A Letter to Trudeau From Young Researchers
More than 1500 early-career researchers in Canada and Canadian researchers abroad are sending an open letter to the Prime Minister and six Cabinet Ministers, calling for scientific rigour and transparency in Canada’s environmental and regulatory decision-making. “As the next generation of scientists in Canada, we are...
'Initiative Petition Application' underway, to change paramedics' bargaining rights
British Columbia’s Chief Electoral Officer, Keith Archer, has granted approval in principle on an initiative petition application. The petition will be issued to proponent Joshua Henshaw on Monday, January 9, 2017. The title of the initiative is: An initiative to amend the Fire and Police Services Collective Bargaining Act....
Kootenay-Columbia MP announces Scholarship Opportunity for Young Leaders
MP Wayne Stetski, as part of an all-party delegation comprised of almost 50 Senators and Members of Parliament, recently joined EF Education First to announce the EF Canadian Youth Ambassador Program. The five-year initiative will provide annual travel scholarships and training to 30 Canadian young people representing...
Victoria's pricey secrets
Just how far is the B.C. government willing to go to guard its secrets? A great distance, if the 2012 health ministry firings are any indication. Four million documents linked to the firings have mysteriously materialized out of thin air for the latest investigation into the scandal, this one by B.C. ombudsperson Jay Chalke....
Arry Dhillon wins city council by-election by just 10 votes
Preliminary election results have Arry Dhillon winning the Castlegar council by-election seat by a margin of just 10 votes. Preliminary results are: Arry Dhillon, 692, Cherryl MacLeod, 682, Janna Sylvest, 398 and Tyler Maddocks 72, with 1844 voters and 134 new registrations. “That's just enough that I can feel comfortable –...
Special meeting may see city net grant for airport expansion
At a special meeting Friday at 12 p.m., city council unanimously voted in favour of applying for a grant that would help fund an expansion of the West Kootenay Regional Airport. The reason for the urgency and special meeting, according to city CAO John Malcolm, is that applications for the grant, offered by the BC Rural...
Interior Health gets new board chair
Interior Health board member John O’Fee of Kamloops has been appointed incoming chair of the board of directors, to replace current board chair Erwin Malzer when he completes his tenure on Dec. 31, 2016. “In his 10 years as a director and two years as board chair, Malzer has served Interior Health with distinction, with a...
Community Consultation Via Text Message a First in Western Canada
Trail area residents are breaking new ground using mobile technology in the Trail Area Health and Environment Program’s community consultation. The community is the first in Western Canada to use text messaging to get public feedback from residents. “We chose texting because we know people have busy lives: we want to make it...
OP/ED: CUPE BC condemns Province's firing of Vancouver school board
Today's news that Premier Christy Clark has fired the democratically elected Vancouver School Board shows that her education agenda is more about closing schools than providing quality public education, CUPE BC President Paul Faoro said today. "The Vancouver School Board trustees who stood up to this government's efforts to...
Extreme weather response shelters open early
Storm season has arrived earlier than usual this year, and as a result, the Province is providing early funding to any Extreme Weather Response (EWR) shelter in British Columbia that is prepared to open early. While the EWR season officially runs from Nov. 1 to March 31, almost 30 EWR shelters across Metro Vancouver and around...