columbia in line with a majority of provinces […]

A playful and comprehensive online resource mapping wellbeing resources in the West Kootenay is live at you.selkirk.ca The interactive website designed for mobile devices aims to lead students to mental health support services in the community with a simple click. It was created in collaboration between Selkirk College Digital...

“Imagine the Stories” by Winlaw artists Rabi’a and Carl Schlichting, was the big winner at the 2016 Castlegar Sculpturewalk Awards, taking home the coveted People’s Choice Award. This sculpture will now stay in the City’s permanent collection. The full Awards List is as follows: People’s Choice Awards: 1)      $15,000 (sculpture purchase) + $3000 cash = […]

Easy to access roadway information and maps will make it much easier for motorists planning their daily commute with a new, free BCHighways app that uses information from DriveBC. Created by AirSenze Solutions, BCHighways provides real-time access to provincial highway information including road closures, planned work and...

A beaver arrived at Star Gulch Reservoir a while ago, and made his or her presence known by chewing nearly through some trees along the water's edge, one of which was nearly 40 centimetres in diameter; see the photo above.  It might have been interesting and educational to have a beaver family living in the reservoir, but...