Cortes Currents

Taxpayer Dollars, The Pipeline and Canada's Clean Energy Future

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 21:36:13 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Three weeks ago the Toronto Star reported that "three Liberals privately suggested to the Star that Prime Minister Mark Carney may put federal money behind a new pipeline to the west coast ... Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, say Carney wants to see the pipeline built, and is realizing it may not happen without more public money behind it." Aaron Gunn, the Conservative MP for North Island-Powell River, emailed that he is not interested in discussing rumours. While he recently acknowledged the climate is changing, Gunn also stated Canadians have more important issues to deal with. The pipeline was one of them: "I will say this pipeline should have been built ten years ago. Instead, the world remains beholden to oil from brutal, dictatorial regimes like Russia and Iran, while Canadian oil sells at a discount to the United States." Jennifer Lash's response to the Toronto Star article was, "Ottawa is nothing if not a fish bowl of rumours." She did not know who the author was talking to, or how credible they were as sources. There were a lot of Liberal MPs and there was a lot of talk about the pipeline. Speaking as the Liberal candidate for North Island-Powell River in the 2025 election and possibly for the next, Lash said you need to go back to the MOU with Alberta and that clearly states the pipeline is to be privately financed. "I would be very disappointed if he [Mark Carney] put financial dollars into a pipeline. There's other priorities that the Prime Minister should have and investing more in clean energy right now would be more beneficial for Canada." Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party pointed out that Carney did not say all the funding would all come from the private sector, or that there would be no public contribution. More importantly, there are no private sector proponents for any new pipelines in Canada. Expanding Canada's Oil Sector "This particular government and this particular Prime Minister keep talking about how Canada will be an energy superpower. Expanding and increasing our exports of fossil fuels is very much part of what they boast they will do. Show us the business case, show us that this isn't going to lose money. Show us that those same dollars invested in solar and wind and protecting an old growth forest don't have a higher return in investment and are better for the Canadian economy than continuing down the road of 'drill baby drill.'" Lash reiterated, "The MOU says privately financed and if the government put in money, that would be publicly financed. So can he change his mind? Of course, we've seen that happen many times, but right now what he supports is a privately financed pipeline." One point the two women agreed upon was that Alberta is named as the proponent and will undoubtedly put in money as well.

Possibly Cortes Island's First Plant and Skill Share

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:50:39 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes C urrents - Linnaea Farm's First Plant and Skill Share was on Saturday, April 18. It may be the first on Cortes Island. Tamarra McPhail, who has been at Linnaea farm the past quarter century explained, "I don't know if there's ever been a plant share before on Cortes." She asked a group of Cortes residents, standing close to us, if they had ever heard of a plant share on Cortes? Pierre Belcourt, replied, "Cloud sale? Tamarra: "A plant share, or plant swap?" Pierre: "I don't understand, appliance?" Female bystander: "Swap, you swap." Pierre: "Oh, swap. You wanna exchange my washing machine for your cookstove?" Cortes Currents: "Yeah, except with plants." Pierre: "No." I'm not sure how long Pierre was pulling our legs, but that exchange provided the title for this article, 'Possibly Cortes Island's First Plant and Skill Share.' There were three workshops, tables full of plants and seeds and a choice of three menu dishes for anyone who wished to buy lunch.

Island United Seeks to Expand Quarry

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:20:39 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - A short notice recently appeared in the Cortes Tideline, advising residents of the intention of Island United to quadruple the size of their quarry. The quarry (traditionally known as “the Pit”) is located in the Whaletown area, some distance into the bush on Jimmy Smith Grade. Island United is a rock, gravel and construction firm owned and operated by local resident Howard Nielsen, who bought the operation a few years ago from long-time owner Dave McCoy. Although the Tideline posting is undated, the appearance of the same notice in the British Columbia Gazette on April 9th suggests that it may have been posted simultaneously to various provincial/regional media on the same date. The gist of the proposal is as follows: 2385425 Alberta Ltd. is applying to update the tenure holder on the file, increase the size of the tenure from 1.25ha to 5.16ha and notify the Ministry of Forests of the application to the Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals to approve washing as a permitted activity, introduce a concrete plant onsite and increase the annual extraction rate to 39,999 tonnes a year. […] There is no Official Community Plan for Cortes Island. The Electoral Area “I” (Cortes Island) Zoning Bylaw, 2002 governs the area and designates the lands as Forestry One (F-1). Quarrying is considered a compatible use within Forestry One zoned lands. Cortes Island’s Vital Signs – 2024 Report dictates the need for year round jobs and new construction to feed sustainable employers. As such, the Cortes Island Quarry is integral to the economic growth of the Island.

The Woman behind Gorge Habour Marina's Concerts

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:47:15 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Forty-nine acts will be coming to the Gorge Harbour Marina this year, the same number as last year. The driving force behind the venue’s success is Shannon Marks, who has been promoting the music industry since she was 16. In this morning's interview she talks about the coming season and her own life promoting music. Shannon Marks: "I really hope people enjoy the music we put on at the Gorge. There are so many good acts coming, and I've never been anywhere else where they offer free music five nights a week during the summer. Not only that, but it's high-quality music." Cortes Currents: "Tell us a little about your background. How long has music been a passion in your life?"

Folk U: All things Microgrants

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:33:58 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - All things MicroGrants! Tune in for a group discussion about MicroGrants - the history of the granting program, event highlights, application tips, and more! This conversation features Connie Quayle, Mark Vonesch, Francis McKenty, Immanuel McKenty, Jemma Hicken, and your host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @ CKTZ 89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Unedited Audio from Aaron Gunn's visit to Cortes

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:13:47 +0000

UNedited audio from Aaron Gunn's April 9, 2026 town hall at Mansons Hall on Cortes Island. The recording starts at the point where Samantha Stori fe, Gunn's Office Manager, stepped up to the podium and ithe forst two minutes are crowd chatter.

MP Aaron Gunn's April 9th Meeting on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:33:25 +0000

Roy L Hales/ COrtes Currents - Aaron Gunn, the MP for North Island-Powell River came to Cortes Island on Thursday April 9. Jacob Mantle, the MP from York-Durham in Ontario, accompanied him. About 60 expectant Cortes residents showed up at Mansons Hall. The resulting town hall meeting covered everything from the cost of living to the future of the resource sector. The report that follows consists of highly edited audio clips from an hour and a half meeting. Cortes Island's Community Spirit Aaron Gunn: "This is definitely the best turnout per capita that we've had of any of our town halls." " One thing that I really feel here on whether it's Cortes or Quadra, is there's a much stronger element of community. There's a much stronger element of volunteerism and there's a much stronger element of 'we're not going to rely on the government. We're going to go out and just do it ourselves as a community.' I think the whole country, quite frankly, could learn from that." "You guys have an absolutely amazing museum here, just an incredible group of volunteers. Then this (Rainbow Ridge) housing development that's getting put up here for families in need, I think that's just really incredible." Gunn's Team Samantha Storfie, Gunn's Office Manager, was the MC for this meeting. Mel, another one of his staff from the Campbell River office, was at the back of the room. Aaron Gunn: "They're here to help you if you've got any issues with the CRA, with citizenship and immigration, veteran affairs, or any federal department. If you're running into a roadblock, we're here to try to help. Then if you're still running into the federal government not making a common sense decision, then that's when I come in to try to apply a little more pressure to try to guide them in the right direction for your guys' benefit. One thing I've definitely noticed is that Ottawa is very far from this riding and Cortes Island. We want to always put it on the radar whenever that can help." Format for the Evening The format for the evening was for Gunn to make his presentation, then he would accept written questions from the audience. His team believes this takes less time and is more efficient than having people speak out at meetings. Aaron Gunn: "If you don't want to write your question down, I'm here as long as it takes. You can come up and ask your question. Also, if you want to have a private conversation, talk to Mel or Sam. We can arrange a phone call and of course, you're always welcome to come to our Campbell River office, and I'm sure I'll be back on Cortes this summer if you'd like an in-person meeting as well."

Getting back to Blue Jay Lake Farm_ A Film by Morgan Tams

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:36:02 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Morgan Tams was an integral part of the Cortes Island community for eight years before he and his partner Carly left in 2024. He recorded part of their experience as members of the Blue Jay Lake Farm community on a documentary that will air at Vancouver's DOXA Festival on May 3 and 9, as well as the Knowledge Network later this year. Morgan Tams: " It was about five years working on this, not exclusively but of my time. I've had some really great showings on Cortes, which was really fantastic." "Now to have it play in Vancouver where I think there will be some crossover, some Cortes people in Vancouver, but I think there's a city where people are right now so interested in alternative ways of living. I think partially just the direction the world is going, ideas about community, about being more connected to our food sources, about being connected to one another and being connected to skills like building and growing food are really pertinent topics for our time." "If this film can give some people some insight or some inspiration, or maybe even make them laugh within the context of all that stuff, then that's great. I'm just so happy that it can screen here in Vancouver and hopefully people enjoy it and we can talk about it after. It's always great to just to hear what people really think." Cortes Currents: how long were you at Blue Jay Farm? Morgan Tams: "We were at Blue Jay Lake Farm for almost eight years." Cortes Currents: Why did you go there? Why was it important? Morgan Tams: "This would've been way back in 2016. I was on a road trip with my partner Carly. We were driving from Victoria back to Toronto. Our car broke down. And our car was a 1990 Volvo station wagon and, in the middle of Manitoba, it's really hard to find parts. They quoted us three days for a new fuel pump to come. We were holed up in Brandon Manitoba. So we spent three days just hanging around the motel and wandering around town." "We got to talking about our lives in the future and neither of us were really feeling set on Toronto. It's a great city when you're young and we were feeling like as we got older, we weren't really taking advantage of being in the city. I happened to mention that I always wanted to spend time on one of the islands on the west coast of BC." "Carly had spent a little bit of time at this place called Blue Jay Lake Farm, where she was a WWOOFer. She went for two weeks and ended up staying for two months. So she said, 'oh, well, we could always go to Cortes to Blue Jay Lake Farm and connect with Henry and the rest of the crew there.' So right then and there we decided we were going the wrong direction and we decided to head back out west. I think it was November 1st, 2016, we landed at Blue Jay Lake Farm and we stayed for eight years." Cortes Currents: So what was it like? Was it a surprise? Morgan Tams: "It was for me. I had an inkling that it was a different way of life, the back to the land thing, the do it yourself thing, and these were all things I wanted to learn. I wanted to learn to build with wood and work on my carpentry skills, and I wanted to learn to be able to fix machinery. I love being in community and connecting with people on that level. I also just love the landscapes of the West Coast. So while it was a big departure from our lives in Toronto, it was a world that I really, really wanted to be in. And I knew from being there for half an hour that somebody had to make a movie about this place."

MP Aaron Gunn is coming to Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:45:42 +0000

Hi, this is Aaron Gun, your member of Parliament for North Island-Powell River. I'm reaching out to personally invite you to join me on Cortes for a public town hall this Thursday, April 9th, starting at 7:00 PM at Manson's Hall. Doors will open at six 30. As a member of Parliament, it is my belief that one of the most important parts of my job is listening to and engaging with the constituents I was elected to represent. These conversations matter because your experiences, your insights, your questions, and your feedback help shape the work I do every day in our nation's parliament, whether it's on issues relating to affordability, fisheries, or defending our local economy. I'll also be joined this evening by MP Jacob Mantle, member of Parliament for York, Durham. Jacob brings a strong background in international trade and economic policy, having previously worked as one of Canada's top trade lawyers and now serves on the House of Commons International Trade Committee. I'm looking forward to having him with us for what I know will be an engaging and lively discussion. I know many families across Cortes, Powell River and the North Island are worried about the rising cost of living the hollowing out of our resource sector in cumbersome DFO regulations that are causing uncertainty for those who enjoy or make their living from fishing in our communities. This town Hall is an opportunity to raise those issues, ask questions, and have an open and respectful conversation directly with your federal representative. It is an honor of a lifetime to serve as your mp your. Member of Parliament, and whether you voted for me or not, my most important job is to serve you and be your voice in Ottawa. So once again, I invite you to our town hall this Thursday, April 9th at 7:00 PM at Manson's Hall and for more information and to register in advance, please visit aaron gunn mp.ca. I hope to see many of you there.

Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery- Seeking Contributions for the 2026 Annual Membership Show

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 14:23:34 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery is asking for submissions to its 2026 Annual Member's Show. Artists may bring up to two pieces. To participate, you must be a member, which costs just $10 a year. The cut-off date for submissions is May 14, and the exhibition will run from May 29 to June 14, 2026. "We would like to make it so nobody feels like, 'I don't know if I'm good enough to hang in the gallery.' If you are picking up paint or clay, that already is a good step. Your next step is to show it. That's important and that's why I've been volunteering and that's why we are all volunteering because it is our passion," explained Meinsje Vlaming, one of the Directors. "The showing isn't always about selling your art. Very few of us are actually commercial artists. It's way more of a community thing. From beginner to seasoned artist, we welcome everybody. Like we want to share our art. We want to grow as artists and there's nothing better than putting your work in a group show beside your peers."

A new Restaurant at the Gorge and other updates from QXMC

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:00:21 +0000

QXMC, the Klahoose management company, has received a grant to build a new restaurant at Gorge Harbour Marina. They also recently purchased a former manager's home for additional guest accommodations and are reporting the best season ever at the Klahoose Wilderness Resort Gorge Harbour's old Floathouse Restaurant was torn down in early 2023 because of infrastructure issues. Now, thanks to a one-million-dollar grant from the BC Government’s Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP), a new restaurant will rise on the same site. "The view over Gorge Harbor is spectacular. We're really excited because it's a really key piece of the marina and Cortes Island that was missing the last few years," explained Christ Tait, QXMC's tourism Manager. "As far as the menu, it'll probably be a little bit more elevated. Of course we're going to have burgers, steaks and traditional restaurant food. That's standard, but seafood is something we want to elevate using some of that seafood from the Klahoose themselves and other partners: mussels, clams, scallops, salmon, and that sort of thing. Whatever we can source locally." The new restaurant will have 10 to 12 tables and be able to serve about 60 guests. There is also a covered upper deck and an open lower deck. This will give them more flexibility when it rains and allow QXMC to extend their season during the spring and fall. Takeout will also continue to be a key service for guests, boaters and Cortes Island residents. The new restaurant will probably employ 5 to 6 staff. While some of these will be experienced personnel, there will be training opportunities for anyone who wants to work in the food and beverage sector. QXMC is in the final phases of the restaurant's architectural set and expects to break ground around May. Construction will continue as unobtrusively as possible throughout the summer, but the restaurant won't be ready until 2027. The Klahoose food truck will be serving guests for the 2026 season. "We're hiring right now for that," Tait added. "I don't have the menu, but expect it to be burgers and that sort of thing. It'll probably be breakfast, lunch, and dinner." Guests can also purchase food in the store and some of the accommodations have little kitchen areas. Tait gave an overview of some of Gorge Harbour Marina's recent renovations. Glamping domes were added in 2024; The RV sites now have power. "Of course we'll still have summer music; we'll still do morning yoga for guests; the massage studio will be open again this year; We'll still have family movie night. We're going to be adding a few new things this year too. There's a dance class happening. I just got an email about some new things, we'll put those on the calendar at Gorge Harbour for people to see." QXMC has also purchased the adjoining house where former manager Bill Dougan and Tammy Allwork once lived. "That will be part of Gorge Harbour's accommodation for the 2026 season. It's a two bedroom house with a full kitchen, a big deck with a barbecue outside, another lower deck. What's really unique about it is a private dock, so you'll be able to moor your boat there." Business is better than ever at QXMC's other tourist venues as well.

April 26_ Mark Winters at the Heriot Bay Inn

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 11:59:30 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Mark Winters will be performing in the Heriot Bay Inn at 3:00 PM on Sunday, April 26th. The Texan based singer/songwriter recently told Cortes Currents, "I picked up music a little later than most, in my adult life after I got a degree in aerospace engineering, of all things. Music has always moved me as a listener, and I wanted to do something musical. In 2011, I picked up a guitar to play a song for my wife for our anniversary. It was the most joyful experience I've ever had in my life, and I became obsessed with the feeling of connection you get when you perform live for others.   "I've learned a lot about how you build a tour. Last year I did a spring and a fall tour, and both of them had Canadian legs. So I played a show in Vancouver, and that part of the country is phenomenally beautiful. I took a run along the little bay that wraps around up to the Children's Museum up there, and I felt like I was running in paradise. Then I heard about the island and the live music scene there—the Heriot Bay Inn has such a great vibe. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to talk to the booking people there to play a show, maybe write a few songs while I'm there enjoying the Bay."

Construction at Heriot Bay-Whaletown terminals ending, the new ferries

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 14:37:04 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Construction on the BC Ferries Heriot Bay–Whaletown route will soon be coming to an end, and we will probably have a brand-new-to-us hybrid electric ferry this summer. Sheila Reynolds, Senior Communications Advisor with BC Ferries, explained: “Construction at the terminals actually began last spring to replace both berths at Heriot Bay and Whaletown, which were both nearing the end of their service lives and needed replacing.” “While the majority of that work over the past year didn’t disrupt ferry service, the project did require that both terminals be closed for three weeks in February. Since March 2, both of the terminals have been replaced and are safely open to customers, with regular service between Quadra and Cortes operating as usual. During the closures, people would have noticed that there was water taxi service, shuttle, bus service, and barge service for essential goods and services.” “We’re well aware that these disruptions and construction in the community can be unnerving or cause some anxieties for people, but your communities were very collaborative. It went remarkably smoothly, actually. There weren’t any significant hiccups. Passengers seemed to get back and forth as needed. They did have a lot of lead times where people were pretty well prepared and aware, but the smoothness was largely due to the Quadra and Cortes communities, who are not only patient, but extremely collaborative throughout the planning, construction and during those temporary service changes. It was clear people understood and appreciated that this short-term disruption was going to result in long-term improvement.” Cortes Currents: How did they help out? Sheila Reynolds: “We are collaborating with all sorts of partners—residents, Indigenous partners, contractors, regional stakeholders. There were lots of conversations about how the closure period could be shortened, because originally it was going to be a longer closure period and potentially more disruptive. “With the upgrades, the load limit is now increased to the highway-legal limit of 63,500 kilograms. That’s actually double the capacity of the old berths. Both berths also have hydraulic lifts, so they won’t be subject to tidal restrictions that the route used to experience with very low tides. The ramps are much wider, so trucks will be able to maneuver at Whaletown much more easily. For foot passengers, it’s a wider pathway, so people with bikes and luggage or other things will find it easier to navigate on and off of the vessels. And most importantly, the berths are designed to accommodate the arrival of the 'new-to-you' larger Island Nagalis.”

2025_26_ A Busy Winter for Cortes Community Docks

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:03:40 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Cortes Community Docks Cortes Community Docks has had a very busy winter. The projects in Whaletown and Squirrel Cove are nearing completion, and a new one is about to begin in Cortes Bay. Cortes Community Docks has a new website, and all the railings on its docks have been painted blue as a visible reminder that they are not a government organization. "We never have been. These docks are here for the community, they're utilized by the community and they're supported by the community," explained Harbor Manager Jenny Hartwick. Narrator: That was also the rationale behind their recent name change. Jenny Hartwick: "We wanted to choose a name that really reflected the direction we want the organization to go and why those docks exist." "Our biggest news is that the rebuild of the Whaletown dock is almost complete. Cortes Community Docks was extremely lucky. We got a $560,000 ReadUP grant to rebuild the Whaletown dock. There's been a lot of construction in Whaletown Bay recently, and the Ferry Construction has kind of overshadowed what we've had going on at the dock, but we've had a contractor there since about September of last year. There's been an extensive rebuild done, and the facility looks phenomenal." "The Whaletown dock is owned outright by us. So to obtain a contractor we solicited bids from several local Vancouver Island contractors, based on recommendations from engineers. We are extremely thrilled to have Rob Clarke of Coastal Marine Maintenance doing the work for us at Whaletown. Rob incidentally is also doing some Small Craft Harbours work on the other docks, but we didn't have a role to play in awarding those contracts." "Rob was the maintenance manager at the Comox Harbor Authority for well over a decade before he opened his own company doing dock maintenance and repair. He's now a familiar face up and down the entire coast at Harbor Authorities doing maintenance work. Rob incidentally also was the president of the Harbor Authority Association of BC, which is our umbrella organization for all of the harbor authorities on the coast." Rob Clarke, of Coastal Maintenance and Repairs, explained, "The Whaletown rebuild project went really well. We rebuilt 11 footings and nine separate pilings, reconstructed the top side and shortened the whole facility up a little bit." Jenny Hartwick: "The majority of the construction material for a marine structure is a very specialized type of material, which is treated with ACZA, which is not a standard pressure-treated material, and there's actually only one plant in Western Canada that manufactures it. So a large portion of our material was actually specially ordered, but outside of that, wherever possible, Rob made an effort to get everything he could locally. So the cedar decking for the railings, the upright posts, everything on the Whaletown dock that he could was specially ordered, milled through Klahoose at their sawmill."

2026 Microgrants 4 Neighbours grants

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 13:30:47 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Microgrants 4 Neighbours program is out, and there are some changes this year. Jemma Hicken explained, "Our Microgrants 4 Neighbours is a super cool little grassroots granting program. It operates with the philosophy that our community knows what it needs, and that low-barrier granting really gives individuals a chance to get small chunks of money and make things that they're enthusiastic about happen in our community." "It developed out of Cortes Island Literacy's Seed Grant program in partnership with Folk U, but now Microgrants is run by the Cortes Island Community Foundation, in partnership with the Neighborhood Small Grants Island Network, which is a really cool program as well. It basically operates the same microgrants-for-neighbors program under the NSG Neighborhood name. Small grants exist in many other communities around BC, so it's happening all over the province, but maybe Cortes did it first." Cortes Currents: I understand that you've increased the potential amount of funding available for projects. Jemma Hicken: "Yes, we've increased our maximum to $1,000 this year. So you can apply for grants from $50 up to $1,000. The only consideration is that the Cortes Foundation has to issue you a T4A if you receive more money than $500. So that's something to consider when you're thinking about how much you'd like to apply for your project." Cortes Currents: Do you have to be a social-profit organization to apply? Jemma Hicken: "No, definitely not. In fact, this is actually the first year that we're opening it up to social-profit organizations to apply for microgrants. So organizations can apply this year, but individuals definitely can apply, and individuals have been the priority and focus of Microgrants 4 Neighbours all along." Cortes Currents: How much funding do you have available for Microgrants 4 Neighbours? Jemma Hicken: "That's a good question, and I can't answer it yet because we're still sorting it out, but we'll have upwards of $7,000 for sure, and it might be a little more than that." Cortes Currents: Can there be projects that are in the planning process, like this is what they want to do if they get the funding? Jemma Hicken: "Absolutely. You can apply for a project that is in process and that is dependent on the funding." Cortes Currents: Can you give me some examples of past projects? Jemma Hicken: "Past projects include the Cortes Skate Jam, which has received funding a couple of years in a row; the youth dance classes; the Death Care Collective, before they became an organization, received funding to do bereavement packages for the community. There have been cooking workshops, funding the picnic table at the Seniors Village; a youth kayaking trip. There's been sound gear for community events, tech support, drop-ins. There are endless possibilities." Cortes Currents: What happens if your project cannot be completed for some reason? Jemma Hicken: "We would love for your projects to be completed within the year, but if you need an extension, don't hesitate to ask. We really just want to support projects as they happen. I'm more than happy to lean in and help you finish your project. That being said, I'm also super happy to help anybody who needs it with their application." "If you need support, feel free to email me. My email is microgrants@Cortesfoundation.ca."

