Editorial Rant: What are we celebrating? And how do we behave?
A plea for civility in the law, politics and our everyday lives Mid-winter is approaching, with our various seasonal celebrations: Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, and maybe even Festivus? We celebrate our religious and / or ethnic affiliations; we celebrate the return of the sun for longer periods of time each...
COLUMN: Stop blaming God and 'nature' for what we've done
Traditionally, we’ve labelled events over which we have no influence or control “acts of God” or “natural disasters.” But what’s “natural” about climate-induced disasters today? Scientists call the interval since the Industrial Revolution the “Anthropocene,” a period when our species hasbecome the major factor altering the ...
Column: We must begin to curb the power of corporations
The revelations of the Paradise Papers, the earlier Panama Papers and numerous articles in the western mainstream and alternative media demonstrate just one dimension, tax evasion, of an increasingly obvious truth: global corporations have become the greatest threat to the planet. The deliberate starvation of government,...
Celebrating the new Trail Airport terminal building
There were crowds of guests filling the new, 4200-square-foot terminal building on the afternoon of Wednesday, November 29, including a large selection of local dignitaries; people were eating cupcakes with sky-blue icing; there were several heart-felt speeches of thanks; people were encouraged to enter a draw for free flights;...
Fire Services budget going up again; LCIC going strong; arena lounge use expanded; "Us and Them"
Rossland City Council Meeting, November 27, 2017 Present: Mayor Kathy Moore, and Councillors John Greene, Marten Kruysse, Andy Morel, Aaron Cosbey, and Andrew Zwicker. Absent: Lloyd McLellan. Public Input: John Sullivan spoke on behalf of Rossland Rotary about using the Miners Hall; Rotary spent about $36,000 on a kitchen...
EDITORIAL: The move (or not) to electoral reform in BC
Why fill out the government's questionnaire? The BC government's questionnaire, seeking public input on electoral reform, is intended to find out what features of an electoral system are most highly valued by voters, so the government can decide which system or systems to offer. Go ahead -- express yourself! Tell them what...
City Public Hearing Covers Sustainable (Official) Community Plan, Zoning Bylaw Proposed Changes to Allow Garden Suites, Tiny Houses and Cluster Housing
Approximately 20 residents, a near record crowd for an event of this type, attended Monday's Grand Forks City Council meeting to express interest in proposed changes to the Zoning Bylaw, most notably, changes that could allow garden suites and tiny houses on wheels that meet certain criteria. In a media release, City Council...
Corporate Influence Inflames Political Cynicism
In 1952, my Grade 10 civics teacher asked us what we hoped to become as adults. One of the most popular boys answered, “I hope to go into politics.” We were delighted because we knew he wanted to make the world and Canada better, and we admired him for it. Things have changed in half a century. In 1992, my daughter Severn, ...
Spokane Street Infrastructure Project grand opening ceremony
The City of Rossland has substantially completed its most recent large-scaled infrastructure renewal project – the Spokane Street Infrastructure Project. Building on the successes of our past projects, the continued development and refinement of a new Asset Management Investment Plan and concentrated investments from Council...
Part Two: Multiculturalism and Immigrant Blending (revised)
“First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin. … I’m guided by a signal in the heavens, I’m guided by the beauty of our weapons.” -- Leonard Cohen, First we take Manhattan Part Two In Part One, I outlined my views of Canadian history as it pertains to immigration and multiculturalism, and the...
