Regional News
By Timothy Schafer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on Saturday May 21 2022
La Niña is setting up to wreak havoc on the West Kootenay.
A higher than normal snowpack and a delayed spring freshet could cause flooding in the region, especially along the shores of Kootenay Lake.
Cool temperatures have combined with the above average snowpack (128 per cent of normal) to lay the groundwork for the increased possibility of flooding during late May or early June if temperatures rise substantially.
By Contributor on Thursday May 19 2022
Since the mid-2000’s, the collapse of the Kootenay Lake fishery has been apparent, and well documented.
Prior to 2012, the Meadow Creek spawning channel has supported an average of 67.7 million kokanee eggs and an average of 693,000 spawners.
Since then, egg numbers have only averaged 7.7 million and spawner numbers have fallen to an average of 28,000. The end result is too many rainbow and bull trout and not enough kokanee - their primary food source - in the lake.
By Timothy Schafer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on Wednesday May 18 2022
Smoke was not the only thing that polluted the sky when several wildfires burned in the West Kootenay last summer.
Noise pollution from helicopters was also a problem and — along with several complaints from regional district residents — the board of the Regional District of Central Kootenay has petitioned federal MP’s with a plan.
RDCK board chair Aimee Watson has written a letter to South Okanagan-West Kootenay MP Richard Cannings (NDP), Kootenay-Columbia MP Rob Morrison (Conservatives) and Transport Canada about helicopter noise pollution in the regional district.
By City of Trail on Wednesday May 18 2022
Live History is a traveling, immersive theatre troupe that performs in Canada, Bermuda, UK, Republic of Ireland, US, Australia and New Zealand.
By Contributor on Wednesday May 18 2022
Several individuals have been arrested for violating a court-ordered injunction granted to Cooper Creek Cedar Ltd. (CCC) on August 27, 2019 to conduct logging operations in an area known as Salisbury Creek near Argenta, British Columbia.
By Timothy Schafer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on Wednesday May 18 2022
The Kootenay Rockies have achieved yet another level of excellence.
The region — which includes Nelson and the West Kootenay — is a biosphere certified destination, only the third such region in the nation to achieve the honour.
By Timothy Schafer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on Tuesday May 17 2022
A dispute over closing road access to a popular local beach has not been resolved and continues to pit community members against each other and the nearby power company.
Although the North Beach property in Glade is owned by Columbia Power and Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) it has been used by residents of the community — located 23 kilometres west of Nelson — for some time, dating back over 100 years to the first Doukhobor settlers in the area.
By Lone Sheep Publishing on Monday May 16 2022
RCMP said a Kamloops woman has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of arson following a joint investigation between the BC RCMP and BC Wildfire Service.
In a media release Monday, police said on April 30, 2022, a resident in the Monte Lake area encountered a suspicious vehicle on a forestry road while investigating some smoke in the hills. The resident took note of the license plate and reported it to the RCMP.
By Timothy Schafer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on Monday May 16 2022
Nelsonites will be paying over five per cent more for their total tax take when compared to last year.
That is slightly higher than the four per cent increase assessed on the municipal tax rate alone, but not including the water, sewer and resource recovery increases, coupled with a jump in Nelson Hydro rates.
Each year council approves a Five-Year Financial Plan which establishes the annual budget and priorities, with a Tax Rate bylaw also required in order to collect an appropriate amount of funds — as determined by category — to finance its activities.
By Timothy Schafer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on Saturday May 14 2022
Re-envisioning the Hall Street Pier Project after estimated preliminary costs proved prohibitive has the waterfront work set to begin in June.
Located at the foot of Hall Street and the waterfront, the first flush of the project blew the initial budget set by city council, prompting a search to find cost savings.
By reducing the quantity of timber and steel a modified version of the pier emerged, and provided an opportunity to shorten the pier and add a swimming amenity area.
