July 31, 2018

I’ve met some incredible people in the past few years — but I wish I had never, ever spoken with them. Back in 2002, I met a grandmother whose life had been changed by drugs. Her daughter died . . .

July 31, 2018

Editor: Why would the wealthy spend so much money on full-page ads against proportional representation (PR)? Barely had the electoral reform race begun than several coalitions of anti-PR folk . . .

July 31, 2018

Editor: We spent this past weekend with family in Kamloops. What a lovely city. The beauty of the terrain and the lovely design of the city with its parks, the business corridor, the . . .

July 31, 2018

Editor: The downtown core is dead, so the pedestrian seating on Fourth Avenue — between Seymour and Lansdowne streets — is great. That is good work on the part of the city. Kudos to some at . . .

July 31, 2018

Last Friday, this space carried a guest editorial from the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows news, in which the newspaper called for decriminalization of all drugs, not only marijuana. Some commenters . . .

July 31, 2018

Editor: I read with interest about the $129,000 Aberdeen carbon park. It will provide educational opportunities for the public about how forests affect the ecosystem. Are these going to be . . .

July 31, 2018

Editor: I am a senior who would like to be able to go for morning walks without being accosted by dogs who rush up and bark out of control, while their owners stand back a block away, screaming . . .

July 30, 2018

This is Armageddon Summer in the Northern Hemisphere: out-of-control wildfires all around the Arctic Circle (not to mention California and Greece), weeks-long heatwaves with unprecedented high . . .

July 27, 2018

Editor: In his letter of July 25 (‘No right for rich to buy health care’), Joe Killoran said the Canada Health Act states we are all to be treated equally. Well, some of us are more equal than . . .

July 27, 2018

Editor: Can someone please tell me why we are spending $3.5 million on 1.7 kilometres of pathway connecting Peterson Creek Park with Sahali when Fleetwood Avenue in Brock is like driving on a . . .

July 27, 2018

Editor: Re: (‘Kamloops council quintet urges voters to choose proportional representation,’ July 11): The five councillors who signed this letter — Arjun Singh, Donovan Cavers, Dieter Dudy, . . .

July 27, 2018

After legalizing pot, decriminalizing other drugs is the next logical next step. Toronto’s chief medical officer and the B.C. Nurses’ Union are calling for just that to curb rising opioid-related. . .

July 27, 2018

It was while watching my beloved San Francisco Giants defeat the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night that I came face-to-face with my first back-to-school ad. Between innings, clothing store Ross . . .

July 26, 2018

“I am as soft as wool. I am a very soft person in life,” Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa told the BBC in a recent interview, but his nickname is The Crocodile. There is probably no more ruthless . . .

July 24, 2018

Premier John Horgan has followed through on his March promise to return B.C.’s major public infrastructure projects to a “closed shop” for selected international trade unions, many of which are . . .

July 24, 2018

Editor: I read with interest the July 20 story on the upcoming upgrade to West Victoria Street (‘$13-million West Vic project a go’). I would sincerely hope that in the plans for doing the . . .

July 24, 2018

Editor: Re: (‘Kamloops council quintet urges voters to choose proportional representation,’ July 11): I to take offence to councillors Donovan Cavers, Tina Lange, Dieter Dudy, Denis Walsh and . . .

July 24, 2018

Kamloops Coun. Kathy Sinclair’s proposal to allow secondary suites in all single-family homes in the city did not become law when discussed at city council recently, but the idea has set the city . . .

July 20, 2018

Editor: Tom Fletcher's critique of the Canadian public health-care system is misleading and ill-informed (‘Medical monopoly marches on,’ July 20): The Medicare Protection Act was passed by the . . .

July 19, 2018

One cannot help but note the timing of Thursday’s announcement by the provincial government on the future of ride-sharing and taxi services — coming as it did on the heels of Greyhound’s decision . . .

July 19, 2018

It’s often been said there are only three countries in the world where it is illegal to pay for your own health care: Cuba, North Korea and Canada. I’m not sure if it’s strictly true. There may. . .

July 19, 2018

Editor: Re: (‘Kamloops quintet urges voters to choose proportional representation,” July 11): I am grateful to these five councillors for stating their opinion on the important upcoming ballot . . .

July 19, 2018

Editor: On Canada Day, as my family was preparing to leave town for a family vacation, we were involved in a fender-bender on Summit Drive. Luckily, no one was injured, but our vehicle . . .

July 18, 2018

Editor: The Helsinki Summit was pivotal, a great success, likely the most memorable political event since January 20, 2017, the date of U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration. In Helsinki . . .

