Participatory democracy or puppet mastery? Open government in Rossland … or not?
In the lead-up to Rossland's recent municipal elections, all the candidates clamoured to speak in favour of greater transparency in local government machinations and to pledge allegiance to the principles of open communication and public consultation. It is fitting, then, that a controversy over the exclusion of council (and...
More questions than answers as Rossland's mayor apologizes for failing to consult with council
Mayor Greg Granstrom ended council's regular meeting on Monday with a brief apology for bypassing council consultation as he and CAO Victor Kumar ploughed ahead with a grant application for a $5 million dollar indoor swimming pool—but Granstrom made no mention of the $25,000 spent on the application without proper authorization.The...
Who is the CAO, what does he do, and what's his contract with Rossland?
The swimming pool controversy was sparked by a faulty process in which the CAO and the mayor neglected to consult council on important city matters, both strategic and financial, but now many Rosslanders are asking more fundamental questions, like "who is the CAO, what does he do, and what's in his contract?"Here we try and...
COMMENT: Federal Government comments damaging to the Impartiality of the joint review process
The First Nations Leadership Council is greatly troubled by recent comments by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Minister of Natural Resources Joe Oliver advocating for the proposed Enbridge Gateway pipeline to proceed even before the Joint Review Panel’s environmental review has begun. Grand Chief Edward John states,...
City responds to lack of ambulance coverage with upset ... and invoice
Castlegar city council voted unanimously Tuesday night to invoice BC Ambulance Services (BCAS) for any costs incurred by the Castlegar Fire Department after a gap in ambulance coverage lasted through Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, as well as New Year’s Day. City councillor Russ Hearne introduced the motion, arguing that he’s not wild about a […]
BC Ambulance Services speak to lack of Castlegar coverage over the holidays
An investigation is being launched by BC Ambulance Services into why Castlegar was left without ambulance coverage Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, according to BCAS Central Kootenay Superintendent Chris Mason. He also said the investigation will also encompass the fact that Castlegar first responders (fire crews) weren’t notified of the coverage gap […]
COMMENT: Who authorized $25,000 in architecture and engineering fees for a pool design council knew nothing about? The CAO must go!
Rossland, we have a problem. The end of 2011 was defined by a serious breach of democracy, a breach so egregious that it deserves the whole town's attention.As a taxpayer myself, I feel violated by this breach and feel it constitutes more than enough cause to terminate CAO Victor Kumar's contract immediately.Our mayor,...
Cross-border deal's grave threats to Canadian food security
The following is the third installment of a three part investigation by Nelle Maxey into the wide-ranging environmental and socio-political implications for Canada of the recently signed US-Canada cross border security deal and ancillary agreements related to the Regulatory Cooperation Commission. Read part 1 and part 2 here....
Province increases homeowner grants threshold
British Columbians who own homes worth up to $1.285 million may be eligible to receive the entire homeowners’ grant this year, after the Province raised the threshold to accommodate rising property values. BC Assessment estimates the value of all homes based on their market value on July 1 each year. The Province then reviews...
No decision yet by government for Midway border crossing
A Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) official says no decisions or action timelines have been made for any of the Midway, Boundary and other B.C. area border crossings listed in a document accidentally released in early December. “Our government is focused on ensuring our shared border is secure while easing the flow of legitimate […]
