UPDATE: Remediation work under way; public meeting slated
Updated release as of 12:25 p.m. July 29: Extensive sampling of water courses in the Slocan Valley continues following the fuel spill in Lemon Creek on Friday, July 26, 2013. Visual inspection of the Slocan, Columbia and Kootenay rivers and Lemon Creek has occurred from the air and by boat. Little evidence of fuel was visible...
What’s an 'AAP' anyways?
The City of Rossland has started another Alternative Approval Process (AAP) to obtain authority to borrow up to $4,000,000 for up to 30 years to pay for the City’s portion of the nearly completed Columbia Avenue infrastructure project. This AAP is accompanied by even fewer details than was provided with the first AAP in...
We STILL don't know what the Columbia rebuild cost
The City of Rossland has started another Alternative Approval Process (AAP) to obtain authority to borrow up to $4,000,000 for up to 30 years to help pay for the City’s portion of the Columbia Avenue project. (See “What’s an AAP anyways?") The project is almost complete and has to be paid for. But what did it actually...
Trudeau speaks to Trail and the Interior
As many as 150 people showed up to Trail’s Gyro Park to welcome the crown prince of Canadian politics (so called because his father, Pierre Trudeau, was Canada’s 15th prime minister) Monday afternoon. The junior Trudeau, 41, is now leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and a contender for the PMO in his own […]
When lives are lost, have we taken deregulation too far?
The history of regulations goes back to the early civilizations of Greece and Egypt. Their purpose then as it is now is to protect society from the negative consequences of risks and hazards. Regulations, backed by the power of laws, govern what we wear, what we eat, where and how we live, and all but the most benign of our...
RDCK recognizes 'boy on fire' four decades of fire service
After 42 years as a volunteer firefighter, Hans Cunningham’s passion for the RDCK’s fire service still burns fiercely. The Ymir resident was honoured by the RDCK recently for his volunteerism, which distinguishes him as the longest serving firefighter in the history of the regional district. “Hans’ dedication to the fire service is simply outstanding,” said […]
The Crisis of Extreme Capitalism
Our current incarnation of capitalism — variously referred to as savage capitalism, extreme capitalism or euphemistically as the “free market” (free of any constraints) — is in one of its periodic crises. For years many assumed that the smart people who ran the system and benefitted from it would find a practical way to fix...
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau meets crowds at Lakeside Park on eve of trip to Kokanee Lake to visit brother
The man who wants to be the next Prime Minister of Canada made a brief stopover in the Heritage City Sunday for an informal meet-and-greet with a crowd of 200 supporters at Lakeside Park. Justin Trudeau, the MP for the riding of Papineau in Montreal, Que, was mobbed after stepping off Nelson Streetcar 23 with […]
B.C. farmers-market coupon program expanding
A successful program that provides lower-income families, pregnant women and seniors with coupons for locally produced food is receiving an additional $2 million investment, Health Minister Terry Lake announced today. “We know that having access to healthy, fresh foods makes a huge difference in health,” said Lake. “Unfortunately, for some British Columbians, it can be […]
Aid to Palestine or Israel?
A recently uncovered government document confirms that Ottawa has delivered millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinian Authority in a bid to advance Israel’s interests. The internal memorandum also sheds light on Canada’s efforts to build a security apparatus to protect the Palestinian Authority from popular disgust over its compliance in the face of […]