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SOUND OFF: Cutting carbon emissions can be easy and accessible to Kamloops residents
"JUST UNDER TWO-IN-FIVE British Columbians think the introduction of the carbon tax has led people to be more mindful of their carbon consumption and change their behaviour", a new ResearchCo Poll finds. Yet, at the same time, more than 52 per cent of British Columbians think that if the federal government sc...
Oct 30, 2024
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SOUND OFF: How artificial intelligence can help Kamloops' construction industry
Business Intelligence for B.C. recently reported that AI-powered robots are helping boost B.C.'s construction industry. On Mitchell Island, for instance, new AI-powered robots were seen moving concrete blocks, demonstrating how this technology can step in when the sector suffers labour shortages. These robots can perfo...
Oct 14, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Relaunching Food and the City to address food security in Kamloops
THE KAMLOOPS FOOD POLICY COUNCIL (KFPC) has been working on our relaunch of Food and the City, a citizen-led policy research initiative aimed at addressing key community concerns regarding food security in Kamloops. This project was originally introduced in 2022 before the municipal election, and resulted in the creati...
Oct 14, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Red Bridge could rise from the ashes, literally - here's how
TURNS OUT the Red Bridge could be brought back to life stronger, wider and better than ever, and keep its historic look. A man who knows how to do it will be in town today.Randy Ludwar lives in the Okanagan and works for a company called Timber Restoration Services. It specializes in the use of mass timber, an engineer...
Sep 23, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Tomato Festival helps promote essential heirloom varieties
It's mid-September and, as any gardener knows, this means it's harvest season. Gardens are being overrun - in a good way - with squash, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants and more. It's the season of leaving a zucchini on your neighbour's doorstep. I love the abundance gardening brings and the many opportunities to share tha...
Sep 15, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Upskilling opens doors of opportunity for Kamloops tech workers
THE MAJORITY OF CANADIAN ORGANIZATIONS report a need for workers with digital skills, while at least 55 per cent of Canadian tech entrepreneurs can't find the talent they need in order to grow. While this highlights a significant skills shortage across the country, there can be immense value in initiatives that aim to ...
Sep 12, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Davies off base on Build Kamloops alternative approval process
DEAR KAMLOOPS CITIZENS, I am writing in response to Garry Davies' comments on September 4 about the AAP process. I want to clarify his assumptions with facts and provide clarification. He said the AAP is undemocratic and not fair. The AAP process is not meant for emergency situations and is commonly used for recreation...
Sep 06, 2024
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SOUND OFF: The AAP is fine by me
DEAR MR. DAVIES, Thank you for your letter regarding the AAP and the costs of borrowing funds and building Kamloops. While I share your concern with the rising cost of everything, it's also painfully obvious that a city the size of Kamloops needs major infrastructure pieces like a centre for the performing arts, ice sh...
Sep 05, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Reject the city's flawed Alternative Approval Process for Build Kamloops
DEAR FELLOW KAMLOOPS TAXPAYERS, we are writing to urge you to send a response letter before September 12 to city hall challenging the Kamloops city council's use of the Alternate Approval Process (AAP) to borrow $140 million for a performing arts centre (bylaw 57-1) and $135 million for a multiplex facility (bylaw 57-2...
Sep 04, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Seeding the future - How the Kamloops Community Seed Library is contributing to food sovereignty
THE KAMLOOPS COMMUNITY SEED LIBRARY is a program run by the Kamloops Food Policy Council (KFPC) that has been facilitating the sharing of community seeds since its start in 2018. Originally, the Seed Library began by facilitating the 'seed swap' during one of the many Seedy Saturday events that have sprung up across th...
Aug 25, 2024
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SOUND OFF: TRU provost says future of Respiratory Therapy program is bright
DEAR EDITOR,I am writing in response to Doug Collins' recent op-ed concerning changes to the location for some portions of training in Thompson Rivers University's Respiratory Therapy program. While I understand the concerns raised, I want to clarify a few points that may have been misunderstood.Contrary to the implica...
Aug 20, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Province needs to take responsibility for fallout of drug use
I READ THE ARTICLE about the high crime rate in Kamloops and then the rebuttal by RCMP Officer in Charge Jeff Pelley.As stated in the article, the crimes that are rising in Kamloops are break and enters, mischief, theft from vehicles and shoplifting. Most of those crimes are low level crimes associated with drug use, i...
Jul 31, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Belonging - one potluck at a time
FOR AN IMMIGRANT arriving in a new country, meeting new people can be an exciting and daunting experience, as it was for me. When I arrived in Tkʼemlúps in September of 2022, the air was cool. Beautiful yellow, orange, red and green autumn leaves enveloped the city. It was as if the land I came to live on held ...
