The Federal government needs to do more… to provide better mental health supports. This sentence really could have ended in so many different ways. Last month, I wrote about how, after 30 years of abandoning housing investments, the feds need to get back into the housing game. Before that it was childcare, and before that […]

As British Columbia’s lead in negotiations with the United States to modernize the Columbia River Treaty, I would like to comment on the difficult conditions in the Arrow Lakes Reservoir this year. My perspective comes from having lived in the West Kootenay for 10 years, assuming several provincial environmental roles in the region and, for […]

‘ “To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich. To study hard, to think quietly, talk gently, act frankly, to listen to stars, birds, babes, and sages with open heart, to bear all cheerfully, to do all […]

CBC Radio has been airing programs I’ve hosted since the late 1980s. The prescience of the experts I spoke with as early as 1989 for It’s a Matter of Survival is astounding. But it saddens me. Had we taken their warnings seriously we might have avoided the terrible consequences they accurately predicted. With massive wildfires […]

As families prepare for their kids to begin or return to school next week, they may be feeling the pressure of back-to-school costs. I know that some people in our community are facing higher costs that are more difficult to afford, especially families with young children. I’m working with my colleagues in government to help […]

When we face disasters like wildfires, so many people come to the forefront as heroes in communities all across B.C. Our BC Wildfire Service team first and foremost deserves our thanks and respect for the work they are doing. Fighting fires, protecting homes and communities, and putting their lives on the line day after day […]

Dear editor, This summer has made it clearer than it’s ever been before. We are in a climate emergency, and it’s time to act like it. But instead of getting us off fossil fuels and salvaging a livable future for our children, our federal government is offering piecemeal half-measures. The recent announcement about limiting fossil […]

By Arno Kopecky (This article first appeared in The Narwhal; republished with permission) From grasshopper infestations to water restrictions, B.C.’s drought is affecting all corners of the province in ways surprising and predictable. Is the government doing enough to lead? Near the end of July, I found myself discussing...

As you walk outside, watching birds take flight or a squirrel run up a tree, take a moment to consider the activity beneath your feet. A new study shows more than half the world’s life is in soil — including 90 per cent of fungi, 85 per cent of plants and more than 50 per cent of bacteria. Just a teaspoon of healthy soil can...

As a province, we’re proud to be a place where newcomers choose to live and where diverse communities can feel welcome, but we know that this isn’t always the case. Systemic barriers persist and mean it’s not always easy for people to thrive in B.C. and we know there’s work to be done to change this. That’s why we announced...