On the threshold of a Liberal Majority

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:42:24 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Between the opposition MPs who crossed the floor and three by-elections coming up on April 13, Mark Carney's Liberal government is on the threshold of forming a majority government. Jessica Wegg, the Green Party candidate during the last two elections, observed, “We're two votes away from the Liberals having a majority. I don't know that it matters that much to Carney. His policies skew so far toward what Conservatives would want anyway, he is getting lots and lots of support. I think it would be risky for him to call a general election because it's not necessary. As he gets closer and closer to having a majority without a general election, it would be harder and harder to sell to Canadians that it would be necessary to call everybody to the polls again, spend all this money again on a general election when he's doing everything he wants and just ramming through bills without even having a majority.” Narrator: In another one of his social media posts, Aaron Gunn declared, "Mark Carney is currently attempting what is maybe the least democratic thing in Canadian history, cobbling together an illegitimate majority he didn't earn through backroom deals and who knows what else." Only this is not the first time MPs have crossed the floor. Most Canadian Prime Ministers have had opposition MP's join their party. The current record is held by John A MacDonald's Conservative government, which saw 9 MPs join them. They are closely followed by Jean Chrétien's Liberals, who gained 8. Stephen Harper, whose Conservative government benefited from 3 such crossings, once said, "Members of Parliament should have that freedom and be accountable to their constituents for their decisions at the next election. But I will say this, Mr. Speaker: in my observation, the only parties that really had this as an obsession are the parties that no one ever crosses to." Cortes Currents: In addition to the floor crossings, there will be three by-elections on Sunday, April 13, 2026. Jennifer Lash explained, “We've had two Liberal ministers step down as they've taken on different positions, so by-elections are required. Then in Terrebonne, Quebec, the Liberals had won by one vote and that had to go to a by-election. Of those three by-elections, two of them are Liberal strongholds and it's pretty much assumed that they will go Liberal again. The Quebec by-election is really up for grabs. I've listened to people saying the Bloc are going to put everything they can into it and win. I've also heard that the polling shows the Liberals are going to win. So who knows? If the Liberals win those two Liberal strongholds (University–Rosedale and Scarborough Southwest) that they have in Ontario, that will bring us to 172 seats, which gets us to a one-seat majority. If we win in Terrebonne as well, that will get us to 173 seats, which means a slightly stronger majority.” “I’ve never seen a situation like this in Ottawa before, but it’s fascinating for political nerds like myself who love counting seats.”

The Next Generation of Linnaea Farm

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:14:24 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -Michael Manson started clearing the land for what is now Linnaea Farm in 1887. The Hansen family lived there during the early 1900s, and in 1998, the farm became a charitable land trust. In this morning's interview, Adam Schick and his daughter, Nola McPhail, talk about their experiences and the next generation of Linnaea Farm. Adam Schick: "One of the biggest challenges of the last few years is having people live here long term. Farming offers more of a lifestyle opportunity, but as our population ages, often the only thing left you have is to sell your property to ensure you can retire successfully. That’s a real problem. Because this farm is a trust, we don’t get to sell the property. We simply have the honor of looking after it. While I feel it is an honor, more and more, it seems that people see it as a burden; they want a job, or something that's paying you money." "We are at a place on Cortes where, to get anyone to even answer the phone, it costs $25 an hour. In the summertime, there are groups of landscapers making $40 or more. It is pretty hard to entice those people to come to the farm to work unless they have a personal interest in these things. To me, this represents a breakdown in our society where we’ve decided to value people’s time only in this way. Personally, I never really got into this for the money. The things that don't show up on a spreadsheet are the things that truly make a community a good place to live." "The lifestyle aspect is harder to entice people with. Farming is sometimes very difficult, and community living can be equally challenging. We try to do both of those things here together. We can get people to stay for a year or two, but then when we ask them to commit further, they realize that committing more means taking on more responsibility without a pay raise. It is simply the responsibility of looking after the property. Maybe we should ask the young person in the room why she is here." Nola McPhail: "I’m Nola, the daughter of Tamara and Adam. I’ve grown up on the farm my whole life, but I left the island after high school and only returned last November. I’ve been back for a bit over a year now, full-time, which has been really nice. As my dad is saying, it’s common in many places that the younger generation isn't returning to do this type of work. There are many other things happening in the world, so this is becoming a bit of a lost art. A lot of our work this year is focused on changing our methods and thinking about how we can better include the community—starting more activities and inviting more people here so we can find more interest and build more capacity." Adam Schick: "Nola is going to take on the role of interim manager. It’s one thing to have people here, but you need to figure out exactly what they are going to do on the farm, and Nola has stepped up to take on that role. When it comes to the interns, Tamara and I will still be guiding them through the actual work." "Someone has to ask the human questions like, 'How are you doing? How is the house? How is your time?' Nola is a great communicator. Many of the interns are young, and because Nola is also of that generation, there is a natural relatability. She has a great work ethic and a real keenness for this work, so it seemed like a natural fit." "We are currently in the Ed Centre. I’m sitting at the table where we have our weekly farm team meetings. We talk about everything from the minutia—like needing a chain to fix a leaking toilet—to the bigger picture, such as talking to other organizations about how they manage their interns and business. We discuss how to host Lovefest, large community events, workshops, and literary afternoons with the seniors."

BC Htdro replacing Switches on pole mounted transformers

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 23:40:21 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - BC Hydro is replacing the switches on pole-mounted transformers set up beside private residences and buildings on Cortes Island. They subcontracted this work to Allteck, an electric ransmission & distribution services company with a branch office in Nanaimo. A three-person crew arrived in Squirrel Cove on Tuesday, March 10. Two of them either use a bucket truck or climb the pole, while the third supports them from the ground. Once set up, the whole procedure typically takes about 15 minutes per transformer. There are close to 900 houses and unknown number of other buildings on Cortes Island. Most are tied directly in to the grid. Only about 100 structures have lines coming to a pole set up beside them. The crew will be staying at Gorge Harbour Marina over the coming days and hope to finish all the poles on Cortes by Saturday.

BC Should Prioritise Helping Seniors Age At Home

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 17:01:39 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The BC's Seniors Advocate is calling upon the province to address a critical shortfall in long term care beds. There were 7,212 people on the waiting list during 2025 and the average wait time was 290 days. The number of seniors is increasing and the need for long term beds is expected to grow 49% by 2035. "We are in trouble," warns Anna Kindy, MLA for North Island and Health Critic for the Conservative Party, "This is why I am pushing for 'aging in place.' While Kindy maintains that the Campbell River Hospital should receive its long-promised long-term care wing, the project was one of seven hospital expansions deferred this year. Given the current state of BC’s finances, she does not expect construction to begin soon. "We desperately need long-term care beds in Campbell River," Kindy stated. "Wait times can reach up to four years. Furthermore, 'alternative level of care' patients—those waiting in hospital beds for long-term care placements—often remain there for weeks or months. My husband was part of the transition team discussing a new facility as far back as 2017. It was in last year’s budget but vanished this year. We need to know: is it canceled or simply delayed?" The provincial government claims the $1.8 million per bed cost to build the Campbell River wing and six similar projects is too much Kindy responded, "We have to remember that the Eby government inherited a surplus and now we are at a $13 billion deficit. So if you're looking at the cost, so I just pulled out some numbers for you. The Campbell River Long-Term Care project was 153 beds. The total cost of the build was $134 million that would mean each bed would be $875,000. When they're talking about $1.8 million, they're not talking about Campbell River ... It could be an average of the seven projects." She added, "Approximately 12.5% of residents currently in long-term care could have remained home with proper support. The cost of home support averages $15,000 a year, compared to $100,000 for a long-term care bed. It is fiscally responsible to keep people home, yet we only spend 18% of our long-term care budget on home support. In Denmark, that figure is 50%." Kindy argues that current support is "completely inadequate." She advocates for expanding home support hours and removing financial barriers. "We need flexibility. Sometimes support means someone to take the garbage out. We also need to support the 80% of caregivers who are family members by expanding respite care and adult day programs. If you are working, you shouldn't have to leave a senior unsupported all day." To advance this, Kindy is calling for better education and data transparency regarding waitlists. "We cannot put seniors last. Spending a year in a hospital bed waiting for a placement is unacceptable. Last month, our hospital hit a record 161 patients in a facility built for 95. These issues are linked; the debt interest alone—nearly $6 billion—could have funded the infrastructure we desperately need. We must prioritize our seniors now."

Folk U Friday with Mark Vonesch

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:31:28 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On February 27, 2026, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Regional Director, Mark Vonesch, for a live check-in about priorities, current issues, and other updates for Cortes residents. Phone-in and mail-in questions were welcomed. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 3 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Large language model AI Programs- Hallucinations, Other Challenges and an Incredible Potential

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 14:20:31 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - We’ve probably all encountered AI by now. Some Large language model (LLM) AI programs are among the fastest and most comprehensive information tools on the Internet, and arguably, the most “stupid.” Have you ever been harassed by an AI-powered telephone service whose programmer neglected to include the concept of wrong numbers? Or been fed incorrect political information by an AI program that did not know which party or Prime Minister was in power? However if you want to check something like medieval canon law, to ensure the character the attitude of a character in the novel you're writing accurately portrays the times: it can take seconds with ChatGPT. Everything has to be fact-checked and sources verified, but tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude remain remarkable and they’ll improve as the glitches are addressed. My guest this morning is Dr Vered Shwartz, an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia, a CIFAR AI Chair at the Vector Institute, and the author of the book "Lost in Automatic Translation." Vered Shwartz: "AI is a really broad category, so I'll mostly maybe focus on generative AI, and, more specifically, large language models like ChatGPT. Several aspects could lead to betterment of humanity in accelerating knowledge discovery, like scientific knowledge discovery which could lead to solving problems such as cures for diseases, boosting economic productivity and even at the personal level, automating everyday tasks for us and making our lives easier. In fields like education, it can be used to provide access to knowledge to underserved communities and be used as a personal tutor."

Canada’s Path Forward: Two Visions for a Stronger Nation

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 20:09:56 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - More than a month has passed since Prime Minister Mark Carney took centre stage at the World Economic Forum with a speech calling for middle powers to forge strategic partnerships across energy, food, critical minerals, finance, and supply chains - standing up to lawless superpowers pursuing their own interests. Days have elapsed since Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre addressed the Economic Club of Canada, outlining his vision for a stronger Canada. In this morning's interview, Jennifer Lash, a former senior policy advisor for Environment Canada, compares their visions for the nation’s future.

Folk U Radio with Mark Vonesch

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:06:58 +0000

2026 Spring Cut in the Cortes Community Forest

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:23:12 +0000

Roy L Hales/ COrtes Currents -Work is about to resume in the Cortes Community Forest. Mark Lombard, General Manager for the Cortes Forestry General Partnership, explained, "The spring cut is going to happen in the Coulter Bay area of the community forest. We'll probably start a small segment of road in about three weeks. While the road is being built, maybe a month from now, we're going to move over to Larson's Meadow. They're both relatively small projects."

Six Units Underway at Rainbow Ridge, Further Updates

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:41:46 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - If everything goes as planned, the first two rental suites at Rainbow Ridge Affordable Rental Project on Cortes Island will be ready in June, and six units could be occupied as early as January. In this morning's interview, Mark Lombard, the Construction Manager, provides an overview of how the work is progressing at Rainbow Ridge, as well as updates from the Cortes Housing Society's other housing sites—Orchard Village and the Makerspace.

Elizabeth May Says Moving Bitumen by Rail is Safer

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 13:50:51 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Green party leader, Elizabeth May claims it's safer to move bitumen by rail than through pipelines. She has mentioned this in the House of Commons, written about it in her blog and told reporters. 'In a marine environment, diluted bitumen is, impossible to clean up.' To which Michael Lowry from Western Canada Marine Response Corporation, responds, "The biggest spill we've ever cleaned up was a diluted bitumen spill." Elizabeth May: "It wasn't dilbit." (DILuted BITumen) They were actually referring to two different products. Lowry's company was cleaning up SynBit (SYNthetic BITumen), which is lighter, more likely to float, and thus easier to clean up than dilbit. They're both diluted bitumens that are shipped through pipelines, but SynBit is a 50/50 blend of bitumen and synthetic crude oil, whereas dilbit usually consists of approximately 70% bitumen and 30% diluent. Lowry is the only one who means something other than dilbit when they mention diluted bitumen in this story. Elizabeth May: "Since it's a solid, to put it in a pipe to get it to flow, they stir in fossil fuel condensate, naphtha, butane. Imagine that they stir in lighter fluid, stir in anything they can to get this solid tar called bitumen to flow through a pipeline, but unlike upgrading, this is not a step in the process of getting to a refineable product. This is only about getting it to flow through a pipeline. At its ultimate destination, a refinery, the diluent has to be removed." May isn't endorsing the further expansion of Canada's fossil fuel sector. Her position on that is quite clear: Elizabeth May: "Don't promote fossil fuel use. Don't build fossil fuel infrastructure - full stop - because of the climate crisis." However if you are going to do it anyway: Elizabeth May: "Our coastal waters are very, very much more at risk if we put bitumen in a pipeline." "When Alberta and Federal fossil fuel supporters attempt to characterize British Columbia as a province or British Colombians and First Nations, as objectors to pipelines, they frame that objection as these people, these first nations, these environmentalists, this provincial government whatever, are trying to stop Alberta getting its resources to market." "That's a quite familiar framing; That is completely false. Nobody would ever object to carrying solid bitumen to market, that's not the issue. The issue isn't keeping bitumen from going overseas." "If you really want to get your product to market without getting British Colombians up in arms about destroying our ecosystems, threatening the 800 stream crossings between the Alberta border and the Burnaby Turnable terminal. If you want to ship that bitumen to buyers elsewhere in the world, you can put it on a train."

Folk U: The Spectacular Nature of Ideology in late 20th and early 21st century culture

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 19:20:35 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - Listen in on February 20th, 2026 to this episode of FolkU, which features a recording of Dr. Michael De Danann Datura's discussion of the spectacular (in the Guy Debord sense of the word) nature of ideology in late 20th and early 21st century culture. This included an exposé of the layered and concealed aspects of commodities via Kinder Surprise eggs; a critique of Hollywood’s authoritarian master fantasies as embodied in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, and a brief foray into what it might mean to embrace desire without stuff. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Communitas_ How the Cortes Foundation doubled the money available for Grants in Aid, and more_

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 19:18:16 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - In this morning's interview Manda Aufochs Gillespie, Executive Director of the Cortes Island Community Foundation, discusses a fund called Communitas and explains how the Cortes Foundation doubled the money for this year’s Grant in Aid. The Cortes Island Community Foundation's roots go back to 2018 when, operating under the charitable umbrella of the Cortes Island Seniors Society, it raised $1.2 million for the downpayment on the 51 acre parcel in Mansons Landing now owned by the Cortes Housing Society. The Foundation obtained charitable status in 2021. Unlike more traditional foundations, it does not rely on a long-standing endowment to fund its work. Manda Aufochs Gillespie: “As some people know, because I like to say it a lot, we’ve only been around (as a charity) for four years and we’re from a new breed of foundation that does not have money sitting in an endowment. We’re a new foundation and we don’t want to wait to help the community organizations and groups and volunteers and neighbours that are doing good things. There’s so much to be done now.” They’ve been fortunate in that, over the past four years, the government and Community Foundations of Canada have provided funding to distribute directly through community foundations to local groups. So the Cortes Foundation was able to distribute $100,000 to different Cortes organizations doing COVID recovery and between $200,000 and $300,000 to issues related to gender equity. "We also have been practicing community granting by helping adjudicate and advise what we thought the Grant in Aid should be used for. Mark Vonesch, our Regional Director, has taken those recommendations to the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board for final decision making. But every year there are projects that come forward that we are not able to fund because they’re not eligible for Grant in Aid, or there’s just not enough money. The Grant in Aid has more or less stayed the same for years, and $25,000 does not go that far." “We were really lucky this year because a donor came to us and said, ‘Hey, we want to direct some funds into the community for our greatest need.’ And we said, ‘Well, if you would trust us, what we would love to do is put this into a new fund called Communitas, where we would use it to do community granting and to engage in the process where we get community input and look at needs.’” “So when Grant in Aid came around this year, we were so excited because, for the first time ever, we had our own funds! We could give out as we wanted and leverage the Grant in Aid funds that the SRD was giving out. We used that process that we were going through anyway, and we were able to make more with what was already there. It wasn’t just having more money. We could fund organizations such as the Cortes Island School Parent Advisory Committee (PAC), which had not been eligible for our Grant in Aid funding.” “The total pot we were able to give away this year was $25,000 that came from the Community Foundation via the Communitas Fund and $25,000 that came via the SRD through the Grant in Aid process, which is taxpayer dollars coming back to your community.”

Will there be a Spring Election in 2026_

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 16:44:34 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -Once again, the polls suggest Mark Carney's government could win a majority if there were an election right now. 338Canada suggests the Liberals could win as many as 185 seats, while the Conservatives shrink back to 125. In North Island–Powell River, Aaron Gunn is still projected as the winner with 36% of the popular vote, according to 338Canada, but the Liberals and NDP are right behind him with 30% each. Some believe Canada may have a spring election. Gunn said, "If I were a betting man, I would bet there'd be an election within the next two years for sure, but this spring we'll see. I think it will be up to Prime Minister Carney and the Liberal government. Speaking as a Conservative, I don't think we're going to force an election this spring." Jennifer Lash, the Liberal candidate in our riding during the last election, explained, "When you have a minority government, there's always speculation about whether there's going to be an election or not. There's a lot of talk, but I think that's also a conversation that's happening very much inside the Ottawa bubble of what's going to happen." "I think there are two things we need to look at really carefully. One is, I don't think Canadians really want to go back to the polls. It's expensive; it's time consuming. I think in general, if Canadians feel that government is functioning and getting the job done, then they would like to see the work being done as opposed to spending time in an election." "The other thing is, in the past week both the Conservatives and the Liberals have talked about how they're going to work more collaboratively to try to get some key pieces of legislation through — pieces that could have been confidence votes and caused the House to fall if they didn't have the votes." "I think they're all hands on deck right now to try to avoid an election and get through some of these key pieces that need to be done in order to help us deal with this rupture that we're going through, as the Prime Minister calls it. Having said that, things happen. If the Conservatives start to block things and it becomes very challenging for this government to get anything done, I could see the Prime Minister going to the Governor General and saying, 'We need to have another election because this House, as it's currently formatted, is not being effective and we can't run the country.'"

MP Aaron Gunn to host town halls; Cortes Island possible stop

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 19:20:01 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Our local MP, Aaron Gunn, is holding a series of town hall meetings in the North-Island Powell River riding. He will be in Courtenay tonight (Feb 17), Campbell River on February 21, Port McNeil on March 16 and Powell River on March 19. Gunn may also come to Cortes Island, but the dates have not been set. Aaron Gunn: " We want to come to Cortes, but if I just come to Cortes with no plan - I haven't really accomplished anything other than a photo op. So we always try to set up some kind of coffee or meeting where people that live there know that I'm coming and if they want to come and engage, they have an opportunity to do so." Cortes Currents: We will promote it on the radio. We will promote it over our bulletin board. It's called the Tideline. The size of the crowd's hard to tell, could be as few as 20, or as many as 100. The hundred would be surprising, but who knows? We haven't had a Conservative candidate or politician on the island for years. Aaron Gunn: It's always better to have more people show up, but the most important thing from my perspective is you give everyone an opportunity to come out and voice their opinions and ask their questions. Different communities certainly have different amounts of political engagement. Power River has an incredible amount of engagement for the size of its community.We'll see how the Comox Valley goes tomorrow, but of course only half of the valley's in my riding. So a bunch of people who I'm not representing might show up at the door, but that's okay." While the Conservative party saw increased support on Cortes during the last election, Gunn will face a variety of perspectives. Max Thaysen, the alternate director for Cortes Island and co-leader of the Cortes Climate Action Network, responded, "I welcome him to come and I will be happy to ask him some questions, find out more about what he thinks about some really important stuff. I think having open and public dialogue with people who've been elected to the House of Commons is very important. There were some early concerns that Aaron Gunn was not interested in hearing from constituents. That was something that I heard in a few different places from people who were trying to get hold of him to share their concerns with him. I think he's become more open to hearing from people and sharing with them. That's a good thing." "I also want to say that, as a very climate concerned person, I am very concerned about the public position that the Conservative party has taken. It borders on climate denial and that is very dangerous. I think we'll have some pretty serious conversations to have. I hope we get lots of people out. It should be fun. Come bring your own questions." Cortes Currents asked Gunn what he hoped to achieve through his town hall meetings. Aaron Gunn: "The primary vision is to give constituents an opportunity to hear directly from me and ask any questions that might be on their mind. We get hundreds of emails every week and try to meet with as many constituents as possible, but this is a very efficient and transparent way to engage with the people that you're representing and give them a chance to hold you accountable."

First Responses to the 2026 Cortes Island Housing Survey

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 13:47:03 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Cortes Island's second housing survey was launched on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. Like the first housing survey conducted a little more than two years ago, this was a joint endeavour between Regional Director Mark Vonesch and the Cortes Housing Society, who together provided a look at the first responses to the 2026 survey. There had already been 70 respondents when Cortes Currents interviewed Sadhu Johnston a day after the release. Sadhu Johnston: "The first survey was really, really helpful for us in guiding the work of the Cortes Housing Society. We wanted to do another housing survey to gauge where people are at and how they're feeling about the housing challenges on Cortes. Also, for us, as we're building out Rainbow Ridge, it helps to get clarity on what people are looking for in terms of their housing needs. We want to make sure we're building the right size units, the right number of bedrooms, and things of that nature," he explained. Cortes Currents: By the time Mark Vonesch was available to comment on Sunday, the number of respondents had grown to 170. Mark Vonesch: "Having data helps us make good decisions. We did a housing survey two years ago and we just released a new housing survey earlier this week. We asked similar questions to understand people's lived experience with housing, both as owners and renters. Then we added a few more questions drilling down into some of the challenges that people are having, and we asked some opinion questions on policy decisions." "We've had 170 people fill out the survey so far, which is about 15% of the island. I would like to see at least another hundred people. So, if you're listening to this and you haven't filled out the housing survey, it just takes a few minutes. The link is on the Tideline. If you subscribe to my newsletter list, it's been released there, and through the Housing Society's social media and newsletter as well. I'm also putting it up on Tideline and we've mailed it out to all the mailboxes that receive drop mail on Cortes. We're hoping to increase the number of people that fill it out this year. Last time, we had almost 25% of the island fill it out, which is huge for a survey, but obviously the more people that fill it out, the better." Cortes Currents: How long do people have to fill it out? Mark Vonesch: "We are running the survey until March 6th. We're running it for a similar time as last time—roughly three weeks—so there's lots of time for people to fill it out, but the earlier the better. We've made a few changes this year."

