One of my infantile leftist ex-friends recently referred to the Free Syrian Army as a ‘sectarian gang’. The phrase may well come from Asa’ad Abu Khalil, who seems to have a depressingly large audience, but it could come from any of a large number of blanket thinkers in the ranks of the Western left. I admit that I sometimes...

The budget implementation act (Bill C-38), all 400 pages of it, was the latest in a long string of legislative initiatives to have debate limited by time allocation.  Like too many other bills that parliament has been forced to fast-track, C-38 was bloated, omnibus and strayed in too many directions.  New Democrats demanded...

Dear Editor: I am writing about hearings that are to be held in our area with respect to the way the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission has decided to divide up the province between Members of Parliament. Hearings in our area are scheduled for Nelson on October 2, 2012 and Castlegar on October 3, 2012. None […]

As Canada prepares to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014, it is time to reflect on the future role of our military in the world. Our active involvement in Afghanistan transformed Canada into a “nation at war”. The tragic loss of 158 Canadian men and women to this war along with the enormous price tag of […]

It was exactly a year ago that I embarked on my quest for fitness. My goal: to be in the best shape that I had ever been in for my 30th year. I wanted to have endurance, I wanted to have strength, and most of all I wanted to feel good about my body. Before […]

I am currently facing a challenge in my own mind, as I confront a question with my granddaughter. Why does it seem important to teach children about the reality or falsity of elves, fairies, nature elementals , and other spirit beings? What should I say when she says “Are they real?” She also tells me […]

By: Jordan Bateman, Director Canadian Taxpayers Federation With just ten months until the next provincial election, the lifeboats are starting to fill up as MLAs of both political persuasions look to leave the ship of state. That means one thing: millions of dollars in pension payouts, primarily funded by taxpayers. Dave Hayer...

Open Letter to West Kootenay Residents: It seems like the people who make decisions far away in Ottawa don’t quite understand BC nor do they understand the importance of physical geography in such a mountainous place. They look at maps with demographics and populations and what they have is an impression of where we live, […]

A Rossland resident recently wrote to council to complain about water meters, but also to take a swipe at the community garden just north of Jubilee Park beside RSS."It  does not seem to produce edible, useful vegetables," she wrote. "It looks uncoordinated and hodgepodge."Hodgepodge: A jumble, a disorderly mass, a confusion...

Thanks to a recent Nelson council meeting, everyone is focused on the subject of drugs. Adrian Barnes‘ June 30 opinion piece is an example, and another is a letter in the Star. I quote that letter by K.M. Sykes: …it’s paramount to ask the right [questions}, the deeper ones, the ones that embrace a higher level of awareness…...