City CUPE workers serve 72-hour strike notice
The following is a press release issued by CUPE Local 2262: CUPE Local 2262 city workers have filed 72-hour strike notice with the BC Labour Board. The 34 workers have been without a contract since February 2013. This marks the first time in 60 years that the union has been forced to a strike in its contract negotiations with...
LETTER: Break the Silence
If someone is being bullied, the last thing you want to do is walk away from them. They need support, and lots of it. I do not know of anyone that would walk away, or stop being friends with someone who is being bullied. That would be shameful. We need to start treating mental illness and depression as we do with bullying. ...
Putting the Carbon Tax to Better Use
“There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.” – John F. Kennedy A vast majority of you love the carbon tax; your federal and provincial governments don’t. And ideas abound about its use and abuse. Metro Vancouver mayors have proposed a...
OP/ED: On Robin Williams, mental health, and us
I’ve reached that truly crappy age when it seems like every day brings with it the death of another childhood icon – but that’s not so bad for me, as I’ve never been one to follow Hollywood buzz. Until recently, I thought a Kardashian was a fictional Star Trek species (and I remain unconvinced that I was far off base on that)....
Wearing my historian’s hat
“I am under no obligation to be the person I was five minutes ago.”--- Facebook poster ( no author ) Pessimism, the incidence of violence, and progress Is there evidence that humanity is on a historical course toward a progressive, better future? Every reader of this column by now understands I am a pessimist, I do not perceive...
Basin Youth to Benefit from Junior Achievement’s Expansion into the Region
This fall, youth in the Columbia Basin will be able to learn about entrepreneurship and the viability of self-employment as a career option when Junior Achievement of British Columbia (JABC) expands into the region. The expansion is possible through a partnership with Columbia Basin Trust (the Trust), which is contributing ...
No injuries in Bombi school bus crash
A school bus crash on Bombi Summit just after 1 p.m. yesterday afternoon proved nowhere near as dire as some onlookers supposed. Castlegar RCMP Const. Ron George said the school bus was, in fact, a decommissioned bus that had been converted into a makeshift RV with only one person inside at the time of the accident. “It went...
OUT OF LEFT FIELD: Grown up - or out of touch?
I had an interaction with a reader in the past week or so, and I went back and read through it, and realized my whole argument boiled down to, “You hurt my feelings.” Are you KIDDING me?!?! How unprofessional. Way to have an appropriately thick skin. Although I maintain his response to me was unfair and dehumanized me, holy...
Ponderosa festival ready for second year of music
All across BC there is outdoor adventure, stunning scenery and amazing communities awaiting discovery. Now, take one of those small communities and add a riverside campground, arts and tonnes of music. This is the making of one incredible summer weekend. Nestled on the banks of the Kettle River sits the small farming community...
Smoky sky advisory issued for region as fires blaze on
Forest fire smoke in the area has caused the Ministry of Environment to issue a smoky skies advisory for Thompson, Shuswap, Okanagan, Similkameen, Nicola, Boundary and Fraser Canyon regions. According to the Ministry, smoke concentrations can vary depending on the winds, fire behaviour and temperature fluctuations. They...