Teen Takeover on Sovereignty

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:10:23 +0000

Teen Takeover/Folk U -This episode of FolkU features an exploration of sovereignty by CIA student Tristan. What it is to be sovereign in relation to our fellow humans, and in relation to the land? How can we teach ourselves and others how to self-govern? Featuring two interviews, this podcast challenges us to think about our society a little differently, even if it’s just for an hour. This show is the fourth instalment in the culmination of the 2025/26 podcasting course at the Cortes Island Academy, an intense deep dive into the techniques and art of podcasting in which each student picks a topic, then researches & produces a full feature-length show on it from start to finish, including interviews, scripting, recording, and editing their show. To learn more about the Cortes Island Academy, visit www.cortesislandacademy.ca Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Cortes Island Foundation makes up shortfall for 2026 Grants in Aid

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:16:21 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Cortes Community Foundation has once again shown how invaluable resource it is to the community. Regional Director Mark Vonesch has a budget of about $25,000 a year for Grants-in-Aid. When the time to disburse the funds arrives, he normally receives requests for far more money than is available. This year was no exception; however, thanks to the Cortes Island Community Foundation, nearly all these requests will be met. As Director Vonesch explained at the January 28 Board Meeting: "Similar to previous years, we received a lot more applications than we had funding for. I had roughly $25,000 to spend and we had over $50,000 in applications. I worked with the Cortes Island Community Foundation to put together a community jury of members who were not on non-profit boards or staff, and were not connected to those non-profits in a way that would create a conflict of interest. They held a series of meetings and went through the applications." "I'm delighted to say that the Cortes Island Community Foundation privately raised an extra $25,000 for these applications this year. So, almost all of the funding requests will be met—assuming these are passed by the board today—both through the SRD Grant-in-Aid program and through the Cortes Island Community Foundation. I'm happy to take any questions."

From Orchard to Cider_ Sara Stewart’s Cortes Island Story

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 12:45:46 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - In this morning’s interview we hear from Sara Stewart of Wildflower Produce and Cidery, near the southern tip of Cortes Island. Sara Stewart: “I’m not a religious person, but when you depend on the natural world you become deeply ingrained in it. I used to think I was building connections with the natural world when I lit a fire on Imbolc (Ancient Celtic beginning of Spring) and celebrated Samhain (end of the harvest season). I now find that rituals or ceremonies can disconnect you from nature. So I try to cultivate the spirituality of a squirrel. I don’t see wildlife celebrating Imbolc—you just notice what’s happening in your body and respond accordingly.” Cortes Currents: Where do you come from and what inspired you to get into agriculture? Sara Stewart: “I grew up in a subdivision in Southern Ontario, so I didn’t have farming in my family. I gardened for a long time and I was vegan because, once you learn about the food industry, it’s pretty appalling. I worked for nonprofits before farming because I’ve tried to align my work with my values, not with the goal of a higher income. Nonprofits aren’t profitable, and farming is very, very difficult to make ends meet financially and to turn a profit. The most I’ve made farming for myself is about $5 an hour, so it’s definitely a challenging lifestyle.” “I first got into it as a farm hand when I was 33, but I’m a little bossy, so I became the boss the next year. I became the field manager. I’m pretty good with spreadsheets. I have a very logical mind, and I often say that farming is like playing Sudoku in your mind, but with plants.” “So if I plant this here, then this has to go here; if I time it like this, this has to go over here. So it’s a lot of planning in the winter. So I do spreadsheets showing where everything is. I have a calendar for when I seed things, when I transplant them, and when I harvest them, and that’s very left-brain.” “Then in the summertime it’s very right-brained and creative to apply that plan to what’s actually happening, because it rarely lines up with what I intend.” “This is my 11th season being a market gardener, and season number seven on Cortes. That part has become a lot more established and less challenging. The first year here was a carpet of weeds and very poor soil quality. I test every year. It’s been nice watching the nitrogen and organic matter increase.” “I grow about $50,000 worth of produce a year, mostly on my own. I do have volunteers who contribute about 15 hours a week in the summer, which is nice. I sell mostly at my farm stand here and at the Cortes Natural Food Co‑op as well.” Cortes Currents: Tell me about coming to Cortes. Why did you come here and when? Sara Stewart: “I was working on farms for a few years as a farm manager and then decided I wanted to lease land for myself. I toured the Gulf Islands and down in Saanich. When I finished, someone recommended Cortes. I came here on a visit and I crashed a funeral and realized there were people my age here; elsewhere it had been mostly seniors. Someone told me about Reef Point Farm and that this might be a place to lease land. I contacted them, they were paying caretakers, and I had the idea of paying them to farm here. That was in 2019.” “I started my first year farming here in 2020 with the goal of being a market gardener—growing vegetables. It just kept growing from there. The next year I got chickens, the year after that I got sheep, and in 2022 I did the business plan for the cidery.” Cortes Currents: How many years in total have you been making cider? Sara Stewart: “This is number three.”

Quadra Recreational Society seeks public input on Community Centre and New Pavilion

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:02:12 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -The Quadra Island Recreation Society is asking the community for their input into what the island’s Community Centre and a new pavilion at Blenkin Park should be used for. Marc Doll, Vice Chair of the Society, explained: “We started by looking at one desperate need for the community centre, which was the lack of a proper kitchen facility. We came up with some solutions, but the price tag came in higher than what we wanted for a very small improvement. So, conversations continued, and we decided that we really had to look at the bigger picture. The Quadra Island Community Centre has been serving the community since 1985, and we felt it was time to go back to the public and ask: what do we need this building to do for the next 20 years?” “At the same time, we've been working with the SRD for the last number of years to get an outdoor pavilion in Blenkin Park. The funding is in place, and we're looking to start building as early as 2026.” “So, we're going to the community to ask: does this community centre suit the needs of the community for the next 20 years? Or are there things that we need to start preparing for now? At the same time, now that we have money in place for a pavilion, we want to make sure we reach out to all the groups that currently use the facility—the concert groups, Quadra Palooza, the theatre groups, etc.—to say, 'Is this something that you would want?' And if so, what form would it need to take to best suit your use? How does the community imagine using it? Where should it be placed? What elements need to be incorporated to ensure it is well-used?” Cortes Currents: Have you received any new ideas coming out of this so far? Marc Doll: “The press release just went out. We have put a postcard into every mailbox on Quadra, which directs people toward a questionnaire online@yourcommunitycentre.ca. I think the postcards only hit mailboxes yesterday. I'm not going to look into the responses until everything is in. The survey closes on March 1st, and then there is a committee meeting to synthesize the responses and plan the next step, which will likely be a public open house.” Cortes Currents: Can people mail in their responses instead of going online? Marc Doll: “Yes. The idea is that there are also forms available at the community centre for those who don't want to do it online. They can stop by the centre or grab a form from Jane for a written response.” Cortes Currents: How integral are these projects to the community? Marc Doll: “The community centre is the only piece of public infrastructure that Quadra Island has. When we look forward to the challenges that the future is going to place on us, having strong communities and places for people to gather, organize, and learn is what's going to hold us together.” Cortes Currents: Why does Quadra need a new pavilion at Blenkin Park? Marc Doll: “The summer months offer so much opportunity. The park is large but generally not well-used in the summer. We want to bring people together; currently, we have no place for a theatre group to put on 'Shakespeare in the Park,' or even for the public to gather under cover for a family picnic on a rainy day. The community centre is a wedding venue in many ways, but it doesn't have that outdoor capacity to allow a young couple to get married without the fear of being rained upon. All these things are important community offerings that we're currently just not able to do.”

Teen Takeover on Housing, the Death Care Collective & Podcasting

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 00:39:16 +0000

Teen Takerover/Folk U -In the first half of this episode, Cortes Island Academy students Elsie, Lacey, and Elias discuss the housing situation on Cortes, from three different angles. This includes tiny homes, Rainbow Ridge, the Seniors Village, and interviews with five different locals, as well as their own stories and observations on the topic. Travel with them as they learn about the challenges of finding housing on Cortes, and the creative solutions that are emerging to try and solve the issue. In part two, Nathaniel Maki interviews Margaret Verschuur and Fawn Baron from the Death Care Collective, and discusses the importance of having a healthy culture and communication around the topic of death and dying. This show is the third instalment in the culmination of the 2025/26 podcasting course at the Cortes Island Academy, an intense deep dive into the techniques and art of podcasting in which each student picks a topic, then researches & produces a full feature-length show on it from start to finish, including interviews, scripting, recording, and editing their show. To learn more about the Cortes Island Academy, visit www.cortesislandacademy.ca Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Cortes Island Academy - Four Years and Beyond

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:04:46 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -The Cortes Island Academy offers an accredited 20 week experimental, project-based education for students in grades 10 through 12. They just wrapped up their fourth year and, on February 9, are about to start taking applications for 2026-2027. In this morning’s interview Executive Director Manda Aufochs Gillespie talks about the school and their recent annual showcase in Mansons hall.

Mark Carney's Political Tightrope

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 11:48:11 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - In addition to being a former candidate in our area, Jennifer Lash is a former senior advisor to Canada’s Minister of Environment with a lot of insight into what motivates the Liberal government. So Cortes Currents recently asked her, “Tell us a little bit about the tightrope that Mark Carney's been walking with separatism rising in Alberta and Quebec; environmentalists saying that we should be adapting faster; the rising cost of living, needs for more housing, more jobs; Trump's economic tantrums, the need to just diversify Canada's economy and the threat of recession.”

Two Regional Directors Speak Out on Local Governance and the Path of Reconciliation

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 21:30:14 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -With all the current hype about the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), Cortes Currents reached out to two rural politicians to ask how they see this legislation working at the local level. Mark Vonesch is the Regional Director for Area B (Cortes Island) and Robyn Mawhinney is the Regional Director for Area C, which includes Quadra and most of the other Discovery Islands. They both sit on the board of the Strathcona Regional District (SRD).

Desolation Sound:- On Climate Change, UAPs & Queerness

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:10:58 +0000

Desolation Sound/Folk U - Tune in on January 30, 2026, for this week's episode of Desolation Sounds, where student journalists of the Cortes Island Academy tackle some big topics: where is the line on climate change? What's the deal with UAPs? Is Queerness inherently a radical act? Journey with Dean, Dylan, Devin, and Lin as they interview experts on these topics, and report on their findings. This show is the second instalment in the culmination of the 2025/26 podcasting course at the Cortes Island Academy, an intense deep dive into the techniques and art of podcasting in which each student picks a topic, then researches & produces a full feature-length show on it from start to finish, including interviews, scripting, recording, and editing their show. To learn more about the Cortes Island Academy, visit www.cortesislandacademy.ca Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

The Battle Over DRIPA & Land Claims

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 19:53:30 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - British Columbia is currently navigating a widening divide. On one side, the courts are handing down historic decisions affirming Indigenous rights. On the other, a growing wave of anxiety over private property and economic certainty. Today, we look at the fallout from the Gitxaala and Cowichan Tribes decisions—and the political battleground forming around the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). These are actually three separate topics: two court cases regarding the duty to consult before registering mining claims (Gitxaala versus British Columbia and the 2025 appeal); a court case regarding the Aboriginal title to an ancient village site that was sold out from beneath the Cowichan Tribes (Cowichan Tribes v. Canada); and DRIPA, the provincial legislative framework that formally adopts and implements the the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) The tension spiked following Cowichan Tribes v. Canada. For hundreds of years, the Cowichan tribes wintered in the Southern Gulf Islands and then regrouped at Tl’uqtinus village, in Richmond, during the warmer months. David Rosenberg, Senior Counsel for the Cowichan Tribes, explained, ‘These lands were settlement lands and settlement lands were supposed to be put aside for as reserves for First Nations.’ Instead, Tl’uqtinus was sold to settlers. The court has restored the 800 acres of the historic village site ‘over which they have proven sufficient and exclusive occupation,’ to the Cowichan Tribes.

Update from the Quadra Island Salmon Enhancement Society

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 23:48:43 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -The Quadra Island Salmon Enhancement Society grew out of poor salmon runs in the 1970s and 80s and has been a non-profit organization (and registered charity) since 1981. In this morning’s interview Lauren Miller, a director, talks about the 2025 salmon run, climate change and some of the projects her organization has undertaken.

Jan222026_CIA 2025 Feature Length Podcasts - assembly - CKTZ edit - episode 1 - Play, and The Stories We Live By

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 16:26:08 +0000

Cortes Island Academy/ Folk U - Tune in on January 23, 2026, to hear student journalists Minton, Jasmine, and Willow, of the Cortes Island Academy, explore the topics of storytelling and play, and why they are vital and important parts of healthy culture, both in the past, and today. Journey with them as they interview experts on these topics, report on their findings, weave in their own stories, and bring us a new and playful understanding of these timeless concepts and why they remain as important today as they did hundreds of years ago. This show is the first instalment in the culmination of the 2025/26 podcasting course at the Cortes Island Academy, an intense deep dive into the techniques and art of podcasting in which each student picks a topic, then researches & produces a full feature-length show on it from start to finish, including interviews, scripting, recording, and editing their show. To learn more about the Cortes Island Academy, visit www.cortesislandacademy.ca Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Jennifer Lash_ Why I still Think Mark Carney is the righ Prime Minister For Canada

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 21:27:55 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - It has been two months since Mark Carney survived a non-confidence vote and went on to sign an MOU in which he agreed to support a new bitumen pipeline across British Columbia. In this morning’s interview, Jennifer Lash, the Liberal candidate for our North Island Powell River riding in the last election, explains why she still thinks Mark Carney is the right Prime Minister for Canada.

Anna Kindy_ The State of Health Care in BC During 2025

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 13:58:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - In addition to being the MLA for our North Island riding, Dr. Anna Kindy is also the Health Critic for the Conservative Party of British Columbia. She recently had a conversation with Cortes Currents about the state of healthcare in British Columbia. Anna Kindy: “That portfolio has kept me quite busy, to be honest. There are issues throughout British Columbia, like we've heard on the news. I have my tentacles in all sorts of health authorities, and people are communicating with me from the front lines.” “When we're looking at healthcare right now, it probably will be getting worse before it gets better unless we start shifting. What we're seeing is that issues with accessing primary care are still a big issue for people. There are issues with accessing specialty care. The Consultant Specialists of BC put out that 1.2 million people are on a waitlist right now. Just to give you an example of what specialists need to do now—for example, in neurology—they get so many referrals that they need to triage what is important, what needs to be dealt with right away, and what doesn't, because they can't keep up. What happens is some people end up getting worse as they're waiting. Over 4,600 British Columbians have died waiting for care.”

Expanding Funding Opportunties for the Quadra Island Foundation

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 13:48:22 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Over the past few years, the Quadra Island Foundation has channeled hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy. Now, thanks to a change in their charitable status, they may be able to do a great deal more. Marc Doll, Vice President in Charge of Communications, explained: “We have had charitable status since our inception. The change is in the scope of that status. Previously, we were only able to work with charities within a very, very defined set of parameters. Our charitable purposes really limited us to only working with established charities on the island. We couldn't work with individuals or societies. It handcuffed us, so even when we gave out our small neighborhood grants, we had to work with the Rec Society because we didn't actually have the ability to funnel that money directly to people who were not registered charities.” “Now, we wrote these charitable purposes really broadly so that we have the right to make donations, create funds, create bursaries, and work directly with societies and small groups on basically everything our imagination could allow us to write up at the time.”

Film Night at Linnaea_ Climate Action, Politics and Societal Change

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 20:46:54 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Two films by veteran journalist, educator, and NDP candidate Avi Lewis are being shown at the Linnaea Education Centre this weekend. At 7 PM on Friday, January 23, 2026, Lewis and his wife Naomi Klein tell the story of Argentinian workers who took control of a bankrupt auto plant and turned it into a cooperative. At 7 PM on the following night, their documentary ‘This Changes Everything’ connects climate action to economic justice. Max Thaysen, who is organizing the showings, explained, “Avi Lewis is running for the leadership of the Federal NDP, and he has made a couple of awesome films that I actually haven't seen yet. So, I thought that it would be interesting to see his films, learn more about him, share that with the community, and take the opportunity to chat about the leadership race and how people can get involved if they want to.”

SRD Looking into developing two Provincial lots on Quadra Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:47:10 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -Strathcona Regional District (SRD) staff will be asking the Ministry of Forests about the possibility of obtaining two provincial lots on Quadra Island for development. Three of the four Regional Directors at the Wednesday, January 14, 2026, Electoral Areas Services Committee meeting voted to proceed. Meredith Starkey, Manager of Planning for the SRD, brought a list of 13 Federal, Provincial and Regional properties to the meeting. She explained that the report provides an overview of public land available near Quathiaski Cove and Heriot Bay on Quadra Island which could be considered for future affordable housing. “There's really only three sites that are currently undeveloped in a suitable size and some other conditions that make them more suitable than others. They all have constraints.” She advised that the appropriate next step is an inquiry to the relevant land manager to determine if the province is willing to sell or lease the land. Subsequent steps would depend on the tenure type but would likely include legal surveys, management plans, First Nations consultation, and site condition assessments. These assessments would cover environmental, archeological, geotechnical, potable water, and sewage disposal factors. Robyn Mawhinney, the Regional Director for Area C, responded, “ I wanted to say thank you for this great report. It's really comprehensive, clear to understand maps and came back really quickly. I really appreciate all of that. And I think for me, when I, once I looked at it, it really feels like there are two provincial land lots of particular interest identified in the report. I think the report identifies them as lot 7 and 8 in on Hyacynth Bay Road and those are the ones that kind of sparked my curiosity in the first place when I was looking at the provincial IMAP website and what led to the request for this report. So I'm really happy that they made it onto the report.” John Rice, Regional Director for Area D, had some concerns: “When I read the report, it seems like there's a fair amount of hurdles that need to be jumped through. What is the likelihood that anything can be achieved from this?” Meredith Starkey: “I think that there is certainly likelihood. We don't know what the current intent for these parcels is from the provincial perspective. Without opening that line of inquiry, I can't really say with any certainty. Through our other park processes to pursue tenures, we know that the province does consider this. There's nothing today that would tell us that they wouldn't, if that makes sense. It isn't likely something that would be concluded in a short period of time. Tenure processes usually do take a number of years.” Director Rice: “That was exactly what my line of thought was thinking and here we are, in year four and I'm wondering is this something that is going to take a fair amount of effort? What I would like to see staff working on is our existing projects and get them completed before the next election cycle. I really don't see a quick end game to this.” Mark Vonesch, Regional Director for Cortes Island, had a different perspective. “I just want to give a little bit of perspective on a similar situation on Cortes where there was a piece of land owned by Ministry of Transportation. The previous regional director pursued it for three years. I've been pursuing it since and it has only just finally been announced that the Ministry of Transportation is willing to release it.” “I think these things do take time and I've certainly been impatient around the process, but just wanted to let fellow directors know that these things do take time and taking the small steps to move them forward is ultimately worth it in the end.” Director Rice voted against the motion, but Directors Mawhinney, Vonesch and Whalley were in favour, so the motion to further look into the possibility of developing these lots for housing will proceed.

How will Campbell River’s next counsel address homelessness_

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 23:21:57 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - 2026 is a municipal election year and some people hope Campbell River residents will use this opportunity to elect a city council that will help alleviate the homeless situation. “We have an opportunity as a community to come together and actually create solutions with the support of the city, because they are the only ones that have the capacity to be able to do the longevity of some of these projects, but they need us. They need the nonprofits, they need the grassroots, they need citizens and residents to help them and to buy into those solutions in ways where we create a much more inclusive, safe, welcoming community for everybody, not just for some,” explained Sue Moen, a Kwesa Place volunteer and coordinator for the Campbell River Community Action Team. “Many of these counsellors and new people are going to be campaigning over the next 10 months. I think that's really important for voters and citizens to say, ‘okay, how are you going to work with others to do this?’”

Annual Christmas Bird Count 2025 (Part 2)

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 13:06:39 +0000

De Clark/Roy Hales/Cortes Currents -DOne of Cortes Island’s longstanding traditions is the Christmas Bird Count; for almost 25 years, local residents have volunteered in a coordinated week-long audit of the island’s bird life. For many years this effort has been coordinated in the field by longtime islander George Sirk, host of the 'Nature Boy' Radio Show on CKTZ. Roy Hales interviewed George about this year's bird count.

Annual Christmas Bird Count 2025 (Part 1)

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 13:00:25 +0000

De Clark/ Roy Hales/ Cortes Currents -One of Cortes Island’s longstanding traditions is the Christmas Bird Count; for almost 25 years, local residents have volunteered in a coordinated week-long audit of the island’s bird life. For many years this effort has been coordinated in the field by longtime islander George Sirk, host of the 'Nature Boy' Radio Show on CKTZ. Roy Hales interviewed George about this year's bird count.

Big Oil Playbook Part 2

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 13:21:22 +0000

De Clarke/Cortes Currents - In the second part of an interview with Emilia Belliveau from Environmental Defence Canada, she describes specific tactics Playbook, Environmental Defence has condensed the industry’s PR and political efforts into ten major categories, and provided a description and deconstruction of each one. "We're laying out these 10 tactics that the fossil fuel industry is using, we're showing how they work in a coordinated way, and we're connecting the dots between some of the tactics that are more publicly well known -- like fossil fuel industry lobbying — with some of the things that are not as well known to the public, like the revolving door. That is, the workforce that is moving between fossil fuel industry executive positions and regulatory positions, or the public service. We're drawing attention to these things — things we think are really problematic, and explain why Canada is having such a hard time transitioning off of fossil fuels and addressing the climate crisis."

Big Oil Playbook part 1

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 13:14:51 +0000

De Clarke/Cortes Currents -Exposed. The report is playfully illustrated, but quite serious in concept; its purpose is clearly laid out on the first page: The goal of this report is to paint a clear picture of how oil and gas companies operate, how they generate support for the industry and leverage it against effective climate solutions. Some of their tactics, like greenwashing and lobbying, have been well-publicized. Yet others have been largely hidden from the public, like funding astroturf groups, supporting anti-renewable energy campaigns, and infiltrating educational institutions. The report documents ten established tactics used by the fossil industry in its battle against climate activism and decarbonisation policy. Currents interviewed one of its lead authors, Emilia Belliveau from Environmental Defence Canada, about this project. The broadcast version of this story is in two episodes. In the first part, Emilia explains the ten standard tactics. In the second part we dig a bit deeper into the details: how these tactics work, and their effects on communities and political life.

