B.C. is taking action to make illicit drug use illegal in all public spaces, including inside hospitals, on transit and in parks. It’s part of several new measures introduced by the Province, focused on providing police with more tools to address public safety while offering support and access to treatment for people living with addictions. […]

The BC Ombudsperson has identified a serious lack of progress by the Ministry of Children and Family Development on a 2021 Ombudsperson report with troubling findings about separate confinement of youth in custody centres. “The ministry’s inaction continues to expose vulnerable youth in its care to the risk of significant harm from separate confinement, especially […]

In a media release Thursday, Interior Health issued a DRUG ADVISORY for theWest Kootenay area as there has been samples of DOWN tested with high concentrations of fluorofentanyl and bromazolam. Interior Health is advising the public to remember that flurorofentanyl ranges from equal to more potent than fentanyl and benzodiazepine produce amnesia and sedation. Interior […]

Patients looking for a family physician or a nurse practitioner will be better supported, as the Province provides an update on the work already underway and introduces new digital tools for providers to improve and speed up the connection process. “Last year we made a commitment to better connect people with primary care providers, and […]

The Central Kootenay Invasive Species Society (CKISS) is issuing a critical alert to all anglers in the region, urging vigilance to prevent the introduction of whirling disease into waterbodies across the Central Kootenay Region. This urgent call comes in response to Parks Canada’s decision to close all bodies of water in British Columbia’s Kootenay and […]

A news media website in Kelowna is reporting that a leak that was spilling millions of litres of sewage into Kootenay River has been stopped. The KelownaNow story said in the Ministry of Environment and Climate and Change confirmed the sewage leak has been “stopped” after divers spent Tuesday and Wednesday examining the three-kilometre pipe […]

B.C.’s auditor general has found that two provincial harm reduction programs that work to reduce toxic drug-related deaths and injuries weren’t effectively implemented by the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, and the Ministry of Health. The two ministries lead B.C.’s response to the toxic drug emergency, focusing on prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery. […]

The Province is taking several early steps to prepare for the wildfire and drought season, including working proactively with local governments and First Nations to help keep people and communities safe and informed. “We’re taking action earlier than ever and preparations for this year’s wildfire season are already well underway,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of […]

A leading voice for conservation in southeastern British Columbia said a report shows that the partial clean-up cost of water pollution from coal mines in the East Kootenay will be substantial. A new report commissioned by Wildsight, a non-profit charity that protects biodiversity and encourages sustainable communities in Canada’s Columbia and Rocky Mountain regions, has […]

Keep a healthy lifestyle to support brain health: It’s a message the Alzheimer Society of B.C. is sharing with Kootenay residents and others around the province to mark Brain Awareness Week March 11-17. The charity is encouraging people across the province to get active and help lower the risk of developing dementia by making healthy […]