Calls to cut taxes should not come as a surprise. Individuals, business establishments, and corporations have been singing this tune for years. Resistance to taxes goes hand in hand with government at all levels. “No Tax Payments!”screamed a headline in Germany’s Neue Rheinische Zeitungon November 16, 1848. The article’s...

The Trail and District Chamber of Commerce now has a new leader at its helm, after the abrupt and somewhat controversial departure of former executive director Maggie Stayanovich (see http://trailchampion.com/news/update-chamber-president-offers-clarification-22206#.UOSh5uQ0WSo ). Incoming executive director Norm Casler, 50, was already at his desk this afternoon (Wednesday), ready to hit the ground running. “The best thing for […]

The Government of BC has been on a borrowing and spending spree for about eight years. A lot of this is being done using the “Public-Private Partnership” model (P3) of which the former Premier Campbell was exceedingly fond. In fact, he was such a leading proponent in Canada that the commercial interests behind the...

Canada and B.C. targeted funding to support business development, innovation, food safety, and sustainability under the Growing Forward agreement in the first quarter of 2012-13. Growing Forward is a five-year framework that co-ordinates federal, provincial and territorial agricultural policy. Between April 1 and June 30,...

 “History is just one damn thing after another.” John Masefield. “Life is understood backward, but lived forward.”Soren Kirkegaard This is it, the final column of Arc for the year 2012. This is the week I have often called “dead week” in my mind but not publicly (people would misunderstand!) because of my strange sense of...

I recently had the opportunity to attend a conference in Nanaimo sponsored by the Council of Canadians.  Maude Barlow and others in this social justice organization have been in the forefront when it comes to dealing with issues that threaten the very fabric of our nation. It was very encouraging to see the strong involvement...

The first phase of the Kettle River watershed management report is complete and is being rolled out to the public. Grand Forks city council received a presentation from the project co-ordinator Graham Watt to update them on the study, key focus areas and next steps at their meeting Monday, Dec. 17. The Regional District of […]

Hackers claiming to be associated with the internet activist group Anonymous have attacked the website belonging to the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) and hacked into the Twitter account belonging to Shirley Phelps-Roper, the Church's spokeswoman. The attacks are part of an operation dubbed '#OpWestBor' on Twitter and is in ...

Castlegar’s own Holly Smee is stunned and delighted to have garnered the support of more than 10,000 people just days after launching a Facebook campaign in response to recent tragedy. Smee, a 34-year-old mental health worker, said she got the idea on the same morning that a school shooting spree took the lives of 20 […]

A tri-regional partnership has identified the protection of the Darkwoods Conservancy Area as a local project on which to spend "carbon offset purchases," both supporting a very significant conservation project, and allowing climate action tax dollars collected in the region to stay within the region.Carbon Neutral KootenaysCarbon...