City and CUPE 2262 reach accord, but no contract yet
The City of Castlegar and its union workers from CUPE Local 2262 have not yet hammered out a contract, but have arrived at a mutual accord in terms of proceeding. Castlegar mayor Lawrence Chernoff says the two parties have agreed on a publication ban, meaning neither side will speak to the press until a settlement has been ...
Suspicious fire causes roughly $10,000 damage
Police are investigating a suspicious fire found in the Toyota parking lot Friday evening. Deputy fire chief Sam Lattanzio, who was first on scene, said the call came in at about 10:12 p.m., advising authorities there was what appeared to be a brush or dumpster fire. "There was a brush fire in the northwest corner of the lot,...
OP/ED: Fassbender issues statment re: ongoing teacher strike
This week should be the first week of school. For students and their teachers, it's supposed to be a time of excitement and anticipation. But instead, it's a time of frustration and uncertainty. I am not happy about where things currently stand. Throughout this dispute, everything we've tried to do is to have schools open on...
Castlegar Selkirk grad wins $5,000 scholarship
Making the leap from the comfort of hometown Castlegar and the familiar classrooms of Selkirk College to complete a degree 450 kilometres away can be daunting for any undergraduate student, but $5,000 in financial assistance can go a long way to easing the transition. That eased transition is the experience for Christina...
Local cultural venues offer education alternatives in light of strike
An African proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Let us come together and educate them too. As BC teachers and the Provincial Government work towards settling their labour dispute, the Kootenay Doukhobor Historical Society is offering free admission at the Doukhobor Discovery Centre (across from the Castlegar...
Ktunaxa Nation Proceeding With Appeal
Today the Ktunaxa Nation announced that its lawyers have completed the next step in the process for appealing the BC Supreme Court’s decision regarding Qat’muk by filing the factum and accompanying appeal books at the British Columbia Court of Appeal Registry. The Ktunaxa Nation is appealing the Court’s April 3rd, 2014...
UPDATED: Pilot involved in Crawford Bay plane accident trying to abort landing
Bill Yearwood, with the Transport Safety Board’s Pacific region, told the Edmonton Journal the pilot involved Saturday's plane accident in Crawford Bay decided to execute a rejected landing and attempted to take off again. “Something was not right on the landing and the pilot elected to abort the landing. During that takeoff...
Fatal accident on Salmo/Creston Friday afternoon
An Alberta man has died after a motorcycle accident this afternoon, according to RCMP West Kootenay Traffic Services Sgt. John Ferguson. "On Aug. 29 at 4 p.m., the West Kootenay Traffic Services and Salmo RCMP attended a single motorcycle crash four kilometres west of the top of the Salmo Creston," he said. "A 57-year-old...
COMMENT: Conservation officers oblivious to cougar numbers
The buzz in the media is that because of a rapidly increasing cougar population 117 cougar were killed by the conservation service last year. The reality is that the cougar population is not increasing, a fact every veteran cougar hunter will quickly validate. Cougar sightings and complaints have increased dramatically because...
New board director for Interior Health
Interior Health is pleased to announce the appointment of Patricia (Pat) Dooley to its Board of Directors effective Aug. 31, 2014. “We are very fortunate to be joined by a Director with the heart, drive and focus of Pat Dooley,” said Board Chair Norman Embree. “She is incredibly dedicated to her community and passionate about...