It’s a kindred bond that has provided an economic and social foundation for the West Kootenay over the last 50 years. Fuelled by the natural resources that drive the regional economy, Zellstoff Celgar and Selkirk College help define what it is to live in rural British Columbia. Both came to be in the 1960s, a time of great ...

In a media release, FortisBC announced it has received approval from the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) to modify natural gas rates. Beginning October 1, 2016 customers will see changes to their bill. “Natural gas prices have risen since spring 2016. The hotter-than-normal summer, for most of Canada and the US, has resulted...

Take Back the night is an international annual event which is locally organized by Castlegar’s Violence Against Women in Relationships (VAWIR) committee. The Castlegar VAWIR Committee welcomes you to join our annual Take Back The Night Event on Oct. 6. Take Back the Night is an international event with the mission of ending...

The Village of Salmo has found a made-in-Salmo solution to the need to convert a dozen Village concrete garbage containers to bear-resistant bins at a fraction of the cost of purchasing new bear-resistant bins. The conversion was completed last week. All 24 Village containers are now bear-resistant.   The request for proposals...

Regional Fire Rescue crews responded to a call-out Sunday night at roughly 8:45 p.m. to lower Casino Road, straight across from Glenmerry. Deputy regional fire chief Dan Derby said a single vehicle with one occupant had gone over the banks, and crews arrived to assist BC Ambulance Service in extricating the driver. One woman...

The doors opened to a new era of post-secondary learning 50 years ago when Selkirk College welcomed students seeking a brighter future from across the West Kootenay and Boundary region. When the residents of six school districts — Trail, Nelson, Castlegar, Slocan, Grand Forks and Arrow Lakes — voted in a referendum on February...

The City of Kimberley and the United Steelworkers Local I-405 ratified a four-year collective agreement. The tentative settlement was previously agreed to on August 29th and replaces the previous contract that expired on February 29th, 2016. “We are very pleased to have this new contract in place," said Mayor Don McCormick,...

Castlegar city council voted unanimously at their regular meeting last night to discuss a motion to allow chickens and beekeeping within city limits – it doesn’t mean they are allowing either, just that they will discuss the possibility at their next regular meeting Sept. 19. As many as 30 people showed up to hear the outcome...

Search and Rescue (SAR) teams from all over the southeast region of the province converged on the Slocan Valley for a weekend of training exercises from August 19 to 21. The SAREX (short for search and rescue exercise) was a huge success with over 65 volunteers in attendance from various teams from the southeast region of...

A Nelson mother is demanding answers after she says her daughter was put on a waiting list to attend the city’s only high school… while 50 foreign students are taking up seats in the same school. Camara Cassin says she was told her daughter would have to wait a week to see if she can attend L.V. Rogers High School in Nelson....