Fentanyl a growing problem with more overdose deaths in Kootenay-Boundary in 2016
The deadly problem with fentanyl overdoses grew in 2016 in the Kootenay-Boundary, but it is still lower than the regional and provincial rate, says an Interior Health official. Gillian Frosst, epidemiologist with Interior Health, said the fentanyl problem is growing more common in the Kootenay-Boundary region, and it increased in 2016.
Trail Air Cadets help keep Polar Bear Swimmers warm
The Squadron Sponsoring Committee of 531 Squadron, City of Trail, Royal Canadian Air Cadets ran the concession at the Annual Trail Polar Bear Swim on Jan. 1. There were hot drinks, hot dogs, and chili. This is the first time that the air cadets have run the concession in a few years. The concession served […]
Fire department reports second busiest year on record
The Castlegar Fire Department has released its 2016 statistics showing the second-busiest year on record with 903 calls for service, according to deputy fire chief Sam Lattanzio. “If you look at our call volume over the years, it’s been steadily increasing,” Lattanzio said, adding the busiest year, 2015, saw an anomalous spike of 933 calls […]
Editorial: Ignorance as a Survival Tactic
There, a nice picture of a cat. Now for some of the stuff we'd rather ignore, even if that's not a very smart move. In Ruth Ozeki's 1998 novel "My Year of Meats" the main character ponders ignorance and explains, "ignorance is an act of will, a choice that one makes over and over again, especially when information overwhelms...
Column: Unfinished Business
Hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but 2017 is an election year in British Columbia. On the presumption they're not the same thing, government and election ads should be over by the Stanley Cup semi-finals. There are bits of unfinished business the B.C. government could attend to in the meantime, though. Just as there are...
COLUMN: What Scientists Said 25 Years Ago
The longer we delay addressing environmental problems, the more difficult it will be to resolve them. Although we’ve known about climate change and its potential impacts for a long time, and we’re seeing those impacts worsen daily, our political representatives are still approving and promoting fossil fuel infrastructure as...
Charges Laid in Crawford Bay Cheetah Incident
Two people have been charged after a cheetah was seen wandering the roadside by a motorist on Highway 3A near Kootenay Bay in December 2015. The Conservation Office Service Facebook page said man and woman have been charged with one count each under the Controlled Alien Species Regulation. The Facebook page said both individuals...
E-Comm releases worst 9-1-1 calls for 2016
E-Comm, the largest 9-1-1 call centre in British Columbia, released its top 10 of the worst calls from 2016 Thursday. The call centre handles approximately 1.35 million emergency calls per year for 25 regional districts and communities spanning from Vancouver Island to Alberta and from the U.S. border, to north of Prince...
CAA poll says Canadians admit to texting stopped at red light
Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) said in a media release Wednesday that one third (33 per cent) of Canadians admit they have texted while stopped at a red light in the last month. The media release said that is despite evidence showing the mind could still be distracted and not on the task of driving for up to 27 seconds...