LETTER: Lack of deer to blame for cougar problems
One of the major reasons cougar sightings have increased recently is the dramatic decline in the province’s deer population, their traditional prey. Contrary to the pathetic posturing of fish and wildlife staff and organized hunters the ungulate populations in our province are in serious trouble. Although there are a number of reasons the most prominent […]
Food for thought: GDS-free bacon curry, quick homemade Garam Masala
Readers couldn't agree on whether they wanted bacon or curry for this week's recipe - so I got creative and came up with a simple bacon curry recipe that met with mixed reviews. I would've preferred it with chicken or shrimp, but my son absolutely loved the bacon in it and said this recipe is a keeper. I also wasn't wild about...
A whole lot of budget blunders for 2013
Thanks in large part to our grossly overpaid, and often absent, CAO and our unaware and uninformed council, this year’s budget preparation process was probably the most dysfunctional the City of Rossland has ever experienced. It is very difficult to determine exactly what is going on because there is a distinct lack of detailed...
COMMENT: Free Range! Organic! Local! Or none of the above...
Are you jaded yet? When you pick up a box at the store and read "natural," does that roll-the-eyes impulse tickle your oculomotor nerves? Sure does mine, a right twitch. "Natural" hardly means natural anymore, just like "free range" seems to allow, "We left the door open to their patch of poor pasture," and "organic" means,...
Sober second thought
The question of whether to abolish or to elect the Senate tends to flare up in the wake of a crass partisan appointment or a flagrant abuse of privilege. That question, however, should not be allowed to negate the question of the Senate’s purpose. We have examples in our history of legislation where, in retrospect, […]
BC’s Election Stunner: Five Lessons for the Left
The NDP’s stunning loss in B.C. is being deconstructed, dissected, analyzed and mourned over not only here but across the country. Every pundit and political junkie, including me, thought the NDP would win, even after their lead suddenly dropped. But unfortunately, most of the analysis won’t be very helpful for those individuals and organizations hoping […]
Candidate says so long, but not good-bye
Dear Editor; To the free citizens of Kootenay West, I owe you thanks. From family and friends to the thousands who made their voice clear on the election ballot, thank you. I chose to step forward to represent you and the support I received was amazing. The calls, e-mails and talks on the street were […]
Food for thought: Teenager-approved pulled pork sandwiches
Sorry I'm a day late with this. On long weekends, I always confuse Sunday and Monday (see, TOLD you I was the ADHD poster child!) at any rate, I hope you find this recipe worth the wait! Thanks to Melissa for the original idea, which I tweaked to my family's taste (we like added heat and spice, and I put garlic in almost...
COMMENT: Can political polls be trusted?
[Editor's note: This piece was posted to the Common Sense Canadian just before Tuesday's election, but in the wake of the surprising results, it's more relevant now than then] Good thing most people don’t listen to the polls. If they did, they just might throw in their cards and give up. The clearest indication yet that...
Out of Left Field: Election results a mixed bag
Well, that was just about the most bizarre election ever. Not on the local front – that came out exactly as expected, with incumbent NDP MLA Katrine Conroy taking a landslide victory with 10,606 votes (or 62.99 per cent of the popular vote), Liberal candidate Jim Postnikoff getting 3,592 votes (21.33 per cent), independent Joseph […]