Crime Declines in Campbell River

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 16:56:17 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - As of the end of 2025, Campbell River, RCMP reported a significant decline in crime within their jurisdiction. Roy Hales interviewed Inspector Jeff Preston of the RCMP and Campbell River’s Director of Community Safety, Jeff Fort, to find out what they think about these statistics, whether there really is a decrease in crime and what may have caused this. A few weeks ago, I did a report to the city council here to give them an overview of how crime stats have been going within the city. And we were comparing year over year, from January to the end of November from 2024 to 2025. And the numbers that we were able to report were: our calls for service within the city of Campbell River were down 11%. The violent crime numbers were down about 20%, and the property crime for the entire city was down nearly 28%. More specifically in the downtown core of the city. The overall call for service, were down 21%. The violent crime in the downtown core was down 29%, and the property crime in the downtown core was down 38% or nearly 38%. They were very encouraging numbers to be able to report. — RCMP Inspector Jeff Preston

Looking back on Hollyhock in 2025 and what lies ahead in 2026

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 20:35:30 +0000

Roy L Halesd/Cortes Currents - It has been nine months since Katia Sol took over the helm as Hollyhock’s CEO. She has also had more than two decades of experience working with nonprofits, starting as a volunteer in a Bolivian Indigenous community and going on to co-direct the Ecology of Leadership at the Regenerative Design Institute, founding her own coaching and leadership development business, and teaching at Stanford University. In today’s interview she talks about this past year at Hollyhock and what lies ahead in 2026.

Part 2 Mark Vonesch Interview Incorporation 16m38s

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 12:43:37 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - The second party of an interview with Regional Director Mark Vonesch about whether Cortes Island should incorporate. As Mark says, “The worst that can happen really, if we bring this to the Province and it’s approved and we start this process, the worst that can happen is that we’d learn a lot about local governance. We’d have opportunities to have conversations and speak to each other and explore the options. And in the end maybe we would vote it down… but this is a petition just simply saying, Hey, let’s see if there’s a better way. Let’s explore it and let’s decide for ourselves what makes sense.” Since the Province would fund the consultation and research process, Mark feels there is no risk to Cortes residents in pursuing it.

Regional Director Launches Petition to Investigate Incorporation Option for Cortes (Part 1)

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 12:35:56 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - Cortes residents may have noticed a petition available in paper form at our post offices and grocery stores, or received an email update from our Regional Director inviting them to consider signing the online version. The petition mentions governance and incorporation: what’s it all about? I interviewed Regional Director Mark Vonesch to get a better understanding of the issues and why he’s chosen this moment to launch a petition regarding our governance model. As Mark is quick to point out, signing this petition doesn’t indicate that the signer wants Cortes to become some kind of municipality rather than a Rural Area. The petition is intended to find out if there’s sufficient local support to initiate a process of research and discovery (with Provincial support and funding) to figure out whether incorporation is — or isn’t — a practical or desirable alternative to our current system of government.

2025 at the Cortes Island Fire Department

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:01:20 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - With 2025 coming to a close, it seems like a good time to get an update from the Cortes Island Fire Department. Currently, there are about 38 people working out of the island’s two fire halls, with another 20 enrolled in the wildfire brigade. Chief Eli McKenty noted, "I haven’t totalled this year’s call volume yet, but last year we had 105 calls. This year, we’re likely slightly higher at around 110.” “We had one significant structure fire, which was fortunately not a total loss. Two factors likely contributed to that. It was a reasonably modern building that was tightly closed. If you have a tightly sealed building and the doors, windows are closed and you have multi pane windows that don't break from the heat, you can actually have a fire that fully starves of oxygen and goes out. A landscaper working next door noticed the smoke and got a garden hose on it. We were able to mop up the rest.” “We had one minor fire onboard a boat and a few hydro lines sparked minor brush fires, but nothing significant on that front this year." In response to a question about the nature of the call-outs, McKenty explained, "They make up the bulk of our call volume. Of our 105 calls last year, 64 were medical first responders, which is similar to what most first responder departments in the province. We had a reasonably high number of motor vehicle incidents this year.” "We received numerous burning complaints and duty investigations in the summer. It's fairly common for someone to smell smoke for one reason or another, leading to calls for investigation. We even received a call for a suspected lightning strike." When asked about the extensive training and upgrades the Fire Department has been undergoing, McKenty shared that near the beginning of Mac Diver's term as chief, the province recognized that the existing fire service training model was very challenging for small rural departments to achieve. They established a system with three declared service levels. “Most small rural departments provide exterior operations fire service. We’re not currently allowed to enter a burning building like they would in larger cities such as Vancouver.” “The next level is interior certification, which is what Quadra Island currently has. It’s half way to full service. They’re allowed to enter simple structures and commercial buildings with a pre-plan in place, but not into high rises.” Then there is full service. Campbell River is fully staffed with members present at all times, and an additional volunteer crew that steps in as needed. The Cortes Island Fire Department has traditionally been an exterior operations department. However, in the last two years they have been discussing moving toward interior certification. “There's not a huge advantage to us going interior on Cortes because response times are longer than they are in the city since we're only two halls and we have a lot of drive time. So there are not too many situations where an interior attack would make the difference in saving a structure, although there have been cases where it would. What really keeps me up at night is we are not currently allowed to go into a building to rescue somebody if the building's on fire. That would be a really nice piece to be certified for.”

Where Killer Whales and Dolphins Hunt Cooperatively

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 15:15:24 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - A new study found that Northern Resident Killer Whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins have formed a cooperative hunting relationship to catch Chinook salmon in the Johnson Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound. The dolphins utilize echolocation to locate fish at depth, but their small teeth are designed primarily to grip prey, and they cannot swallow large species like Chinook salmon whole. Instead, dolphins locate the fish, and then wait for the killer whales move in to tear them apart, scattering bits of tissue and flesh into the water. Dr. Andrew Trites, a professor and director of the Marine Mammal Research Unit at UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, explained, “The dolphins are getting leftovers, but that seems to be reward enough, so there's no competition for what is ultimately killed. Everybody comes out a winner.” This was the first time Customized Animal Tracking Solutions Tags (CATS) were used on whales and allowed the researchers to collect 3D kinematic data with video and acoustics, continuously recording high-resolution dive data, along with vocalizations and feeding-related sounds. “ This tag has got a video recorder. It's got a hydrophone. It's listening for all the calls that are being made by the killer whales, but it's also recording dolphin calls as we discover. It has a depth sensor so we know what depth the whale is at. It's got three-dimensional accelerometers. So we can reconstruct all the swimming movements of the whale, whether it turns or heads down or heads up. It does water temperature as well. So it's a very sophisticated fitbit that was designed to be put onto marine life, such as Killer Whales.” “All of my life I've seen whales from a boat, with a camera in hand or binoculars. Here we're getting a bird's-eye view with a drone, which others have used before, but for the first time, we got the orca eye view of what's really going on, and that changes everything, to see the world as the killer whales experience it.” Trites suspects but does not know if killer whales and dolphins cooperate in the same manner around Cortes, Read, and Quadra Islands. “ I don't know how frequently you see white-sided dolphins around Cortes. There is a resident population of white-sided dolphins living in the Salish Sea. I don't know much about their distribution and whether or not those dolphins behave the same as the ones that are up in Johnson Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound. Certainly, the northern residents that are going to your area know how to work with dolphins. The question is whether or not the dolphins in your area know how to hang out and work cooperatively with northern residents.” Initially, the research team believed these dolphins were harassing Southern Resident Killer Whales, but this perception changed after Keith Holmes, a drone pilot with the Hakai Institute, observed their interactions. He noted, “From above, you could see this incredible amount of activity. It was clear that there was some sort of communication happening, and they were actively foraging together,” as stated in the UBC press release. Dr. Sarah Fortune, the lead author and Canadian Wildlife Federation Chair in Large Whale Conservation, emphasized the significance of these observations by saying, “We’ve long known that resident killer whales interact with Pacific white-sided dolphins, but seeing them dive and hunt in sync with dolphins completely changes our understanding of what those encounters mean.”

Ruth Ozeki Talks About A Tale for the Time Being

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 16:57:42 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - Tune in on December 12, 2025, for a pre-recorded episode of FolkU with author Ruth Ozeki, who sits down with the Cortes Island Academy for a deep, generous conversation about her book A Tale for the Time Being. Ruth shares how the novel emerged from Zen teachings, natural disasters, and we chat about the mysterious voices that spark creative work. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Climate Realities_ A Response to Liberal Climate Plan

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 12:44:27 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -In yesterday’s broadcast, Jennifer Lash, a former senior advisor from Environment and Climate Change Canada, explained that the Prime Minister had to make an MOU with Alberta in order to bring that province on board to initiate further climate initiatives. The potential cost was building a pipeline across BC, but she believes the opposition in BC is too strong for this to become a reality. She also talked about other past and present Liberal environmental policies. Max Thaysen from Cortes Island’s Climate Action Network responds in this morning’s interview.

Liberal Environmental Policy For Dummies

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 12:10:50 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Justin Trudeau’s environmental policy is often either purchasing the Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMX) or expanding Canada’s LNG sector. Yet Jennifer Lash, a former senior advisor with Environment and Climate Change Canada, speaks of his accomplishments in the fight against climate change. In this morning’s interview, she explains the rationale behind Liberal environmental policies. As it is actually quite simple once you get the underlying theme, Cortes Currents is calling it ‘Liberal Environmental Policies for Dummies.’ Jennifer Lash: “There’s two ways that you can address climate change. One is through the policies that reduce the emissions here in Canada, and the other is by taking action to leave fossil fuels in the ground so that they're not even extracted.” “Both approaches have merit, so I'm not here to just say whether one is right or wrong. Both are out there, and there is a substantial part of society that's very concerned about how much fossil fuels we're taking out of the ground. When TMX was purchased, that provided space for the oil sands to expand.” “When LNG is approved, it obviously increases the extraction of LNG, which is then burned in other countries. We're all trying to meet our Paris targets; that doesn't count emissions burned in other countries. So with the Paris Agreement, we are responsible for the emissions that we generate here in Canada. When the LNG is exported and burned in China, China has to account for those emissions. It's just the math of how the system works. As a major oil and gas supplier globally, Canada has a moral responsibility for how much fossil fuels we put into the system.” “There is also the argument that at this moment in time, if we leave our LNG in the ground, another country is going to take it. So it's not like global emissions are, or the global supply of LNG is going to go down. It's going to go up. It's just that we leave it in the ground and don't have the economic benefit, and another country does. That's just the lay of the land of the issues that surround the climate debate.” “When Trudeau came into power, he and his various environment ministers—Minister McKenna, Minister Wilkinson, and then Minister Guilbeault—all played a part in delivering these policies. They put together the first national climate plan, which was designed to reduce our emissions. We call it the PCF, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Climate Change and the Economy.” “The ability to get all the provinces to sign onto that—namely to get Alberta to sign onto that—required a pipeline. So that was the first grand bargain that the Liberal government did with Alberta. You can say it was really bad to get TMX, and I'm leaving out all the ocean risk issues—that's a whole other interview as a threat to the ocean—but in terms of climate, the pipeline was approved in order for us to get a national climate plan, which we did get.”

Grand Opening of the Cortes Wood Makerspace

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 14:10:18 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - On Saturday, December 6, more than three dozen people gathered for the grand opening of ithe Cortes Wood Makerspace, in Mansons Landing. Shopmaster Hannu Huuskonen explained, “A lot of people need to do stuff in a woodworking shop and not everyone needs to build themselves a shop, especially big enough to do certain things with it properly equipped. It's a big outlay of money. So it makes total sense to have people be able to come to a common space.

BC Ferries_ Shutdown of Cortes Ferry reduced to 3 weeks; Hydro Electric Ferry coming sooner

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 14:35:42 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -Work on the Heriot Bay and Whaletown ferry terminals is proceeding faster than expected, and the much-anticipated shutdown of service on the Cortes to Quadra run has been shortened to three weeks. Cortes Island’s new hydroelectric ferry could arrive as early as late spring or summer of 2026. The Cortes and Campbell River ferries could both be fully electric earlier than previously expected. The key word for both of those last items is ‘could’ because they are possibilities, not promises. In this morning’s interview, Sheila Reynolds from BC Ferries gave Cortes Currents an update on the scheduling for our area.

FOCI_ Upcoming AGM & Need to Raise $15,000 for Core Expenses

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 13:14:54 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -The Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) needs to raise $15,000 for core operations, and is also inviting the community to their Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, December 9, at 5 PM, at Manson’s Hall. FOCI’s Executive Director, Helen Hall, explained, “We all live on this beautiful island which has rich forests, a stunning coastline and a host of endangered species, and I think that's a big reason why people choose to live here -the natural beauty of the island. FOCI has a really important remit to protect and nurture that natural beauty for future generations.” Cortes Currents: FOCI has just published its 2025 Annual Report—a look back at a year full of on-the-ground conservation and community projects. What have you been doing? Helen Hall: 2025 was a very busy year for us. We have been doing everything from doing a whole island beach cleanup in the spring to maintaining all the regional parks and trails. We’ve helped create a really amazing wetland at the Cortes Island School. FOCI has been continuing to work on the Dillon Creek Wetland, which is helping to reduce the nutrients going into Hague and Gunflint Lakes. We've also been doing some important marine work. FOCI just launched a program protecting the vital eelgrass beds around Cortes. We've been also working to try and prevent a very invasive species getting hold in Manson's Lagoon, which is the European green Crab.”

MOU with Alberta_ The Poll, Pipeline, Tanker Traffic and Global Temperature Rise

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 13:03:01 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - In the conclusion of a series about Canada’s MOU with Alberta, four local leaders delve deeper into specific issues: the pipeline itself; whether Canada needs British Columbia’s support; the proposed lifting of BC’s tanker moratorium; and an Angus Reid poll suggesting a slim majority of British Columbians may be in favour of the MOU.

Four thought Leaders React to Canada's MOU with Alberta

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 21:31:35 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Canada’s MOU with Alberta, a proposed new pipeline in British Columbia, and the possible lifting of the tanker ban have been hot news items over the past few days. Steven Guilbeault resigned from cabinet over his opposition to the way Prime Minister Mark Carney is handling these issues. In the first episode of a two part series about the MOU, Cortes Currents asked two politicians and two environmental leaders for their take on these events. Green Party leader Elizabeth May; Jennifer Lash, a former senior analyst with Environment and Climate Change Canada and the 2025 LIberal candidate for North Island–Powell River. Shelley Luce, Associate Director and Campaigns Director at Sierra Club BC; Max Thaysen, a leader of the Cortes Island Climate Action Network and regional representative for North Island on the BC NDP’s Standing Committee on Economy and Environment.

Launch of the Cortes Community Ecosystem Mapping Project’s Map Series

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 22:58:26 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Cortes Community Mapping Project recently launched its Cortes Island Map Series in Linnaea’s Lakeview Room. This morning’s program consists of gleanings from the three speakers: Sabina Leader Mense, David Shipway and Eve Flager. Sabina Leader Mense: “I want to give you a little bit of background on how we got this project started. In a nutshell, the project is best described as putting community maps into community hands. That’s been our goal. I’m just one of the team members working on this project. Eve Flager, whom you’ll be hearing from shortly, is our GIS (Geographic Information System) analyst. David Shipway is the keeper of maps on Cortes and has been a big part of this project. Sonya Friesen, ground-truther extraordinaire, has been working with us. Maya Buckner, who is not here, was born and raised on Cortes and is a newly accredited GIS analyst through Vancouver Island University. So we have our own resident analyst mentored by Eve. We’re in a really good position to move forward with our maps.

BC Hydro’s Peak Savings Program and Beyond

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 14:03:45 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - A growing number of countries are experimenting with ways to integrate electric vehicle batteries and rooftop solar systems into their energy grids to enhance stability. While BC Hydro is conducting trials with EV batteries in the Lower Mainland, the utility’s current emphasis is on rewarding customers who reduce their energy consumption during evening peak periods. In today’s interview, Brandon Young, Director of Energy Efficiency and Innovation at BC Hydro, discusses the Peak Saver program and possible next steps for integrating residential customers into grid-stability initiatives. Brandon Young: “There’s two main avenues for customers to participate:” “They can participate behaviourally. What we do over a course of generally a winter period, is ‘call events.’ We send them an email or text message prior to an event, which generally takes place during the evening for about four hours. If those customers are able to reduce their usage by 20% over the four hours, they redeem a $3 reward. Over the course of the season, those rewards add up.” “The other avenue is they are also able to automatically enrol devices. Most of those are smart thermostats for baseboard heaters and during those events that allows us to automatically turn down the thermostat a couple degrees achieving the savings we need. For a thermostat, they'll receive $50 a year. We also have seasonal amounts for level two chargers if they have electric vehicles as well as batteries. Batteries can be up to $250 per season.” For BC Hydro, the program reduces peak demand and helps defer or avoid capital investments needed to meet growing electricity needs. Brandon Young: “W e have almost 150,000 customers participating across the province. The majority of those are behavioral, but definitely a growing number of customers on the enrollment side and a really high satisfaction rate. Less than 1% of customers that enrol choose to no longer participate.” Cortes Currents: What about people with solar and batteries? Brandon Young: “Self-generation and net metering are designed to reduce a home’s reliance on the grid, and battery storage can help during peak periods. Eligible home batteries can be enrolled in Peak Saver whether or not a customer has solar panels. By allowing the home to rely on its battery during the four-hour event window, customers can earn $250 per season.” Cortes Currents: Residential battery customers (with or without solar) are assured that peak saving events will not exceed four hours, during which their batteries will not go below 20% of capacity. They will retain manual override of their batteries throughout this period and at the end of the four hours the device will return to its normal settings. “BC Hydro also offers incentives of up to $5,000 for residential battery installations. If a battery is eligible for Peak Saver enrolment, a customer may receive a $500 enrolment bonus and $250 each year thereafter. Over ten years, that could total $2,500, helping to offset bills or initial installation costs.” Germany’s path toward a net-zero grid is expected to include leveraging parked EVs whose batteries are often unused during the day. BC Hydro has not yet scaled two-way, vehicle-to-grid energy flows for mass market use, but the utility is running trials—particularly with short-range commercial fleets. Young explained, “Right now we have a pretty substantive trial with Lynch bus line school buses in the Lower Mainland, where they charge in our off peak periods and then again can inject power back to the grid during peak, reducing that peak demand.” “We do have a number of shorter range distribution cargo companies as well. Longer term, one of our bigger pieces is for sure looking at scaling to mass market or residential customers as well.”

The Face of Poverty on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 13:19:21 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -In 2015, the year Justin Trudeau was elected Prime Minister of Canada, more than 5 million Canadians were living in poverty. This number came down every year until 2020, when Canada reached its goal of cutting the number of people living below the poverty line by 50%. However, a new report from the Auditor General of Canada states this was ‘mainly due to the emergency benefits the government temporarily provided because of the COVID-19 pandemic.’ Thanks to inflation and the phasing out of these benefits, close to 4 million Canadians were once again living in poverty by 2023. According to the 2025 Hunger Count, put out by Food Banks Canada, the situation has deteriorated since then. In today’s story, Angelica Raaen from the Cortes Food Bank described what poverty looks like on a remote island.

The Art of Influence_ The how and why of Lobbying

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:48:06 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The recent Investigative Journalism Foundation exposé on lobbying, prior to Mark Carney’s first budget, fits a familiar pattern. Industry logged hundreds of hours of consultation with government officials. By way of contrast, the environmental sector has little representation. They are not even mentioned in this report! What does this mean? Cortes Currents asked Jennifer Lash, who has been both the founder of a non-profit society and a senior government analyst, for her insight into why the system is important and how it works. Jennifer Lash: “The term lobby comes from the area around the House of Commons where the different parties gather when they’re not actually in the House. That’s where people used to go and meet with them to share their perspectives on things. They were meeting in the lobby, so these people became known as lobbyists. That’s where the term comes from, and anyone is lobbying if they’re meeting with an MP or a bureaucrat and advocating for something.” “If I was working for a not-for-profit organization and went to meet with the Minister of the Environment and was advocating for certain policies, I would be lobbying them. Quite often we use the term lobbyists to mean people who are paid to do this. Large lobbying firms specialize in government relations; they know all the people to meet with, and they often have relationships with people in government. Organizations and companies will hire these firms to help get access to people.” “It’s a very common thing that’s done. Anybody can hire a lobbyist. Not-for-profit organizations will hire lobby firms, and companies will hire lobby firms.” “Where it gets a little bit more controversial—and where people have concerns—is the fact that hiring lobbyists can be expensive. Usually the only entities that can afford to hire lobbyists are companies, such as oil and gas companies, where they have a lot of profit and there’s a lot at stake financially. So they’ll invest a lot of money in hiring a lobby firm to advocate for what they want, whereas not-for-profit organizations like climate advocacy groups don’t have that budget and can’t afford to hire lobby firms. They have less time and capacity to be able to advocate for what they want.” “Quite often it’s interpreted that if the government has met with far more people from the oil and gas industry, they are going to reflect the position of the oil and gas industry. I’m just picking on the oil and gas industry in this example. It could be mining companies; it could be any companies that have more money. Quite often we’ll see reports that say the government met with lobbyists from natural resource development companies far more than they met with environmental groups; therefore, they’re leaning that way.” “That’s, of course, very possible. Ultimately, it’s up to the politicians and the bureaucrats to make the right decisions and to listen to the information and make the decisions that are right. In a perfect world, it wouldn’t matter if you meet with one company 10 times and another organization one time; that shouldn’t shift the weight of the decision. You should still be making the decision in the best interest of Canadians. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes, if you have had more time with some groups over others, you will tend to lean in that direction. It gets a little bit more difficult.”

SRD passed Cortes Island's zoning update

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 13:42:09 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -The Strathcona Regional District Board passed the Cortes Island Zoning Bylaw. Regional Director Mark Vonesch gave an overview of the process: “We're at the last stage of potentially passing the Cortes Island zoning bylaw. It's been almost a two year process of community consultation, both online and in person. It's gone to the advisory Planning Commission on Cortes, and it's gone through a public hearing at the beginning of September. We had 140 plus folks attend that hearing, which is amazing. The reason I deferred it a month was that you have 200 pages of comments on this, and I wanted to take the time to read them all and to really assess what people's challenges and also what they like about the bylaw before making my own personal recommendation.” “I think overall, people appreciate that there will be increased density allowed for the Cortes Housing Society on their Rainbow Ridge property.” “Again, not everyone's in complete agreement, but I'm really excited about that part of the housing needs on Cortes is increasing our nonprofit housing. I'm excited that they're moving forward with 24 units on part of their property. I think that's obviously doesn't cover every concern or every comment that everyone had, but it covers a lot of the bigger comments.”

