Before the last federal election, Liberal party leader (now Prime Minister) Justin Trudeau repeatedly promised voters that Canada would not have another election under the "first-past-the-post" electoral system. If we had only two political parties and no gerrymandering, that system would work perfectly well.  But with more...

By Ben Parfitt.  This article is from DeSmog  Canada. A subsidiary of Petronas, the Malaysian state-owned petro giant courted by the B.C. government, has built at least 16 unauthorized dams in northern B.C. to trap hundreds of millions of gallons of water used in its controversial fracking operations. The 16 dams are among ...

As  most readers here know by now, I'm supremely tired of -- and sickened by -- election communications that tell you terrible (and usually inaccurate) things about the OTHER parties and their candidates, and make wild promises to get your vote.  But I think it's hugely important that people get informed about what the different...

The food on your plate here in the West Kootenay likely comes from all around the world, but globalized food systems leave us vulnerable to pressures beyond our control. Droughts and other breakdowns can hike food prices and limit supply. This situation has led communities across the country to strategize ways to make their...

Anyone hiking or biking on trails in our region may have noticed that many of those trails are being hemmed in by certain plants: burdock with its nasty burrs later in the year, spotted knapweed, common tansy, hoary alyssum, policeman's helmet (AKA Himalayan balsam) -- even, in some places, Japanese knotweed -- and other invasive species.  Yes, all those (and many more) are invasives, and they spread especially fast along the trails because we all unwittingly spread their seeds on our clothing, our bikes and our dogs' fur.

Dear Rosslanders: It is important to the City and to Council that we have accurate information out to the public. We certainly appreciate citizens coming forward with their concerns and we are happy to provide information and clarification on the points that have been raised. Residents are always welcome to contact our Chief...

Dear fellow Rosslanders,             You may or may not be aware, but it is municipal budget and tax rate setting time again.  There is no really exciting way to start this conversation, but it might be one that you would benefit from taking a moment to look at.             Over the last decade, we Rosslanders have enjoyed ...

UPDATED with corrections to the FAN presentation -- with thanks to FAN for the clarifying information.  See below. Rossland City Council meeting, April 24, 2017: Mayor Kathy Moore and Councillors Lloyd McLellan, John Greene, Andrew Zwicker, Andy Morel, and Marten Kruysse all attended; only Aaron Cosbey was absent. Public Input...

To The Editor: It happens every election.  The NDP line up and lecture other lefties on how they mustn’t split the vote and open an avenue for the current government to retain power. It’s always the same.  Defeating the political right is of paramount importance, they sternly warn, and a vote for the Greens is a vote for the...

Last week, I posted an editorial criticizing negative campaigning, and posed questions for our local candidates to answer -- without mentioning other candidates or other parties. Here are two of our local candidates' answers to the first set of four questions; the third candidate, Liberal Jim Postnikoff, was unfortunately unable to respond in time. Where possible, I have looked through the Liberal platform and attempted to find the Liberal approach on the topics of the questions, and inserted what I could find.