Columnists

A motorhome sits amid the burnt debris in the Village of Lytton, B.C. on Friday, July 9, 2021 following a massive wildfire that tore through the town destroying 90 per cent of it. (Jenna Hauck/ Black Press Media)

OPINION: The Village of Lytton turned to ashes in moments

‘We drive by piles of ash and crumbled brick. What used to be there?’ writes Jenna Hauck

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Empowering and educating residents about fire safety.

Sparwood Fire Department members will soon be canvassing the community and promoting the B.C. FireSmart program

  • Jul 16, 2021
Downtown Fernie, B.C. looking north in June 2021. (Scott Tibballs / The Free press)

Guest column: Vibrancy returning to Fernie with step 3

By Brad Parsell, executive director of the Fernie Chamber of Commerce

  • Jul 7, 2021
A map created by the Ministry of Forests shows the activity of the Bea Fire in Beaverdell, B.C. in 1989, including one house in particular (at bottom right) that was nearly completely surrounded by flames. (Ministry of Forests)

COLUMN: Looking back on historic fire that nearly destroyed a B.C. town

Enormous firefighting effort saved Beaverdell from destruction in 1989

A map created by the Ministry of Forests shows the activity of the Bea Fire in Beaverdell, B.C. in 1989, including one house in particular (at bottom right) that was nearly completely surrounded by flames. (Ministry of Forests)
Kootenay-Columbia MP Rob Morrison. Photo courtesy Conservative Party of Canada

COLUMN: Conservatives call on Liberals to withdraw internet bill

Kootenay-Columbia MP Rob Morrison writes about Bill C-10

  • Jun 10, 2021
Kootenay-Columbia MP Rob Morrison. Photo courtesy Conservative Party of Canada
(Pixabay)

Opinion: Working from home isn’t the gift it’s made out to be

Working from home is just your employer living in your house rent-free

(Pixabay)
Smoke from wildfires burning in the U.S. fills the air as the Grouse Mountain tram transports people down the mountain, in North Vancouver, B.C,, on Saturday, September 12, 2020. The World Air Quality Index, a non-profit that tracks air quality from monitoring stations around the world, rated Vancouver’s air quality as the second worst in the world Saturday. Environment Canada has issued a special air quality statement for Metro Vancouver, showing a very high risk to health due to wildfire smoke from Washington and Oregon. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Prepare for the worst: 10 steps to get ready for wildfire smoke

The summer of 2021 has the potential to be worse than any wildfire season before it

Smoke from wildfires burning in the U.S. fills the air as the Grouse Mountain tram transports people down the mountain, in North Vancouver, B.C,, on Saturday, September 12, 2020. The World Air Quality Index, a non-profit that tracks air quality from monitoring stations around the world, rated Vancouver’s air quality as the second worst in the world Saturday. Environment Canada has issued a special air quality statement for Metro Vancouver, showing a very high risk to health due to wildfire smoke from Washington and Oregon. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
British Columbia Premier John Horgan highlights a paragraph as Finance Minister Selina Robinson tables the budget in a speech in the legislative assembly at the provincial legislature in Victoria, Tuesday, April 20, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

FINLAYSON: 3 takeaways from the new B.C. budget

‘Perhaps most notable is what’s happened in the labour market since last spring’

  • May 10, 2021
British Columbia Premier John Horgan highlights a paragraph as Finance Minister Selina Robinson tables the budget in a speech in the legislative assembly at the provincial legislature in Victoria, Tuesday, April 20, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
Medical staff is shown preparing a patient outside a hospital in New Delhi. From the start of the pandemic, there have been 19.9 million cases of COVID-19 reported in India until May 3, 2021. 16.3 million have recovered, and there have been 219,000 deaths. (Photo submitted by Vivek)

Column: Let’s uplift the heroes in India’s battle against COVID-19

India reported over 360,000 infections on Monday, May 3

Medical staff is shown preparing a patient outside a hospital in New Delhi. From the start of the pandemic, there have been 19.9 million cases of COVID-19 reported in India until May 3, 2021. 16.3 million have recovered, and there have been 219,000 deaths. (Photo submitted by Vivek)
Chronicle Editor, Cole Schisler taking part in the ageing senses challenge. (Kara Olson photo)

Schisler: Try actually walking a mile in an elder’s shoes

Workday spent with artificially aged senses a real eye-opener

Chronicle Editor, Cole Schisler taking part in the ageing senses challenge. (Kara Olson photo)
Master of Time: Sanford Fleming, inventor of Canada’s six time zones.

