NOVEMBER 25TH TO DECEMBER 10TH marks 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence.Every one of us knows someone affected by gender-based violence. Communities across B.C. continue to feel the loss of women, girls and gender-diverse people who were targeted simply for who they are. Too many people are still trapped...

DEAR MR. PETERS:It has taken me a couple of weeks to write to you regarding your segment on November 14th, 2025. Although I haven't agreed with all your comments over the years, I believe your objective has been to get people to talk or at least discuss or debate the subject. That in itself should have value in our cur...

BRITISH COLUMBIA is one of the most beautiful places to live in the world and we want people to have good, long lives here. Around the world, people are feeling the effects of global economic instability, and in addition, Donald Trump's unjustified tariffs have been an attack on our sovereignty and our economy. That's ...

THE NEWS THAT THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE (PAC) cost has climbed to $211 million shouldn't surprise anyone - least of all city hall.The AAP capped borrowing at $140 million, but the project cost can rise far above this as long as the city finds the extra money through reserves, grants, land sales or current and future t...

CHANGES TO THE EMPLOYMENT STANDARS ACT have come into effect on November 12th that limits when employers can ask for sick notes due to short-term illness. This will help ease the administrative burden on healthcare professionals while also making sure that people aren't spreading illness or experiencing long wait times...

SITTING UNDER A MARKET TENT in June with Naya Macaulay, my friend and fellow team member at the Kamloops Food Policy Council, a woman strolling up to our booth at the Yew Street Block Party told us, "If you live in Kamloops and have to buy apricots, then you clearly don't have enough good friends." We laughed...

EACH YEAR ON NOVEMBER 11, British Columbians come together to honour those who served and sacrificed their lives for our country.Everyone has their own connection to Remembrance Day. In my family, I think of my grandfather, who despite not knowing how to swim, served in the Navy during the Second World War. That kind o...

LAST WEEK, we announced that we will be keeping ICBC basic auto-insurance rates low through 2027. British Columbians are facing pressures with rising costs due to global inflation and Donald Trump's tariffs, and they don't need to worry about their insurance costs rising, too. Up until at least 2027, basic auto insuran...

BRITISH COLUMBIANS ARE WORRIED about energy use. Across the globe, energy demand is increasing due to artificial intelligence, industrial development and data centres, and everyday people are weary of feeling it in their pockets with rising energy costs. In B.C., we're taking charge of our energy use now to protect our...

EVERY PERSON DESERVES to have accessible, affordable health care that they can count on close to home. As an MLA, I know that healthcare options are top of mind for my community and that's why our government has been making major investments in Surrey that will not only expand local healthcare access but will also bene...

IN OUR CURRENT HOTBED of political strife, it was difficult to imagine a unifying cause that could bring people from every corner of the political spectrum together. But where Interior Health has a lack of will, there's a way. And they've done it in extraordinary fashion this time, because Canadians unite in the belief...

ONE OF THE BEST gifts received in our home last year was the Kamloops Holiday Foodie Box, created by The Stir and the Kamloops Food Policy Council (KFPC) - and I'm thrilled that the KFPC is offering this unique gift option once again! Last year, the first Foodie Box item to disappear in our home was the Authentic Indig...

YOUTH IN B.C. are facing a challenging world and it's our government's goal to do everything we can to protect them against online exploitation and the health risks from vaping and tobacco. To keep that commitment, our BC NDP government introduced two bills that will help protect people - especially young British Colum...

THIS PAST MONDAY, MLAs from across the province returned to the legislature for the beginning of the fall session. This session, we will be introducing legislation early in the session that will help make sure people in B.C. have good, well-paying jobs, that workers are treated fairly, that we are addressing affordabil...

EARLIER THIS WEEK, we recognized the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, to commemorate and reflect on the strength of the survivors, families, and communities who were forever changed by the residential school system, and especially the children who never came home. This day coincides with Orange Shirt Day, a c...

WHEN IS THE CITY OF KAMLOOPS going to rid our streets of weeds? We have a beautiful city and I am wondering why the City of Kamloops refuses to put any effort into weeding our streets, sidewalks, etc. If you drive down pretty much any street in Kamloops, you will find trees growing where weeds once started. If you driv...

This winter is shaping up to be a big one for sports in Kamloops. Sun Peaks Resort, Canada's second-largest ski destination, expects a surge in American and international visitors this winter, as current U.S. travel restrictions and strained politics may work to drive more tourists north to Canada instead. On opening d...

BRITISH COLUMBIA IS ONE OF THE BEST PLACES in the world to live. We have everything we need to turn today's big challenges into tomorrow's opportunities - including the resources the world needs, the ports to deliver them to new markets and the incredible people to make it all happen. At the same time, we're facing maj...

AFTER A GREAT DEAL OF FRUSTRATION with regards to the rehabilitation of the Overlanders Bridge, I began to question this project on a number of levels - primarily the frequency and cost in which rehabilitation is being conducted, as well as the obvious traffic and safety impact. Initially, I sent a request for answers ...

SALMON ARE SACRED. The family of migratory fish we all know and love are keystone species that sustain food webs across the province, and they are relatives to be protected through sacred relationships with humans that predate colonization by millennia. The health of each salmon and the size of salmon runs reveal the h...

BRITISH COLUMBIANS WANT ACCESS to high-quality and reliable health care close to home, and they want to be seen by medical professionals who know their personal history. Across B.C., we've been connecting patients to nurse practitioners, who are essential, knowledgeable members of our healthcare workforce that help peo...

JAMIESON CREEK tumbles among huge rocks through a narrow canyon flanked by a thick forest of cedar trees, dropping in a beautiful waterfall toward the North Thompson River. A century ago and more, it fed an 18-mile long irrigation ditch that provided water for the fertile farmland on the valley bottom. In recent times,...

AS WE CELEBRATE the start of another exciting school year and acknowledge the teachers and staff who keep our K-12 system running, we also need to acknowledge the amazing folks who work in child care, like ECEs, ECEAs, administrators and other child care workers, who often work year-round providing amazing care to our ...

TO THE EDITOR OF CFJC TODAY: The Sept. 3 column, "Sound Off: The Silent Burden," portrays Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson's situation as unfair criticism. But what it calls a "burden" is in fact accountability - the basic expectation of public office.The mayor's most recent 30 per cent pay cut followed an ...

AS I FOLLOW THE MACHINATIONS at the Kamloops city council, I continue to sense a toll that these persistent negative assessments and outrageous penalties could have on Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson's integrity and how this would also be a major burden for his family to endure. Mayor Hamer-Jackson campaigned on a pledge to w...

IT IS ALWAYS AMAZING how fast September comes around, and I hope British Columbians everywhere were able to enjoy the summer. With this week comes another exciting time across B.C. - back to school! The first days are always full of energy as kids get to reconnect with their peers and educators and start a new phase of...

When the idea of a music festival was brought forward by Steve Rice with a small but passionate handful of folks at the Spences Bridge Community Club meeting, some serious discussion ensued that suggested it may be a challenging yet a doable venture. How could a small group of volunteers put together a music festival? ...

ALL YEAR, British Columbians have been supporting local food and beverage products. Whether it's at the farmers market, their local grocery store or online, there are opportunities for everyone to "buy B.C." Food and beverages produced here at home don't only feed and quench the thirst of British Columbians, ...