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Strategy over conviction
By Joshua Estabrooks
Pioneer Staff
So another election has come and gone, and despite all the sabre rattling and promises of change, we all woke up this morning in almost exactly the same situation as when we woke up yesterday.
The Liberals have yet another majority, and the NDP are the official opposition. And while it is amusing that the Premier of the province didn’t get elected in her home riding, the campaign is proof positive that Christy Clark is a truly charismatic leader who has proven all the pollsters wrong with …
An abattoir in our backyard
By Nicole Trigg
Pioneer Staff
Heading into the home stretch of its rezoning application, the proposal for a small-scale abattoir near the Invermere crossroads has been greeted by resistance by many who feel queasy at the thought of a slaughterhouse so close to home, despite assurances by the Windermere Farmers’ Institute that noise, smell and visibility will not be an issue.
Now that the Regional District of East Kootenay has given the project an overwhelming thumbs up (12 votes in favour versus three opposed), the home run is guaranteed and it’s only a …
Leaders debate hardly inspiring
By Greg Amos,
Pioneer Staff
Against my better judgement, I watched the B.C. party leaders debate on TV on Monday, April 29th. In doing so, I subjected myself to 90 minutes of bafflegab, spin, false conviction, hyperbole, attempted interruptions, and mad dashes for the moral high ground.
It’s hard to say who emerged as the winner, though NDP leader Adrian Dix’s zinger on BC Liberal leader Christy Clark running a “fact-free campaign” seems to have generated a buzz on Twitter. Note to readers: do not interpret that as my support for any one …
Candidates face a tough test
By Greg Amos, Pioneer Staff
Despite the reputation they sometimes carry, elected officials, as well as those aspiring to gain office, are no slouches. Being a public representative is no easy task, nor is it a golden ticket to insider benefits or simply a bridge to a well-funded pension plan.
For 215 councillors and rural area representatives gathered in Invermere last week for the Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Governments annual meeting, the majority of three days spent at the Copper Point resort were about getting down to business. Out of 20 …
Deer drama drags on
By Greg Amos
Pioneer Staff
After a hard-hitting guest editorial last week by former Pioneer employee Joshua Estabrooks, who moonlighted with us for two weeks pending the arrival of our new reporter, Steve Hubrecht (see masthead below), we’ve received ample feedback on the deer issue. One of those letters can be found on this page, and a few more are stockpiled for future use. And a press release sent our way provides further commentary around the political dimension of dealing with deer.
After Kimberley’s attempts to carry out deer hazing were shut down …
Ultrasound technician would be huge benefit
Dear Editor:
I thank The Pioneer for their interest in ultrasound services in Invermere. I’ve always been an ardent proponent of formal diagnostic ultrasound services in Invermere, but a few matters pertaining to this subject in last week’s article in The Pioneer need some clarification.
We currently have a wonderful bedside ultrasound machine (called the Sonosite M Turbo), which was purchased by the Invermere Healthcare Auxiliary for use by local physicians working in the emergency room. This portable machine has undoubtedly improved emergency care by local physicians, and saved lives, and I …
Rid us of rats
By Joshua Estabrooks
Special to the Pioneer
Coming back to help out the local newspapers as they await the arrival of their next great reporter, I have had the opportunity to revisit some issues that I thoroughly enjoyed covering when I was a full-time reporter at The Pioneer.
One such issue, the urban deer problem plaguing communities up and down the Columbia Valley, hasn’t been resolved yet, and my first shock was to learn that the silly, pointless and costly law suit is still in the court system.
Now, the fault for …
Inquest sheds some light
By Greg Amos
The Coroner’s inquest that wrapped up in Invermere last Wednesday produced more than just a few ways to prevent the next fatal car accident on Highway 95 north of Radium Hot Springs — it should also spur authorities to think harder about the dangers of bureaucracy.
The fatal crash that claimed the lives of three Lower Mainland men on January 19th, 2011 was caused by human error — but with a few changes to how we maintain and design our highways, it’s possible to engineer our way past one …
Entrenched in silly season
By Greg Amos
As of today, the May 14th provincial election is exactly 45 days away. This means, of course, that from here on in, there will be no avoiding the partisan preachings of political hopefuls, desperate to turn their foe’s smallest discrepancy into the largest advantage.
Every election season, media pundits like me decry this predatory activity to the same utter lack of effect: politics does not change based on our notions of how noble our elected officials should aspire to be.
Politics is a bloodsport, and even those in it …
Salmon more than an emblem
By Greg Amos
Last Saturday, B.C.’s provincial government made what was meant to be a monumental gesture: designating the Pacific salmon as our official fish emblem.
