(Hon. Steve Thompson)  Once again Minister Thomson I urge you to review an extremely weak argument that has resulted in the Gilpin Grasslands becoming an important motorized vehicle recreation area. None of the salient points in a letter dated Dec. 30, 2014 and signed by Assistant Deputy Minister Gary Townsend will stand up...

As many may already be aware, the Kootenays have a combination of geology and gas permeable soils that make homes and workplaces susceptible to high concentrations of radioactive radon.  It surprised me to learn that the radiation from radioactive radon gas found in homes and workplaces is estimated to cause 16 percent of the...

You know it's bad when even Rex Murphy is against it… I'm speaking of course of Bill C-51… which, if passed, will mean the end of civil liberties in Canada. i.e. A true totalitarian state where the expression of dissent or protest is criminalized and where the principle of due process of law for those accused no longer exists....

Government policies are normally designed to help citizens as they try to move up the economic ladder, not penalize them for trying. And on that one count alone, this week's budget from Finance minister Mike de Jong is an abject failure. In its budget highlights, the B.C. government presented four scenarios to bolster its...

Arc of the Cognizant LXXXVIII Life and its discontents “When ancient opinions and rules of life are taken away, the loss cannot possibly be estimated. From that moment we have no compass to govern us, nor can we know distinctly to what port to steer.” Edmund Burke, English MP, c. 1790 “When life is mysterious, uncertain, full...

Treating Dry Coughs / Whooping cough / Pertussis: This is the time of year when I start seeing many folks in, young and old, for those upper respiratory infections accompanied by dry coughs.  I will go through the basic steps I use to eliminate the infection quickly and efficiently. The first step is including immune boosting...

Science Matters Vol. 17, No. 6 10 Feb 2015 Bees matter, so restricting neonics is the right thing to do By David Suzuki No matter how you feel about Ontario’s proposal to restrict use of neonicotinoid insecticides on corn and soybean crops, we can all agree: bees matter. But as important as bees are, there’s more at stake. ...

The Conservative government accuses MPs who voted against their new “Agriculture Growth Act” as having no understanding of farming. However, this claim does not jibe at all with the farmers that I have spoken to who seem to think otherwise. The omnibus bill C-18 makes changes to nine different pieces of legislation in which...

Site C: More hydro power, more fracking, less farmland.  What do we really need? Rossland Council recently passed a resolution to support the Peace River Region community of Hudson's  Hope in its opposition to the Site C dam.  Recently, I have heard rumblings of discontent about that decision, from one Council member and a ...

NDP leader Tom Mulcair has recently launched a plan for affordable childcare in Canada.  It is no secret that Quebec has the most affordable childcare in the country, and Tom, as a former Quebec cabinet minister, witnessed the success affordable childcare played in helping families and boosting the economy of the province. ...