Column: What has happened during 50 years of Earth Day
Earth Day was born on April 22, 1970 — 50 years ago. Since then, the human population has more than doubled, from 3.7 billion to almost eight billion. Our drive toward endless population and economic growth has led to the destruction of massive swathes of pristine forest through clear-cutting, burning and flooding for...
Column: From the Hill -- About the bailout funds
On Friday, the federal government rolled out its long-awaited initiative to support the oil and gas sector., a sector hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and the world-wide lockdowns that have ensued. Oil prices, already low at $50 per barrel, plunged as demand dropped. Within weeks, a barrel of Western Canada Select was...
A letter from MLA Katrine Conroy
Hello friends and neighbours, These are unusual and uncertain times. Every one of us is experiencing a lot of upheaval, change, and stress. Our government is working hard to address the many challenges facing British Columbians, even as they change and develop by the day. I understand the deep impacts these changes can have-...
Food for thought: New Zealand’s all-party cooperation success story during COVID-19
Article contributed by Fair Vote Canada New Zealand adopted proportional representation in 1996, after 100 years of first-past-the-post. For most of those 100 years, New Zealand functioned as a two-party system, with the flaws of winner-take-all voting on full display:...
Column: New economics?
When you pause to reflect on what’s truly essential and meaningful for you to thrive, what comes to mind? Is it about having more? Or having better? Is it about all the buying or the genuine caring? Is it about over-consuming or connecting and sharing? Is it about loving stuff and status or simply loving? As we experience...
Editorial: Please note -- COVID-19 is active in our community
Last week, cruising a local on-line community discussion forum, I noticed that some people were assuming that Rossland has no active cases of COVID-19, and seemed to be arguing that the restrictions designed to curb its spread are therefore unnecessary here. At the time, I acknowledged that we had no way of knowing if there...
Letter from Dr. Henry explains why specific communities with COVID-19 positive patients won't be named
Open letter to the people of B.C.: When an outbreak hits a community, one of the most urgent things people want is information. This is human nature, as information allows us to protect ourselves, our families and our loved ones. Information is at the heart of public health: knowing what our risks are, where they are coming...
COLUMN: From the Hill -- supports for people affected by the pandemic
The COVID-19 crisis continues to dominate the news across the country and around the world. As the news gets grimmer in other regions, there is growing hope from British Columbia analyses that show the daily increases in cases diminishing. Our efforts at physical distancing are working, and we must keep up those efforts. ...
EXPLAINER: 10 things you need to know as a barrel of Alberta oil is valued at less than a bottle of maple syrup
As fears intensify that the benchmark price for Alberta’s oilsands crude could drop below zero, we dig into what’s behind the crash, the phenomenon of ‘homeless crude’ and why new pipelines ultimately won’t solve the problem By Sharon J. Riley for The Narwhal The headlines don’t...
ANALYSIS: What the research shows about wearing face masks in public
By Hector Chapa, for The Conversation With the coronavirus pandemic quickly spreading, U.S. health officials have changed their advice on face masks and now recommend people wear cloth masks in public areas where social distancing can be difficult, such as grocery stores. But can these masks be effective? President Donald...
