One of the hallmarks of a democratic state is its commitment to free, public and political expression. Indeed, no society can call itself truly democratic if it does not guarantee its citizens the inalienable rights to gather, communicate their opinion and demonstrate their support for or against any political position they wish. If these assertions […]

PART I:  The past year has been an eventful one.   In January the Haiti earthquake hit. My staff and I worked for days with Foreign Affairs, a School District and Mt. Sentinel School of South Slocan to safely locate, press for transportation assistance, and rescue a class of high school students caught in Haiti.   […]

Christy Clark’s suggestion that the next BC Liberal leader will need to get a “mandate” from BC voters through an early election shows she doesn’t understand our parliamentary system. And former attorney general and author of the fixed election date legislation Geoff Plant’s statement that the legislation did not anticipate the current situation is absurd. […]

What a year it has been in B.C.–but that’s nothing, compared to the year that lies ahead! We’ve watched a Premier win a third consecutive election and then lose it all and announce, following months of public rejection and derision, that he will step down;  we’ve seen the Official Opposition, with its best opportunity in a decade to achieve victory, turn […]

 After hearing the perspectives of many of the key players in the latest round of nastiness inspired by School District 20’s (SD 20’s) Planning for the Future document, I can only conclude that the well-being of the entire region is at stake, and in more far-reaching issues than education alone. The angry rhetoric being wantonly […]

Oh, sometimes there is nothing better and more Rossland-ish than sitting out on the sidewalk in front of the Sunshine Cafe, enjoying a nice sandwich and a cool drink, chatting with friends and passersby, meeting some convivial dogs - all accompanied by the idyllic soundtrack of DT Chambers and other assorted semis trundling...

Food Banks Canada released its HungerCount 2010 survey in November. The report paints a grim picture of poverty in Canada and the continued growth in the need for services like food banks and other charitable food providers in our communities.  This snapshot from thousands of hungry Canadians and from hundreds of food banks across the […]

It seems like such a simple right: I’m sitting here writing my blog, or you’re sitting there reading it …neither of us fearing that the state Police will break down our doors, throw handcuffs on us, scare the hell out of our families, seize our computers and cart us away to be imprisoned … maybe even beaten. […]

 A common theme heard over and over again whenever conversations shift towards taxes, services and growth or recession in Rossland is the idea that we must either raise taxes or cut services. Depending on which side of the fence you're on, the result of either is likely pay more to maintain the quality of life we enjoy or see...

Last May, the OECD put out figures comparing infant mortality rates in countries around the world. Perhaps the biggest story of all the figures were those attributed to Canada. This country has always boasted of its social stats — life expectancy, infant mortality, university graduates, and other measures of our success as a nation.   But not […]