Deconstructing the US Election
A quick glance over current headlines: madness and dread “You spread your paranoia, all over this land – Creating situations you don’t understand… You’ve got to stop flashing pictures of the People. Stop! Flashing pictures of the Power!” -- Tom Fogarty, Goodbye Media Man [1968] “In times of apparent madness, the insane person...
COLUMN: A Blow to Regional Collaboration
Over the last couple of years many elected officials in our region have been trying hard to improve collaboration and cooperation between our various local governments. Unfortunately, the region has just experienced a major setback. One area that was a sparkling example of regional cooperation was the economic development...
'Initiative Petition Application' underway, to change paramedics' bargaining rights
British Columbia’s Chief Electoral Officer, Keith Archer, has granted approval in principle on an initiative petition application. The petition will be issued to proponent Joshua Henshaw on Monday, January 9, 2017. The title of the initiative is: An initiative to amend the Fire and Police Services Collective Bargaining Act....
NDP Candidate and MLA Katrine Conroy out listening to constituents
Kootenay West NDP Candidate, Katrine Conroy, hit the streets over the weekend, going door to door in the Village of Slocan, asking residents about what issues concern them and gathering signatures on a petition requesting the BC Liberal government stabilize funding for education in the province. “Education is an issue of...
Fowl play at council - urban chicken project takes wing
It’s official – the urban chicken pilot project in Castlegar is set to soar, after city council’s regular meeting Monday night. But it won’t be a poultry free-for-all, and not everyone with a hen yen can fly out and buy birds. A key element of the project will be a steering committee involving members from SPCA, Bear Aware,...
LETTER: AIR POLLUTION FROM WOOD-STOVES
It has long been well known that fine particulates and volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) containing carcinogens, including benzene and other toxic chemicals, are released from wood burning stoves and that these are a proven serious health hazard. However, what is not widely known is the scale or magnitude of the impact of...
Op/Ed: Why your stuff turns to junk so fast (and cooks the planet)
Note: This article was originally posted on the Worldwatch Institute blog. Worldwatch is an independent research organization based in Washington, D.C. that works on energy, resource, and environmental issues. Much of the energy of the environmental movement and of policymaking is focused on reducing greenhouse gas...
COLUMN: 'World Class' Oil Spill Response a Failure
In July, a pipeline leak near Maidstone, Saskatchewan, spilled about 250,000 litres of diluted oil sands bitumen into the North Saskatchewan River, killing wildlife and compromising drinking water for nearby communities, including Prince Albert. It was one of 11 spills in the province over the previous year. In October, a...
COLUMN: From the Hill -- Forestry and Trade Wars
The forest industry has been a critically important sector in the BC economy for over a century, but it has been hit hard. A 30-year trade war with the United States cost our industry billions of dollars. The softwood lumber agreement did bring back certainty to lumber export access and costs, but the Canadian industry paid...
Victoria's pricey secrets
Just how far is the B.C. government willing to go to guard its secrets? A great distance, if the 2012 health ministry firings are any indication. Four million documents linked to the firings have mysteriously materialized out of thin air for the latest investigation into the scandal, this one by B.C. ombudsperson Jay Chalke....
