By James Wilt.  This article originally appeared on Desmog Canada. For years environmental organizations have called on the federal government to do something about the leakage of  billions of litres of toxic chemicals from Alberta’s oilsands tailings ponds into the Athabasca River every year. And for years they’ve been ignored...

The opioid crisis is deeply troubling, for many reasons.  One reason is the tragic deaths of so many, so unnecessarily; another reason is the likelihood that those deaths were precipitated by pain, either physical or psychological, that caused a search for relief in the illicit drugs that were fatally used. Another reason is...

           September and October is usually a time when everyone gets back into their routines, whether work, school or home. This is a great time to see if you have established a good foundation for the winter months ahead.            Let’s start at the basis of health ― sleep. It’s extremely important that everyone has at...

Wildfires are sweeping B.C. Close to 900 have burned through 600,000 hectares so far this year, blanketing western North America with smoke. Fighting them has cost more than $230 million — and the season is far from over. It’s not just B.C. Thousands of people from B.C. to California have fled homes as fires rage. Greenland...

Today’s the big day, where you can blow that diet and enjoy a cooling and delicious Blizzard at Dairy Queen – guilt free! It’s Miracle Treat Day, which means all the net proceeds from Blizzards sold in B.C. Dairy Queens today will go to the B.C. Children’s Hospital (and in other provinces, to support their […]

How much alcohol should a person be allowed to have in her bloodstream while being in control of a  motor vehicle?  Is there a "safe" limit below which someone is not really impaired, or  not too impaired? Canada's Justice Minister, Jody Wilson-Raybould, is considering lowering  the blood-alcohol content limit that constitutes...

It’s been a challenge for most of us to handle the abnormally high temperatures and constant sunshine over the last two months, so drink and eat to be cool! 1.         Drink cooling herbal teas. Many herbs are cooling to the body, so, blend a tea with peppermint or spearmint, put it in the fridge and drink during the day for...

For anyone noticing more bats around the house or property, you are not alone. Mid-summer is the time when landowners typically notice more bat activity, may have bats flying into their house, and occasionally find a bat on the ground or roosting in unusual locations. These surprise visitors are usually the young pups. “In July […]

Agricultural producers in the region now have access to a new service offering technical support and expertise to help them succeed. Kootenay and Boundary Farm Advisors is a free service that is launching this summer.   The regional districts of Central Kootenay, Kootenay Boundary and East Kootenay have partnered with Columbia Basin Trust to provide […]

Governments change — along with laws, regulations and priorities. It’s the nature of democracies. In Canada, we’ve seen environmental laws implemented, then weakened or overturned, then strengthened and re-instated. But the basic necessities of health, well-being and life shouldn’t be subject to the shifting agendas of political...