Column: A different look at LNG for BC
There will many announcements and pronouncements for and against the federal government’s approval of the Petronas LNG project if, in view of the 190 pre-conditions, approval is the appropriate term. What aroused my curiosity was the identity of developer: who is Petronas? Petronasis an oil and gas giant created a little over...
Letter: When it comes to seniors, think again
To The Editor: October 1st is the United Nations-declared “International Day of the Older Person.” The theme this year is ageism, a prejudice that the UN describes as the most socially-normalized form of discrimination worldwide. The term was coined in 1969 to describe a form of discrimination based on age. Since this time,...
Editorial Musing: New MSP Premiums for 2017
How much do you pay for BC Medical Services Plan (MSP)? This year, if you're a single person who earned $21,900 (or so) last year ("adjusted net income"), you'll pay nothing -- as long as you applied for Premium Assistance. But if you're a couple, and you and your spouse earned a total of $30,001 last year, then this year...
COLUMN: From the Hill - The High Cost of Getting a University Education
On May 5th, the Parliamentary Budget Officer released a report titled, Federal Spending on Postsecondary Education. One of its findings was that Canadian college and university students come from disproportionately wealthy families—about 60% of students are from families in the top 40% of income. That’s perhaps not surprising, but a related find was: the federal […]
Letter: Most important political decision of our time
To The Editor: The Canadian public is faced with the most important political decision of our time. The Federal Government is know deciding on whether our not to change our voting system and is inviting public input on this decision. Our ability to vote and be fairly represented is at the core of our democratic rights. The ...
River Talks — Indigenous man challenges BC Government
For the next several weeks, history is being made at the Nelson, B.C. courthouse, as an indigenous man named Rick Desautel sets the love of his ancestors against the logical machinery of the provincial government. While this case arguing for the right of an “extinct” man to hunt in his territory may not seem to have much...
Wild Pacific salmon face an upstream battle for survival
Wild Pacific salmon face an upstream battle for survival Salmon have been swimming in Pacific Northwest waters for at least seven million years, as indicated by fossils of large saber-tooth salmon found in the area. During that time, they’ve been a key species in intricate, interconnected coastal ecosystems, bringing nitrogen...
The Small Mysteries of Transformation for Mind and Politics (Part One of Two)
A meditation on pasts, personal and historical: Part I By Charles Jeanes This is the longest column (8,500 words!) I have ever offered. The topic warrants it, I believe. I like to think my preoccupations are not peculiar to me and there is something in this piece that provokes their own reflections in my readers. Change and...
Letter: Where did the elk go?
To The Editor: Larry Hall, president of the East Kootenay Hunters Association, states that the East Kootenay now has 7,500-8,000 elk, down from 30,000. MLA Bill Bennett agrees with Hall and then adds the diversion of wolves and bears as well as urban voters who don’t hunt. Historically, at least half of the Rocky Mountain ...
Airline Emissions Are Flying Too High
In July, Solar Impulse 2 became the first airplane to fly around the world without using fuel. At the same time, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration has been working on electric planes. These developments mean air travel and transport could become more environmentally friendly, with less pollution and fewer...
