Arrow Lake levels & Columbia River Treaty I have lived in Castlegar most of my life – moving here when my dad got a job at the pulp mill in the early 1960s and I was a young child. One of my earliest memories as a child was watching houses being moved and floated down […]

The Federal government needs to do more… to provide better mental health supports. This sentence really could have ended in so many different ways. Last month, I wrote about how, after 30 years of abandoning housing investments, the feds need to get back into the housing game. Before that it was childcare, and before that […]

As British Columbia’s lead in negotiations with the United States to modernize the Columbia River Treaty, I would like to comment on the difficult conditions in the Arrow Lakes Reservoir this year. My perspective comes from having lived in the West Kootenay for 10 years, assuming several provincial environmental roles in the region and, for […]

CoW recommends losing some council liaison positions;  bear concerns and garbage; only modest campfires allowed;  a stricter wildlife attractant bylaw; support for a liquor licence application; more cost overruns; Rossland Yards updated occupancy estimate COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING (4:00 p.m.) Present:  Mayor Andy Morel, and Councillors Maya Provençal, Lisa Kwiatkowski, Jeff Weaver, Eliza Boyce, […]

CBC Radio has been airing programs I’ve hosted since the late 1980s. The prescience of the experts I spoke with as early as 1989 for It’s a Matter of Survival is astounding. But it saddens me. Had we taken their warnings seriously we might have avoided the terrible consequences they accurately predicted. With massive wildfires […]

As families prepare for their kids to begin or return to school next week, they may be feeling the pressure of back-to-school costs. I know that some people in our community are facing higher costs that are more difficult to afford, especially families with young children. I’m working with my colleagues in government to help […]

When we face disasters like wildfires, so many people come to the forefront as heroes in communities all across B.C. Our BC Wildfire Service team first and foremost deserves our thanks and respect for the work they are doing. Fighting fires, protecting homes and communities, and putting their lives on the line day after day […]

By Arno Kopecky (This article first appeared in The Narwhal; republished with permission) From grasshopper infestations to water restrictions, B.C.’s drought is affecting all corners of the province in ways surprising and predictable. Is the government doing enough to lead? Near the end of July, I found myself discussing...

Info on the new RDKB Green Bin Program;  fences that appropriate City property;  a timely tightening-up for Rossland’s burning bylaw;  when homeowners have to pay for City  workers;  a first look at the next DRAFT five-year financial plan;  and, fill out a provincial survey on racism.  ...

As a province, we’re proud to be a place where newcomers choose to live and where diverse communities can feel welcome, but we know that this isn’t always the case. Systemic barriers persist and mean it’s not always easy for people to thrive in B.C. and we know there’s work to be done to change this. That’s why we announced...