A key ingredient in any democracy is that people choose their leaders based on their values.  In our current voting system we are often forced to choose between a person or a party or to vote “strategically”. The make-up of the government often doesn’t reflect the popular vote so a party may only get 10% of the seats even if...

Bats – the kind that live in our area – are voracious insectivores.  As dusk settles in, the bats emerge and begin eating insects.  An ordinary brown bat, according to the website “Wildlife Education and Directory of Wildlife Experts,”  can eat up to 1,200 insects per hour – and up to 100% of its body weight in insects in one...

Entertainment!  As the days draw in and darkness takes over the afternoons, getting together for music, song, dancing and laughter helps keep life fun and repels the dismals.  Here are four kinds of relief coming up locally, in order of appearance: Friday, November 2, at the Bailey Theatre in Trail: Cheesecake Burlesque – an...

Plus ça change.....   One hundred years ago, in 1919, William Lyon Mackenzie King proclaimed that 1921 would be the last election held under FPtP. Once elected, he lost his appetite for change, declaring that the Liberal Party was in favour of proportionality, in principle only. A few years later, facing election, King again...

Meet your new Rossland City Council. The voting is over, the votes are counted, and we know who our Council members, along with acclaimed Mayor Kathy Moore, will be for the next four years – barring any unforeseen events. The six successful candidates are: Andy Morel Janice Nightingale Chris Bowman Dirk Lewis Stewart Spooner...

MarWest Industries issued a press release today correcting (other) media coverage of yesterday’s gas leak on Columbia Avenue. The release reads as follows: “On Oct. 16, at approximately 1:55 p.m., Marwest Industries Ltd contacted FortisBC regarding a gas line break in the 1500 Block of Columbia Avenue. The gas line was damaged by a rock […]

It’s time to revisit the topic of corporal punishment of children: spanking, swatting, or otherwise hitting a child as punishment or “correction.”  Is it ever acceptable?  There are so many different views, but now we have some new research evidence favouring the totally non-violent approach to child-rearing.   On March 5 of...

When our children and grandchildren and those of us still here in 20 years look back to this time, will we say it was when the world finally got serious about the climate crisis? Or will we mark a tragic time when political and business leaders prioritized short-term economic gain over the future of humanity? Listening to...

Climate scientists have said that planting trees can help to combat climate change. Some of Rossland's students have been helping with that.    Last Friday,  students of Ecole des Sept-Sommets planted over 150 trees and shrubs in the southeast corner of their school yard. These plants, some native plants ...

Editor's Note:  This letter would have been better addressed to residents of all local commuities, not just  the "Trail residents" mentioned in the last line. The spills affected vehicles from a number of communities. Dear Neighbours, International Raw Materials (IRM) is committed to safely transporting our products through...