East Kootenays News

Voters across the East Kootenay elected new municipal leaders Saturday, Oct. 17, with preliminary results showing changes in Cranbrook, Kimberley, Fernie and Elkford, while two contests elsewhere in the region were separated by just seven votes.

Human remains believed to be those of a man missing from the Creston area since 2004 have been found inside a submerged vehicle recovered from the Kootenay River.

Cranbrook residents have until Friday, Oct. 2 to respond to the City’s 2027 budget survey, which this year includes questions about whether municipal land should be donated for a proposed 10-bed hospice house and where that facility should be located.

British Columbia’s police watchdog is investigating the death of a man found in the Elk River in July after learning he had interacted with police before his death.

Stage 2 water restrictions remain in effect in Kimberley through Sept. 30, when the city says all current water restrictions will end.

Voters planning to cast a ballot by mail in Cranbrook’s Oct. 17 municipal election are being urged to request a package promptly, with the city saying mail-ballot packages will be sent out “on or about September 28.”

Kimberley’s Civic Centre reached its planned reopening date Saturday following replacement of the shared refrigeration plant serving the arena and Kimberley Curling Club, although the City had not posted a follow-up confirmation of the reopening by Sunday.

Cranbrook has recorded $309.8 million in building permits so far in 2026, more than three times the city’s previous annual record, although nearly 70 per cent of this year’s construction value comes from institutional projects rather than housing.

British Columbia’s police watchdog is investigating after a youth suffered serious injuries during an incident at Mount Baker Secondary School in Cranbrook on Sept. 16.

Dr. Alastair Nicoll, an Elkford dentist who served as president of the Canadian Dental Association while continuing to practise in the Elk Valley, has died.

Creston RCMP are asking for the public’s help locating a 41-year-old man wanted in connection with multiple criminal charges and an alleged breach of court-ordered release conditions.

Reg Longhurst, Creston’s first full-time career fire chief and a firefighter whose service to the community continued for nearly four decades, has died at 86.

A Sept. 17 field day at Thibeault Ranch will give producers a look at virtual fence technology being tested under East Kootenay grazing conditions.

The Regional District of Central Kootenay has approved a $79,851 study examining how groundwater beneath the Goat River watershed is connected to streams and other surface water.

Cranbrook RCMP are asking for the public’s help locating a 47-year-old man who was reported missing Monday.

Cranbrook RCMP is moving to an Inspector-led command structure following an 18-month review of policing in the community, a change officials say reflects the city's growth and increasingly complex public-safety demands.