COLUMN: Costs of post-secondary education
As the NDP critic for post-secondary education, I’ve met with a number of groups over the past weeks and months to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing universities, colleges and technical institutions, as well as with the students who are working hard to better their futures. And the benefits to post-secondary ...
Question Period — This Is Not the Muppets
Wayne Stetski, Member of Parliament for Kootenay – Columbia and NDP National Parks Critic, offers his monthly column from Ottawa and the riding. Parliament started up again on January 25th, so I have once again been dividing my time between Kootenay–Columbia and Ottawa. One of the concerns that many of you have expressed is...
Castlegar councillors don't concur on controversial provincial budget
Local leaders are divided in their reaction to the Provincial Liberals' 2016 budget. City councillor Deb McIntosh pulled no punches in a critique she posted on Facebook. “Balanced budgets are fantastic, but not when we allow a high level of child poverty and no changes to income assistance rates,” McIntosh wrote. “Fantastic...
City steps up to support Street Culture Collective address homelessness and poverty
A community group looking to deal with the problem of homelessness and poverty in the city received a boost from the city’s municipal government Monday night. Nelson city council voted in a special council meeting Monday to support the Nelson Street Culture Collaborative application to the B.C. Healthy Communities Capacity ...
MLA Conroy pans 2016 budget
In a budget that rewards the wealthiest British Columbians at the expense of all other citizens, Christy Clark maintained a billion-dollar tax cut for millionaires and created a slush fund with unfair MSP tax hikes. "This is not a budget for B.C. families,” said Katrine Conroy, MLA. “This budget continues the tax break for ...
Village of Salmo receives $75K federal Gas Tax Fund contribution for Community Sustainability Planning Project
The Village of Salmo was able to get in on the late Christmas presents after receiving a $75,000 federal Gas Tax Fund contribution towards a comprehensive update of the Village’s Official Community Plan (OCP) hybridized with integrated community sustainability planning. “The project will bring the Village of Salmo’s antiquated...
Council turns green as it considers business bylaw changes to deal with medical marijuana dispensaries
The growing proliferation of medical marijuana dispensaries in Nelson not only prompted city council to roll up a change to its business licence bylaw, but it piped up two resolutions directed at upper levels of government to help deal with it. Over the past year, several storefronts — at least five — selling medical marijuana...
Nelson City Council — Hospital capital costs
During the recent meeting of Nelson City Council, council has resolved to ask the UBCM to petition the provincial government to acknowledge that property tax revenue is an unsuitable avenue to fund hospital infrastructure renewal projects. Council felt local government could not sustain the increased load in meeting hospital...
Is BC starting to become overrun by lobbyists?
Last month, lobbyists gathered in Vancouver for The Future of Lobbying, a one -day conference put on by B.C.'s Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists, Simon Fraser Institute's Governance Studies and Public Affairs Association of Canada (B.C. Chapter). Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there does seem to be a future for the...
MOTHER CANADA STATUE DOESN’T BELONG IN A NATIONAL PARK
NDP National Parks Critic Wayne Stetski (Kootenay – Columbia) sent a letter to the Environment Minister Friday, calling on the government to reject the controversial proposal for the Never Forgotten National Memorial, also known as “Mother Canada”. The proposal, which was backed by the former Conservative government, would...