(Sigh) Remember to set your clocks forward

Once again we are forced to move our clocks ahead. Plus, a brief history of Daylight Savings Time in the East Kootenay

Master of Time: Sanford Fleming, inventor of Canada’s six time zones.
A nurse prepares to vaccinate healthcare workers at a COVID-19 drive-thru immunization site in Coquitlam in this image supplied to the media by Fraser Health on March 8, 2021. (Fraser Health)

OPINION: Helping a 97-year-old man get his COVID vaccination appointment

Call centre inundated with 1.7 million calls while there are just 50,000 folks over 90 in B.C.

A nurse prepares to vaccinate healthcare workers at a COVID-19 drive-thru immunization site in Coquitlam in this image supplied to the media by Fraser Health on March 8, 2021. (Fraser Health)
Kootenay-Columbia MP Rob Morrison. File photo

COMMONS CORNER: Challenging the government on vaccine availability and more

The first of a quarterly column from Kootenay-Columbia MP Rob Morrison

Kootenay-Columbia MP Rob Morrison. File photo
FILE - In this Friday, Jan 1, 2021 file photo, a lorry driver's documents are scanned on a phone as he passes a checkpoint for the train through the Eurotunnel link with Europe in Folkestone, England. One month after Britain made a New Year split from the European Union's economic embrace, businesses that once traded freely are getting used to frustrating checks, delays and red tape. Meat exporters say shipments have rotted in trucks awaiting European health checks. Scottish fishermen have protested at Parliament over the catch they can no longer sell to the continent because of byzantine new paperwork. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

FINLAYSON: Government should focus on strengthening B.C.’s leading export industries

To revive the economy, this piece in the strategy is integral, writes Jock Finlayson

  • Mar 1, 2021
FILE - In this Friday, Jan 1, 2021 file photo, a lorry driver's documents are scanned on a phone as he passes a checkpoint for the train through the Eurotunnel link with Europe in Folkestone, England. One month after Britain made a New Year split from the European Union's economic embrace, businesses that once traded freely are getting used to frustrating checks, delays and red tape. Meat exporters say shipments have rotted in trucks awaiting European health checks. Scottish fishermen have protested at Parliament over the catch they can no longer sell to the continent because of byzantine new paperwork. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)
File photo for editorials by Scott Tibballs (Scott Tibballs/The Free Press)

Column: Pondering lost time

Since it seemingly came off the pages of daily newspapers and out…

File photo for editorials by Scott Tibballs (Scott Tibballs/The Free Press)
Sheila Malcolmson, minister of mental health and addictions in B.C. (B.C. Government photo)

MALCOLMSON: 2020 left us grappling with overdose tragedy and working for change

B.C.’s Addictions Minister reflects on visit to Overdose Prevention Society in Vancouver

  • Feb 12, 2021
Sheila Malcolmson, minister of mental health and addictions in B.C. (B.C. Government photo)
Kootenay East MLA Tom Shypitka takes over as energy and mines critic for the B.C. Liberal opposition. Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick moves from health critic to assistant deputy speaker. (Hansard TV)

OPINION: We must remain diligent, says MLA Shypitka

On January 27th, 2021, Interior Health Authority (IHA) declared Fernie as having…

  • Jan 28, 2021
Kootenay East MLA Tom Shypitka takes over as energy and mines critic for the B.C. Liberal opposition. Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick moves from health critic to assistant deputy speaker. (Hansard TV)
File photo for editorials by Scott Tibballs (Scott Tibballs/The Free Press)

Column: The Free Press editor, Scott Tibballs on where the money went

Recently I was handed a piece of brightly-coloured plastic. Adorned with imagery…

File photo for editorials by Scott Tibballs (Scott Tibballs/The Free Press)
Elkford mayor Dean McKerracher.

2020 Mayoral year in review – Dean McKerracher, Elkford

What a year this was! First and foremost, I want to share…

  • Jan 8, 2021
Elkford mayor Dean McKerracher.
Sparwood mayor David Wilks was in attendance at the street party to discuss potential changes to Centennial Square.

2020 Mayoral year in review – David Wilks, Sparwood

This year has been unlike any other before. While we all faced…

  • Jan 8, 2021
Sparwood mayor David Wilks was in attendance at the street party to discuss potential changes to Centennial Square.