Baker acclaimed Chair, Vonesch elected Vice Chair of the SRD

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 12:42:26 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Mark Baker is once again acclaimed Chair and Mark Vonesch was selected as the new Vice Chair of the Strathcona Regional District Board. These offices are yearly appointments and were made at the board’s inaugural meeting on Wednesday November 19, 2025. This will be the fourth consecutive year that Mark Baker has been chosen Chair. Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott and Regional Director Mark Vonesch ran for election as Vice Chair. When neither candidate was able to obtain the necessary 8 votes after two rounds, they were asked to give a short speech. Director Vonesch was first: “Thank you, this is fantastic: democracy in action. I think you've all seen the vigor and the passion that I brought to this board table , working for my community and working together to, to move the priorities of this board forward. That's something that I would bring to this leadership position. When I'm in meetings at UBCM, I'm speaking loudly and strongly for the needs of this entire district. I believe deeply in the power of government to have an impact on people's lives and the decisions that we make here are important. As the Vice Chair, I would be a candidate for all of you. I'd be a candidate for Campbell River. I'd be a candidate for Zeballos, Tahsis,Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nations, Sayward and all the areas. Gold River, of course, Michael. I'm honored to be nominated and I appreciate you considering your support for me. I promise to hold this position with integrity and passion.” Director Sinnott stated, “Thank you. So everyone knows I have been vice chair and it's not very often that you serve, but the most important event I felt very special about was what Director Rice did this year, which was represent the SRD at the Remembrance Day, which I think was a really nice thing to be able to do because our current chair is in his own community. The other thing is I can run a meeting very quickly and efficiently, I think, and make sure that we get through our business promptly and as well as represent the interests of the region as a whole because I'm very much into the regional approach.” This was followed by a third and once again inconclusive round of votes, after which they drew lots. Thomas Yates, Senior Manager of Corporate Services, declared, “Director Vonesch has been elected as Vice Chair.” Chair Baker closed this segment of the board meeting: “Well, congratulations to Director Vonesch. Thank you all again for electing me chair for the fourth year. I appreciate that very much. I will try to make you proud.”

Cortes EV Forum 2025

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 12:54:39 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - On October 31st, the Cortes Climate Action Network (CCAN) hosted an EV forum at Manson’s Hall, attracting over a dozen people. The event began with a prepared presentation about the carbon/energy profile of EVs vs internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, followed by general Q&A in which local owners of EVs answered questions about their cars, usage patterns, and overall experience. The last EV discussion and demo event to be held on Cortes was pre-Covid, on Earth Day in 2019. Since then the number of EVs on the island has grown considerably and many more brands and models are now available. E-bikes have become more common on our local roads than pedal-only bikes, and interest in “going electric” for our transportation needs seems to be growing.

Are BC' forests getting 'Closer to the Brink?'

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 22:13:30 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Five years have passed since the provincial government’s Old Growth Review panel published its report on BC’s old growth forest management. Sierra Club BC recently commissioned two of the panel's three scientists to do a study on how their recommendations were carried out. In today's interview, Karen Price talks about their report ‘Closer to the Brink.’ “We need to shift the paradigm because we all depend on the Earth and we need to start putting ecosystems and human communities ahead of industrial profits. To do that, we need to protect big tree forests. That's my bottom line. That means supporting nations in their planning and it means working towards protecting 30% of each ecosystem by 2030 and 50% by 2050,” she explained. The 30% by 2030 goal was adopted by the 188 nations that signed the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022. Canada was one of them. While the Kunming-Montreal Framework did not specifially endorse the 50% by 2050 goal, it does state we need to “substantially increasing the area of natural ecosystems” by 2050. One of the better known advocates of a 50% goal is the late Edward Osborne Wilson, a foundational figure in modern biology. Wilson stated the next big thing will be global biodiversity loss. “If we protect half the Earth’s land and sea and manage sufficient habitat to safeguard the bulk of biodiversity, living Earth can continue to breathe.” Karen Price: “The forests in BC play a really important role in both the climate and the biodiversity crises. People have probably heard about nature-based solutions. Our forests are some of the world's best options for nature-based solutions to both climate and biodiversity crises.” “Our trees in BC and particularly our big tree old growth are the best carbon bank that we have. Terrestrially, we need to be storing carbon and some of these ecosystems can store more than a thousand tons per hectare.”

What did the Budget Mean for North Island Powell River_

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 12:41:06 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -Monday November 17, 2025 - Prime Minister Mark Carney's government is expected to face another non-confidence motion today. This will be the third non-confidence motion this month, which the opposition parties have made in regard to the 2025 budget. In this morning's interview, Jennifer Lash, the liberal candidate for this riding during the last election, explains why the budget is good for North Island Powell River, and why it's good for climate action. Jennifer Lash: “Budget 2025 can be looked at in two ways, and I'm going to use some economic language here. There's both the macro approach and there's the micro approach. So the macroeconomic approach is, what does it mean for Canada?A thriving economy within Canada benefits everybody in terms of just having a healthier economy and generating more tax revenue for the government - which can result in more social services.” “What the Prime Minister did with this budget is he really looked at how we can invest in major industries so that we can see the economic development we need to see in this country to make our economy stronger. A lot of that's through infrastructure, through capital investments, really trying to attract up to a trillion dollars of private investment so the economy at large across Canada is healthier. When our economy is stronger, we have more revenue for the social services that we all benefit from so many times. This, in general, will benefit North Island- Powell River, but there are some specific things that also develop that also benefit this area.” “There is support for the forestry industry, which was announced before the budget, but reconfirmed in the budget. Money to help companies that are dealing with tariffs: how can they diversify their markets? How can they get guaranteed loans so that they can help to retool their industry or their business so that they can adjust to new markets overseas.” “There's really an influx of cash into the forest industry to deal with these tariffs. It's really important to note that this riding is not a stranger to tariffs. “These tariffs that the country is talking about now, we have been dealing with for decades from the United States on the software lumber industry. So I find it refreshing, the government's finally really supporting us through that. I hope that it continues to get the priority attention it needs that the auto sector's getting, the steel sector's getting and aluminum sector's getting so forestry's really important.” “In terms of fisheries, there's also funding for the seafood industry to also look at new markets and that would apply to wild fisheries as well as the aquaculture industry. So that's shellfish, farmed fish, and also our amazing, wild seafood industry. And again, talking about tariffs, It's not just the US tariffs that are a problem. A lot of the seafood industry is really affected by tariffs from China right now. How can we support our industry through that?”

Addye Susnick joins host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie to talk about Community and Dissent in a Digital Age

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 11:23:05 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - Tune in on November 14th, 2025, for a conversation that explores how queer and trans zine-making can become an act of joyful resistance and connection. Addye Susnick joins host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie to chat about their PhD dissertation and their deep dive into zine culture, uncovering radical histories, underground networks, and continuing power as a tool for community and dissent in a digital age. Together, the conversation weaves zines, trans joy, and creative defiance into a reflection on how small acts of creation can ripple outward into meaningful social change. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Why Some Local 2025 Homeless Counts Dropped

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 18:14:27 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - In 2025, the Province of British Columbia funded homeless counts in 20 communities. To virtually everyone’s surprise, the numbers were down in eight communities. Campbell River, Powell River, Comox and Parksville/Qualicum were among them. Port Alberni and Sechelt/Gibsons were not. In this morning’s broadcast, Cortes Currents looks into the reasons why, as well as some popular misconceptions and possible remedies about homelessness.

Nov72025_HowieRoman_FindingHome_Edited

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:34:39 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie / Folk U -Tune in on November 7th, 2025 for a special collaborative FolkU episode, featuring Howie Roman telling stories of his life and how he got to Cortes. This is a live recording from the Cortes Island Museum and Archives Society’s latest Finding Home event, recorded in October 2025. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

SRD Will Not Use Gas Tax Funds For Cortes Food Bank

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 13:18:29 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District will not use $28,000 of its gas tax funds to help the Cortes Island Food Bank. At their October 22, 2025 meeting, 7 of the 14 district directors voted against a motion to fund the food bank. Directors opposed to the motion were concerned about the potential impact that supporting a third party organization could have on future SRD applications for gas tax funding. As Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch explained, “ I'm not saying $28,000 is a dealbreaker. I don't honestly believe it is, but moving forward, I don't think we can take the same approach when the number is $200,000 or $500,000.” “If you're giving your gas tax money to third parties, are you saying you don't have any infrastructure need yourself?” Mark Vonesch, Regional Director for Cortes Island, responded, “One of the challenges on Cortes is that we don't have SRD capital projects to invest gas tax lending. So we do have to take these extra steps to be able to provide it through a third party.” “I spoke with one of the folks involved with the food bank today, and they said that over the last three years, usage has gone up by a hundred percent every year. That's a lot of seniors, folks that are on pensions and really limited incomes. One of the interesting things he mentioned was that there's a mental health component to this as well, and that when folks get access to good healthy food and have some stability around food security, that really impacts other parts their life, including reducing the likelihood to need medical support and other costs to government systems. This is a grant request for $28,000 to help them finish this.”

A Discovery Islands Health Centre

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 15:31:20 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -The Quadra, Cortes, and Surge Narrows communities, as well as the Klahoose and We Wai Kai First Nations, have sent the BC Ministry of Health an application for funding to set up a Discovery Island Community Health Centre. “It offers stability for practitioners. It offers leadership stability through a joint board and a hired executive director. It offers some economies of scale in terms of practitioners being shared and supplies being shared. It offers a shared medical record between the communities. Potentially, one of the things is using video conferencing as opposed to an in-person visit, if that's appropriate. It's community driven, it doesn't involve Victoria telling remote communities what works for them, because that generally doesn't work for them,” explained Bernice McGowan, a member of the planning committee for the proposed Health Centre.

Folk U Radio, October 24 2025 Edited

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 19:44:17 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/Folk U - On this Folk U, the students of the Cortes Island Academy took over the radio waves to answer this question: If you were to send a message in a bottle that drifts through time and space to another “time being”: another person, species, or world, what would it sound like? These short 3 minute podcasts were the result of a week-long intensive with guest artist Ruby Singh and each captures reflections on time, place, and more-than-human life. Working with field recordings, biosonification tools, and their own creative voices, these short audio message that carries meaning beyond words. Learn more and listen to these and other podcasts at CortesIslandAcademy.ca

+70_ of purchase price for Children's Forest raised

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 20:19:27 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -The Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society has raised just over 70% of the $7.5 million it needs to purchase 261 acres of forest along Carrington Lagoon from Mosaic Forest Management. Society Chair Chris Dragseth says this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the community: “We’re protecting some valuable properties from an ecological point of view and from a societal point of view. The youth of the community, both residents and from afar, have benefited immensely from the protection this land has had to date. It’s got huge opportunities in the future from a continued educational perspective with the youth, but also from a research perspective.” So far, most of the campaign has taken place behind the scenes. Dragseth says they’ll soon be reaching out to the wider Cortes community: “We have a little more than 70% of the target campaign number. There are a few balls in the air, but we’re confident that we will be able to close this deal.” The society still needs to raise about $2 million in the next few weeks. “We have a deadline of November the 19th for the funding conditions to be removed, and then the final closing date is December the 19th.” If the full $7.5 million isn’t raised by then, Dragseth says there may be some flexibility. Part of the total is meant to build an endowment, which could be finalized after purchase. Discussions with Mosaic would be needed if the purchade price is not raised. In the meantime, supporters can follow updates and make pledges online at corteschildrensforesttrust.org.

2025 Social Profit Forum

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 21:39:20 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents -On Tuesday, October 14th the Cortes Island Foundation invited island nonprofit and public service organisations to attend a Social Profit Forum hosted at Hollyhock. This all-day event was well attended and featured presentations by two representatives from “local economy” projects with successful track records: Tara Janzen from the Shorefast Institute for Place-Based Economics and Andrew Greer from Purppl, a consulting group that advises clients who wish to establish “regenerative enterprises.” Ms Janzen gave a slide presentation describing the successful economic re-invigoration of a small Newfoundland island called Fogo. Mr Greer offered some tools for turning social profit goals into specific business plans and strategies, using examples from the Okanagan area. Attendees were invited to come up with ideas and concepts for place-specific economic development on Cortes Island, with the goal of providing living-wage jobs that would allow — among other things — local kids to grow up and remain in their home community instead of having to leave in search of gainful employment. The theme of the day was how to create a local economy that provides employment, investment, and income to benefit the community, rather than importing labour and goods and benefiting distant shareholders. The full event title was From Edge to Opportunity: Collective Pathways for Social Impact. It attracted representatives from almost all the islands’s non profit societies and projects, including CCEDA, the Fire Department, FOCI, the Housing Society, the Cortes Food Coop, the Women’s Centre, the Food Bank, and more. The crowd filled most of Olatunji Hall, one of Hollyhock’s larger venues.

First Home Foundations Poured: Rainbow Ridge Housing Project Takes Shape on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 14:15:46 +0000

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents -The long-awaited Rainbow Ridge housing development has passed a milestone. The foundations of the first two homes are in place. Sadhu Johnston, Executive Director of the Cortes Housing Society, gave Cortes Currents a tour of the site and spoke about the vision, challenges, and progress to date. Rainbow Ridge is rising in Mansons Landing, the most settled community on Cortes Island. The audio version of this story meanders more than usual. It begins inside the community building and ends at the freshly poured foundation of the first duplex. Along the way, the track is filled with construction noises: hammering, lumber being stacked, the warning beep of a backing vehicle, and occasional voices in the background. At times our own voices echo through the empty community building, while outside the steady crunch of footsteps on earth runs through segments. The recording also includes a series of questions and answers that are not repeated in this summary

Cortes Island’s Community Forest Operations in 2025_26

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 11:49:12 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -The Cortes Forestry General Partnership held its public meeting on October 9th, 2025. In today's interview, Operations Manager Mark Lombard talks about leadership transitions, plans for selective logging, the Forest Stewardship Plan review, and other topics from the meeting. He also shares his personal opinion about how climate change is affecting our forest. “We try to have a public meeting every year and we cover whatever topics are relevant at that point. There's always the year in review, so what have we done in the last year since the last public meeting and what are we planning in the coming year,” explained Lombard. “In this case, we had the Forest Stewardship Plan Review, which the Forest and Range Practices Act states must be updated every five years. We had a draft to present to the public and there was a 60 day public comment period, and we wanted to have the public meeting during that time. While the document is really thorough and detailed, and it wasn't something that you could just put up in a PowerPoint slide, we had our registered professional Forester, Kate Roth there to answer questions and discuss the objectives and how it relates to how we operate in the community forest. That was the first and foremost part of the meeting.” Cortes Currents: What were the most significant events this past year? Mark Lombard: “There’s been some change in the leadership of the Community Forest Partnership.” “The Klahoose have had chief council elections and they came out of a period of uncertainty with the change in chiefs midterm. Kevin Peacey, who has been the chief in the past, is now on the board of the Community Forest again.” “We did an interview with Kevin. Bill Weaver is doing a mini documentary about the community forest for us.” “There were some changes on the co-op side. David Shipway has stepped in to replace Aaron Ellingson.” Cortes Currents: The United States slapped a new 10% tariff on top of the existing duties, which brings the combined total to 45%. Mark Lombard: “So the outlook isn't great for log markets. That's probably one of the bigger challenges as it relates to the upcoming year.” “We would like to do some logging. Our partners would really like to see some logging, and generate some opportunity for economic reconciliation and doing what we set out to do.” “We have to set up the log dump. A storm had broken maybe one or two of the anchor chains, so there will need to be some divers that go and set new anchor chains and bring in some boom sticks, set up a dumping ground and then bring a machine in to push logs off the truck.” “So there's a pretty big upfront overall cost that needs to be amortized over a reasonable amount of volume. We've never had to pay to set up the log boom fully. It isn’t viable at today’s below-average prices, though it might work once prices return to normal. We probably can't make it work for under 4,000-4,500 meters, and the goal is to log around 6,000 meters. It's going to be challenging to do that if prices don't come up.”

Oct102025_FogoIsland_ChatterThatMatters_EditedFolkUEpisode

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 11:29:41 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U -Tune in on October 10th for a special episode of FolkU radio, where we listen to an episode of another talk show, Chatter That Matters, by Tony Chapman. This episode features a conversation with Zita Cobb about the story arch of her home in Newfoundland, Fogo Island. This is a discussion about tourism, circular economies, community, and rurality. Introduction by Manda Aufochs-Gillespie. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 3 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

BC's Chief Forester Tells the SRD the State of BC's Forests, or not

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 10:24:39 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -Shane Berg, BC’s Chief Forester, has a message he is taking to trading partners around the world. On Thursday, October 2, 2025, he made a presentation to the Strathcona Regional District’s Natural Resources Committee. In today’s broadcast there are select clips from that presentation, including reactions from the committee. Also Bruce Ellingsen, one of the founding directors of the Cortes Community Forest Cooperative and a local thought leader on forestry matters, gave his opinion about the presentation and what he believes it lacks. Berg claims that the amount of old growth forests is increasing. According to Ellingsen what is not clear is that he is talking about the 80% of relatively small old growth trees growing in less productive areas, not the ‘big tree old growth’ that the environmental community is concerned about.

Revenue Diversification For Social Profits

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 22:00:44 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U -On October 3 2025, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Kate Maddigan, Bruen Black, Amy Robertson, and Genevieve Cruz, for a special group discussion on revenue diversification for rural non-profits. Tune in for talk of circular economies, transportation, a brainstorm on creative revenue solutions, and updates from the Cortes Natural Food Co-op, CCEDA, and the Cortes Housing Society. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 3 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Rural Directors against Municipalities joining the Electoral Areas Planning Service

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 13:18:34 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Campbell River wants to take control of the Strathcona Regional District’s Electoral Areas Planning Service away from rural directors. They are thinking of joining the service, which would cost Campbell River tax payers close to $500,000 a year for their resulting share of the assessments, and have asked other municipalities to do the same. This morning’s story consists of interviews with the Regional Directors of Areas A, Cortes Island and C, who issued a joint press release against this on Wednesday, October 1. Mark Vonesch, Regional Director of Cortes Island, began, “For folks that are learning about this, for the first time, I'll give some background information. The four electoral areas at the Strathcona Regional District. That's Cortes Island, that's Quadra and the Discovery Islands, the Seaward Valley area, which is area A and then area D south of Campbell River. We currently have a planning service that we all pay into. That's where all our land use decisions happen and currently the four of us are the votes on those decisions. Campbell River has the right to be able to join this planning service, but it means they have to pay for it.” “So right now, Campbell River is considering joining the electoral area planning service that would cost them $500,000 a year. That's $5 million over the next 10 years to be able to control land use planning decisions in the rural areas of the Strathcona Regional District.” Gerald Whalley, Regional Director for Area A explained, “My concern is based on the fact that if Campbell River joined the electoral area planning service, they would have total control over all land use issues within the rural areas, within the electoral areas. That is because Campbell River has five votes, the other electoral areas only have four votes, so they could potentially outvote us on every issue.” Robyn Mawhinney, Regional director for Area C added, “This could mean that an application which has not received community support could be pushed through despite community feedback. It could potentially mean a building service could be implemented, costing residents not only increase tech, do tax dollars annually, but more and more fees for every stage of construction. It could really mean that the wishes of rural residents are not considered in land use planning decisions, and to me, that's unacceptable and why I am really so concerned with this proposal.”

A New Internet Provider for Cortes- Raincoast Networks

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 12:04:30 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - As of September 30th, 2025, Raincoast Networks serves the 347 remaining customers in what was once the Twincomm service area on Cortes Island. Mascon by Telus acquired Twincomm in 2022. “I come from Savary Island. We provide internet to those who have decided to live off grid and in remote communities and cannot be served well by other telecom providers, majors and things from space, explained Oliver Linsley, owner of Raincoast Networks “We've been doing this for eight years and we service areas from Howe Sound all the way to Cortes. It has been a wonderful adventure, mainly because I get to meet some fantastic people in places I didn't even know existed. We've helped communities up and down the coast, and that's where we got our pride from. It's not from a paycheck (laughs), I can tell you that, but it definitely is from the fact that I can go to someone's house and they have baked cookies for me. They're just super happy that we came in a boat and we've driven across a whole bunch of crazy oceans and we're at their house and we're going to fix it.” Cortes Currents: How did you get into Cortes Island? Oliver Linsley: “Into Cortes was a interesting situation. I have been dealing with major telecom companies since we started. In the beginning, it was a very positive situation where they were very interested in working with people like me as last mile providers, so they did not have to extend their networks out at a cost they did not like. Telecom likes density because it maximizes their investment. So they partnered up with me and we began working at these remote places. As COVID hit, the demand skyrocketed and the government came around and gave them monies, and we began competing with Major Telecom (Mascon by Telus).” “Major Telecom decided that they had gotten too far. They had purchased Twincommm from Mark Torrance on Twin Islands. After two years of owning that, it had served its purpose to them, and they no longer wanted the asset and the customers here on Cortes. They approached me and asked me if I wanted to take over the network. Over the course of about a year and, for various me reasons me saying 'no I don't think so,’ in the end, I decided that Cortes was a wonderfully remote community with demand that I wanted to be a part of. So after a long, long period of negotiations, we ended up picking up Cortes, about 350 customers on the island and we just acquiring it as of today, I believe.” Cortes Currents: What are you offering? Oliver Linsley: “We basically offer the same service that Twincommm did. We are very community based. We are looking to pick up a tech here on island. We like to keep customer service, which is something very rare in rural places, as fast as possible. So if your system goes awry one day, perhaps we can actually get to you in one day or the next day as opposed to some of the situations where you get with other providers where they just don't have a presence in the community. We really pride ourselves. in being there to keep people online, because most of the time it's quite an easy fix.” “So we are offering fixed to wireless services that most people are already hooked up to are already operating. They're operating the same way as TwinComm built them the same way as Mascon was running them. We are going to optimize the network. Essentially it's very similar to what Twincomm was, but we'll be upgrading. Pricing should be the same. The speed should be faster.”

SRD to prepare a report on how communities like Cortes incorporate

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 21:19:48 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -There have been speculations about Cortes Island becoming a municipality and at the September 17 SRD Board meeting staff was instructed to prepare a report about the process. In the unedited audio that follows Cortes Director Mark Vonesch makes the motion. Mayor Julie Colborne of Zeballos seconds it twice, to some laughter, and Campbell River Director Doug Chapman points out that Municipal Affairs will not consider applications from communities with a population under 500. (The population of Cortes Island is 1,100.) The audio begins with Chair Mark Baker speaking The motion was passed with no opposing votes.

SRD Staff to identify public lands on Quadra for potential affordadable housing sites

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 20:24:05 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - SRD staff will prepare a staff report identifying public lands on Quadra Island that may be available for affordable housing development. This is the second time that Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney of Area C brought forward a motion asking for a report and in both cases she was opposed by Directors from Campbell River and Area D. They successfully blocked it at the August 20th SRD Board meeting, but an amended motion passed on September 17 In the unedited audio of the meeting that follows, Campbell River Director Robert Kerr stated the Director of Area C should have filed a notice of motion, rather than making a motion from the floor. Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott claimed the report will not accomplish what Quadra wants and said they do things differently in Campbell River. Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney of Area C described her relationship with the Discovery Islands Affordable Housing Society, a volunteer organization on Quadra Island. She is not being familiar with the way Campbell River does housing projects, but the SRD has a regional housing service and it would be great if they could support an affordable housing project on Quadra Island. Cortes Island Director Mark Vonesch supported the motion, reminding the board that we are in a housing crisis and there is more than one way to get housing projects done. The motion passed despite opposing votes from Campbell River DIrectors Chapman, Kerr and Sinnott, as well as Alternate Director Browne for Area D. SRD staff will be looking for public lands within a reasonable distance from the Village Centres of Heriot Bay and Quathiaski Cove.

