A campaign to decriminalize marijuana in B.C. is putting local politicians on the spot – including Castlegar’s Mayor Lawrence Chernoff. A coalition of eight B.C. mayors, through Stop the Violence BC campaign, sent a letter in April urging provincial leaders to “support the regulation and taxation of marijuana”, citing public heath concerns and crime reduction […]

Four area chambers of commerce have offered regional airport representatives their endorsement in a bid to encourage WestJet to come to the Kootenays – meanwhile the Castlegar chamber is being flooded with letters of support from local businesses. Just last week, WestJet invited members of the West Kootenay Regional Airport Advisory Committee (including Castlegar Mayor […]

On June 14 and 15, musicians (and Rossland residents) Nicola Everton and Michael Gifford (pictured here, flanked by Castlegar Mayor Lawrence Chernoff and Columbia Power’s Audrey Repin) will play at Talarico Place in Castlegar and Columbia View Lodge in Trail as part of their tour of 10 communities in the coming week. This is part […]

I will agree completely with anyone who claims the issues we untangle below are petty, but we at the Telegraph feel obliged to defend ourselves against a number of unsubstantiated attacks leveled against our news coverage and editorials—specifically mine—by certain members of council who dislike what we’ve written.Two weeks...

In light of the Mayor Greg Granstrom's vehement public letter—attached below—charging me and the Telegraph with "defamatory" comments, I contacted Rollie Rose, executive director of the BC Press Council, for comments he might offer on the matter.Rose said he had received the city's complaint and had written a response—also ...

The construction of a bigger, better ferry for the Shelter Bay to Galena Bay crossing on Upper Arrow Lake is set to begin this year. The building contract for the new $26.5 million boat was awarded to WaterBridge Steel Inc. of Prince George who will be constructing the open-decked vessel in Nakusp. The boat will […]

Council has adopted a zoning amendment bylaw to give small lots outside the Infill Zone the same parcel coverage and floor area ratios as small lots within the Infill Zone. “Small lots” are defined as less than 550 square metres or 5920 square feet. No residents chose to speak at the public hearing held on Monday evening prior...

Council agreed on Monday evening to sell Tim Manke, owner of 2213 Fourth Ave, a roughly 16-inch by 100-foot strip of city boulevard so his lot will meet the minimum size required for subdivision. The strip runs along the western edge of his lot—the St. Paul side. In return, the city would receive a 3-metre wide snow storage...

Teck Trail Operations are busy: they're building a $210 million furnace to triple their electronics recycling capacity, a $125 million acid plant to replace two older ones, and have recently completed a $5.5 million "effluent spill reduction project" that modified 245 locations within their operations and significantly reduced...

We are moving into a very busy construction phase this week here in Rossland! Asphalt milling will take place on Thursday, on the North side of Columbia Ave from Spokane to Washington, and the along the South side from St. Paul to Spokane. We are expecting that the pedestrian crossing should be restored at Queen and Columbia...