Jul 13, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Come for the market goodies, stay for the sense of belonging
IT'S SATURDAY, which means that it's farmers' market day. (There is a Wednesday market day, too, by the way.) In our family, we shape our weekend activities around this weekly event, unless we are out of town altogether. Okay, that sounds a bit silly, you might think. I'll argue it's not and I have solid reasons why - ...
Jun 18, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Seven years of NDP and housing keeps getting worse
AFTER SEVEN YEARS UNDER THE NDP, British Columbians face an escalating housing crisis. Despite a series of big and shiny promises made since 2017, the policies implemented by David Eby's NDP government has exacerbated the problem at a time when the government should be doing everything possible to help alleviate it. As...
Jun 06, 2024
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SOUND OFF: New helpline provides support to victims of racism
THERE'S NO PLACE for hate in B.C. Over the past few years, we've seen a disturbing uptick of racist incidents, like Islamophobia, anti-semitism, and anti-Asian hate, being reported in B.C. What's even more concerning is that we know that many incidents go unreported and leave victims alone to manage the aftermath. That...
Jun 05, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Majority of British Columbians think political polarization threatens democracy
SEVENTY-SIX PER CENT OF BRITISH COLUMBIANS think political polarization is becoming more extreme and is 'definitely' or 'probably' a threat to democracy, a recent poll by Research Co. reveals. Indeed, polarization is now firmly entrenched in Canadian politics. Issues ranging from the rising cost of living and carbon ta...
Jun 01, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Bold new action needed to face wildfires
AS SUMMER APPROACHES, we find ourselves bracing for another wildfire season here in British Columbia. Already, there are a staggering 111 active fires burning in our province.The scars from last summer are still fresh in our memories and the early onset of fires this year serves as a stark reminder of the challenges th...
May 30, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Progress in creating homes for people
AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONTINUES to be one of the most important issues facing British Columbians today. And that's why we are continuing to take action on creating more homes for people, in the communities they love, at prices they can afford. Over the past year, significant steps have been taken in reshaping housing poli...
May 29, 2024
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SOUND OFF: NDP government fails to deliver for British Columbians
BY EVERY SOCIAL MEASURE, British Columbians are worse off now than they were when the NDP first took office seven years ago. As the Legislature adjourns ahead of the next provincial election, it is clear David Eby has failed to deliver any tangible results for British Columbians or inspire confidence that the NDP can p...
May 23, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Taking action for people
BRITISH COLUMBIA IS A BEAUTIFUL and amazing place to live, but together we have faced unbelievable challenges over the last few years, like global inflation, the pandemic, climate-related emergencies and more. Under the leadership of Premier David Eby, our government has focused on the lives of everyday people, not the...
May 22, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Canada invests billions into AI job creation
AI JOB GROWTH IN BRITISH COLUMBIA and wider Canada increased by almost a third in 2023, which is some of the biggest growth experienced across all sectors. And now, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a $2.4 billion funding package designed to boost jobs in Canada's AI sector even further. Canada's nat...
May 20, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Gleaning Abundance Program adapting to climate change
WELCOME BACK to the Gleaning Abundance Program (GAP)! I'm thrilled to be the GAP coordinator for this season and invite you to participate in our local fruit and vegetable harvests. With the help of our volunteers and homeowners with an abundance of fruits and veggies, the GAP works to reduce food waste by harvesting, ...
May 20, 2024
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SOUND OFF: NDP leaves communities to fend for themselves amidst open gang warfare
ACROSS BRITISH COLUMBIA, communities are facing an unprecedented crisis of gang violence that the NDP government seems unwilling to address. In Kamloops, we've witnessed a terrifying escalation. Five brazen shootings occurred within just four days. Despite the best efforts of our dedicated RCMP officers, who are doing ...
May 16, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Delivering relief to drivers
BRITISH COLUMBIA'S DRIVERS have reason to celebrate as they receive more benefits from the New Democrat government's overhaul of ICBC. Last week, David Eby announced a new rebate of $110 will soon be going out to ICBC policy holders in B.C., accompanied by a continued freeze on basic car insurance rates for everyone in...
May 15, 2024
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SOUND OFF: NDP's wildfire response is abandoning communities
IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY YEAR, the wildfire season in British Columbia intensifies, devastating families and communities. This year, wildfires have started unusually early and are already burning across many parts of the province. Despite the long-lasting impacts wildfires have, we have not seen evidence to suggest the NDP ...
May 09, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Celebrating Child Care Month
MAY MARKS CHILD CARE MONTH in British Columbia, a time to honour and celebrate the invaluable contributions of childcare providers who offer care, connection and education to children in B.C. It's also a reminder that for far too long, access to affordable child care was either overlooked or deemed a luxury. That's why...
May 08, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Current trends in the Kamloops property market
IN KAMLOOPS, the property market is recovering fast. In February alone, 163 properties got new owners. This is a 4.5 per cent increase from the same time last year and nearly double from December's count of 87 sales. Though this spike in activity signals market health, price trends paint a more complex picture. The med...
May 04, 2024
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