The Cortes Island School Wetland Project

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 12:42:04 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -The Cortes Island School Wetland Project is transforming part of the school field into a living classroom that blends ecology, culture, and community effort. In today's interview, we speak to Miranda Cross from Rewilding Water and Earth, the wetland restoration specialist, and biologist on the project Miranda Cross: “The Cortes Island School Wetland Project is a wetland restoration project funded through the ministry of Environment and Climate Readiness through the union of BC municipalities and a fund called Disaster Risk Reduction -Climate Adaptation Funding. This is a partnership project between the Strathcona Regional District, school district 72 and the Cortes Island School.” “My role is to design, build, and manage the project through all the phases. We built two wetlands in the back of the school field in July, and we've been working with the Friends of Cortes Island Society (FOCI), Klahoose First Nation, True Foundation's contract team (which is Laurier Mathieu heavy equipment operation) and the Strathcona Regional District have been involved in all phases of the project, as has obviously the school.” “What we're looking towards now is planting the wetlands with native plants and working with Klahoose First Nation.”

Saturday, September 20_ Drawing the Line in Campbell River

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:08:24 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents =People from 93 nations will be calling upon their governments to Draw the Line - For People, for Peace, for the Planet - on Saturday, September 20. Demonstrations are planned in major cities across Europe, Asia, Latin America, the United States and Canada. More than 200 organizations, including 350Canada, the Council of Canadians and the Migrant Rights Network are participating. On Vancouver Island, there will be demonstrations in Victoria, Nanaimo, Campbell River, Courtenay and Duncan as well as the neighbouring communities of Denman Island, Salt Spring Island and Powell River. Former North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney will be among the Speakers for the event starting at 2 PM in Campbell River’s Spirit Square. Some Quadra Islanders have stated they are participating. On Cortes Island, the Climate Action Network is urging people to catch the 11:55 AM ferry so they can ‘go join the folks in Campbell River.’ Cortes Currents interviewed Murray Etty and Manda Vaughan, two members of the Campbell River Chapter of the Council of Canadians, who are organizing the Campbell River demonstration. Murray Etty: “We’re uniting behind five main demands of the Federal Government, but also the provinces: put people over profits, fund our families and communities; refuse ongoing colonialism, uphold Indigenous sovereignty; stop blaming migrants, demand full immigration status for all; end the war machine, stand for justice and peace; and, for Mandy and me, the most important one of all is end the era of Fossil fuels Protect Mother Earth. ” Cortes Currents: What do you hope this demonstration will achieve?  Murray Etty: “ Thousands of people across this country are involved and I think it's going to really make an impression not only the Carney government, but provincial governments too. We've got to get into action here. The time for dithering and making excuses is over, but the people of Canada have got to step up and communicate to their governments.” We've gotta have a way more sending of emails, letters, phone calls, protest movements, and so on to let the governments know we mean business. It's time for a conversion to renewable energy.” Cortes Currents: What conversations have you had locally?  Murray Etty: “We’ve sent out a whole bunch of emails to organizations and individuals. Sue Moen just this morning said she sent more than 80 messages to people she knows. We’ve also put a notice in the Campbell River Mirror.”  Manda Vaughan: “We put out a request to Aaron Gunn (MP Noth Island-Powell River), he's otherwise engaged. The message went out to Anna Kindy (MLA, North Island) also, but we haven't heard of a positive reply from her yet.” “Earlier this year Elder College hosted a class on climate change (at North Island College in Campbell River). Surveys by the Guardian and other groups show that well over 60% of people globally are concerned but the majority don’t feel they can broach the subject with their friends or neighbours.” “The fact is, people are concerned. We need to come out of our silos and realize others care too. What we are hoping with this rally is to encourage people to come out because climate affects all of us.”

Sep 19 at Mansons Friday Market_ Comox Strathcona Waste Management Service talks about changes coming

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:31:16 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -What does the Comox Strathcona Waste Management Service update mean to Cortes residents? Rates will go up. You may be paying more if you have a project that requires a bin to remove a lot of waste, like from a construction site or a rennovation. There may be some money for the free store. There are actually 33 proposed actions, but at this point it is not clear how many will apply to us. Sarah Willie, Manager of Solid Waste Planning and Policy Development will be at this Friday’s Mansons Public Market, September 19, to talk about it. Sarah Willie: “We’re a service of the Regional District and our main goal is in waste diversion and also the management of that garbage and that recycling further along. We’re managing the landfills, transfer stations, the depots across the service area. We operate the Cortes Depot and recycling and transfer station and we’re also a big part of the Quadra upgrades that are coming up. We’ve got bins there right now and we’ve procured some land in order to build a recycling depot.” “We’re in the middle of a 10-year update of our solid waste management plan. This plan is really big-picture thinking. How are we gonna achieve that diversion increase over the next 10 years? Are we gonna preserve our landfill space? And providing opportunities for people to have input into that process. “We’re in step three now of a four-step process. We’ve been out to community a couple times over the past few years, getting from folks the goals of this process, introducing them to what we do for their community. Sometimes it’s a little bit behind the curtain. Now we’re at the point where we’ve got some strategies and some actions that have been informed by our public and technical advisory committee, as well as our board of directors. “So we’ve got 33 actions and eight strategies that we’ve grouped together and we’re bringing them to the public. We’d like to hear their input and thoughts on whether we’ve hit the mark. So we’ve got a number of events across the whole region coming up. One specifically, we wanna make sure folks are aware of, and that’s on Friday, September 19th. We’ll be joining the Cortes Island Farmer’s Market from noon till three. We’ll have a tent set up there. Myself and my colleague Lindsay will be there to introduce the concepts to folks and to answer any questions. “We’ve also got a lot of online opportunities for engagement. Up until October 16th, you can go to www.cssw.ca/swmp — that stands for Solid Waste Management Plan — and complete our online survey for a chance to win a hundred dollars in groceries.”

Anna Kindy Vists Cortes and Quadra Islands

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 18:34:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - On Monday, September 15th, 2025, Anna Kindy, the MLA for our riding, visited Cortes and Quadra Islands. Cortes Currents met up with her at the Cortes Medical Clinic and then we took a quick tour of the downtown Mansons Landing area. Cortes Currents: What’s it like coming to Cortes Island? Anna Kindy: You forget how beautiful it is. Just taking the ferry over, my first thought was: it’s beautiful. So you guys are lucky. Cortes Currents: You’ve been here before? Anna Kindy: Many years ago, when my husband had a small boat. I remember docking somewhere on Cortes. Cortes Currents: What brings you to Cortes? Anna Kindy: I’m taking my job seriously, and I’m trying to find out what communities need. We’ve done quite a bit of traveling over the summer—we just came back from Tahsis, went to Gold River, Port Hardy, Port McNeill, different areas. This was one of the areas I hadn’t come to yet. Second, with my medical background, I wanted to find out how the services were on the two islands—or all the islands around. Cortes Currents: What did you find out about the medical service? Anna Kindy: It reaffirms my thinking: the community knows best what they need. Sometimes you drive ideas from communities. The health authorities need to listen because they already have a good product that can be made better. I’m seeing a lot of dedication—staff who’ve been there for years and love what they do. There’s a real connection between staff. Like somebody mentioned, it’s a multidisciplinary approach. There are no boundaries—they all help each other, which is fantastic. I also appreciate the welcome feeling. People picked me up from the ferry. They fed us. They’re excited that we’re here. Cortes Currents: Tell me about your visit to Quadra Anna Kindy: We went to the clinic. Their facility is fantastic. They're wanting to plan for the future. All of BC has a lack of primary care access and they want to make sure that they have proper primary care access for long-term. They also have a multidisciplinary team. There's a nurse practitioner and they sometimes get other parts of medical services. Long-term, they’re looking at an even better model where all of the islands are serviced by one community health centre with potential outreach. I think that’s a sustainable way of doing things. Cortes Currents: Our tour of Mansons Landing happened more or less spontaneously. It began at the Rainbow Ridge Affordable Housing project, beside the Medical Clinic, where construction on the first duplex starts today. From there, it seemed only natural to walk over to the Village Commons. We looked at the stage, the food bank sea cans, the Nook, FOCI and Cortes Radio. Standing in the parking lot at Mansons Hall, I pointed out some of the surrounding businesses. When I came to the Cortes Natural Food Co-op, Ms. Kindy asked, “How is it a Co-op?” I suggested, “Why don’t you ask them?” So we went inside. After that we walked up Beasley Road, past the Cortes Market, Skate Park, Fire Department and Museum to the Cortes Elementary School. When the tour was finished, I asked Ms. Kindy for her impressions.

Maureen Williams- How the Zoning Bylaw process for Cortes could have been better

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 16:25:14 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -One of the speakers at the September 8 zoning bylaw meeting at Mansons Hall was Maureen Williams of Cortes Island’s Climate Action Network. While she welcomed the decision to increase the number of lots at Rainbow Ridge up to a maximum of 35, Williams said the proposed zoning update does little to address affordability, environmental protection, or increase Cortes Island’s sense of community. The three-minute speaking limit at the meeting left little room for her to expand on these points, so Cortes Currents spoke with her afterward.

Gumboots In The Straits comes to Gorge Hall

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 10:41:13 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -Book #4 of Gumboots series, 'Gumboots In The Straights' is coming to Gorge Hall on Cortes Island on Saturday September 20. Six of this volume’s authors are Cortes residents, who will be reading excerpts between 1:00-3:00. That’s free. You can purchase food and drinks between 5:00 and 7:00 followed by dancing to Cortes Island’s own ‘He Said; She Said.’ Tickets for that are $25 and available at Marnie’s bookstore and the Cortes Island Museum. In this morning's interview, we'll be talking to Jane Wilde, who came up with the idea for the Gumboots in the Straights series and she will also be giving us some short readings from the Cortes writers in this volume.

SRD Municipalities wanting control of the Electoral Areas Planning Service

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:11:23 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -In the past, Rural Directors have not always appreciated Campbell River ‘interference’ in their affairs. An initiative coming out of the Strathcona Regional District’s (SRD) Municipal Services Committee could result in a lot more interference from Campbell River and other municipalities. Planning is one of the most fundamental and strategic activities within the SRD. They would like to take control of the Electoral Areas Planning Service. Some of the municipal directors were already discussing the idea of joining the service for months, prior to it surfacing at the August SRD Board meeting. At that point Cortes Island Director Mark Vonesch asked, “ I just have a question for folks that brought this forward. My understanding is municipalities already have a planning function. I'm just confused as to why you might want to join when you already have your own planning service. Looking at this report, it's looking at Campbell River paying half a million dollars for something that they already have and given tight budgets everywhere and being conservative with our tax dollars and responsible. I'm just curious as to the sort of reasoning behind it.” Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott replied, “The region is important to Campbell River and we are an unfortunate region where we are so dominant that what happens in the region does impact us because we're paying a good amount of money for it. So it's a consideration we have to look at, but no determination at this point.” The matter was referred to the Municipal Services Committee. The following program consists of gleanings from the Municipal Services Committee Meeting of September 3, 2025.

Unedited Sep 8, 2025 Cortes Bylaw Meeting

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 14:22:21 +0000

This is the unedited audio from the September 8, 2025 Public Meeting about Cortes Island’s zoning bylaw chaired by Regional Director Mark Vonesch. Annie Girdler, from the SRD’s panning department gave an overiew of the proposed bylaw changes Cortes Island residents commented about: regulations preventing people from doing what they want on their property we need regulations to protect the community we need more Advisory Planing Committee meetings (There recently was one for zoning) people should get jobs and buy houses with their own money, not get hand-outs regulations & penalties pertaining to liveaboards support for the proposed zoning bylaws the need for more housing the need for more houses on large lots how the proposed bylaws do not help Cortes Island’s climate resilience the need to protect landlords from abusive tenants Can Cortes Island’s aquifers support more housing Cortes Island’s Aquifer study (which was published last week) the water pollution problem in Hague Lake & how it was resolved by the Dillon Creek Restoration Project

Cortes Island’s First Aquifer Health Study

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 10:50:08 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -Cortes Island’s aquifer health study has been released and in this morning’s interviews we are speaking with Sylvia Barroso, of GW Solutions, the Senior Hydrologist who participated in this project, Sadhu Johnston, Executive Director of the Cortes Island Housing Society and Mark Vonesch, Regional Director of Cortes Island. First, there are two key questions at the top of many people’s minds. Is there enough water in Cortes Island’s aquifers to support further development? And why were some of the island’s shallow wells not recharging during the recent drought? Barroso’s answers to both questions were complex. Aside from her reference to climate change and the fact conditions are going to get worse, you’ll have to wait for her full answer to the question about our shallow wells. However one of her statements about the state of Cortes Island’s aquifers is very illuminating: “Our study showed that in general Cortes has abundant water sources and that at the current usage levels, we have not found that there's overuse. When we look at it from a water management approach, we did not find that any of the water management areas had greater than 5% of the available water being used. That suggests that there is room for growth, and it gives us an opportunity to strategically develop water sources and develop those in protected areas.” Cortes Currents: The issue is much more complex and there are steps we should take to ensure the health of Cortes Island’s water supply, but for that you have to listen to the long version.

Consideration for Monday’s Bylaw Update Meeting at Manson’s Hall

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 07 Sep 2025 20:20:14 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -Cortes Island will have a public meeting on its proposed Bylaw changes on Monday, Sept 8th, 5pm at Manson’s Hall. “This is a chance for folks to weigh in on the proposed draft. We're really looking at a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ decision on this zoning bylaw. There's almost two years of community consultation and input, and this is what staff have produced and the best, happy medium for what folks are asking for,” explained Mark Vonesch, Regional Director for Cortes Island. “The public hearing will be a chance for people to express their opinions and their thoughts. Those will get recorded and added to the public record. It’s important that folks show up whether you’re opposed to or in support of this new zoning bylaw. People who show up make the decisions, and this is an opportunity to have your voice heard. If you can’t make the meeting, you can email planning@srd.ca and that will also be included in the public record.” Sadhu Johnston, Executive Director of the Cortes Housing Society, added, “The Housing Society took a number of positions that we were advocating for with the Regional District.” “The first thing we were advocating for is larger cottages and additional dwelling units on existing properties. There are lots of people on Cortes have a second or third cabin on their land, and they’re out of compliance with the current zoning. That makes people uncertain in their living environments. If you’re renting a cabin from somebody and that cabin is technically illegal, that creates insecurity. Many people on Cortes rely on that type of housing. “The Housing Society was encouraging what used to be called cottages in the zoning bylaw. They were only 60 square meters — about 500 square feet and really too small for a family to live in - as a second house on a property. We were encouraging for that to be bigger and the SRD has made that change. Now that secondary unit, the accessory dwelling unit (ADU), can be 110 square meters.” “The new density rules allow for multiple dwelling units on a single lot. Depending on the zoning type, more than one ADU is now permitted. That can provide passive income for island property owners, and also create additional rental units. These can’t be subdivided or sold, so by nature they provide important rental housing. This proposed bylaw really addressed our concern about larger cottages and additional dwelling units on existing land. “I think the best opportunity for us to get more housing on Cortes is not to build up in the northern part if the island or to develop new sites, but to use properties that already have houses, driveways, electricity, septic, and wells — and enable them to add one or more additional homes. “The previous bylaw had a maximum of three dwellings per lot in the RR1 (Rural Residential 1) and R1 (Residential 1) zones, and they’ve removed that maximum. There’s a new tiered system that allows up to five dwellings in R1 and RR1, and up to six dwellings in RU1 (Residential Urban 1), depending on lot size. Basically, this allows one or two additional houses on existing lots. “They didn’t go as far as the Housing Society was thinking would be helpful, but they did go quite far in allowing additional houses on existing lots.

At the Old Schoolhouse Gallery- Kristen Scofield-Sweet’s final large-scale exhibition

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 16:54:57 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - From August 29 to September 14, the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery will host ‘How Do You Like the Underworld?—Kristen Scofield-Sweet’s final large-scale exhibition. “This is my retirement party swan song on the wall,” she began. “This is a body of work that’s complete. One of the remarkable things about that is the artist doesn’t usually get to see their work all hung together, obviously, unless they have a show. You’re used to seeing a piece over the couch with the pillows or the throw at the back. To actually see them having a conversation with each other is really special.” “Every picture tells a story, so you can get all tangled up with how it got painted and why, how I work and yada, yada. In an exhibition like this, the work gets to speak for itself, and that’s really profound.” Cortes Currents: How did you come up with the title? Kristen Scofield-Sweet: “It’s just an image from walking down the road in my neighborhood, looking for something significant, clicking along, taking pictures. When I got back home and looked at them, it was like, ‘whoa!’ The notion ‘How do you like the underworld?’ just popped into my head, and so there it is.” Cortes Currents: I have to ask, how do you like the Underworld? Kristen Scofield-Sweet: “I think we live there.” Cortes Currents: What is the Underworld?

Cortes Food Bank Recieves Standard of Excellence Accreditation from Foodbanks Canada

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 15:06:34 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Food Bank was one of the nation’s first food banks to receive Standards of Excellence accreditation from Food Banks Canada. The Associations President Beatrix Baxter, explained, “Filipe Figueira, our Executive represented us at the Food Banks Canada Conference in Montreal. During the event, Food Banks Canada honoured food banks across the country that have met their rigorous Standards of Excellence. We are proud to share that Filipe was among a handful of leaders recognized. Achieving this standard takes a tremendous amount of work—especially since so many food banks, like ours, are largely volunteer-run. Few organizations have the capacity to dedicate the hundreds of hours required, which makes this recognition even more meaningful.” Over the years, Food Banks Canada has found that food banks have been pretty uneven in the types of services they offer, and their values. Baxter stressed the fact that the number of Canadians struggling with hunger is increasing. “ It's a bad situation for many Canadians who are struggling to make the decision of whether they are going to afford rent, or food? Are they going to be able to offer their children one meal a day, or no meals?” There is no government program to address this. The Standard of Excellence Program has three main goals: Raising everyone’s service quality, so food banks across Canada have the same ethics, transparency and level of financial accountability. Improving transportation systems so that, for example, locally grown food can be shipped from the east, where it is plentiful, to areas like BC, which is really behind the rest of the nation agriculturally. ( “We are producing a shockingly low amount of food for the amount of farmland that's been cleared.”) Submitting all of the data into one system, so that Food Banks, Canada can go to government officials every month and say, ‘look, our numbers are going up. We don't have enough food. We don't have enough money. We need the support. We are offering frontline emergency support to Canadians. You need to deal with this.’ Operations Manager Angelica Raaen said that in October, Food Banks Canada will be sending two inspectors to inspect the Cortes Island facility, ensuring they continue to meet and maintain these high standards. “ Locally we've seen donations have been going down so much, while need has been rising,” said Baxter. “We don't understand why this is happening because there's such wealth in this community. It is heartbreaking, honestly, to see this happening. We really want to understand why people are feeling less generous. Ultimately we're really hoping that if we prove ourselves to be of a high ethical standard, providing a high client care service, people will entrust us with their donations and their support”

Folk U: Your Brain - on Trauma with special guest Wendy D’Andrea

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 14:39:51 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie /Folk U - Psychologist and scientist, Wendy D’Andrea does research that looks at the impacts of acute trauma (such as a car crash) versus chronic trauma (such as abuse) and what happens with each in the brain and body. D’Andrea is a Professor at the New School and Chief Science Officer at the Trauma Research Foundation This episode isn’t always easy to listen to as topics such as abuse, rape, etc., are mentioned but this is a fascinating and empowering look at the new frontier of trauma research and practice. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 3 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Folk U Two, August 25 2025 Esther Shalev-Gevz

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 17:22:36 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U -On August 25, 2025, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Esther Shalev-Gerz, a renowned artist who has exhibited all around the world. Tune in for insights from her work, reflections on art, Cortes living, and what it’s like to be a well-known artist in the world today. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 3 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Folk U Radio, August 22 2025

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 17:09:36 +0000

Manda AUfochs Gillespie/ Folk U -Thanks for joining us on August 22, 2025 for another week of the Village Commons Music Series, a simultaneously live and live-broadcast show, happening on Fridays from 1 - 2:30pm on the new Pavilion stage. Guest host Immanuel McKenty was joined by Johnny Hanuse, Josie Simpson, and Mary Beth Cysewski, 3 local musicians who sat together on stage for an in-the-round style performance, swapping songs, stories, and jokes. The Village Commons Music Series is produced by Jemma Hicken, Aaron Ellingsen, and Sean Coyote. It is made possible by the Cortes Island Community Foundation, Cortes Community Radio, and the Community Radio Fund of Canada. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 3 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Sandcastle Day 2025 on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 11:34:36 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - A hundred people turned out for Cortes Island’s Sandcastle Day on Saturday, August 23rd, 2025. “It was a blast because all the families are so involved and all the kids are so involved. The day is absolutely beautiful. What's amazing is to see all the cooperation that the children have with each other and the creativity and the enjoyment that comes from this,” explained Nancy Silver, one of the judges. “It is an another community building activity and what could be better and healthier then families creating together or children alone doing it and feeling so empowered.” “Every person received some kind of award and that makes the little ones feel so great about themselves. They go on with their day, but something has changed in their lives and that is the beauty of this event.” Cortes Currents also interviewed two of the participants and a spectator. Monk and three of his friends were among the contestants: “It was a very fun experience and we did our own thing on each part of the castle. We based it off of a book called ‘Percy Jackson.’ It's the Percy Jackson Palace, or Palace of Percy Jackson. We just rolled from there and built this really awesome different themed castle. We didn't really have a specific part that everybody worked on. We just did whatever we wanted.” Zyla Schmidt was in a team that included her mother, grandmother, a lady named Heather and two other kids: “It was really fun, It's kind of about the Children's Forest, like Enchanted Dragon Children's Forest, and I chose to do that because the Children's Forest is trying to get bought. I love it so much that I thought I'd make something based on that. I did a dragon. I didn't do wings, so it looked more like a dinosaur. There was going to be a city, then I turned it into a volcano because there wasn't enough time. We made paths and then raked out the rest. So you could go inside but not wreck the sculpture.” Bruce Hayden brought a professional architect's eye to the event. “One of the ones that I don't know who made it that is very beautiful is the two mountain, one of which looks like a volcano and village on the edge of the sea. The thing that I really like about it is that it's a beautiful integration of landscape and a sense of village. So it's humans meeting landscape in a really beautiful way. We had a good debate about whether it was a fortified village or not. My friend Heidi thought passionately it was a fortified village. I said, well, maybe it's a welcome spot that this is the place where you richly cleanse before you enter the sacred city on the edge of the ocean.” Cortes Currents: Are there any highlights you can think of? Nancy Silver: “For me it was with one group of kids who were so excited about what they did. They kept wanting to go deeper into the details, to take me through it and each part of it was like going into wonderland with them.” “I felt like the children were really in their fantasy world and no one was putting any boundaries on it. When children can go into that experience so fully and grab the adult and try to share with them that world, that to me, was the best experience.” A quick perusal of the Cortes Island Museum website showed there's been sandcastle days at Smelt Bay as far back as the summer of 1991, possibly earlier.

