BCTF President Jim Iker responds to BC Court of Appeal decision
Jim Iker Response to BC Court of Appeal decision April 30, 2015 Good morning: I’ll start right off by saying this is not the decision teachers – and workers across the country were hoping for today. It is a disappointing ruling. But, I will also say we fundamentally disagree with the decision which focuses on pre-legislative...
Minister Fassbender's statement on B.C. Court of Appeal ruling
Education Minister Peter Fassbender made the following statement on the B.C. Court of Appeal ruling: “On preliminary review, we are very pleased with the Court of Appeal’s decision. “Along with last year’s historic six-year agreement, today’s decision gives us a unique opportunity to work with teachers to improve outcomes for...
MP: 2015 elections are Canada's best bet for electoral reform
In the last dozen years, eight out of nine commissions or citizen assemblies created by governments in Canada have not only advocated getting rid of our first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system but have recommended adopting MMP, or mixed-member-proportional representation. In the upcoming 2015 federal election, Tom Mulcair...
Looking good one year later — B.C.'s Skills for Jobs Blueprint
The BC government celebrated progress and success on the one-year anniversary Wednesday of B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint, government’s plan to help British Columbians find their fit in the province’s diverse, strong and growing economy. As part of the celebration, Premier Christy Clark announced $727,500 for a unique program...
End of boil-water advisory for Robson not good news for all
Not all Robson/Raspberry residents are delighted to see an almost-two-decades-long boil-water advisory finally lifted and a $3.2-million water treatment facility in place. The back story is that, 18 years ago, the Interior Health Authority found E.Coli in Robson/Raspberry water samples and levied the boil water advisory,...
Council designates $89,686 in CBT grant funding for local organizations
A wide range of community organizations – 28 of them, to be exact – had a very good night last night, as city council offered its recommendations for the disbursement of $89,686 in Columbia Basin Trust Community Initiatives Funding for 2015. These recommendations will then be forwarded to the Regional District of Central...
WildSafeBC funding should help reduce human-wildlife conflict
To help reduce the number of human-wildlife conflicts, which some are potentially dangerous situations, the Province is awarding WildSafeBC $275,000 to provide education and increase awareness in communities. As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, British Columbians are spending more time outdoors, increasing the...
Budget meeting a bit of a bust
Tuesday’s night open house to unveil the city’s 2015 budget and five-year financial plan could be described in one word, according to Castlegar Mayor Lawrence Chernoff – “disappointing”. He wasn’t speaking to the content of the meeting, for which he applauded city director of financial services Andre Buss, “The presentation...
Trail mayor/staff to meet with ministry officials
Trail Mayor Mike Martin, and the city’s chief administrative officer, David Perehudoff, are scheduled to meet with officials from the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI), and the Ministry of Health over the next two days in Victoria. These meetings ...
Shovels in the ground on Hall Street as work on Downtown Revitalization Project begins
The Hall Street corridor is beginning to look more like the National Heavy Equipment Show than a quiet City of Nelson street now that the Stores to Shores Downtown Revitalization Project has officially kicked into high gear. “It’s such an exciting and important time for Nelson and for all the people who’ve worked so hard to...
