Editorial Rant: RCMP Surveillance of Social Media -- to What End?
Recent articles in The Tyee discuss the revelation that the RCMP have been engaged in monitoring social media – characterized in the article as “ongoing wide-scale monitoring of individuals’ social media use [that] could pose a threat to Canadians’ privacy and charter rights, say experts.” But ...
Investigation: Petrowest numbered company awarded $10 million Site C dam contract on eve of bankruptcy
Petrowest’s financial woes were widely known when BC Hydro quietly awarded a major contract to a B.C. numbered company — 1054143 — that an investigation by The Narwhal reveals was incorporated by key Petrowest executives. The numbered company received millions in public funds while Petrowest fell into...
Column: From the Hill -- Canada needs Pharmacare
When Canadians are asked what makes them proud to be Canadians, many say that our health care system is a big part of that pride. We care about each other and want to make sure that everyone has access to health care when they are sick or injured. But our medicare system has some big gaps, and one of those is our access to...
OP/ED: B.C.’s first ever Poverty Reduction Plan tracks strong start with comprehensive approach but gaps need to be filled moving forward
The B.C. Poverty Reduction Coalition (BCPRC) congratulates the provincial government for launching the first ever poverty reduction plan for B.C.: TogetherBC. After a decade of advocacy, B.C. is no longer the only province without a poverty reduction strategy. The BCPRC welcomes the strong start outlined in the plan tracking...
Open Letter: Support for the Immediate Passing of Bill C-262
To The Editor: Dear Senators, The First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) is calling on each Senator of Canada to support the passage of Bill C-262, An Act to ensure that the laws of Canada are in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, without delay. The Truth and Reconciliation...
Arts grants to go to Castlegar, Trail, Rossland, Silverton and Winlaw: MLA
Kootenay West MLA Katrine Conroy is welcoming $103,210 through the province’s BC Arts Council Grant Program for community projects that will create new programs that encourage more inclusivity and accessibility in the creative sector, including those that support emerging Indigenous artists. “A lively art scene is central to...
Editorial: We aren't enlightened, we're just short of workers
Will the new Builders Code help women and other minorities survive in the trades? Time will tell. Race and gender still provoke ostracism, bullying, harassment, hazing … call it what you will, it is all too common, and it creates a toxic workplace, especially for those at whom it’s directed. In some cases,...
COLUMN: Part Three: The West is Best, What do we Owe the Rest?
Part Three In the two previous editions of the Arc, I have been writing about the recent history of Western global dominance, about reactions to that past, and what it reveals about human consciousness expressed in culture. Two main authors are my resource for conversation about culture and consciousness in evolution: Robert...
Council Matters: a climbing gym in the Miners Hall; neighbours oppose re-zoning; top cop wants more officers ...
Rossland City Council: Public Hearing and Regular Meeting, March 11, 2019 Public Hearing: 6:00 pm For public input on Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 2692, to re-zone 2770 Butte Street from R‐1‐Residential Single Detached to R‐1Infill Residential, and Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 2693, to re-zone 1988 First Avenue from Short-term...
Hospitals failing to follow legal safeguards for mentally ill patients involuntarily detained, B.C. Ombudsperson investigation finds
The legal rights of mentally ill patients involuntarily admitted to psychiatric facilities across the province are being denied according to an investigative report issued by the BC Ombudsperson today. Ombudsperson Jay Chalke released Special Report No.42,Committed to Change: Protecting the Rights of Involuntary Patients under...