"Sweep away the community of honest brokers in America [and] we'll be left with a culture and public dialogue based on assertion rather than authenticity, on claim rather than fact." -- U.S. journalist Ron Suskind, 2004 While you were going about your daily routines this week, the Trudeau Sunny Ways government was rushing...

The U.S. election was a chilling illustration of the atrocious state of public discourse. It doesn’t bode well for a country once admired for leadership in education and science. As public relations expert and former David Suzuki Foundation board chair James Hoggan writes in I’m Right and You’re an Idiot,  “polluted public ...

Cross-community competition continues, as Castlegar offers back-handed congratulations to neighbouring Trail's competing airport. A press release issued by the City of Castlegar was the latest salvo in a long-standing rivalry between the two cities, centering primarily around major infrastructure such as the airports and...

Rossland City Council Meeting, November 14, 2016 Six of our seven Council members were present (Mayor Kathy Moore, and Councillors Lloyd McLellan, Aaron Cosbey, John Greene, Andy Morel, and Andrew Zwicker);  only Marten Kruysse was absent. Allan Davies honoured: First up, Moore called on Allan Davies who was present in the ...

More than 1500 early-career researchers in Canada and Canadian researchers abroad are sending an open letter to the Prime Minister and six Cabinet Ministers, calling for scientific rigour and transparency in Canada’s environmental and regulatory decision-making. “As the next generation of scientists in Canada, we are...

Last week I had the honour of laying a wreath on behalf of Canada in remembrance of our veterans at the cenotaph in Castlegar.  My childhood memories of these outdoor events are coloured by bone-chilling winds and early snowfalls, but last Friday a truly warm sun peeked out of the clouds. A large eagle flew overhead as the ...

By Charles Eisenstein Normal is coming unhinged. For the last eight years it has been possible for most people (at least in the relatively privileged classes) to believe that society is sound, that the system, though creaky, basically works, and that the progressive deterioration of everything from ecology to economy is a...

A quick glance over current headlines: madness and dread “You spread your paranoia, all over this land – Creating situations you don’t understand… You’ve got to stop flashing pictures of the People. Stop! Flashing pictures of the Power!” -- Tom Fogarty, Goodbye Media Man [1968] “In times of apparent madness, the insane person...

Over the last couple of years many elected officials in our region have been trying hard to improve collaboration and cooperation between our various local governments. Unfortunately, the region has just experienced a major setback. One area that was a sparkling example of regional cooperation was the economic development...

British Columbia’s Chief Electoral Officer, Keith Archer, has granted approval in principle on an initiative petition application. The petition will be issued to proponent Joshua Henshaw on Monday, January 9, 2017. The title of the initiative is: An initiative to amend the Fire and Police Services Collective Bargaining Act....