PM Stephen Harper’s inclination towards Christian Zionism and right-wing economic thinking marks him out as an important tool of the American neoconservatives, who have been powerful in shaping American foreign policy for the last generation. Harper and his right-wing philosophy are products of what has been termed the “Calgary School,” at the University of Calgary. […]

First what is a ‘YES … if’ community? It’s actually really simple. A ‘Yes…if’ community is one that, rather than focusing on the negatives (call that a ‘NO…but’ community), agrees to accentuate the positive. A ‘YES…if’ community agrees to listen with an open mind to all proposals, ideas, or plans for the betterment of the...

As most of us are aware, Parliament was prorogued this fall. This means that, instead of beginning its work on Sept.16, there was a delay until Oct.16. The delay, or prorogation, was requested by the Prime Minister and approved by the Governor General. The immediate effect was that all government bills and committee work were...

I believe that 2013 was a great year for Castlegar. City council, composed of dedicated re-elected veterans with extensive experience and a profound understanding of city operations, and others serving their first term, worked together to begin new initiatives while maintaining our efficient service delivery to our residents...

Long-time political watchers in B.C. will know what's meant by Gracie's finger. It was one of Canada's most blatant acts of political gerrymandering. In 1982, then Social Credit cabinet minister Grace McCarthy was suspected of using her influence to have her Little Mountain riding boundaries redrawn to include a sliver of a...

Few labels irritate me more than that of being referred to as a taxpayer, and of having the money governments spend referred to as taxpayers’ dollars. From the wealthiest tycoon to the most destitute homeless beggar in Vancouver’s downtown eastside, every person in this country pays taxes - no exceptions. When I purchase a ...

Update: Well, your votes have been counted, and this supremely cute and creative baby photo submitted by Chantelle Sutton takes the win with a landslide 274 votes, netting a terrific kick-off to 2014 - namely, a $100 gift certificate to JJ's Fashions! Runner-up was Tanja Rosser Espenhain's timely (and funny) portrayal of New...

I've never been one to buy into the idea that 13 is an unlucky number ... but if anything could convince me otherwise, it would have to be the year 2013. I've always – for more than a decade now – written a column each New Year trying to sum up the year's coverage, but all I could seem to come up with for this year was, “Wow,...

It's that time of year when many of us make resolutions for the new year. Most of them are lofty goals towards self-improvement: quit smoking, lose weight, exercise more often are all among the popular ones. So in the spirit of the season, here are five ideas for B.C. politicians to consider as they set their resolutions for...

Two of the big storms hitting Canada in the last year were not just terrifying and incredibly damaging, they were a little spooky. It was as if nature was making its already unmistakable message of impending catastrophe even more specific. The almost biblical flooding in Calgary — the home base for the oil companies aiming ...