Op/Ed: Building Energy Security with Microgrids
As wildfires, heat waves and hurricanes sweep across North America, residents are bracing for the power outages that come with these extreme weather events. Strong winds can knock down electrical lines or blow dry vegetation like dead tree branches into power lines and ignite wildfires. Utilities may intentionally shut down...
RDCK to open indoor pools — pre-registration required, no drop-ins allowed
The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) Community Services continues to work on getting facilities open to the public. The most recent announcement by the RDCK said staff and management are working towards a return to aquatics with the opening of indoor pools in Castlegar, Creston and Nelson targeted for Tuesday, October 13th. The RDCK […]
Column: The blame game
Most of us can remember a time in childhood when we were caught doing something wrong and pointed a finger at someone else for the misdeed. We might even still feel guilty about it. Research shows blaming others doesn’t only harm the wrongfully accused; it can also harm those who blame, especially when it becomes pervasive...
Editorial rant: Caribou, moose, wolves, and government obtuseness
Does it seem odd (to put it mildly) that our provincial government is willing to spend between $4,300 and $10,000 per wolf to kill over 400 wolves near small and struggling groups of caribou in BC, allegedly to help endangered caribou survive, while at the same time, authorizing the razing of essential caribou habitat? How ...
Letter: More funding for parks, please
Dear editor, This past summer was unlike any other, and getting outside was one of the few things that kept me sane. Fall has now arrived, but the memory of line-ups to get a spot in our local parks has not yet faded. As candidates and platforms get announced for next month’s election, I hope that parks and nature will be on...
Column: Challenges for voters -- and candidates
We can debate whether holding an election now is opportune or opportunistic. We have had three referendums in the past 15 years on the subject of our electoral system, and we have decided to leave things as they are. Debating the timing of an election is part and parcel of our preferred system. Having decided to maintain the...
Explainer: Fall election – has the BC NDP kept its election promises?
The NDP rose to power in 2017 vowing to take action on climate change, old-growth logging, the Trans Mountain pipeline, endangered species and more. Three years in, The Narwhal examines how the government has fared on the environment By Sarah Cox, for The Narwhal B.C.’s NDP government came to power in 2017 promising to...
Op/Ed: How Canada could benefit from a carbon budget
By Kathryn Harrison and Anna Kanduth, for The Conversation Canadians have understandably been preoccupied by the COVID-19 emergency. Yet the climate emergency that prompted hundreds of thousands to march in the streets in September 2019 has not subsided. Just as Canadians have worked together to “bend the curve” on COVID-19,...
August overdose deaths in BC rise 71% from this time last year
The BC Coroners Service has published updated reports on illicit drug toxicity deaths and fentanyl-detected drug deaths to the end of August 2020, with 147 illicit drug toxicity deaths reported in the month. The illicit drug toxicity death total represents a 71% increase over the number of deaths in August 2019 (86) but a 16% decrease […]
Column: COVID-19, school and climate change
The global pandemic has created a unique and challenging back-to-school season. Many parents, guardians and teachers are struggling to balance children’s safety with education, all while keeping their households running smoothly. It’s like nothing we’ve seen before. Many adults are rightfully focused on making sure the...
