New report puts $6.4 billion price tag on partial clean up of water pollution from Elk Valley coal mines — Wildsight
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 […]
Kootenays residents urged to get active for cognitive health
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 […]
Interior Health is looking to contact employees from 2003-2009
Interior Health (IH) is asking individuals who worked at IH from 2003 to 2009 to contact a toll-free number to determine if their personal information is contained in a document that has been recovered in an RCMP investigation. In January, the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP informed IH about a document discovered during an investigation that contained […]
MLA says youth will have better access to care with new Foundry centre coming to West Kootenays
New Democrat MLA Katrine Conroy says more young people will have better access to vital health care services, including primary care, counselling, early intervention, prevention, and addictions supports closer to home with a new Foundry centre on the way to the West Kootenays. The exact location will be determined through a community and youth engagement […]
Interior Health CEO mourns loss of Board Chair Dr. Doug Cochrane
In a statement Tuesday, president and CEO Susan Brown said Interior Health is mourning the loss of Interior Health Board Chair Dr. Doug Cochrane. Brown said as Chair of Interior Health Board of Directors, Dr. Cochrane demonstrated a deep commitment to continuous improvement of patient care, quality and safety knowing it would lead to improved […]
Mining for Miracles Kicks off 2024 Fundraising Campaign
On January 22, the 2024 Mining for Miracles campaign was launched at the Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) Roundup conference, with the Honourable David Eby, M.L.A. Premier of British Columbia, in support of the Precision Health Initiative (PHI) at BC Children’s Hospital. In 2023, the campaign had an exceptional year, raising over $2.1 million and […]
Chronic Wasting Disease detected in B.C. deer for first time — BCWF
The B.C. Wildlife Branch reports that cases of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) have been confirmed in two deer in the Kootenay region, south of Cranbrook. These are the first known cases of CWD in British Columbia. “We have been watching CWD spread province to province, state to state for at least 20 years, so this […]
Minister’s statement on lives lost to poisoned drugs in 2023
Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, has released the following statement regarding the BC Coroners Service year-end report on illicit drug toxicity deaths: “Today, as we reflect on the year behind us, our hearts are heavy with the loss of 2,511 people in British Columbia to toxic drugs. Each of these lives was […]
New self-screening program will help detect cervical cancer sooner
People in B.C. will have improved access to cervical cancer screening as a provincewide cervix self-screening program launches, including the option to screen at home, a first in Canada. “It’s not every day that a province can set an achievable goal of eliminating a deadly cancer, but today’s launch of the first at-home self-screening program […]
Nelson, Trail welcome New Year's babies
A trio of parents in Interior Health region took turns welcoming newborn babies on New Year Day 2024. At Kootenay Lake Hospital, Ali Israel Dalwampo was born at 8:26 a.m. Mother and baby are doing just fine according to Kristyl Banaag, who was quick to give kudos to the staff and nurses at Kootenay Lake […]