Regional News

City steps to national forefront of embodied carbon reduction research

by Timothy Schafer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on Monday June 13 2022

City climate resilience planner Natalie Douglas said people are tuning into the research and the new reports outside of the communities of Nelson and Castlegar to see what ground breaking ideas the city has come up with on reducing embodied carbon — screenshot.

With the release of a new report the city has become one of the leading municipalities in the nation when it comes to addressing embodied carbon in the building of residential homes.

People are tuning into the research and the new reports — the Material Carbon Emissions Guide and the Benchmarking Report — outside of the communities of Nelson and Castlegar to see what ground breaking ideas the city has come up with on reducing embodied carbon, said Natalie Douglas, the city’s climate resilience planner.

New energy storage system has city put chips on the table

by Timothy Schafer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on Saturday June 11 2022

A grant application to CleanBC requires the city to fund its share of the project if the grant application is successful.

The city could be on the hook for $4.6 million if it lands a bigger federal fish.

A grant application to CleanBC — to add a battery energy storage system (BESS) to the Nelson Hydro Grid — requires the city to fund its share of the project if the grant application is successful.

The city’s share of the project would be $4.6 million and would be drawn from the Nelson Hydro capital reserve — reallocating forecasted costs from projects that will be deferred or displaced by the BESS project.

RCMP arrest two individuals for violating a court-ordered injunction near Argenta

by Lone Sheep Publishing on Wednesday June 08 2022

Two local elders — legends of the resistance to environmental destruction — sat in front of the gate at Salisbury Forest Service Road to block industry from accessing the cutblocks and were charged by police for Civil Contempt of Court. — Photo courtesy Last Stand West Kootenay Facebook page

Kaslo RCMP said in a media release Wednesday that two more individuals have been arrested for violating a court-ordered injunction granted to Cooper Creek Cedar Ltd.

RCMP said Cooper Creek Cedar Ltd (CCC) was granted a court-ordered injunction on August 27, 2019, to conduct logging operations in an area known as Salisbury Creek near Argenta, located approximately 41 kilometers north of Kaslo.

An earlier RCMP media release said:

First Nations highlight 2022 version of mural festival in Nelson

by Timothy Schafer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on Wednesday June 08 2022

Emma Noyes of the Sinixt/Arrow Lakes Band of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville and local resident Damian John of the Tl'azt'en will be this year’s lineup for the Nelson International Mural Festival.

First Nations artists will dominate the 2022 version of the Nelson International Mural Festival, with Sinixt/Arrow Lakes band and the Tl'azt'en being represented.

Emma Noyes of the Sinixt/Arrow Lakes Band of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville and local resident Damian John of the Tl'azt'en — a First Nation located in the Stuart Lake area north of Fort St. James — will be this year’s lineup for the festival, which gained approval from council on Tuesday night.

'Broad trough' causes unseasonably cool temperatures for May

by Lone Sheep Publishing on Tuesday June 07 2022

Warmer temperatures were limited as not since 1977 did temperatures fail to reach 25 degrees at some point during the month of May.

The Southeast Fire Centre monthly weather synopsis said that a “broad trough”dominated the upper flow pattern for most of May causing temperatures to remain unseasonably cool for most days. 

The monthly weather synopsis said mean monthly temperature was more than two degrees below normal and was the coolest mean monthly temperature since 1996. 

“Not since 1977 did temperatures fail to reach 25 degrees at some point during the month of May,” the monthly weather synopsis said.

Downtown transit exchange project receives boost from federal government

by Timothy Schafer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on Monday June 06 2022

In a West Kootenay Transit Committee meeting in May BC Transit the government relations manager confirmed that BC Transit received Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program approval for the Nelson Downtown Exchange project.

The cash has been secured for the Nelson Downtown Exchange project.

In a West Kootenay Transit Committee meeting in May BC Transit government relations manager Seth Wright confirmed that BC Transit received Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) approval for the Nelson Downtown Exchange project.

The ICIP will provide 80 per cent of the funding required for the project, said Wright.

“BC Transit will be moving forward with agreements and pursuing development of detailed design and addressing questions and concerns,” read the May 4 committee minutes.

Research finds government inaction on climate major contributor to extreme levels of anxiety in youth

by Lone Sheep Publishing on Thursday June 02 2022

Kaitlyn Taburiaux conducted the study as part of a year three research project in the Rural Pre-Med program at Selkirk College. — Photo courtesy Youri Taburiaux

As the climate crisis intensifies, climate anxiety is becoming more common —  especially for youth — a research project by a local third-year Rural Pre-Medicine found.

The study discovered the high level of youth climate anxiety in our local area has not been known until recently.

Cool weather heats up risk for flooding as snowpack teeters well above normal

by Timothy Schafer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on Thursday June 02 2022

It has been 10 years since the province and the West Kootenay has witnessed snowpack levels at the current size — 128 per cent of normal — increasing the risk of flooding across the RDCK — Creative Commons.

Call it the calm before the storm.

A cool and wet spring resulting in an above-average snowpack perched in the alpine has the lowlands primed and poised for flooding when the heat hits.

It has been 10 years since the province and the West Kootenay has witnessed snowpack levels at the current size — 128 per cent of normal — increasing the risk of flooding across the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK).

RDCK brings forward resolution urging province to legislate ‘consistent, fair and equitable home insurance

by Timothy Schafer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on Tuesday May 31 2022

A resolution has been passed by the RDCK urging the UBCM to petition the province to introduce and adopt legislation “to provide insurance to all homeowners with provisions that are consistent, fair and equitable to all homeowners in the province.”

The regional district board is looking to level the playing field when it comes to homeowner insurance.

A resolution has been passed by the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) board of directors to urge the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) to petition the province to introduce and adopt legislation “to provide insurance to all homeowners with provisions that are consistent, fair and equitable to all homeowners in the province.”

Kootenay Climbing Association brings Reel Rock 16 to Nelson June 2

by The Nelson Daily Sports on Monday May 30 2022

Charles Albert in “Barefoot Charles” is one of the Reel Rock 16 lineup set for showing during the fundraiser to build a new Olympic-caliber climbing gym in town. — Submitted photo

On June 2nd at 7:30 p.m., the 16th edition of the Reel Rock climbing film tour will be screening at the Civic Theatre in Nelson.

The Association of West Kootenay Rock Climbers (TAWKROC) and the Kootenay Climbing Association, the non-profit that operates the Cube Climbing Centre, have teamed up to bring the film tour to Nelson as a fundraiser to build a new Olympic caliber climbing gym in town. 

The Reel Rock 16 lineup consists of four films that celebrate the human side of climbing’s latest, greatest adventures and achievements:

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