Final Cortes Food Bank Trying To Raise $35,000 For Move To A Perminent Home

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:09:51 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -The Cortes Food Bank is trying to raise the $35,000 needed to relocate their base of operations to two sea-cans in the Village Commons at Manson's Landing. Operations Manager, Angelica Raan, explained, “We have raised $14,000 so far, and we have a generous donor who's offered to match donations up to $10,000. So we're hoping that by the end of this month we can get $10,000 in community donations to match the $10,000 this donor has offered.” Cortes Currents: Why is it necessary for the food bank to expand? Beatrix Baxter, president of the food bank, replied, “We really scaled up our operations after realizing that there was a community need not being met. In 2022, we started offering regular pickup days. We joined Food Banks BC so we could access more regional resources, including food from partners. We also received grants, which allowed us to provide more food at regular intervals. But because of the extreme need, we were just doing way too much work for the system we had.” “We have to go to our warehouse, pack all the boxes, bring them to the pickup location. It's a lot of driving for staff and volunteers. At this point, we either need our own delivery vehicle or a headquarters. On top of that, our current storage won’t be available much longer.” “Our clients have also asked for a more shopping-style model, which many food banks use. Instead of volunteers pre-packing boxes, people come in and choose their own food. That provides more choice, more flexibility, and overall a better system for everyone.” “We partnered with the Community Foundation to use their sea cans at the Village Commons. One will be storage, the other will be set up as a shopping space where people can pick up food. Angelica will also be able to work out of that space.”

Funding For The Whaletown Dock's Coming Facelift, & Aug 30 Dockswap

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 13:04:06 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Harbour Authority Cortes Island (HACI) received the necessary funding to carry out needed upgrades to the 111-year-old dock in Whaletown. In today’s article Harbour Master Jenny Hartwick gives the details, and also talks about the upcoming August 30 dock swap.

Purchasing an Early Wildfire Detection System for Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 12:35:52 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Cortes Island is close to raising the funds for a wildfire detection system that identifies fires within minutes of their inception. In today’s interview Claudia van der Vorm explains what SenseNet is and Cortes Island Fire Chief Eli McKenty says why he thinks we need it. Claudia van der Vorm: “SenseNet is a Canadian company based out of Vancouver. They work on very early wildfire detection, in most cases under the minute, they can detect a fire when it's still in soldering stages. So when we don't smell it, we don't see it, in areas hard to access. They have a combination of sensors, camera, satellite, and a platform that all together really allows that early detection, prevention and mitigation.” “Sensors basically are really placed in the areas that are at most risk or difficult to access. A camera can basically oversee the whole island and monitor 24 7 for any smoke. The satellite is really for if it is getting bigger.” “The moment some activity is happening, the sensors will detect, they will start to analyze. The camera zooms in, a camera that oversees over 75 kilometers, but it also zooms into the areas. It can detect if it's a campfire. The fire department gets a notification and it also gets the cause. What is the spread location, spread and that incorporates the vegetation, the weather, the wind patterns, and things like that.” “It also allows a little bit of prevention, so it's dry, or the weather combination is such that it's already high risk.” Cortes Currents: Where is SenseNet in use right now? Claudia van der Vorm: “It's on the Sunshine Coast. The city of Vernon actually has it already for three years, and even the recent Vernon fire they knew exactly where they knew the direction, they knew the fire spread, and they managed the fire very quickly. In the three years that Vernon has the system, they haven't had a fire outbreak, but they averted over 200 fires.”

August 2025 update from Rainbow Ridge

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 15:47:37 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Mark Lombard from the Cortes Housing Society recently gave an update on progress at the Rainbow Ridge Affordable Housing Project. “At this point we're well along the way of building a community building with an office for the housing society. It’ll have: - a utility space that has controls for the water systems and filtration to send water to all the homes. - the controls for the battery and solar system that will provide backup power for the water and sewer for the buildings. - a laundry room that'll serve the women's shelter and other people on the south end who need it. a guest bedroom that people who live in the seniors village or at Rainbow Ridge will be able to rent for a modest price per night. a lounge area with a kitchenette that people can have a little birthday dinner or a card game, or if the Housing Society board wants to meet, there'll be a big table that can be used for that.”

First Days at the Nook; Final Touches

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 13:17:10 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - A lot has happened in the five months since Tomaaso Biasiolo became the Outreach and Admin Coordinator for ‘the Nook’ in Cortes Island’s Village Commons. The Grand Opening was on June 27, 2025, but there are still small projects to complete. Two special small rooms need to soundproofed; the Nook’s kitchen has not been installed. The original vision was to create a space where nonprofits can work and hold their meetings, but these spaces are now available for individuals as well.

Explanations of Legal Issues that affect Cortes

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 16:51:12 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/Folk U - On August 11, 2025, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Nawel Izard, a Campbell River lawyer who cares deeply about community. Tune in for insights from her work, and clear, engaging explanations of legal issues that affect the Cortes community. Full of practical advice and personal reflections, Nawel makes complex topics accessible and relevant for all listeners. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Live and Local on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 14:40:30 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -Live and Local is more than a Tideline page, although the Tideline page advertises all of the shows on Cortes Island from Gorge Harbour Marina, Manson's Hall, Gorge Hall and the Village Commons Music Series to pop-up independent shows. It is also more than the radio program, which is broadcast over CKTZ 89.5, FM shortly after 8:00 AM on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. According to Jemma Hicken, one of the best known personalities behind it: "Live and Local is an umbrella program, run by Cortes Radio, that encompasses the Live and Local page on Tideline, the Live and Local radio interviews that I've been mostly doing, also all of the promotion that we've been doing through Cortes Radio, social media, Tideline, all of the rest in terms of posters and the Village Commons Music Series as well." She explained that Live and local came about through a collaboration with Bryan McKinnon, the President of Cortes Community Radio.

Gleanings from Lovefest 2025

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 13:54:17 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Lovefest 2025 was at Linnaea Farm on Saturday August 9th. Cortes Currents wandered through the crowd asking people about Lovefest and why they kept coming back. In the process, I also recorded a few short clips of the music and asked one of the principal organizers, Benji Coey about this year’s program. Howie Roman - “It started with 50 Summers of Love, which was our great hippie festival. People really dug out their old clothes. Women in long skirts; guys in bell bottoms. There was an exhibit up in the school of what you looked like in ’67, and it was very cool. The demand was that they keep it going. So I believe this is the sixth year.” Toni Smorodin - “I’ve been coming since the very beginning. I think it was 2017. So the idea of a Lovefest, reincarnation, music and people coming together: It really excited me, especially in a beautiful location like Linnaea.” Adam Schick from Linnaea Farm - “It’s great having Lovefest here on the farm. It's a great way to spend an afternoon in August, showcasing what a beautiful place I get to live in all the time.” Cortes Currents - Tell me about this year's lineup, and what's changed? Benji Coey - “This year we've got quite a few new bands who haven't been here before. One or two classics, who people on the island will know of. For example, Louis Belcourt is a classic, but if you're talking big differences, we've got a different end of the evening this year. For the last couple of years we finished with the Cuban Act, this year ending with the Righteous Rainbows of Togetherness.” “So imagine if you can time traveling Egyptian space lords playing improvised electronica to a visual track of lasers and smoke machines. That's what's gonna culminate the evening tonight. We have Canada's best tribute to the Great Divide, which includes Rex Weyler's son Jack Weyler, a wonderful Hammond organ player and Dylan Stone, who's another island favorite. We’ve got Lily Fawn, who has been on the BC music scene for about 15-20 years. We're doing the music of David Lynch. As you know, David Lynch is a directing legend in Canadian film history. Twin Peaks obviously is one of his most famous pieces, so the band are going to play a selection of music from Twin Peaks and from some of David Lynch's other works. It'll be a theatrical element. We're gonna do that at sunset.” Ann Mortifee - “I love to feast on love and there are so many great people here, from our community, and from afar. I love this day because it is a Lovefest where people of talent and all different kinds of things can come and dance, enjoy and visit.” Amy Harding from the Linnaea Farm food booth - “It’s very exciting and vibrant and beautiful and I love feeling that energy.” Cortes Currents - It seems like there's always the McKenty element to Lovefest, whether it's onstage or as support. Francis McKenty - “Yep, and sometimes both, but it's a fun chance to get together and work backstage, with all of my brothers, helping make Cortes’ most amazing music festival as amazing as it can be.” Greg Osoba - “This is my first year volunteering, but I've had the great pleasure to play at Lovefest. I was with Six Foot Johnson on, gosh, at least four occasions. I'm very happy with that. It's a great opportunity for some less experienced players to get their feet wet, as well as some very seasoned professionals. I just thought this is a great way to give back and it's wonderful to greet all the happy attendees who are looking forward to what Lovefest has to offer.” Aland from Victoria - “I’ve been here since the beginning, I was five, maybe. It's a really fun experience and there's always music, and it's a really nice time to just connect to everyone.” Her sister Nim - “We used to live here full time and we still come here because it's an awesome community and great music.” Anastasia Avvakumova - “It feels like home.”

Folk U- An August 4 update from Rainbow RIdge

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 19:26:58 +0000

Manda AUfochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On August 4, 2025, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Sadhu Johnston, who gave an update on the developments happening at Rainbow Ridge, on behalf of the Cortes Housing Society. Tune in for a discussion about community housing, the island’s housing crisis, and construction challenges and joys! Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

New Virus Associated With (But Not Causing) Mass Oyster Die-Offs

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 00:56:39 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - UBC researchers found a new virus in farmed Pacific Oysters that perished during a mass die-off in 2023. During the die-off, researchers collected 33 dead oysters as well as 26 wild oysters from neighbouring sites. Pacific Oyster Nidovirus 1 (PONV1) was only found in 20 of the dead or dying farmed oysters. Dr Kevin Xu Zhong, a research associate in the UBC department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences (EOAS), explained this does not mean the virus was the cause of death. “We found this new virus. There is no indication it is causing the mortality mentioned in the database, the study, or the reporting.” Cortes Currents: What does the virus do to oysters? Dr Zhong: “We don't know how this virus is working, or how it causes disease. What we can know right now is that we found this virus associated with the mass mortality for the oysters in the farm. That's what we know. There are many unknowns; many questions to address in the future.” Dr Zhong said there have recently been mass die-offs of Pacific Oysters in BC and other parts of the world, but the cause is often unknown. Pacific Oysters are the primary shellfish species grown in B.C. and brought in revenues of $16 million in 2023. Cortes Currents: Where have you found Pacific Oyster Nidovirus in BC? Dr Zhong: “Fanny Bay and Deep Cove.” Cortes Currents: I guess it's too early to ask whether Pacific Oyster Nidovirus 1 spreading? Dr Zhong: “Yes, we only analyzed the samples from two farms. As you said, it is very early to say. We found this virus in the BC area, but based on the genetic data available in the database, it can also be found in France and in China. You can trace it back about one decade.” Cortes Currents: Have there been any indications that it would be harmful to human consumers of oysters? Dr Zhong: “Oh, no, no, no. Don't worry about that. This virus can only infect the Pacific Oyster and never humans or other animal species. There's no worry about that because viral infection is mostly host specific.” Cortes Currents: Can you definitively say that it doesn't cause any harm to humans? Dr Zhong: “We also eat oysters, raw too. I don't think this will be a problem.”

Aspen King Plays at the Village Commons

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 22:14:47 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/Folk U - July 25, 2025 was the fourth week of the Village Commons Music Series, a simultaneously live and live-broadcast show, happening on Fridays from 1 - 2:30pm on the new Pavilion stage. Host Manda Aufochs Gillespie was joined by local electronic music star, Aspen King. Aspen plays techno and house influenced music and came home to play this daytime set, and one evening set at the Gorge Marina, between travelling to and from many large festivals over the course of the summer. The Village Commons Music Series is produced by Jemma Hicken, Aaron Ellingsen, and Sean Coyote. It is made possible by the Cortes Island Community Foundation, Cortes Community Radio, and the Community Radio Fund of Canada. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Folk U: Dr Eric Posen talks about Naturopathy, Health, and Healing

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 23:15:20 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/Folk U - On July 21, 2025, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Dr. Eric Posen to discuss naturopathy, health, and healing. This conversation unpacks what naturopathic doctors do, illness and alternative medicine, and the future of mental and physical health. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Kaia Bryce and Adrian Esau in the Pavilion July 11 2025

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 22:36:37 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/Folk U - July 11, 2025 was the second week of the Village Commons Music Series, a simultaneously live and live-broadcast show, happening on Fridays from 1 - 2:30pm on the new Pavilion stage. Host Manda Aufochs Gillespie was joined Kaia Bryce (piano, melodica, vocals) and Adrian Esau (guitar, harmonica, vocals) - Lasqueti islanders with big hearts and a big sound! They played a lively genre-bending show full of creative time-feel changes and rural island sentiments. The Village Commons Music Series is produced by Jemma Hicken, Aaron Ellingsen, and Sean Coyote. It is made possible by the Cortes Island Community Foundation, Cortes Community Radio, and the Community Radio Fund of Canada. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Folk U Radio July 18 2025 Rick Bockner

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 22:09:54 +0000

Manda Aufochs Goillespie/ Folk U - July 18, 2025 was the third week of the Village Commons Music Series, a simultaneously live and live-broadcast show, happening on Fridays from 1 - 2:30pm on the new Pavilion stage. Host Manda Aufochs Gillespie was joined by local legend Rick Bockner. Tune in for Rick’s unique fingerpicking style, lots of jokes, and some beautiful songs by a favourite Cortesian songwriter. The Village Commons Music Series is produced by Jemma Hicken, Aaron Ellingsen, and Sean Coyote. It is made possible by the Cortes Island Community Foundation, Cortes Community Radio, and the Community Radio Fund of Canada. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Folk U 250704 Singers in the Round

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 21:32:52 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/Folk U - July 4, 2025 saw the launch of the Village Commons Music Series, a simultaneously live and live-broadcast show, happening on Fridays from 1 - 2:30pm on the new Pavilion stage. Host Manda Aufochs Gillespie was joined by Denise Wolda, Owyn Pengelly, and Thomas Aerie, 3 local musicians who sat together on stage for an intergenerational in-the-round style performance, swapping songs, stories, and jokes. The Village Commons Music Series is produced by Jemma Hicken, Aaron Ellingsen, and Sean Coyote. It is made possible by the Cortes Island Community Foundation, Cortes Community Radio, and the Community Radio Fund of Canada. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Folk U Radio June 20 2025 Awakeneers Live in Studio

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 10:29:43 +0000

Jemma Hicken/Folk U - On June 20th, 2025 guest host Jemma Hicken was joined by the Awakeneers, a 6-person, mostly-sibling folk band, for a short live set and interview. Tune in to listen to some fiddle and folk, hear about the upcoming grand opening of the Village Commons on June 27th, and learn quite a lot about beans. Performance Highlights: Vancouver Island MusicFest (2023), Shaw Spotlight (2022 & 2024), Duncan Showroom (2024), CBC Radio One. "One of the most talented and professional groups of musicians I’ve ever worked with" — Karen Seaboyer, Best Roots & Traditional Album JUNO juror, Campbell River Arts Council "wonderfully entertaining show ... left us all with a smile on our faces and a song in our hearts!" — Patty Castle, Artistic Director, Victoria Folk Music Society.

What's Happening on

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 08:51:33 +0000

On June 13, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by community leaders and organizers, Duane Hanson, Mark Vonesch, Jemma Hicken, Sadhu Johnston, Cora Moret, and Immanuel McKenty, to chat about summer 2025. There’s a lot happening on our small island! Tune in for community updates, developments, programming, and more! Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Spring Gardening Tips & Museum Hours

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 08:19:54 +0000

Spring Gardening Tips & Museum Hours by Cortes Currents (https://cortescurrents.ca/)

Folk U - Unpacking the 2025 Election

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 05 May 2025 18:44:46 +0000

Manda AUfochs Gillespie - Folk U - On May 2, 2025, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Ashley Zarbatany to to unpack the outcomes of the recent federal election, explore the roots of confusion around strategic voting, and consider what these results might mean for the future of Canada and Cortes! Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

'Won't You Be My Neighbour' Exhibit explores Community Life on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 01 May 2025 17:42:19 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes currents - What does it mean to be a neighbour on Cortes Island? This question is at the heart of the new Cortes Island Museum exhibition 'Won't You Be My Neighbour?' curated by Melanie Boyle, Managing Director of the museum and Monica Hoffman. Opening Sunday May 4th the exhibit invites visitors on a visual and narrative journey through both the historical and contemporary communities that shaped life on the island. “The idea of focusing on neighbourhoods came from the prior exhibition, ‘From the Ground Up,” explained Hoffman. Boyle added, “We did touch on how people work together to build structures, in terms of collaboration. It was also about repurposing material and sharing of resources and, in a way, this is also what this new exhibition is about. Collective land arrangements are a way for people to live affordably on Cortes, to share the land, but also to share the material, resources and work collaboratively. So there's a lot of overlap.” Monica Hoffman: “This is about those very focused areas on the island, such as Tiber Bay, Blue Jay Lake, or Siskin Lane - that sort of community, and what it means to be a neighbour is all about.” Cortes Currents: It is also about the definition of ‘community,’ in all its manifestations from the pioneer era to modern times, from ‘communal groupings’ to individual dwellings. Monica Hoffman: “A focal point for this exhibition is this north facing wall where we have a map of Cortes Island. We focus on various communities and give a little bit of commentary and interviews with the shareholders and the landholders. Some of these we did look at briefly in the prior exhibition, but this allows there to be a bit more space and more opportunity to explore them more.” Melanie Boyle: “Monica’s right, this wall is a little microcosm of the community itself. It's a reference to all the voices that make this exhibition happen. This exhibition stemmed from an interview we did during the last exhibition with Amy Robertson, who is one of the co-founders of Treedom. Jill Milton and Bernice McGowan interviewed Paul Kirmmse, who is one of the co-founders of Redlands. We spoke with Ron Bazaar. Jim Murphy came into the museum and spoke about Tiber Bay. We also interviewed Ron Wolda, more to do with the mill itself. I know Ron from selling the spoons as a craftsperson and I didn't know his ties to Vancouver, the business community and now Tiber Bay.” Monica Hoffman: “I didn't know where that Tiber Bay connection started.” Melanie Boyle: “It was serendipity and people looking at that particular time for options to live on Cortes or just live on the coast. Land comes available and they organize a bunch of people to get together to purchase the land. Everwoods came out of discussions that were happening at Hollyhock at the time.” “We respect the fact that these are the co-ops and collaborative living arrangements on Cortes, of people who are willing to actually share their story. We only can profile a small handful. There are people who choose to remain private and we respect that, of course, but these would be ones that are publicly known.”

Earthday & The New Exhibits at Wild Cortes

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 19:27:18 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - It was Earth Day at Wild Cortes, Cortes Island’s centre for natural history, community science and collaborative conservation. “It is a very exciting place to be, with new displays coming in every year, always on Earth Day. That's probably the most important thing to say. It's Earth Day, so let's celebrate,” explained Sabina leader Mense, a professional advisor to Wild Cortes. The centrepiece of this year's displays is the ‘Humpback Comeback’ section highlighting the stunning recovery of Humpback Whales in our local waters. Sabina Leader Mense: “They used to be everywhere, then the Douglas Whaling Station was set up in Whaletown Bay. Its history is in the little display here, ‘the Dawson Whaling Company, 1869.’ It only lasted a year. They realized it was not the most optimum site, so moved it down to Hornby Island the next year. So we only had the legacy of bonking Humpback Whales on the head and flensing them for a year, but the name stuck. That's how ‘Whaletown’ got its name. The Humpbacks completely disappeared. We eliminated them from the Strait of Georgia, not a Humpback to be seen.” Cortes Currents: When did they start coming back? Sabina Leader Mense: “Some of the first Humpbacks that we saw were in the early eighties. I was working out at the Bamfield Marine Station,running research programs, but I put myself through university fishing off the West Coast and would interact with the fishermen. They started telling me that they were seeing Humpback Whales out on the finger bank in the early eighties and sure enough, the Humpbacks were coming slowly back to the coast of BC.” “Then we have this brilliant work by the Marine Education Research Society (MERS) whose work Donna Collins is featuring in this display.” “The Marine Education and Research Society has been documenting them and identifying them individually,” said Collins, who is also one of Cortes Wild's co-curators. “Donna has done a fantastic job. There's lots of pictures and all kinds of interesting things, including two sea lion skulls, both of which were found on local beaches,” added Laurel Bohart, Cortes Wild’s other co-curator. Sabina Leader Mense: “We can reliably identify Humpback Whales from the underside of their tail flukes, as well as the little nubbin that we call the dorsal fin but the underside of the tail flues is very characteristic. They have these colorations, black and white splotches, big chunks taken out of them, very readily identified by the underside of the tail flukes.” Donna Collins: “As of 2024, 776 Humpback Whales have been identified.” Sabina Leader Mense: “That’s in their entire catalog for BC.” “We brought Jackie Hildering, from MERS, in six years ago. 86 individual Humpback Whales were identified in 2019. This figure of 86, why it's so impressive is it's from here. There were 86 individua Humpbacks found in the area from the northern end of Cortes to Powell River, across to Heriot Bay on Quadra Island.”

Visit to the Liberal Headquarters in Campbell River & Poll #3

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 17:39:45 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - I volunteered for the NDP Party during the 1968 election. Aside from that, the only campaign headquarters I’ve stepped inside was Elizabeth May’s Salt Spring Island office in 2019. So when in the midst of doing errands in Campbell River, I found myself with more than an hour to spare, it seemed like a fun idea to visit a campaign headquarters. Somebody told me the ‘red guys’ are behind Save On Foods, which is how I ended up at Jennifer Lash’s headquarters. After returning home, I learned that yet another poll has been conducted in our riding. The first two were not connected to any political party, but the LIberals comissioned #3. Like poll #2 which was not their’s, it shows the Liberals having taken over the second place slot. After contacting 318 voters in North Island Powell River between April 20 and 21, Spadina Strategies reported that 37% intended to vote for the Conservatives, 30% for the Liberals, 25% for the NDP, 5% Green and 2% were undecided. The projection website Poliwave is also reporting a shift in voter intention. On April 18, they stated the #2 party in our riding was the NDP. Their latest projection, published on Wednesday April 23, showed the Conservatives at 45%, the Liberals trailing at 29%, the NDP at 20% and the Green’s at 5%. This is not what I intended to report, when I dropped in at the Liberal Party’s Campbell River office on Friday. Jennifer Lash was away, knocking on doors, but there were five people gathered in the entrance when I arrived. A young woman immediately detached herself from their conversation. She was one of the four staffers from Ottawa who are working on the Liberal campaign. Sarah Manney gave me permission to walk around the office taking pictures and interviewing people. I started with her. Sarah Manney: “Well, I'm Sarah, I'm the campaign manager. I was working in Ottawa, but grew up in Comox. My family's in Nanaimo. When I found out that Jen was running, I knew her in Ottawa and I said, ‘this is the candidate I've always dreamed of for my hometown.’ What better person could I ask for to represent the people I grew up with.’ So it was just a dream to be able to come work for her and try to make that a reality here in North Island Powell River.” “My whole family's been knocking on doors. We have Jen's family. We have at least five times the number of volunteers that we've ever had in this riding. It's amazing just to see the energy. The other day someone remarked, ‘I've never seen so many Liberals in one place.’ It was just this magical feeling like we've all waited for this moment to have someone like Jen to rally around.” The next person I interviewed looked a lot like Jennifer Lash, for good reason. “My name is Wendy Lash. I am Jennifer's sister.” Cortes Currents: How did you end up working for her in a campaign office? Wendy had not been expecting that question, but after a few hesitant seconds she suddenly sounded like an old pro. “Well, how can you not support somebody when they're living their purpose? Jen has had a fabulous career of doing good for many people and many things in Canada, but right now - this is an important time for us! She's bravely taken this on and she's doing a fabulous job. When we heard that she was going to be doing this, as a family, we knew we needed to support her. So we booked our tickets and we've come from Ontario. We are thrilled to be here and in action.” Cortes Currents: Whereabouts in Ontario are you from? Wendy Lash: “My husband and I are from Barrie. Our sister Catherine is coming from Toronto. Jen's kids are coming back from Ontario and they're also here with us.”

