Blasting of the bedrock under Columbia Avenue took place on Sunday. This was expertly managed, as the five blasts were scarcely felt or heard.  This week, blasted rock is being removed and the sewer line will be installed. The core sampling done prior to the dig did not discover the bedrock because the bedrock was situated ...

Nshima, the stodgy porridge-like substance cooked out of maize-meal, has divided families and triggered food riots in Zambia at one time or other. This is why subsequent governments have kept a keen eye on the growing, harvesting, buying and selling of maize-meal to consumers. The production of maize — or corn as it is known...

The words that title my piece are biblical and mean, roughly, “number, number, weight, division.” They are apt to this moment. I believe that numbers, judgment, and a state of feeling divided, are clues to our malaise as Canadians right now. To say that Stephen Harper divides Canadians like no other prime minister before him...

BC’s Special Committee on Cosmetic Pesticides reportrecommended against a ban on the sale and use of common pesticides for lawns and gardens. Prevent Cancer Nowhas reviewed the BC report. Its conclusions are based on blind faith in Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). We believe that faith, and the...

A letter from the auditor to city staff released to council last week indicates that certain key documents are missing in the arena project paper trail, but city management insist that all documentation is retained for five years. Consequently, it is unclear whether these aspects of the project were tendered, as required by...

The final plans for the new RSS playground have come together with only a few more decisions to make—and a few more dollars to raise—before the new park is built, most likely in September. As Coun. Jill Spearn told council on May 28, "One way or another, the playground is going to go in this summer." After a long process of...

Stroke is the third-leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in Canada. Treatment is complex and time sensitive. In light of this, Interior Health urges residents to know the signs of stroke and get help as quickly as possible. “The importance of early recognition can’t be overstated,” says Dr. Todd Collier,...

What will Rossland’s Museum look like in the next few years? With the permanent closure of the underground Adit in 2011, a group of Rossland residents has been meeting since January to generate innovative ideas for the future. “We see this as a potential opportunity to create an attraction--a Gateway Project--to draw people...

A challenge to step up leadership was given to Grand Forks city council when mayor Brian Taylor asked them to join the campaign to end the prohibition of marijuana in Canada. Taylor wants council to join in with the other B.C. municipalities, now over 13 of a possible 160 and growing, in the Stop the Violence campaign. The ...

I have recently learned that, as part of a national campaign, a LEAD NOW ‘Blackmark Budget’ event has been organized to take place in front of my office on Saturday, June 02 at 12:00.  Concerned constituents will be taking a stand against the Conservative government’s 452 page Budget bill that will change Canada as we know ...