July 17, 2018

Editor: Electoral reform is no big deal. We already live in a proportional representation world. Under first past the post, one vote gets skewed to be worth more than it is, as in 39 per cent. . .

July 17, 2018

Editor: I want to express my disgust that five Kamloops councillors would use their elected position to try to influence a referendum that could radically alter our province (‘Kamloops council . . .

July 17, 2018

Editor: We are again getting ripped off at the gas pumps. But Costco, only one block from other stations, routinely sells regular gas for less than other stations. I encountered full lineups . . .

July 17, 2018

I remember my very first day in a newsroom. I was not there to work, but to be interviewed by a committee that would decide the recipient of a scholarship the paper then offered. That hurdle . . .

July 13, 2018

Even with U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled for a brief visit to the United Kingdom this week amid massive protests, it’s still all Brexit, all of the time in the sceptered isle. The long . . .

July 13, 2018

Next week, council will adopt the city’s annual report for 2017 — and the last of this edition of council. While I have only had the honour of serving you as mayor for the final year of this term. . .

July 12, 2018

There’s really no harm in having city councillors weigh in on issues beyond city hall — unless doing so comes at a cost to taxpayers. Five Kamloops councillors have created a bit of a stir by . . .

July 12, 2018

Why would stores that legally sell marijuana face business-licence fees far in excess of what owners of liquor stores now pay to Kamloops City Hall? It costs $196.40 for a liquor retail store . . .

July 11, 2018

Editor: It raised my spirits to see all of the effort put forth to make the recent 43rd annual Peace Walk (Rock the Walk) happen. All of the organizers, volunteers, vendors, social and . . .

July 11, 2018

Editor: Re: (‘Kamloops council quintet urges voters to choose proportional representation,’ July 11): If proportional representation is such a good idea, I wonder if our five civic politicians . . .

July 11, 2018

Editor: Re: (‘Kamloops council quintet urges voters to choose proportional representation,’ July 11): I resent the five Kamloops councillors — Donovan Cavers, Tina Lange, Dieter Dudy, Denis . . .

July 10, 2018

Greyhound’s decision to shut down in Western Canada — save for a shuttle between Vancouver and Seattle — will obviously impact people who need it the most. Those without a vehicle, those who . . .

July 10, 2018

Early in my career here at KTW, for reasons only the then-editor could have possibly come up with, I was sent to a city hall meeting. On the agenda was a presentation by Peter Mutrie, who was at . . .

July 10, 2018

Editor: Re: (‘Councillor calls for Legal suites in all single-family homes,’ July 4): There are few vacancies in Kamloops and the rents are at record highs. The gap between incomes and rent . . .

July 6, 2018

There are group homes in Kamloops and throughout B.C. in which fragile teens live under the supervision of adults with little to no special qualifications that should be required by law. Last . . .

July 6, 2018

There is a story under the News tab of this website that is not controversial. It is not sensational, nor shocking. But the story is important because it details a partnership between the . . .

July 6, 2018

Editor: Re: (‘Councillor calls for legal suites in all single-family homes,’ July 4): I think we need to look ahead a bit, say 10 or 15 years. Can single-family neighbourhoods handle the . . .

July 5, 2018

Editor: Re: (‘Councillor calls for legal suites in all single-family homes,’ July 4): This is a bad idea. It will create street-parking conflict issues and cause congestion in areas not . . .

July 5, 2018

The United States could probably extract major concessions from China in a carefully managed confrontation on trade issues because the Chinese don’t want a trade war with their best export customer. . .

July 5, 2018

Editor: Re: (‘Councillor calls for legal suites in all single-family homes,’ July 4): I do not support this proposal. Kamloops needs quality, modern concrete towers in the core, not more . . .

July 5, 2018

Editor: Re: (‘Ajax gets final nail in the coffin as federal rejection is confirmed,’ June 28): The recent denial of the KGHM-Ajax environmental-assessment permit came from the federal minister . . .

July 5, 2018

Editor: I just read about the remuneration being paid to City of Kamloops staffers and I think it’s time to start cutting costs (‘City staff salaries up five per cent in 2017,’ June 29). Every . . .

July 5, 2018

Editor: Re: (‘Councillor calls for legal suites in all single-family homes,’ July 4): It is a reasonable enough idea, but it would be interesting to monitor how the city would ultimately plan . . .

July 5, 2018

Editor: Re: (‘Councillor calls for legal suites in all single-family homes,’ July 4): It is definitely a bad idea to allow secondary suites in all single-family homes. If the homeowner does . . .