It’s a nice notion, but hardly the solution for what ails our wild Pacific salmon. While sockeye, coho, chinook and their kin continue to test positive for European salmon viruses associated with farmed fish, federal politicians are standing pat on the results of the $26-million federal inquiry into the
collapse of the Fraser River sockeye run. The Cohen Commission’s final report was tabled in Parliament last October. …
Notes from the turkey trail
By Greg Amos
The Columbia Valley has no shortage of wildlife, but as a relative newcomer to this area, I will admit to some surprise when I was rudely interrupted by a flock of wild turkeys while out taking a photo one day in January.
Since that time, a small gang of the large birds has been noticeably terrorizing the neighbourhood I live in,
travelling with a fearsome pack mentality in search of snow-free patches of lawn to graze upon and bird feeders to raid.
These toms, jakes, and hens have proven rather elusive …
Mettle tested in trials by fire
By Greg Amos
Chalk up a win for Panorama and the ski racing community in the wake of the 1,000 Peaks Lodge fire at the ski resort on February 27th.
Not only did the fire departments from across the valley respond with lightning speed thanks to quick
action taken to report the fire, but racers, coaches and volunteers pulled together to lend out gear to keep a
major youth sports event on track, resulting in some very impressive performances by local young athletes who will continue to make us proud well into the future.
Yes, …
A dirge for Inverdeer
By Greg Amos
It’s news to no one that Invermere is busting at the seams with a local deer population that seems quite happy to settle in for the long haul. While the council is in a legal battle that’s cost the district $30,000 and counting, our happy population of local whitetail and mule deer are enjoying hints of spring after a milder-than-usual winter.
Surely such a well-fed population of contented ungulates can serve a more useful purpose than lounging on lawns and enjoying views of the Rockies!
One Pioneer reader pointed out …
Budget impacts the valley
By Greg Amos
Pioneer Staff
Living the dream in the Columbia Valley makes it easy to ignore the fact that our lives can be greatly affected by decisions made in Victoria.
Buried amidst the deluge of news in the valley this week is the unveiling of the latest provincial budget on Tuesday, February 19th.
At least one issue that’s made headlines lately — the slated closure and removal of Invermere’s community dialysis unit — is directly affected by the decisions made within the Legislature building.
Provincial political buffs in the Columbia Valley won’t be …
Journalism is a fine balance
By Greg Amos
It’s no exaggeration to say The Pioneer has been awash in a sea of Jeers in recent weeks.
We’ve touched some nerves in our coverage of a couple sensitive issues in Fairmont Hot Springs recently, and for that, we apologize. Our intention is never to sensationalize tragic or heart-breaking events, but rather to cover them in a way that’s factual and respectful of those involved. Accurate coverage of such events is important to dispel the all-pervasive rumour mills that so often spring up to add insult to injury in …
Two teams, one roof
By Greg Amos
If we reporters spoke in corporate jargon, you might call it a “synergy.” As anyone who’s recently walked by The Pioneer office can see, there’s now another logo gracing our windows. The Pioneer and the Invermere Valley Echo are continuing to exist as two separate newspapers, to be published on the same days they currently are, but the combined editorial staff and sales departments are now sharing the same digs. We are teaming up, joining forces, in the hopes that our mutual strengths, knowledge and motivations can add …
Keeping her memory alive
By Greg Amos
In the wake of a tragic decision in Fairmont late last week, the valley is in mourning as many ask why a 20-year-old woman facing personal struggles felt the need to take her own life.
We were all young once, and most of us remember it as a time where our free-spirited behaviour resulted in an unwise decision or two.
I’m no exception; in my early twenties, I thought smoking was cool. There’s one image on cigarette packs that I remember well: a bar graph showing that just behind the …
Campaign spin ratchets up
By Greg Amos
It’s amazing how much political hay can be made out of two unrelated events: the pending closure of Invermere’s community dialysis unit, and a Calgary fundraising dinner for an aspiring provincial politician representing the Columbia Valley.
When the news broke that the dialysis clinic was set to be shuttered, NDP Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Norm MacDonald wasted little time in sending out a press release lambasting the provincial government for spending $15 million on taxpayer-funded partisan advertising. The implication is that the BC Liberal government money could have …
Slow wheels of justice greased
By Greg Amos
After an investigation that’s lasted a year and a half, a court case is finally getting underway for the truck driver charged with causing a horrific accident that claimed the lives of a California family of four in Kootenay National Park in July 2011.
It’s been a long time coming for friends and family of the victims, who hailed from Palo Alto, in the San Francisco Bay area. It must be hard for them to understand why it takes this much time to wrap up an investigation and get …
Eye of the storm
By Greg Amos
This is one time of the year that, at least within the confines of our unusually-calm newsroom, feels like being in the eye of the storm.
In the post-Christmas lull, we’re offered a brief respite from the mad rush of consumerism, hustle and bustle, and general action that seems to pack every month of the year, except these oft-neglected, marginalized months of January and February.
But in dullness, there lies opportunity. What better time of year to improve oneself, and take the time to truly live in the moment?
Without the …