Opinion: Why I’ve left journalism

Posted on 30. Jan, 2012 by Chris Shepherd in Opinion

I think journalism is in trouble. So much trouble that I’m leaving, rather than go down with what I see as a sinking ship. There is a way for the community to have a vibrant media however, and I’ll tell you what I see as the solution.

Some thoughts on herons and osprey

Posted on 19. Dec, 2011 by Chris Shepherd in Opinion

As Nelson’s Cultural Development Commission waits to see the public response to three options they’ve selected for the Heron’s Landing sculpture, there’s been some debate about the appropriateness of the sculpture (read about that here). Claus Schunke commented: All 3 locations are very close to a bird sculpture on a post we already have in [...]

OPINION: Don’t ignore surgery at our hospital

Posted on 14. Oct, 2011 by Chris Shepherd in Opinion

Amid the string of good press and announcements, the issue of surgery in Kootenay Lake Hospital has been ignored, says one Inthekoots blogger.

Glyn Humphries, who regularly follows health issues in the area, writes that coverage in CBC’s show White Coat, Black Art can give people a good feeling about the community’s health care, but it ignores the lack of surgery services at Kootenay Lake Hospital.

A fine line: Finding community and humanity in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side

Posted on 10. Oct, 2011 by Colin Payne in Opinion

Born in a Mennonite community at some undetermined point in the first half of the 20th Century, Ernie’s family was ostracized in the community because his mother was Jewish. He worked most of his life as a logger and also did a lengthy stint at sea, traveling the globe as a crew member on a [...]

A new way to track council’s actions

Posted on 04. Oct, 2011 by Chris Shepherd in Opinion

This fall the Nelson Post will feature a new way of tracking how members of council vote on various issues important to the community.

A joint venture between the Post and a Nelson voter, the Council Scorecard needs the public’s input to determine just what issues will be tracked.

Does banning chickens make sense?

Posted on 26. Sep, 2011 by Chris Shepherd in Opinion

Nr 1: The domestic dog: a wolf descendant whose bite is responsible for about 1000 hospitalizations per day (mostly facial injuries of kids), and 34 deaths in 2010 in the USA alone. Known for producing loud noise at all hours of the day, often roaming freely and leaving unsightly and smelly poop everywhere. Perfectly legal in Nelson.

The last calendar you’ll ever need to update

Posted on 02. Sep, 2011 by Chris Shepherd in Opinion

We’ve launched a new calendar on the Inthekoots Network and it’s not just any calendar. We’ve built something brand new for the Kootenays, a calendar that will broadcast an event from one Inthekoots site, like the Nelson Post, to another, like Arts in the Kootenays.

It’s a calendar that will let you filter out the stuff you don’t want, leaving you events you’re interested in. It’s a calendar that will let you download reminders of events onto your own computer so you don’t miss them.

Check it out.

Was it a conflict of interest? Is it a big deal?

Posted on 26. Aug, 2011 by Chris Shepherd in Opinion

Earlier this month council skirted around the issue of whether one of their own was in a conflict of interests regarding a matter before them. They didn’t directly address the question and while there was no money involved in their decision, the potential problem is how council and staff handled the question of a conflict [...]

OPINION: ‘HST better than the old system’

Posted on 07. Jul, 2011 by Chris Shepherd in Opinion

Dear editor: The Liberals have made the HST an interesting topic of study for political scientists around the world; not in a positive way mind you, but as a fine example of how NOT to implement a tax shift. What started as a lie in an election has now evolved into Christy Clark’s attempt to [...]

Atamanenko: Time to stand up for striking workers

Posted on 15. Jun, 2011 by Chris Shepherd in Opinion

Alex Atamanenko, MP, (BC Southern Interior) says that anyone who truly believes in democratic principles should be outraged that the Conservative government’s response to Air Canada’s (AC) employee strike action is to threaten back to work legislation that will criminalize their job action.