NHL, Players reach tentative deal to end lockout
It’s over. Well, almost. Both sides still need to vote on the package. But after what seems like an eternity, the National Hockey League and its players reached a tentative deal to end the 113 day lockout. Early Sunday morning NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Player’s Association executive director Donald Fehr stood side by […]
LETTER: Mayor’s claims of closure ring hollow
Dear editor, At the meeting in the Seniors’ Centre last Thursday, the Mayor claimed that a comprehensive audit of the Arena contracts awarded to the former building inspectors company had been done. He said many times that he doesn’t see the need for a more comprehensive investigation. Anyone even with only a minimal knowledge...
LETTER: Does the mayor have the trust of Rosslanders?
Dear editor, I am a consultant with a doctoral degree in leadership and a keen interest in the importance of trust in organizations. More importantly, I am a resident of Rossland and, like many others, implicitly trust my elected officials to do be reliable stewards of our affairs. Acting on behalf of others requires openness...
LETTER: A modest proposal for the BC Liberals, the Ministry of Education, and SD20
Dear madames/sirs, Nobody can deny that our government needs to focus on the citizens that count. We cannot continue to spend money on education, health care and social services while the population using those services are barely paying into the tax base. Less than 3% of children and teens attending school earn an income,...
Emcon answers uproar after record snowfalls
After a record snowfall in December, The Castlegar Source/Trail Champion received several phone calls from professional drivers, first responders and other area motorists expressing concern, and even outrage, over the condition of regional thoroughfares. A reader poll posted to both sites asking “Do you feel Emcon (the regional road maintenance contractor) is doing a good […]
Drunken danger may cost region free New Year's Eve bus services
The actions of as many as 200 intoxicated youth have BC Transit questioning the merit of continuing to provide free New Year’s Eve bus service in the Greater Trail/Rossland/Castlegar area. BC Transit corporate spokesperson Meribeth Burton said a scheduled 1 a.m. bus in Rossland New Year’s morning saw drunken teens behave in a manner so […]
Police reporting fewer impaireds; one abuse-of-toque scenario
The Mackenzie Brothers would be so proud, as a toque-related incident tops the holiday highlights released by Castlegar police. “Castlegar RCMP received 81 calls for service from Dec. 24 until Jan. 1,” said RCMP Sgt. Laurel Mathew. “There were no notable spikes in any particular kind of crime. Christmas Eve and Day were relatively uneventful. […]
ANALYSIS: Do community groups pay their way in Rossland, and can municipalities' budgets be compared?
Readers have suggested at least two important questions since we published the budget analysis and initiated our “Budge the Budget” DemocracySTORM: to what extent are community and recreation organizations paying their own way? And can we compare our budget with that of other communities?In keeping with the budget analysis,...
COMMENT: 2013—Thirteen Baktun and the Ya Basta Crux
Historians, archaeologists, and palaeontologists focus on pivotal moments around which separate eras seem to hinge. It is no different in other disciplines as ecologists define community edges and philosophers erect words around meaning. Meanwhile, down on Planet Earth, climbers, bikers, skiers, and boaters flow over their ...
Police report busy-but-positive holiday activity
It was a busy, but not earth-shattering, holiday season for Trail RCMP, according to RCMP top cop Sgt. Rob Hawton. “There were 117 files between Christmas and New Years,” Hawton said. “It’s been a fairly steady, fairly busy period. But those are also mostly routine calls, nothing that really stands out.” He said routine calls […]