Not even SD 20 trustees were happy about voting in favour of user-fees for school busing, according to Trail trustee Toni Driutti, after the board approved the fees at their regular meeting Monday evening. Driutti pointed to decreasing ministry funding and wage increases the ministry negotiated but isn't funding, as the reason...

An officer-involved fatal shooting dating back to Oct. 13, 2014, has now become the oldest open investigation being handled by the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO). (For coverage of the shooting, click here). The sixth-oldest open IIO investigation is also local, after a fatal shooting on Kinnaird Bridge in...

A new housing project aimed at alleviating the affordable housing stress on two facets of Nelson’s population is moving toward realization. Lakeside Place is a proposed three-storey structure aimed at low-income seniors and people with disabilities, and on Monday night the proponents of the development — Nelson Cares Society...

Change is being fueled in the Kootenays and it is creating an electric feel. The Regional District of Central Kootenay board of directors approved support at its last regular meeting for a project that is expected to raise the profile of electric vehicle use in the Kootenay region. The growing cost of gasoline-fueled...

I will be voting against the proposed 2016/2017 budget. This budget contains a school-defining item slated for budget reduction . It is the beginning of the demise of fully funded public busing. Everyone associates the picture of the yellow-and-black bus with school. Restricting the operations of the school bus program strikes...

For the past several years, Millennium Park has undergone many changes. The path allowed access and allowed the community to stroll through nature. The ongoing additions for the past several years have just taken away from the beauty of the walkway, in my opinion. Now I am greeted by tractors driving down the paths, sometimes...

Frequently, Kootenay residents ask what my days in BC's Legislature look like. A lot goes on in a Legislature day, so I’ll take the next two monthly columns to answer that question.   The daily transcript, Hansard, records everything I say and my votes. It also offers an audio and video record for you to see in real time or...

As most of us know the City budget is very complex and takes considerable time to put together. Weighing out what to fund and what not to fund or somewhere in between can be very stressful for those directly involved. My experience has been that decisions made by our elected officials are done with the best intentions using...

City director of Transportation and Civic Works Chris Barlow is falling on his sword this morning, accepting full responsibility for a mistake that saw herbicide sprayed in Castlegar's Kinsmen Park this week. “Our contractor goes around and checks all the fields, identifying the ones that have bad weeds, then comes back with...

Starting Monday, Statistics Canada began sending out census letters and packages to all Canadian households. Residents in cities like Nelson will receive a letter with a secure 16-digit access code to complete their form online or they can request a paper form.  May 10 is Census Day, however, the government is urging Canadians...