Dear Editor. Some thoughts on the Connors Road Bike trail connector..... I commend the city council for completing this project. I read the newspaper concerning the presentation to council from some of the "affected" residents of Connor's  Road, and it seemed to contain a lot more heat than light. To the people who suggested...

City officials are flush with the success of their annual toilet rebate program, part of a range of initiatives the city is undertaking to plunge residents' environmental footprint and city water management needs. The City of Castlegar’s Toilet Rebate Program provides a utility tax rebate to single- and multi-family homeowners...

General   Why is the NDCC Aquatic Centre closing in spring 2015? The RDCK needs to complete critical upgrades the pool area or “natatorium.” This work will extend the life of aquatic centre by about 40 years. When will the facility close and reopen? The aquatic centre will be closed for renovations on May 1, 2015 and construction...

This article reports on a number of decisions made by Nelson City Council at several meetings in January and February. Nelson Hydro rate increase On February 2, city council voted in favour of a 2.02 increase to hydro rates beginning in April 2015. The reasons given were inflation and a rate increase by Fortis, from which...

NDP leader Tom Mulcair has recently launched a plan for affordable childcare in Canada.  It is no secret that Quebec has the most affordable childcare in the country, and Tom, as a former Quebec cabinet minister, witnessed the success affordable childcare played in helping families and boosting the economy of the province. ...

Under a new bylaw passed by council on February 2, dogs will be allowed in Nelson’s downtown provided they are on a leash of six feet in length or less. This will overturn the downtown dog ban that has been in effect since 1989. The leash area will be larger than the current dog ban area, extending further down Baker to the...

Science Matters Vol. 17, No. 4 27 Jan 2015 By David Suzuki In 1997, Canada restricted import and transfer of the gasoline additive MMT because it was a suspected neurotoxin that had already been banned in Europe. Ethyl Corp., the U.S. multinational that supplied the chemical, sued the government for $350 million under the...

Downsize Democracy for 40 Years, Here’s What You Get by murraydobbin If you are searching for significant anniversaries for 2015, one that you might find illuminating is the publication of a book published 40 years ago entitled The Crisis of Democracy. The title would seem fitting today but that's not the crisis...

Nelson’s residential water rates will increase by 3% and sewer rates by 2% for 2015, as follows:   2014 rate 2015 rate Net change Water $496.80 $525.10 $15.30 Sewer $436.50 $445.50 $9.00 Annual total $933.30 $957.60 $24.30 Per month $77.78 $79.80 $2.02 The rates were approved by city council at its January 19 meeting. About...

If all goes well, a 25 year dream will be completed in 2017,  just in time for Canada’s 150th birthday party, when the East and West Kootenays are linked to the Trans Canada Trail (TCT). To date, nearly 17,000 kilometres of the trail---hailed as the longest recreational trail in the world--- are operational, which is 75 percent...