I believe that 2013 was a great year for Castlegar. City council, composed of dedicated re-elected veterans with extensive experience and a profound understanding of city operations, and others serving their first term, worked together to begin new initiatives while maintaining our efficient service delivery to our residents...

Long-time political watchers in B.C. will know what's meant by Gracie's finger. It was one of Canada's most blatant acts of political gerrymandering. In 1982, then Social Credit cabinet minister Grace McCarthy was suspected of using her influence to have her Little Mountain riding boundaries redrawn to include a sliver of a...

Few labels irritate me more than that of being referred to as a taxpayer, and of having the money governments spend referred to as taxpayers’ dollars. From the wealthiest tycoon to the most destitute homeless beggar in Vancouver’s downtown eastside, every person in this country pays taxes - no exceptions. When I purchase a ...

Owners of more than 8,000 properties throughout Castlegar area can expect to receive their 2014 assessment notices in the next few days, according to BC Assessment's Dennis Hickson. “Most homes in Castlegar and its surrounding area have remained stable in value compared to last year’s assessment roll,” Hickson said. “For...

It's that time of year when many of us make resolutions for the new year. Most of them are lofty goals towards self-improvement: quit smoking, lose weight, exercise more often are all among the popular ones. So in the spirit of the season, here are five ideas for B.C. politicians to consider as they set their resolutions for...

Two of the big storms hitting Canada in the last year were not just terrifying and incredibly damaging, they were a little spooky. It was as if nature was making its already unmistakable message of impending catastrophe even more specific. The almost biblical flooding in Calgary — the home base for the oil companies aiming ...

[Note: This week the Tyee is republishing some columns from the past 10 years. Yesterday they published one of mine from 2009. And I agree, the message is just as critical today as it was then.] “We hunger for communities of meaning that can transcend the individualism and selfishness that we see around us and that will provide...

The following press release was issued by Richard Deane on the afternoon of Dec. 24: Teck Trail Operations is reporting an incident that resulted in a zinc release to an outfall to the Columbia River on Dec. 22. Based on an initial assessment, the release does not create any health or safety risk to people, fish or wildlife...

By Joy Smith, MP. The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that the Criminal Code offences around prostitution are unconstitutional. This ruling leaves police without important legal tools to tackle sex trafficking and organized crime and does not reflect a 1990 Supreme Court of Canada decision which stated that the elimination...

Of all the hypocrisies revealed by Stephen Harper, perhaps none are so morally offensive as his sudden, solemn respect for Nelson Mandela. We will never know how Harper would reconcile his past attitudes towards apartheid with his trip to South Africa to honour the iconic statesman at his memorial. In 1989 Harper was a member...