By Jan Micklethwaite At their most recent birthday parties, Maya and Sofia  Maturo decided to request donations to the West Kootenay Friends of Refugees instead of presents.  Their friends participated with enthusiasm and generosity. After counting carefully, the girls were pleased to present  WKFoR member Jan Micklethwaite...

The food was amazing.  It was all local and most of it was organic.  We gathered at the old fire-hall in Rossland on October 10th for a feast to raise awareness of what is being grown locally, and to consider the potential for growing and processing more local agricultural products.    Gina Ironmonger, who was a principal...

“The Catholic Church is the ghost of the Roman Empire, the popes are the authorities most clearly in line of succession to the emperors of Rome.”                                                           -- historian W. I Thompson “The separation of church from state is one of the greatest accomplishments of the Western...

A sorry sign of the times By David Suzuki Volkswagen was caught cheating on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emissions tests by installing “defeat devices,”  which allowed its diesel vehicles to pass nitrogen oxide emissions checks but spew up to 40 times allowable pollutants once they were completed.  The scandal has...

I recently received another invitation to attend a Death Café.  The first two were so enjoyable that I was tempted to attend another, but decided to leave space for new people.  Have you ever been to one?  No?  A  Death Café provides a rare opportunity for people to enrich their lives by exchanging their thoughts, ideas,...

By Marija Curran Researchers across the country are mobilizing during Science Literacy Week (September 21-27) to highlight the importance of science and evidence-based decision-making during the federal election campaign. Scientists from St. John’s to Vancouver are organizing ‘Vote Science 101’ events, bringing local candidates...

There has been lots of conversation about bears and how to live in harmony with them.  Removing food items that attract them is really important.   Instead of just talking about it let’s get out as a community and do something about it!   Meet me, and Sharon W. of WildsafeBC, at Maclean’s school at 10am on Saturday (Aug 29th)...

The Southeast Fire Centre has issued a new report on new fires in the area: None of these fires are immediately threatening any communities or structures, however due to their location the public may see an increase in smoke and air operations in response to these incidents.             The Hanna Creek fire is currently 0.3...

Is The US Dollar Collapsing, or is it Not? There are three schools of thought on where the US dollar is headed, some say it will be dead before Sept. 2015  is over. Some believe it is business as usual, while a third group points to the US dollar as deflating. Now I’m a Canadian, and personally, I do not care who is right, ...

By David Suzuki On July 15, a state-of-the-art new pipeline near Fort McMurray, Alberta, ruptured, spilling five million litres of bitumen, sand and waste water over 16,000 square metres — one of the largest pipeline oil spills in Canadian history. Two days later, a train carrying crude oil from North Dakota derailed in...