RCMP warn of fake US bills
Accepting cash in US funds? Be wary, and check to make sure it's genuine before accepting it. Trail RCMP have recovered counterfeit US bills from several businesses and banks locally; $1, $10, $20 and $50 US bills have been passed at several businesses within the last week. The bills are slightly smaller, have poor colouring...
BC Government wants your opinion on ICBC rates
First, a bit of background. ICBC is in dire financial straits. Back in 2016, ICBC applied to the BC Utilities Commission for permission to raise its rates by 4.9%. This publication posted an article by Dermod Travis of Integrity BC on ICBC’s request. Travis unpicked the rationale for the proposed increase in rates, delved...
OP/ED: Federal budget turns a blind eye, ignores Canada's economic challenges
In the midst of serious concerns over Canada’s economic prospects, and challenges emerging from the United States, Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s 2018 federal budget does nothing to address these problems. In some respects, the budget makes matters worse by continuing the government’s self-destructive policies of chronic...
CBT program helps employers hire post-secondary grads
Now more than ever businesses and organizations need qualified employees and post-secondary graduates need a kick start to their careers. Enter the new Career Internship Program from Columbia Basin Trust. This program is now accepting applications on a first-come, first-served basis. “This program supports our strategic...
U.S. reforms mean NDP government must do more than balance budgets to keep B.C. competitive
British Columbia’s NDP government should be commended for tabling a balanced budget today, but it has failed to address significant economic headwinds looming on the province’s horizon—like too many other governments in Canada, according to the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank....
NDP carves out future for BC with first budget
Budget 2018 carves a new path to shared prosperity for everyone in the province with a made-in-B.C. child-care plan, a comprehensive housing plan and record levels of capital investment in every corner of the province, Finance Minister Carole James announced today. “Budgets are not only about the bottom line, they should be...
BC takes further action to protect B.C. wine industry
In a move aimed at protecting and supporting the province's wine producers, Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology Bruce Ralston has announced that the B.C. government is formally challenging Alberta's ban on B.C. wines through the Canadian Free Trade Agreement's (CFTA) dispute settlement process. "B.C.'s wine industry is an...
To spend or not to spend
British Columbia currently enjoys one of the strongest fiscal positions in Canada because of modest spending growth over the last decade or so—compared to greater spending increases pursued in other provinces, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank....
BC needs bold, transformative change. Will Budget 2018 bring it?
Next Tuesday, the BC government presents its first full budget and it’s an opportunity to tackle significant crises of affordability, inequality, poverty and environmental degradation. To do so in a meaningful way, the government must think big and be bold. After 16 years of underfunding key programs and services, BC needs ...
CBT speaks to concerns over Castlegar's representation on board
Recent changes to the board of the Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) have prompted some questions as to why it has been so long since a Castlegar resident sat as a director, despite the significant impact the dams have had on this community (see story about board changes by clicking here ). There have been, since the CBT’s inception...
