I am not sure if Idle No More is a movement or merely a passing protest. Like Occupy Wall Street before it, Idle No More, above all, appears to be an expression of frustration. Earlier protest actions opposed the status quo, but they did have a clear focus — civil rights, women’s rights and gay rights — visions for a new...

Rossland’s new CAO, Cecile Arnott, apparently didn’t like the contract she signed only a few short months ago.  At an in-camera meeting on November 26, 2012. Ms. Arnott asked that council amend her contract that took effect on October 1, 2012.  In a memo dated November 22, 2012, Ms. Arnott indicated staff, through consultation...

A Castlegar teen is protesting city policy by posting an online petition opposing the city’s “vicious dogs” licensing fee of $1,000 (as compared to as little as $35 for other dogs). To see or sign the petition, go to http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/city-council-of-the-city-of-castlegar-castlegar-lower-licensing-fee-for-innocent-pit-bulls?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=url_share&utm_campaign=url_share_before_sign Castlegar’s Vienna Ready, 16, is a high-school student who works part time as a cashier […]

The B.C. government likes to boast that the province's personal income tax rates are among the lowest in the land, if not the lowest. Expect to hear it repeated a lot in TV ads over the coming weeks, when the legislature reconvenes in February and when the 2013 provincial budget is tabled.   On one level they're right. On...

As we look back at how the arena scandal unfolded, Coun. Jill Spearn said that she felt “blindsided” by the recent surge of public resentment over the scandal and the way council dealt with the situation as they became aware of problems over the last year.Was council blindsided?The big question of 'who knew what and when'...

Council has refused to offer an apology for the manner in which they handled the Jason Ward affair since information about $185,000 in untendered contracts given by the former building inspector to his own, possibly fraudulent company came to the mayor's attention in September of 2011, to council's attention in January of...

The January 14 City Council meeting agenda shows that councillors will be dealing with numerous serious issues: speeding on Thompson Avenue, animal control bylaw, smoking regulations, child care lease renewal, and a few other things. However, in a section of the agenda titled Requests Arising from Correspondence, there is but...

In this column I would like to share part of the speech I gave to those attending the “Open Forum” on a culture of peace and Department of Peace in Canada which took place in Ottawa early in November of 2012. Arms trade is big business – in 2010 total military spending in the world was around $1.6 Trillion.  According to the...

If the term 'fiscal cliff' became part of the daily lexicon over the holidays, perhaps a new term should come into vogue in B.C. before the May election. Call it the 'fiscal tsunami' and it could hit B.C.'s shores sooner than most think.   It's the hangover that comes from creative accounting, financial wizardry and a little...

The City of Rossland’s response to a public clamouring to learn who did what, with which, and to whom in a matter concerning arena renovations was a reassurance from the mayor that, notwithstanding a few unfortunate and regrettable miscues, all is well, on time, and on budget. Vague references to a Constitution Bylaw were...