BC's lone Green Party MLA, Andrew Weaver, has been busy lately.  He has proposed Bill M214 — Local Government Amendment Act, 2016, which would amend the Local Government Act by repealing parts of Section 8. Those parts were passed by the BC Legislature in 2012, apparently for the sole purpose of creating more favourable...

A Community Voters Challenge, created to increase voter turn out in the area during last year’s October federal election has given local communities something to crow about, with local turn outs eclipsing both provincial and federal averages. “Two of our communities had a voter turnout of over 80 per cent. Given that the national level […]

 Special Meeting of Rossland City Council, April 4, 2016, 3:00 pm Present:  Mayor Kathy Moore, and Councillors Lloyd McLellan, Andrew Zwicker, Andy Morel, Aaron Cosbey, and John Greene  Public Input:   KCTS President  Ryan Kuhn  spoke on the value to communities of trails.  "Trails are considered a primary driver of migration...

By Richard Cannings, MP for South Okanagan -- West Kootenay Last week we saw the Liberal government bring forward their first budget, a document that was expected to deliver on the many promises they made just six short months ago during the campaign. Instead of fully delivering on those campaign commitments, they delivered...

Discussions on electoral reform are as persistent in Canadian politics as is their failure to achieve results. Before any decisions are contemplated on what kind of electoral system would best serve Canadian democracy, we ought to reflect on which objectives elections are to advance in a democratic society. What is a democracy?...

Before the 2015 federal election, local communities entered into an agreement to try to improve voter participation, and called it the "Community Voters' Challenge."   Whichever community  most improved its percentage of eligible voters who actually voted in the election would be declared the winner. Rossland won the challenge...

The City of Rossland has announced the identity of its new Chief Administrative Officer:  Brian Teasdale, who comes to us all the way from Montrose.   The City's press release states, Mr. Teasdale comes highly recommended to his new role and has years of experience in local government. He has been the Chief Administrative...

With materials from Rachael Roussin and Eva Cameron This is the beginning of the first spring season since volunteers placed plantings for the North Jubilee Park wetland last fall.  Those plantings have not had time to become well established or to grow; they are just beginning to emerge from their first winter's frost and ...

Thanks to the efforts of the Family Action Network (FAN), and to the generosity and co-operation of  Patricia Marshall Thompson and City Hall, there are two newly-available family-friendly washrooms with infant-changing facilities in Rossland's downtown area. "Laundry Dog" laundromat  at 1960-B Columbia Avenue is the first ...

Regular Rossland City Council Meeting, March 21, 2016,  6:00 pm Present:  Mayor Kathy Moore and Councillors Marten Kruysse, Lloyd McLellan, John Green, Andy Morel, and Aaron Cosbey.  Absent:  Andrew Zwicker Public Input Period:  Ann Damude spoke on behalf of the RCAC Miners Hall project.  She reported that their fundraising...