Opinion: Sexual assaults happen in the summertime, too. And some of us are still in the dark ages about it.
The headline above notwithstanding, people who suffer sexual assault in our region have many resources and many enlightened people available to help with all aspects of the ordeal and its aftermath. Trail FAIR is there to help, and Victims’ Assistance. And I have no reason to believe that this region’s RCMP personnel are anything but […]
Improving Parliament: can we do it?
It’s summertime. We’re all on holiday, right? Who wants to think about stuff like governance at this time of year? On the other hand, can we afford to stop thinking about it, given how things are at the highest levels of Canadian politics? I say we need a fundamental change in the dynamics of […]
Opinion: Suggestions for Fair Elections
Houston, we have a consensus. Well, almost. All three parties in the B.C. legislature now support a ban on corporate and union donations, as well as setting a cap on personal contributions. It's that last one that gets tricky. What's the right cap? Perhaps B.C.'s new government should rip a page out of Alberta's NDP playbook....
WILDFIRE ACTIVITY: A STATEMENT FROM CEO CHRIS MAZURKEWICH
Interior Health teams across IH West are working closely with emergency officials from several agencies to respond to the wildfire activity around the communities we serve. Together, we are carefully considering the best options for our patients and staff who are located where significant wildfire activity is ongoing. Since...
Column: Mayors should speak up; Trudeau's concessions in Canada-EU deal will hit cities hardest
The trouble with demonizing the leader of an unpopular government is that it gives the next leader way too much slack. I remember writing a column years ago comparing the hated Brian Mulroney with Paul Martin (who more or less ran Jean Chretien's government). Who was more destructive to the public interest and progressive...
COLUMN: The Pain of Living: human attempts to find comfort
“Life is hard. Then you die.” We have all heard this. “Life is difficult”, says M. Scott Peck, in the first sentence of his highly-recommended work on the psychology of love, The Road Less Travelled.* Some wit added the tagline – “then you die.” [ *Listen to the audio book at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysgUYsBoeY0&t=36s]...
Do you know who the B.C. government is giving tax breaks to?
They’re the stories that tug at us. Here’s one from Waco, Texas: “My 86 year old mom…is losing her money to these people who promise her in order to accept her “sweepstakes” she has to keep sending them money for processing fees. She suffers from dementia and this company is taking advantage of her. Someone […]
COLUMN: Face to face meetings and international trade disputes
Last Monday I travelled to Washington, DC with Tracey Ramsey, the NDP critic for International Trade. I was there in my role as NDP critic for Natural Resources, and we were both there to talk about softwood lumber with senators, congressmen and their staff. We had a full day of meetings on Tuesday, going from office to...
Opinion: Misleading claims about 'green' products and what to do about them
By Gaelle Gourmelon; article from WorldWatch Institute You’re standing at the store, a bottle of shampoo in each hand. Your gaze circles from one label to the other, and your mind runs 10 simultaneous comparisons to decide which bottle you’ll bring home. Blue is, after all, your favorite color. And this label does...
Opinion: If Saskatchewan Can Build a Geothermal Plant, Why Can't BC?
By Carol Linnett. This article is from DeSmog Canada. While news of Saskatchewan’s plan for a small geothermal power plant was met with excitement by renewable energy advocates, experts say British Columbia is far better situated to capitalize on the technology yet has failed to do so. “It should be a little bit of a shock...
