Council to contemplate ban on smoking in city parks
A Castlegar city councillor is contending that changing social mores and attitudes around smoking are helping to pave the way for a potential new bylaw banning smoking in all city parks. Councillor Florio Vassilakakis said he thinks there is an appetite for this kind of bylaw. “If you had asked me 20 or 25 years ago, I would...
Council to hear plan to mitigate problems with proposed parcel tax
City council will be hearing about a Lot Line Consolidation Plan to address issues some residents are having with a controversial new 10-year parcel tax proposed in the city's 2016 budget. The concern stems from an area in the city in which parcels were designated according to subdivision plan 650, which was completed in 1897....
Millennium Park Ponds win award of excellence
The BC Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA) today presented its Facility Excellence Award for 2016 to the City of Castlegar for Millennium Natural Swimming Ponds. The award recognizes excellence in facility concept, design development, maintenance or operation in a facility that demonstrates outstanding innovation and...
Nelson’s rental housing market take hit from AirB&B
The city’s already narrow housing rental market is being further constricted as illegal AirB&B accommodation providers are rapidly cropping up in Nelson, city council was told recently. Kevin Megale spoke to city council last week about the disparity occurring between what is available for rent in the city, and how many...
Trail buys property as part of Riverfront Centre development
The City of Trail has purchased the property at 1537 Bay Avenue, located on the lot adjacent to the future site of the proposed Trail Riverfront Centre (integrated library and museum) for $190,000. The City takes title of the property in early June, 2016 with plans of demolishing the existing structure in mid-July, 2016. The...
Parents create petition after SD 20 proposes $200/yr fee for school bussing
Parents of students in School District 20 (SD20) have reached such a level of frustration with ongoing and relentless cuts to education funding in the area that they've started a petition, according to Rebecca McDonnell, president of the District Parent Advisory Council. “This our sixth year of deficits approaching $1 million,...
Scholar to Discuss Violence and Islam at Selkirk College Mir Lecture Series Event
Beheadings, suicide bombings and civil war. Horrific attacks in Brussels and San Bernardino. There is no shortage of examples of the violence that rocks the Islamic world. Shocking pictures and gruesome acts done in the name of religion seem to appear daily on our news feeds. The media hammers the point home—that Muslim...
Money laundering, illegal gaming the focus of new joint policing unit
The Government of British Columbia and the Province’s anti-gang agency are joining forces to form a co-ordinated investigation unit designed to crack down on illegal gaming and money-laundering in B.C.’s gaming facilities. The formation of the new Joint Illegal Gaming Investigation Team was announced by B.C. Finance Minister...
NDP still a little 'shocked' after membership votes for leadership race
A day after delegates at the NDP convention in Edmonton kicked its leader to the sidelines Kootenay Columbia MP Wayne Stetski remains perplexed at what just happened. Stetski, back in Ottawa Monday preparing for the next round of Parliament, said he was certainly “surprised” as to what he witnessed at the party convention. ...
LETTER: Resident less-than-pleased with city's new garbage collection
So, what is everyone's honest opinion of Castlegar's new garbage bins and method of collection? I rent, so I don't even have my bin as of yet and garbage collection is this coming Wednesday. My landlords have requested one. I don't have anywhere to keep my garbage. If I put my old garbage can on the front patio, it is available...
