COLUMN: 'Collective cowardice' on climate change
Scientists worldwide accept that Earth is warming at an unusually rapid rate, that humans are primarily responsible, mainly by burning fossil fuels, and that the consequences for humanity will be disastrous if we don’t take immediate, widespread action. The U.S. Defense Department calls climate change a security risk “because...
Want to influence our federal government? Here's one way to make an attempt.
The Candian Environmental Protection Act is under review by a committee of the House of Commons. Citizens are invited to comment -- in the form of written "briefs." There are guidelines for these briefs, accessible via a link in the material pasted in below. Are you worried about foxes guarding hen-houses in terms of our...
Manufacturers seek end to ban on seasonal homes
When Ross Bonner decided the old trailer on his recreational lot in Balfour was getting too small for his needs last year, he upgraded to a modern manufactured home to replace it. A few months later, he got notice that his home was illegal in the Kootenays. “I’m upset, I didn’t know if I was […]
Interior Health gets new board chair
Interior Health board member John O’Fee of Kamloops has been appointed incoming chair of the board of directors, to replace current board chair Erwin Malzer when he completes his tenure on Dec. 31, 2016. “In his 10 years as a director and two years as board chair, Malzer has served Interior Health with distinction, with a...
COLUMN: From the Hill -- better funding for rural municipal infrastructure?
In my last column, I discussed some of the issues we heard about at House Finance Committee hearings. I’d like to mention a few more of the thought-provoking ideas discussed on the second day of hearings in Edmonton. Both the National Cattle Feeders Association and the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association focussed on...
Community Consultation Via Text Message a First in Western Canada
Trail area residents are breaking new ground using mobile technology in the Trail Area Health and Environment Program’s community consultation. The community is the first in Western Canada to use text messaging to get public feedback from residents. “We chose texting because we know people have busy lives: we want to make it...
Food security = important for humans and other animals too
As leaves change colour and drop from trees, and a chill in the air signals the approach of winter, many of us are thinking of the fall harvest and hearty soups and dishes that will soon warm our bellies. Not everyone is lucky enough to enjoy such thoughts. About four million Canadians — including more than a million children...
OP/ED: CUPE BC condemns Province's firing of Vancouver school board
Today's news that Premier Christy Clark has fired the democratically elected Vancouver School Board shows that her education agenda is more about closing schools than providing quality public education, CUPE BC President Paul Faoro said today. "The Vancouver School Board trustees who stood up to this government's efforts to...
Extreme weather response shelters open early
Storm season has arrived earlier than usual this year, and as a result, the Province is providing early funding to any Extreme Weather Response (EWR) shelter in British Columbia that is prepared to open early. While the EWR season officially runs from Nov. 1 to March 31, almost 30 EWR shelters across Metro Vancouver and around...
West Kootenay Transit on Board with Selkirk College to Boost Adventure by Bus
A new video starring Selkirk College students shows off the benefits of jumping on board West Kootenay Transit. Produced by Digital Arts & New Media Program student James Tucker, the partnership between the college and BC Transit aims to change how the community thinks about transportation. “Public transit in the West Kootenay region provides an […]
