Revelstoke Mountaineer Podcast

After calls, emails, DMs, and many outreach attempts to current Kootenay-Columbia MP, Rob Morrison (Conservative), were met with silence, we reached out to the past two MPs for comment. In this interview, former Kootenay-Columbia MP, Wayne Stetski (NDP), discusses Morrison's non-responsiveness and his actions during the past weeks, which have seen a convoy to Ottawa, which Morrison supported, and a blockade at Coutts, Alberta, which Morrison, a former RCMP officer, also retweeted support for. Later, 13 were arrested and four charged with conspiracy to commit murder, which police say targeted at RCMP officers. In this Feb. 18, 2022 interview, Stetski reacts to Morrison's ongoing actions as MP, and discusses current events in Canada. This interview is one of two with former Kootenay-Columbia MPs, the other on Feb. 16 with former Kootenay-Columbia MP, David Wilks (Conservative).

After many attempts over the past weeks to reach Kootenay-Columbia MP, Rob Morrison (Conservative), for an interview on unfolding events in B.C. and Ottawa, former Kootenay-Columbia MP David Wilks (Conservative), now Mayor of the District of Sparwood, replied to a tweet at Morrison that we had tagged him in. He agreed to sit for an interview to discuss current affairs in the riding and Canada. Here is our Feb. 16, 2022 interview with Mayor Wilks, who, like Morrison, is a former RCMP officer. This interview is one of a pair of interviews with former Kootenay-Columbia MPs. The next with Wayne Stetski (NDP), who defeated Wilks in Kootenay-Columbia in 2015. Stetski then lost the riding to Morrison in 2019. The interview touches on security issues posed by the ongoing protests, including the Coutts blockade and the involvement of far-right groups in the protest movement.

Protesters opposed to pandemic-related restrictions and other issues gathered on the Trans-Canada Highway in Revelstoke on Feb. 12, 2022, a day that saw continued protests in Ottawa and blockades at blockades at border crossings in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C. To cover the story, we opted for an audio format, producing this Revelstoke Mountaineer Podcast episode and you can see further reporting on the protest on revelstokemountaineer.com. The protesters are mistrustful of the media, saying so many times in our interviews, so we told the protesters we’d be doing roughly five-minute audio interviews with each, then we'd them together into the podcast. We spoke to four protesters: Shawn Sanders, who was one of the leaders of the protest, volunteered to go first. After that, protester Renee Shaw, who was dancing energetically and waving iridescent costume wings next to the highway, was quick to volunteer next. After that interview, we addressed part of the crowd, asking for volunteers. Michael Ferrera, who was manning the barbecue at the time, volunteered next. Finally, Sally Miller, who had stood close by and listened as Renee Shaw was interviewed, volunteered to go next. The interviewees had lots to say. Our act of interviewing the protesters doesn't endorse their views or the factual claims that people made on pandemic-related topics; rather, it's intended to be a window into the perspectives of some Revelstoke community members meant to help listeners understand pandemic-related events happening around them in the community, such as the protest.

In our latest Revelstoke Mountaineer podcast, Aaron Orlando of revelstokemountaineer.com interviews BC Greens leader Sonia Furstenau for a long-form interview covering the topics of B.C.'s COVID-19 response, old-growth logging deferrals and long-term policy, and the ongoing recovery process for mountain caribou.

We checked in with Queen Victoria Hospital physician Dr. Vikki Haines about what staff are experiencing at Revelstoke's local hospital during the Omicron wave.

The Omicron wave arose in Revelstoke sometime in the first half of December, 2021, and now is experiencing the highest COVID-19 case rates out of any Local Health Area in B.C. since the pandemic started. We spoke with Interior Health Medical Health Officer, Dr. Karin Goodison, about the situation here in Revelstoke and Interior Health's response to Omicron since testing demand started to spike on Dec. 15, 2021.

Revelstoke Mayor Gary Sulz appears on the Revelstoke Mountaineer podcast to talk about Revelstoke's long-delayed by election following a councillor resignation in January. Revelstokemountaineer.com has critically questioned the delay in three stories and updates starting on Sept. 23. For background on this story, see our reporting here: https://www.revelstokemountaineer.com/elections-bc-contradicts-city-of-revelstoke-explanation-for-by-election-delay/

Schools are set to reopen in Revelstoke and B.C. in September amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, creating numerous big challenges for those responsible for overseeing and organizing the reopening plans. Like with many things COVID-19, the situation is fluid and information is updated on a daily basis, adding more complexity to the situation. The B.C. government has published its Back to School Plan, and there have been supplemental updates, such as this August 17 update on mask protocols. For an update on the process in Revelstoke, we spoke with Mike Hooker, the Superintendent of School District No. 19. In this audio interview, Hooker outlined some of the plans so far, and also provides information on how students and parents can keep up to date on the developing plan.

In this podcast for revelstokemountaineer.com, Doug Donaldson, the B.C. Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development, joins host Aaron Orlando to discuss plans for a small heli-access lodge on Mount Begbie, the ongoing mountain caribou recovery herd planning process, and calls for land use planning in the Revelstoke area. Recorded July 30, 2020.

The City of Revelstoke recently completed its Official Community Plan (OCP) vision statement update process. We spoke with Marianne Wade, Director of Development Services for the City of Revelstoke, for an update on the OCP. We explored what's happened so far and what comes next, with a focus on community participation in the process.