July 5, 2018

Editor: Re: (‘Councillor calls for legal suites in all single-family homes,’ July 4): It is very upsetting to know there is so little housing available in our community and everywhere in this . . .

July 5, 2018

Editor: I just want to give a huge shout out to the staff at the new urgent primary care centre at Royal Inland Hospital. My daughter recently received a nasty muffler burn on her leg that . . .

July 5, 2018

Editor: Re: (‘Councillor calls for legal suites in all single-family homes,’ July 4): Count me as one who is strongly against secondary suites. Having just moved to Kamloops from Victoria, I . . .

July 4, 2018

Editor: Re: (‘Councillor calls for legal suites in all single-family homes,’ July 4): I agree with Coun. Kathy Sinclair's proposal to allow secondary suites in all single-family homes. It is . . .

July 4, 2018

Editor: Re: (‘Councillor calls for legal suites in all single-family homes,’ July 4): One of the problems I foresee with legal suites is parking. I believe legal suites should require . . .

July 4, 2018

Editor: I was disappointed to learn of the new anti-idling bylaw established by city council. It is pretty much an unenforceable bylaw. Most bylaws are complaint-driven, which means that if it . . .

July 4, 2018

Editor: I was so happy to hear Kamloops council is thinking about passing out coloured syringes to drug users (‘Kamloops council wants syringes to be brightly coloured for safety reasons,’ June . . .

July 4, 2018

Editor: The RCMP’s support for blacklisting citizens from local restaurants based on nothing more than the suspicions of a police officer, or a previous criminal record, is deeply troubling (‘. . .

July 4, 2018

Editor: I read the letters to the editor in KTW regularly. I think it’s time for some good news. In May, a fire damaged my house. There’s an obvious downside, but there are plenty of ups, too:. . .

July 3, 2018

Many people are announcing their intention to run for council this year. I wonder why they’re doing it now when, other than the true devotees, most of us aren’t going to think about voting in a . . .

July 3, 2018

Editor: I am sending out big buckets of gratefulness and thank yous to Kamloops firefighters, Kamloops Mounties, the BC Wildfire Service and first responders and response teams who looked after . . .

July 3, 2018

Editor: The primary culprit in the incidence of more and more Kamloops firefighters’ salaries climbing rapidly toward or over $100,000 is the B.C. Fire and Police Services Collective Bargaining . . .

July 3, 2018

Editor: While sitting on my deck on many occasions, I have watched water bombers fly overhead, knowing they are heading somewhere else to fight fires. It has always left me wondering where they. . .

June 28, 2018

The upcoming legalization of pot seems to have many sectors of our society, from police services to individuals, in a tizzy. They’re concerned about how legalization of marijuana is going to . . .

June 28, 2018

One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. Keep that in mind when the third flag pole at city hall leads to some kind of controversy, as one group’s advocacy is another group’s evil.. . .

June 27, 2018

Editor: What can be done to get the message through to smokers so they stop being smoking time bombs? Last week, as I drove down Springhill Drive and onto Summit Drive, I followed a white . . .

June 27, 2018

Editor: When they turn 80, seniors must get a doctor’s certificate and be tested before they can renew their licence for two more years. It cost me $125 for this test when I turned 80 and it is. . .

June 27, 2018

One minute, you are watching television; the next minute, you are frantically grabbing important items as flames roar down a hill toward your home. The instantaneous transformation from placid to. . .

June 26, 2018

The following letter was sent last week by Cherry Creek resident Mark Bailey to B.C. Highways Minister Claire Trevena. Days after sending this letter, on Tuesday, June 26, a serious accident took . . .

June 26, 2018

Coun. Arjun Singh posted something this week on Facebook — “One headline you will never unfortunately see: City comes in under budget on big project.” Ironically, his posting came just a few . . .

June 24, 2018

Editor: Re: (‘Kamloops council adopts new anti-idling bylaw,’ June 19): This is yet another example of our politicians’ lack of insight and imagination. Would it not be a better idea to . . .

June 24, 2018

Editor: Kamloops council’s decision to limit car idling to under three minutes once again demonstrates its inability to really effect change in any meaningful way. The biggest offenders are the. . .

June 24, 2018

Editor: The Batchelor Heights grass fire of June 21 was a real eye-opener as to how fast a blaze can spread in seconds. We would like to thank the emergency responders for the outstanding job . . .

June 22, 2018

There are actually fewer migrants crossing the Mediterranean and landing in European Union countries this year than in any other recent year: only 37,000 so far, although the flow will increase . . .