Arry Dhillon wins city council by-election by just 10 votes
Preliminary election results have Arry Dhillon winning the Castlegar council by-election seat by a margin of just 10 votes. Preliminary results are: Arry Dhillon, 692, Cherryl MacLeod, 682, Janna Sylvest, 398 and Tyler Maddocks 72, with 1844 voters and 134 new registrations. “That's just enough that I can feel comfortable –...
Special meeting may see city net grant for airport expansion
At a special meeting Friday at 12 p.m., city council unanimously voted in favour of applying for a grant that would help fund an expansion of the West Kootenay Regional Airport. The reason for the urgency and special meeting, according to city CAO John Malcolm, is that applications for the grant, offered by the BC Rural...
Library's value to Rossland; new section of a trail coming up; the problem of invasive weeds; GHG emssions reduction plan
Regular Rossland City Council Meeting, October 24, 2016 All Council members were present, as well as Chief Administrative Officer Bryan Teasdale, Chief Financial Officer Elma Hamming, City Planner Stacey Lightbourne, manager of Public Works Darrin Albo, and Executive Assistant Alison Worsfold. Public Input: A resident asked...
COLUMN: 'Collective cowardice' on climate change
Scientists worldwide accept that Earth is warming at an unusually rapid rate, that humans are primarily responsible, mainly by burning fossil fuels, and that the consequences for humanity will be disastrous if we don’t take immediate, widespread action. The U.S. Defense Department calls climate change a security risk “because...
Want to influence our federal government? Here's one way to make an attempt.
The Candian Environmental Protection Act is under review by a committee of the House of Commons. Citizens are invited to comment -- in the form of written "briefs." There are guidelines for these briefs, accessible via a link in the material pasted in below. Are you worried about foxes guarding hen-houses in terms of our...
Manufacturers seek end to ban on seasonal homes
When Ross Bonner decided the old trailer on his recreational lot in Balfour was getting too small for his needs last year, he upgraded to a modern manufactured home to replace it. A few months later, he got notice that his home was illegal in the Kootenays. “I’m upset, I didn’t know if I was […]
Interior Health gets new board chair
Interior Health board member John O’Fee of Kamloops has been appointed incoming chair of the board of directors, to replace current board chair Erwin Malzer when he completes his tenure on Dec. 31, 2016. “In his 10 years as a director and two years as board chair, Malzer has served Interior Health with distinction, with a...
COLUMN: From the Hill -- better funding for rural municipal infrastructure?
In my last column, I discussed some of the issues we heard about at House Finance Committee hearings. I’d like to mention a few more of the thought-provoking ideas discussed on the second day of hearings in Edmonton. Both the National Cattle Feeders Association and the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association focussed on...
Community Consultation Via Text Message a First in Western Canada
Trail area residents are breaking new ground using mobile technology in the Trail Area Health and Environment Program’s community consultation. The community is the first in Western Canada to use text messaging to get public feedback from residents. “We chose texting because we know people have busy lives: we want to make it...
Food security = important for humans and other animals too
As leaves change colour and drop from trees, and a chill in the air signals the approach of winter, many of us are thinking of the fall harvest and hearty soups and dishes that will soon warm our bellies. Not everyone is lucky enough to enjoy such thoughts. About four million Canadians — including more than a million children...
