In a recent speech at the National Action Network convention in New York City, U.S. President Barack Obama addressed the issue of voter suppression and voter ID laws. President Obama echoed Canadian election experts who point out that voting fraud is almost non-existent and there is simply no justification for introducing...

[NOTE: This is an open letter that was sent the mayor and council. We will post any replies from our elected leaders to this article--ed.]   I am writing to see if council is actually onside with the comments our mayor made in the so-called "press release" that turned up in my inbox a couple minutes ago. Did council okay this...

I watch social media fairly carefully, and all the buzz right now is about the armed robbers. No one expected them to be a couple with three children (at least, no one I know). Everyone's all atwitter, and I know I should be working myself up to comment, but the truth is, I just don't care. Does my heart ache for them and...

Teachers have been forced into job action by this government for the reasons delineated in our, “Why Teachers  May Be Forced Into Job Action”,  Letter to the Editor that was published in the Rossland Telegraph, Castlegar News and Trail Times and circulated to all media outlets, DPAC, our School Board and CUPE:...

The Canada Elections Act needs amending. It encourages and rewards abuse. However, I disagree with the amendments pursued by the federal government. Bill C-23 ignores the principle of equality of representation which is the problem at the root of the Canada Elections Act. In a multi-party society the first-past-the-post voting...

So what does a Conservative party senator from Ontario, the Toronto Blue Jays, an Ontario public sector union and a part-owner of the Calgary Flames all have in common? If their chequebook is any indication, they have a keen interest in B.C. politics. Ontario Senator Nancy Ruth donated $5,000 to the B.C. Green party in 2013,...

Stephen Harper’s embarrassing behaviour regarding the crisis in Ukraine — demonizing Vladimir Putin and upping the rhetoric — must be welcomed in the U.S. which created the crisis in the first place and apparently believes it still has something to gain by isolating Russia. But it is not clear that Harper even realizes — or...

It is interesting that any time trade is debated in the House of Commons New Democrats are always accused by the Conservatives of being “anti-trade”.  However, as our Trade critic, Don Davies stated in the Jan. 29th debate on the proposed Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement, we believe thatCanadians recognize the importance...

Our exchange on the subject of the virtues and failings of anonymity caused me to pull Michael Sandel’s Justice: What’s The Right Thing To Do? off my bookshelf. I bought the book four years ago; you convinced me that it is time to take another look at it. The following excerpts (p. 28-29) will explain why: “We start with an...

It was upsetting to read the current description of the Gilpin Grasslands as a recreation area by the Grand Forks Quad Bike Club. Gilpin is an extremely important wildlife ecosystem, a point validated by three provincial governments and two land conservancies, all who have left an important footprint on Gilpin. The grassland...