COLUMN: Wildfires are a wake-up call
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...
Opinion: Drinking and driving; should Canada lower the limit?
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...
Editorial: The case for white roofs; save money, be cooler
During Rossland's Miners Hall renovation, I was disappointed to see that the new roof is a dark chocolate brown instead of a more reflective, pale colour that would help to cool not only the building, but also our city. The more of a building's sky-facing surfaces that can reflect the sun's energy, rather than absorbing...
Off-road driving restrictions imposed
A message from the BC Southwest Fire Centre Information Officer: Effective at noon (Pacific time) on Friday, Aug. 4, 2017, the operation of any off-road vehicle for recreational purposes on Crown land will be prohibited throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre, Kamloops Fire Centre and Southeast Fire Centre. In addition, all...
Rossland and wildfire preparedness
A message from the City of Rossland: As of today, there are approximately 140 wildfires burning across the province of BC. In the Southeast Fire Centre, there are approximately 20 total wildfires burning with 4 of them being fires of note (the closest to the City of Rossland is the Harrop Creek Fire, NE of Nelson). Further...
Opinion: Human Rights and Canada's Environmental Protection Act
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...
Sale of Teck's interest in Waneta dam to BC Hydro announced
The sale of Teck's two-thirds share of the Waneta dam to BC Hydro is now subject to "a number of conditions" according to press releases dated August 1, 2017. Those conditions include review and approval by the BC Utilities Commission, and assuming that it goes forward, the sale is not likely to be completed before early ...
ALL Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) lands in BC closed to recreational access
In response to the extreme fire situation in British Columbia, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is suspending public recreational access to all its lands in the province. This is a precautionary measure in order to minimize the chance of human-caused wildfires in any more of the province, and to contribute to public...
CBT's wage subsidy makes it easier to hire a student
If your business or organization could benefit from hiring a student during the school year, Columbia Basin Trust’s School Works program may be able to help you afford it. Applications for the popular first-come, first-served program open August 10, 2017. “Each year, Basin employers hire hundreds of students with help from ...
Report on the high and rising cost of fire services; scrap or keep the covered stair at Spokane Street? And, NO BURNING allowed now. None.
Rossland City Council held a special meeting on Monday, July 31, at 9:00 a.m. They just had quorum, with Mayor Kathy Moore and Councillors Lloyd McLellan, John Greene, and Andy Morel attending. The agenda dealt with only four items of business: 1. Declassification of the Fire and Emergency Services...
