Candidate Questions 9: How can we make Rossland attractive to both young families and seniors?
One of the perenniel issues we face here in the Mountain Kingdom is population. Not over-population, but underpopulation. If we want to keep our schools open, our tax base viable, and our community programs and services viable, we need a certain minimum population--a numbr that always seems to be defined as 'a few more than...
Advanced polls draw record numbers for civic election
One hundred and ninety people cast their ballot early on Nov. 8 or 9, as compared to only 151 early voters during the last municipal election in 2008. According to Chief Election Officer Carolyn Rempel, Castlegar has 5,929 registered voters, as well as 13 non-resident, property-owner voters. She said that in the 2008 election, only […]
COMMENT: Zoning bylaw grew from Rosslanders' voices and holds promise for the future
Bill Micklethwaite recently wrote a letter to the editor, "Zoning bylaw takes away Rosslanders' voices." Here I offer some different facts and a different interpretation of them.By no means does the new zoning bylaw "drastically curtail" Rosslander's ability to give input.On the contrary, any day of the week citizens can...
Candidate Questions 7: What ideas do you have to diversify the economy, create employment, and generate income within the city?
We all know that Rossland is a city built, to a large extent, on dreams. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that! From those who crossed a continent dreaming of gold to those who did the same dreaming of a skier's paradise--it's our heritage and our preferred mode of consciousness. However...we do also need to put food...
Candidate Questions 5: How important is the Active Transportation Plan to you?
This one may seem like a no-brainer for anyone hoping to get elected in this town, but it's still worth knowing where candidates stand on the issue and what they'd like to see happen on a practical basis: "The Active Transportation Plan encourages non-motorized transport in and around town. How important is Rossland's trail...
OP/ED: MP says trade agreements like NAFTA hurting B.C. economy
The B.C. economy is closely tied in with various trade agreements such as NAFTA, the Agreement on International Trade and the New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWTA) between BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan which replaces the Trade Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA). There is concern by those who represent workers that these agreements interfere with […]
Job action means blank report cards
School District 20 parents will be receiving blank report cards today, with no marks entered, just attendance records. This, because the district is obligated to send home report cards but teachers are not, within the current job action, required to fill them out. Accompanying the emailed blank report cards is a letter from school district […]
City councillor takes issue with Alberta newspaper
The High River Times got a smack-down of the first order last week, from a Castlegar city councillor who read an editorial casually slurring Castlegar. The editorial was referring to towns that smell bad (see http://www.highrivertimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3350520) and apparently councillor Kevin Chernoff thought the reference to Castlegar in that regard really stunk. “People who have never […]
BC MP Nathan Cullen brings leadership campaign to West Kootenays
Nathan Cullen is visiting the West Kootenays and Grand Forks November 13, 14 and 15, as part of his campaign to lead the federal NDP. Cullen, a four-term MP from the northern BC riding of Skeena-Bulkley Valley, is on a prolonged tour of his home province."One of the things I like most about British Columbia is it's so far...
B.C. tourism numbers falling below 2009 levels
New tourism numbers clearly show that the B.C. Liberals are wasting post-Olympic tourism opportunities, say New Democrats. “Recent travel statistics tell a story – despite the 2010 Olympics, we now have fewer people visiting B.C. than in 2009,” said Spencer Chandra Herbert, the New Democrat tourism critic. “There are lower levels of visitation than before […]
