Regional News
The Castlegar branch of the B.C. Ministry of Forests and Range (known as the Arrow-Boundary Forest District Office), is being downsized to a field office, with fully a quarter of the jobs there being lost.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry told The Source today that, of the 60 positions currently filled in Castlegar, 15 were eliminated in what is being labelled a “workforce adjustment”.
Positions cut include management, as well as clerical and technical staff.
A release from the ministry added:
I cannot believe that the Conservative government is refusing to include access to contraceptives and safe abortions as part of their pledge of working towards improving maternal health worldwide at this year’s G8 summit in June.
It's beyond my comprehension how it is possible to improve maternal health unless you are willing to include the full range of reproductive health services for women.
Since when did 'Facebook-ing' become a verb?
It's amazing how quickly we can change or shift our societal lexicon – I was genuinely creeped out and, frankly, slightly offended the first time someone told me he had 'Googled' me – now I think nothing of being Googled, Facebooked or Tweeted...or of doing same to others (my Grandma's going to read this and think I've joined a cult or am sniffing my son's felt pens or something).
It's a brave new world, indeed.
Spring is in the air and the earth is waking up! On Friday, Apr. 9 the Grand Forks & Boundary Regional Agricultural Society invites you to join them in their spring celebrations complete with a chicken splat contest!
The society is thriving and leading a variety of projects in the Boundary region such as: the Community Gardens Project, Seed Bank, Senior Boundary Growers, Poultry Project, and Mobile Abattoir Project to name only a few.This celebration is a way to find out what they are doing and learn a bit about agriculture in the Boundary.
At the last meeting of the Grand Forks deer committee the city and conservation officers acted swiftly in response to citizens’ deer complaints. A group of five community residents came to the committee meeting to raise the alarm over the deer in City Park. Their complaints were heard, and by the end of the meeting council and the conservation officer had a plan to respond.
“We just couldn’t take it anymore,” said Rosita Carlyle. “We used to enjoy our walks around City Park with our small dog Stubbs, but the deer were making it impossible. Someone had to take action!”
A strong democracy calls for .... no, demands ... that dissenting voices, however objectionable, be heard.
I believe it is more important to listen to those with whom we disagree, even fervently disagree, than to take false reassurance from those who confirm our own particular foregone conclusions
.
Those of us who insist on the value of freedom of speech are willing to contend with those who ridicule, use ad hominem attacks, foul language and promote asinine opinions, all of which are not crimes, no matter how unsavory we may find them.
People across the Interior Health region have been able to get outdoors earlier than usual this year to enjoy the warm weather, and this means an increased chance of getting tick bites when hiking or biking in tall grass or wooded areas. Ticks are small bugs that bite and feed on the blood of humans and animals and these bites can sometimes transmit disease.
The Kettle River and a remote northern area widely known as the “sacred headwaters” have tied for top spot on British Columbia’s most endangered rivers list for 2010. The Kettle River, which runs through B.C.’s southern interior Boundary region and through the towns of Midway, Rock Creek and Grand Forks, was upgraded this week from it's number two spot in 2009 in a report by the Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C.
Though few people (just under 20) attended the special meeting of council Monday night , it offered some interesting developments.
An agreement between Celgar and the City of Castlegar was signed, Celgar manager Al Hitzroth offered a presentation describing the necessity of the deal, and one councillor voted in opposition to the agreement, the budget and the five-year financial plan.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) featured five key points of accord:
A friend of mine posted something on Facebook today (yes, alright, I finally broke down last fall and got an FB account – it seemed wrong to continue my technophobe status after opening a web-based media outlet – and now I'll end up one of the pathetic select seeking help to cope with a Facebook games/Farmville addiction. Yikes!). Anyway, her posting was about spring being a time of renewal and fresh starts.
I couldn't agree more ...but there's something to be said for bringing in the old with the new.