A media release arrived in my inbox, to publicize the message of a coalition of communities and businesses urging government to take more effective action to reduce crime. The coalition calls itself “Save Our Streets” — SOS.  Their message is a call “for all levels of government to coordinate their efforts and put an end […]

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? Anyone resolve to help overthrow consumer capitalism? If we come together and resolve to do better for each other and the planet, we could find a better path. It would be easier if the gas, oil and coal industries and their supporters would resolve to clean up their […]

This past year has been a difficult one for many Canadians, struggling to find a home they can afford, struggling to pay for their groceries, struggling to access proper health care.  And then on top of that we faced the worst year for climate disasters with widespread fires, floods and droughts. Throughout the year, my […]

By Stuart Phillips, Professor, McMaster University, Ontario Everyone can agree that exercise is healthy. Among its many benefits, exercise improves heart and brain function, aids in controlling weight, slows the effects of aging and helps lower the risks of several chronic diseases.  For too long, though, one way of keeping fit, aerobic exercise, has been […]

“I will be more myself in the next life.”                           —  Matsuko Matumaki This column asks the question: what is a sole person responsible for, and what is a society accountable for?   I’m fascinated by individuals’ “butterfly effect” in religious history. I’m distressed by Canadian society’s collective ignorance for understanding our history.  Crisis as opportunity […]

Strengthening our healthcare system If there’s one thing I’ve heard from people in our community throughout the year, it’s how important our healthcare system is, and what we can do to improve health services. Our government has been working hard to increase the number of people working at all levels of the healthcare system: 3,882 […]

Some readers will already have heard of the Swedish “Say hi” campaign – or, in Swedish, “säg hej.” An article at his link explains the reasoning behind the campaign that encourages people to greet each other, even if they are total strangers.  The idea is to plant seeds of friendliness and to recognize that even […]

To The Editor: Thank you to the Nelson City Council and the Village of Kaslo for passing motions in support of the establishment of hemodialysis treatment at the Kootenay Lake Hospital. We, renal patients, are asking our politicians, West Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital Board, BC Renal, and Interior Health to make it possible for us […]

This week I was thrilled to able to join others in celebrating a significant milestone in the redevelopment of Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital Improved access to healthcare is benefiting individuals throughout the region, thanks to the completion of the Pharmacy and Ambulatory Care project here at KBRH. The new pharmacy is triple the size of the previous […]

Making Sense “The tao that is taught, is not the Tao.” — LaoTzu Does your life “make sense”? Does that question mean anything to you? As an historian, it is my profession to make sense of The Past. For certain, the past that is my life is not exempt from my effort to find meaning […]