The Columbia Avenue infrastructure project is going to cost more than our beloved mayor and former CAO proclaimed.  A lot more.  Our new, frequently absent and significantly overpaid CAO Cecile Arnott and Mayor Greg Granstrom have so far neglected, failed, or refused to inform council what the costs of the project have been...

My last column gave examples of referendum procedures with less than democratic consequences and of a two-stage referendum process which conforms to the principles of the Yukon’s Municipal Act. In this column we will examine the rationale for the Act’s exclusion of two politically sensitive issues, budget and taxes, from the...

The occasion of International Women’s Day is an apt time to discuss how abstract ideas of global sisterhood and women’s universal human rights hide the actual differences of class and social location which divide women in the real world, and how certain varieties of feminism not only cannot address the real foundations of women’s subjugation, […]

An issue that came before council last night could prove contentious enough to end up a platform issue in the upcoming provincial election, according to councillor Deb McIntosh. This after a presentation, at council’s regular meeting, by Dana Schmidt, of the Donna Schmidt Memorial Lung Cancer Prevention Society. The issue centres around radon-prevention measures in […]

Below we review key information discussed by council at the Monday evening regular meeting, including the new animal bylaw, a forthcoming grant application for broadband internet, the mysterious federal plan to downsize Canada Post, and other miscellany. Separate articles detail the Rossland Council for Arts and Culture (RCAC)...

Despite the mayor’s protests, council decided emphatically on Monday evening to delay a decision to spend $100,000 on downtown street furniture until detailed finances on the Columbia-Washington renovations are available. Council discussion also quickly galvanized around an idea presented by Coun. Kathy Wallace that local...

Editor's Note: This article has been modified from its original form to reflect two corrections: 1) the NOL manager is Aerin Guy, and 2) anonymous surveys were included in the analysis. The Neighbourhoods of Learning Committee (NOL) told council on Monday evening that "time is running short" for Rossland and School District...

In my last column we examined the referendum and its role in a democratic local government. When talking about referendum we cannot afford to ignore the importance of the rules that govern the referendum’s application. As with elections, the rules determine the efficacy of the referendum. Efficacy for the purpose of this...

Local NDP MP Alex Atamanenko says that, with the exception of a small business tax credit, the Conservative budget falls short of delivering results for people here in rural B.C. “The government promised to focus on jobs but has not introduced any new measures to create meaningful employment. It is good that skills training is […]

The owner of a pair of dogs that mauled a cat in Rossland has been issued a $1000 fine and risks having his dogs labeled “dangerous” if another incident occurs, a distinction that comes with strict limitations to the dogs. A separate attack was also reported, but the owner, Dr. Roland Proctor, denies the second occurrence and...