JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT you'd had enough of Donald Trump something happens to make you say "my God, enough punishment already." The latest isn't actually precipitated by Donald himself. At least not directly. It's more like others are getting caught up in his rapidly-increasing ludicrous behaviour. A group of s...

THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE to raise a family than in British Columbia, but the path to parenthood looks different for everyone.In-vitro fertilization, or IVF, can help make the dream of parenthood a reality for many families. But the cost of IVF treatment can be a major barrier on that path.That's why our government comm...

THE NDP GOVERNMENT OF DAVID EBY continues to try to blind us with BS. For example, why do politicians and "experts" sitting behind desks in Victoria think they know more than the people in the trenches?The government continues to postulate that they have developed the best plan they can for the new cancer car...

OK, I ADMIT IT. I like rules. They put order in my life. I've done my share of bending, or even breaking them from time to time, but the rules don't let me get too far astray. The City has done a good job of letting us know about the rules in Kamloops. But sometimes, it's just too much. In this stretch of roadwork, go ...

HOW DO WE KNOW that summer is here? There are all sorts of markers that people use. But I can tell you that there is only one true indicator. It's not the increase in heat outside leading to an increase in my power bill to run my air conditioning. It's not the increase in the number of wildfires or the campfire bans. I...

CANADA DAY is a time to come together and remember values that make our country and our province truly special: resilience, diversity, and pride. We know that people still face many challenges, but we also have a lot to be proud of. But this Canada Day felt different than others. Canadians stood united this year agains...

EVERYTHING THAT DONALD TRUMP says seems like a lie because even as he speaks he has to find ways to shift blame to someone else, to lie about the "truth", or just ignore the lie and put it out of our mind by unleashing an even bigger lie and we just keep believing the stories as they unfurl. "Iran's nucl...

SINCE THE NEW KAMLOOPS CANCER CENTRE was announced, doctors, healthcare workers, First Nations, Thompson Regional Hospital District (TRHD) Directors, municipalities, and local MLAs have been calling on the provincial government to allocate space for a future Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner - or more specific...

I AM GETTING TIRED of hearing the word "crisis". Every time I look at a story, the word is in big, bold letters. Teachers are saying education is in a crisis mode, doctors are saying health care is facing a crisis, with major shortages of doctors and nurses creating a shutdown of emergency facilities in small...

SUMMER IN BRITISH COLUMBIA is more than just sunshine and warm weather, it's the season of abundance, community, and connection. For me, as a daughter of a farmer, one of the greatest joys of this time of year is visiting our vibrant local farmers' markets, where I can fill my basket with fresh-picked produce, farm-rai...

I MADE A STARTLING DISCOVERY last week. And when I realized it, it was hard to process. As curious as I am about new innovations and new discoveries, it struck me that I know nothing about artificial intelligence. Well, virtually nothing. I am embarrassed to admit it. The whole development has passed me by. Oh, I've wa...

ACCOUNTABILITY.That's what Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson is all about. Or at least, that's his favourite word.In that spirit, the mayor will push a motion at council next week calling for a full independent forensic audit of city departments and management practices.He says his motion "comes in response to growing conc...

SOMETIMES WE ROLL MERRILY ALONG, paying no real concern to danger until it hits us in the face. Even the best-laid plans can fail, but at least there are some foundation stones that we can use to rebuild.This week, the City of Kamloops, after extensive study, issued what I would call a caution flag. Our water treatment...

EVERY PERSON IN BRITISH COLUMBIA deserves high-quality, team-based health care close to home, no matter where they live. As Minister of Health, ensuring that people can access timely, reliable primary care is a top priority. We know that individuals and families thrive when they have regular access to a trusted healthc...

THIS LITTLE ADAGE has been around for a while now. Maybe a better explanation of the phrase is "You can't have it both ways."BC Ferries has announced four additions to its fleet will be built in China. As you might expect, there has been a hue and cry from all sides that we are spending billions to benefit a ...

IT'S NICE THAT UBER is coming to Kamloops. Our community could use some more safe options for people to get home - especially now that we're allowing liquor consumption in Riverside Park.Council has authorized a pilot program that will make it okay to consume liquor responsibly in a certain area of the park during cert...

WITH B.C. AIMING TO SELL only zero-emission cars by 2035, Kamloops drivers are increasingly making the switch to electric or hybrid cars. But what's the difference between the two? Electric vehicles (EVs) run solely on a rechargeable battery, while hybrids combine an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. W...

MOST OF US have heard the saying, "Don't open a can of worms," implying that if you do, all hell will break loose.There's another statement that carries a lot of weight in light of our losing battle against climate change: Mother Nature has had enough. A few decades ago, Chiffon became one of the first margar...

IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN SO EASY to reduce bees to simple honey-making, anaphylaxis-inducing insects. Without a deeper understanding of the relationship between these pollinators and our everyday lives, we risk losing so many overlooked daily pleasures. From our most comforting foods to our favourite flowers, pollinators are...

LOCAL JUNE 6/25 headlines read:"Report on Sarai's Tapegate results in slap on the wrist." -Armchair Mayor"Councillor Sarai breached oath by recording mayor and covering it up."-Infonews"Investigation finds Sarai breached code with secret recording; mayor calls for councillor's resignation"...

"WHAT TO MAKE OF A DIMINISHED THING". As I read the recent report on Kamloops debt load per person, I found myself realizing that we might be missing the point about the nondemocratic ways of the current city council. This city council has a four-year mandate but insists on casting the taxpayers into long ter...

I MOVED TO KAMLOOPS IN 1970 and, at that time, many people believed Kamloops would become the main hub of the Interior. With access to highways leading in all directions, both national railways passing through and beautiful scenery, how could we not be the best? But we weren't. I don't know how, but Kelowna managed to ...

THE CRISIS IN LOCAL MEDIA hit close to home this week.It has hit close to home before, with the closures of Kamloops Daily News and Kamloops This Week, and the gutting of the Stingray newsroom.On Tuesday, our parent company Pattison Media announced the difficult decision to close CHAT TV in Medicine Hat, one of Pattiso...

AS MLAs HEAD BACK to their home constituencies following the end of the spring legislative session, a dark cloud looms over BC with the advancement of the overreaching Bills 14 and 15, which are now provincial law.Both the Renewable Energy Projects Act and the Infrastructure Projects Act represent the most egregious po...

THE NUMBER OF VIOLENT INCIDENTS around the world is increasing daily. Every day, it seems, we see stories about stabbings without apparent motive, vehicles being driven into crowds and indiscriminate shootings with automatic weapons. The list grows longer each day. Some of these incidents are pure acts of terrorism and...

THIS SPRING, our government has been taking action to combat the real economic threat of US tariffs and Trump threatening Canadian jobs, and British Columbians have been with us every step of the way. Despite the uncertainty, we have worked as a province to keep our elbows up - together.It was my first session in the B...

EARLIER THIS YEAR, Kamloops Airport joined the Biosphere Commitment Program, which helps tourism businesses in the Thompson-Okanagan area adopt a more sustainable approach. Launched by the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, the program gives businesses the tools and support they need to track and improve their sust...

TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY of an important month.This month marks the time when we celebrate those who are part of the 2SLBGTQIA+ community. This group has fought hard for recognition and acceptance from the greater community. The battle is one that is far from being over. It's become more difficult as the mainstream publi...