Folk U talks about education, the importance of play, and children’s development

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 04:48:41 +0000

Manada AUfochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On April 4, 2025, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Dayna Davis and Christina Macwilliam to chat about education, the importance of play, attachment, and children’s development. This is a fascinating conversation with two incredible Cortesian educators. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Tanille Johnson Coming to Gorge Hall on April 24

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 12:22:03 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - NDP candidate Tanille Johnson will coming to Gorge Hall on Cortes Island. This is the last in a series of Meet and Greets organized by the Cortes Island Climate Action Network that has also included meetings with Green Party candidate Jessica Wegg and Liberal candidate Jennifer Lash. Conservative candiate Aaron Gunn was also invited, but has not taken advantage of this. As I am going to be off island when Tanille is here, we had an interview ahead of time. Cortes Currents: What’s the big question on voters’ minds during this election? Tanille Johnson: “Oh man, there's a lot of big questions right now!Honestly, what I spend most of my day talking about is people are terrified at the possibiloity of having Conservative representation in the federal government, and like ‘what's the strategic vote for North Island Power River?’” “I really end up being in a lot of these conversations, breaking down strategic voting, what it means and apologizing for it. We're in this situation because our Liberal government did not follow through with its promise of proportional representation, which would've allowed people to vote for the person that they felt was going to do the best job for them. We are now essentially getting shoved into a two party system that nobody wants. We don't want to mimic our United States relations to the south, but here we are. That's a big discussion right now across the board. Every riding is talking about it.” “It doesn't discount the real threat of all the ongoing tariffs from Trump. It doesn't discount the threat of annexation that Trump is bringing. It doesn't diminish our healthcare crisis, our housing crisis, or our opioid crisis, but right now it feels like people are most fearful of a Conservative government.” Cortes Currents: Two polls have just come out,—one by Research co suggests you’re best placed to stop a Conservative win, the other by Mainstreet Research says it’s the Liberals. What do you make of this? Tanille Johnson: “I t honestly doesn't make sense because there is such a stark contrast, there shouldn't be a stark contrast at all. I think it's fairly well known that Mainstreet is operated by Conservative pollsters.” Cortes Currents: I wasn't aware of that, so I did a quick fact check. There's a list of national polls on the 338Canada website. The vast majority of the 94 polls taken between April 1st and April 21nd, reported that the Liberals were leading in this race, but there are 6 polls that stated the Conservatives were either leading or tied with the Liberals. 5 of those 6 ‘outlying’ polls were taken by Mainstream Research. Tanille Johnson: “I think it was 571 people out of like a hundred thousand voters. Like, if you had a hundred thousand people and you only asked 500 of them a question, are you really going to solidly depend on that answer for whatever your decision making is moving forward? I would hope not, because that is a tiny sample size.” Cortes Currents: Tell me some highlights of the campaign for you. Tanille Johnson: “Here's a super funny one. We were door knocking in Campbell River just the other week. I knocked on a door and this gal opened and she was so excited to see me. She kissed both of her hands and then put her hands on either sides of my face. She's like, 'keep doing what you're doing.' It was just so cute and awesome.” “It's been a highlight watching people get creative with their support. There's been some really cool like self-made bumper stickers that say, 'Go Tanille' or 'Vote NDP, Vote Tanille.’" “It was a huge honor to have Megan Hildebrandt donate a vote Tanille Design, to be able to screen print 'Vote Tanille' t-shirts by hand in Powell River. That was super, super cool and amazing.” “It's been really just an honor to travel the whole riding and get to meet people from all over the place and have the time to sit and listen to their concerns.”

Jennifer Lash talks about another poll, the cancelled all candidates meetings and more

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 15:22:22 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - With only five days of campaigning left until the election, Liberal candidate Jennifer Lash says the energy on the ground in North Island–Powell River is palpable. “We've been door knocking, doing ‘meet and greets’ and town halls and phone banking. I am hearing just an amazing amount of support. So I'm loving it,” she said. “This poll to me reflects what people are telling us. So I am optimistic that the undecided will come over and join us and that we can send a Liberal to Ottawa.” She was referring to the poll that Mainstreet Research released on Monday, April 21, which is one of the reasons I wanted to speak with her. You can access it on the Mainstreet website, but need to pay. I also wanted to ask about last night’s all candidates meeting in Campbell River, which was cancelled at the last minute. Cortes Currents: So tell me about this poll. Jennifer Lash: “ We did not commission this poll, that's why it's behind a paywall. If we commissioned it, we would own it and we could share it. What it shows is that while the Conservatives are still in the lead, the Liberals are second and within the Conservative’s margin of error, while the NDP are in third, quite considerably.” Cortes Currents: Jennifer sent that data, which shows the Conservatives at 35%, the Liberals at 27% and the NDP at 18%. As this is the property of Mainstreet Research, I cannot post the chart but the Liberal campaign staff have drawn up a chart of their own. Jennifer Lash: “The margin of error is plus or minus 4.1%, with a 95% confidence level.” Given that they are only 8% apart, this poll indicates that it is possible, though unlikely, that Liberals are actually tied with the Conservatives In another poll, released on Sunday and commissioned by the David Suzuki Foundation, it was the NDP who came in second and the Liberals trailing considerably behind. Jennifer Lash: “What this tells me is that there's going to be a lot of different polls and projections that say different things. I know there's a lot of angst out there amongst people who particularly are worried about the Conservatives winning and really looking for some direction on how they should cast their vote so that they can unite as much as possible to keep the Conservatives out. But right now there's no data that says exactly what you should do, and I don't think there ever will.” “Some people are going to choose to believe some polls and not others, and that's totally fine. People can do that, but I think what it comes right down to is there is no definitive poll that's going to tell people exactly what to do. People need to vote for either the Prime Minister, the party, or the MP that they want.” “What we're hearing is overwhelmingly, people want to have Mark Carney as the Prime Minister, which means you have to vote Liberal. I know that people say that Carney's just going to win no matter what, but that's not necessarily true.” “If we really want Mark Carney as Prime Minister, people need to vote for the Liberal party. If people want a member of Parliament who is part of Mark Carney's government and can help deliver programs, then people need to vote for the Liberal party and that means voting for me.” Cortes Currents: I also wanted to ask about the all candidates meeting that was cancelled last night.

Poll Shows Conservatives With Marked Lead in North Island—Powell River

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 14:16:48 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - With just six days remaining until election day, a new poll reveals the Conservatives hold a strong lead in the North Island—Powell River riding. Among the 402 eligible voters surveyed between April 17 and April 19, 45% said they intend to vote for Conservative candidate Aaron Gunn. NDP candidate Tanille Johnston trails in second with 23%, followed by Liberal contender Jennifer Lash at 13%. Both Jessica Wegg of the Green Party and Paul Macknight of the People’s Party received 2% support, while independent candidate Glen Staples sits at 1%. Meanwhile, 15% of voters remain undecided.There is some good news for retiring MP Rachjel Blaney whose performance was approved by 51% of the respondents. 40% disapproved. Pierre Poilievre of the Conservative Party is the top-rated federal leader among voters in this constituency, with 53% support. He is followed by Liberal leader Mark Carney at 42%, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh at 41%, Green Party co-leaders Elizabeth May and Jonathan Pedneault at 27%, and People’s Party leader Maxime Bernier at 19%. Poilievre draws strong backing from men (53%), as well as from voters aged 35 to 54 (48%) and those 55 and older (49%). In contrast, Carney leads among younger voters aged 18 to 34, with 45% support, and the two men have an almost equal following among female votres. (Carney 35%, Poilievre 34%). The poll was sponsored by the David Suzuki Foundation and conducted by Vancouver-based Research Co, led by Mario Canseco, a veteran public opinion researcher since 2003. Canseco is a regular political commentator and columnist for Glacier Media, with work published in the Vancouver Sun, Globe and Mail, and National Observer. In related news, Research co also carried out a National survey which found that 43% of decided voters would vote Liberal as opposed to 38% for the Conservatives. This fits a pattern that all but one Canadian pollster has been reporting this week. The exception being Mainstreet Research, which reported a Conservative victory in 2 out of 3 surveys. If the election were to take place today CBC Polltracker, which draws upon the data from all polls, states the odds of a Liberal victory 96%. 338Canada states the odds are 90%. Both companies state the most likely scenario is the LIberals will form a majority government. On Vancouver Island, 338Canada’s projection is that the four northern ridings will turn Conservative, but the only ‘CPC Safe seat’ (which means victory is almost certain) is North Island Powell River. The three south Vancouver Island ridings are all ‘toss-ups’, but Elizabeth May now has a slim lead in Saanich-Gulf Islands, the Liberals are ahead by a nose in Victoria and the Conservatives in Esquimalt, Saanich - Sooke.

Tight Race in North Island–Powell River_ Strategic Voters favouring Tanille Johnson

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 21:31:09 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The federal election in North Island–Powell River (NIPR) may be far closer than recent projections suggest, but the ‘progressive’ vote is split between three parties (Green. Liberal and NDP). Some people are urging voters to rally behind a single alternative to Conservative candidate Aaron Gunn. The Votewell and Smart Voting websites both declared the strategic vote in our riding is the NDP candidate Tanille Johnson. As of Thursday, April 17, Johnson became the 18th Canadian candidate officially endorsed by Lead Now. So did the participants in a recent virtual townhall meeting on Cortes Island.

Emily Bootle's presentation at the Death Care Collective AGM

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 15:36:20 +0000

Folk U -Tune in on April 18th for a special collaborative FolkU episode, featuring Emily Bootle, a funeral director and founder of DeathCare BC. This is a live recording featuring Emily’s presentation at the Cortes DeathCare Collective’s AGM, and it covers body-care, green burials, and the importance of planning ahead. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

“Eco Warriors” — A Story of Resistance and Reverence

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 14:47:02 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Jennifer Pickford will be showing her documentary ECO Warriors at Mansons Hall on Tuesday April 22. “This film is telling the story of several environmental activists who have faced imprisonment for their actions, as well as the actual and real threat of being labeled terrorists for protecting the land and the forest that they love,” she explained. “Eco Warriors is about 12 years old. It's one of my earlier works, but following on the footsteps of last year's Earth Day screening of 'Sacred India, A Plastic Revolution,' I wanted to show another film because I felt that not only is it still a relevant topic, but also it's just nice to have that continuity of having an Earth Day screening here on Cortes Island.”

Unedited audio from Green candidate Jessica Wegg's meeting on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 17:07:40 +0000

Unedited audio from Green candidate Jessica Wegg's meeting on Cortes Island by Cortes Currents (https://cortescurrents.ca/)

Jesscia Wegg_ Why Green votes matter

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 17:03:46 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Green Party candidate Jessica Wegg came to Gorge Hall, on Wednesday, April 16th, 2025. She won’t be the next Member of Parliament for North Island Powell River. “We commissioned a poll at our riding level. I think they made the phone calls March 20th to 24th, and it matched what 338Canada is saying. The Conservatives will likely win and the progressive vote will be split pretty evenly by the NDP and the Liberals. As long as the NDP and the Liberals are both running, neither party will get in,” she explained. “My numbers were less than 10%. If you added me to either one, it wasn't going to cross the threshold of the number of votes the Conservatives were expected to get. We are actually saying this is a great time to feel like you can vote Green because it's not a wasted vote. We need 2% nationally to maintain official party status, which means we get resources in Ottawa, we get to participate in the question period, we get to be on committees, that kind of thing. Without that 2% national level, we lose official party status and we lose the ability to really participate in government in an effective way. It really, really matters to us and if you want to be able to have a Green party in the future, when we do get proportional representation, we need to keep as many votes as possible.” Cortes Currents: How important is it to have a Green presence in the election? Jessica Wegg: “So, so important. Shakespeare said, ‘Though she be but little she is fierce’ (A MIdsummer’s Nights Dream). Greens are little, but we use that little power that we have to come up with big, wild ideas that the big parties aren't going to have.” “They don't want to make people think they're thinking too far outside the box. People are happy with the status quo, generally speaking. They don't want to waiver. That's how the big parties feed, is ‘how do I keep the people who we already have in this box.’ But we are thinking of big ideas that nobody else is thinking of and we bring them to the table, we bring them to the big parties that have the power in parliament and we say,' have you even thought about doing something like this?’ Or, ‘where is that in your planning?’" “We do what we can to hold them to account. All of the Green candidates across the country are showing up and they're showing that there are people who care. There are people who acknowledge the climate crisis that we're in and we're going to keep showing up.” “I think it's also important because Canada is getting awfully close right now to a two party system, which is not healthy for a democracy. It's dangerous to have just two parties and we're all falling into one camp or the other. We cannot let that happen. We need to keep showing up as these small parties. We need to keep fighting for presence so that we can have these creative big ideas that nobody else is going to say out loud because they don't want to step on anybody's toes or make anybody uncomfortable with the idea of something new or different or big. We cannot progress as a country without doing new and different and big things. So we need the Green party to show up and keep bringing our creative ideas across the country.”

New Pavilion & More Taking Shape in Manson’s Landing

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 21:25:08 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - A sense of momentum is building—quite literally—in Manson’s Landing, where work is underway on a new pavilion designed to bring community members together for music, events, and gatherings. This is the latest in a series of structures erected in the Village Commons. The pavilion’s frame was raised on Friday, April 11, 2025 “ We hope to have all the details done by the end of May. It’ll be in service this summer,” explained Richard Andrews, Project Manager of the Village Commons. He and his three crew members had just finished erected the rear frame, or bent, and were breaking for lunch. There was one more bent to go. “ You see these two forward footings. They will be taking yet another set of another pair of posts and braces and one more large beam. That's the big, long black package lying right there. It's about 39 feet long. They are are big glulam beams and the frame was made by Island Timber Frame out of Cumberland.” “T here will be a stage built about 12 feet deep and 16 to 18 feet wide. Not a very high stage, but 8 inches up. Behind it will be a wall so that we don't disturb the neighbors with noise.” “On the sides there'll be a pony wall, and above the pony wall on both sides. It'll be clear polycarbonate probably. That'll provide a wind barrier, so people who are using the stage won't have to deal with wind on their mics.” “There'll also be a big clear panel on barn tracks, that'll go forward to stop windblown rain” Cortes Currents: What are they going to do with the audience area? Richard Andrews: “I’m not too sure yet. We'll probably spread out the soil and throw some grass seed down on it. There's no plan to do any kind of surface under the covered area. We don't have the budget, just getting this up is going to eat up the rest of our funding.” Cortes Currents: Did you want to mention anything else that’s happening around here? Richard Andrews: “We have the Nook, which is the shared office space and shared meeting space. The Cortes Housing Society is making good use of it today, and they're the main people who've been using it so far.” A block to the west of us, preparations for construction were taking place on the Cortes Housing Society’s premiere project. A four acre block had been carved out of the forest for the Rainbow Ridge Affordable Housing Project. Construction on the first building will soon commence. As we spoke, two carpenters were erecting a wooden fence on the project’s border with the Cortes Island Senior’s Village. There was undoubtedly some mention of this in the meeting that was underway in the Nook. Cortes Currents: What’s happening to the Village Common’s old shared meeting place, the Pod? Richard Andrews: “T he little trailer, that's going to be repossessed by CCEDA and used as an information booth somewhere. I'm not sure what their plan is with it. What the Pod has been offering, the Nook will be offering more of the same, just bigger space.” He pointed to some long containers, close to the stage. “We have four C cans here and the two to the north of the site, closer to Manson's Hall are going to be used by the food bank. Their intention is to use them for food storage in Mansons because their facility attached to the radio station is too small for the amount of food that they're distributing. We don't have a plan for the middle one, yet. The other one that's furthest to the south will be used as the storage can for anything related to the pavilion. So for the lights, sound system, chairs, audio and what have you.” Cortes Currents left before the final bent was put up for the pavilion, but they sent pictures later that day. The new stage this summer will undoubtedly be well used this summer.

Blue Hat Memorial Project_ 50,000 flags on Tyree Spit

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 23:13:27 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Blue Hat Memorial Project opens at 10 AM this morning, Tuesday, April 14, 2025. Campbell River artist and city councillor Ron Kerr has installed 50,000 flags at Tyee Spit (ʔUxstalis), representing the number of people who have lost their lives through Canada’s ongoing opioid crisis. “What I really want to do is to stimulate conversation about the gaps in men and boy’s healthcare. These deaths are generally fentanyl drug deaths. If you look at the other results of addiction, alcohol addiction, and other kinds of addiction, the numbers are far higher. I don't think the men's health system is doing an adequate job of addressing that,” he explained.” “ We're trying to do a ‘one size fits all’ and I understand that from a financial economic point of view, but I think we need a lot more recovery facilities, better access, and second stage housing. We need ‘dry’ housing where they can get their lives together without the daily influence of addictive substances. Unfortunately, supportive housing right now is completely full of people still in their addiction. So if not onto the street, they're right back into that same kind of environment they left. That is a really important part of the picture.” “I think we need male specific facilities, so they're not going to go back into a situation where they're not being supported. We've only got one dedicated men's center in the province, where men can actually go and find services, find support, and find programs. It's just not supported.” “There's a reluctance to have something that is specifically male orientated, but I think we need men's health clinics where men and boys know that they're going to find people that understand them. Peer supportive groups are probably a lot less expensive, and I think it's more powerful for supportive recovery than all the psychiatrists in the world.” Cortes Currents: How did this become the Blue Hat project? Ron Kerr: “The problem for me, as an artist, was how to actually convey that number into something that people could feel. Initially I had the concept of having a huge number of blue hard hats, because the number of men in trades and throughout a blue collar workforce have been right from the start overrepresented in the numbers.” “I thought of using the blue hard hat itself as a symbol, but the problem was that any kind of an installation, or art project, using blue hard hats was very expensive and just logistically hard to do. So it was a challenge and I had been thinking about that for a year or two.” “Last summer when I was sitting in my garden recovering from knee surgery, I looked at a project that I'd started in the yard before my operation. I had a number of sprinkler flags marking spots around the garden. I was sitting there watching them blow in the wind, and it just came to me that that was a way of really signifying the immensity of death.”

Folk U, April 11 2025 Death Care Collective

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 15:54:42 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On April 11, 2025, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Yasmina Cartland and Emma Tius to discuss their work with the DeathCare Collective and recent learnings from visiting guest presenter Emily Bootle. This conversation re-imagines end-of-life care through community-driven death education, advocacy, and support. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Cortes Island Elements In A Boat Theft Story

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 11:19:32 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - There are some Cortes Island elements to the story of a boat stolen from Campbell River on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. Someone living in the Potlatch Road area of southern Cortes Island observed ‘big military type planes’ and some helicopters flying around the ocean that morning and thought it might be a Sea-Air Rescue excerise. He did not think about it again until reading about the incident on CHEK News. At 8 AM the Powell River RCMP received a request from the Quadra detachment to help intercept the stolen boat. GPS tracked it to the vincinty of Mitlenatch Island. An RCMP vessel from Powell River responded and was en route to Mitlenatch when it was notified that the Quadra detachment had already located the stolen vessel. The stolen boat was escourting it to the Mansons Landing dock, on Cortes Island, where it was secured and two ‘suspects’ were arrested for Possession of Property Obtained by Crime over $5,000. They were transported back to Campbell River and turned over to the Campbell River RCMP. Mansons Landing dock is maintained by Harbour Authority Cortes Island (HACI), but as it was a straighforward matter police did not think it necessary to inform them. Consequently HACI did not learn of the incident for another five days. The Quadra Island detachment used to issue weekly reports of their activities on Quadra, Cortes and other Discovery Islands, but have discontinued that service. The RCMP press release for this incident comes from the Powell River detachment.

Mark Vonesch

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 12:56:54 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - More than 400 Cortes Island residents responded to the recent survey about limiting the size of new houses. They were given a number of possible limitations, ranging from 2,500 to 4,300 square feet. While the vote was close, 52% of the respondents said ‘no’ and so there will be no size limits in Cortes Island’s draft Zoning Bylaw. Regional Director Mark Vonesch explained, “ I just want to start by thanking everybody for participating in the survey. We had 415 people respond and it was very divided. For that reason, I'm not moving forward with the maximum house size. There's clearly no consensus and that's okay. The reason we do these surveys is to be able to talk about an issue and express ourselves around what we want our island to look like. So I really appreciate everybody who filled it out and lots of passion on both sides of the issue.”

Unedited audio of Jennifer Lash's April 9 meeting on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 13:21:07 +0000

Unedited recording of Liberal candidate Jennifer Lash's Wednesday April 9 meeting in the Pioneer room at Mansons Hall. The event was co-sponsored by the Cortes Island Seniors Society and Cortes Island Climate Action Committee.

Liberal Candidate Jennifer Lash Comes To Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 13:17:16 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - More island residents turned out to hear Liberal candidate Jennifer Lash than could fit into the Pioneer Room at Mansons Hall. Half a dozen were looking on from the hallway. The Wednesday April 9 event was co-sponsored by the Cortes Island Seniors Society and Cortes Island Climate Action Committee. Karen Mahon, the MC, began, “I met Jen 25 years ago.” To which Lash responded, “I don't remember life before Karen.” Karen Mahon: Yeah, it was a long, long time ago. I was working at Greenpeace on forests and Jen wanted to really take on marine conservation in Canada in a big way. So she started an organization called Living Ocean Society, which became Canada's leading marine conservation organization.She led that and really spearheaded the notion of marine conservation in Canada. So we worked alongside each other. I was the forest and she was the fish, for some decades.” Lash was living in the little island community of Sointula throughout that period and still does. She raised her two children there. More recently she became a Senior Advisor in the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. It says something about her effectiveness in that role that four other government staffers have become the backbone currently of her campaign staff in North Island Powell River. One of them, Deputy Campaign Manager Holly Johnson, recently told Cortes Currents that 150 people had come forward as volunteers. A critic suggested some of these were probably just people who set up lawn signs,’ which is probably equally true of the ‘well over 50, maybe more’ volunteers that the NDP campaign manager recently said were helping them. Jennifer Lash: “I have voted NDP for my entire life, but in 2021 I voted NDP and I really struggled with it. The reason for me was that they had no climate plan. I feel like if we don't deal with that issue, all the marine protection areas in the world are in vain. This was a really important issue.” “The NDP had no plan and the Liberal government did. They had a plan that was mapped out and it was backed by economists and scientists. I'm not gonna stand here and tell you that the Liberal plan fund is perfect, that is a conversation that I'm sure can go on forever. But it was something, and it was designed to reach a specific target.” “So I started to kick the tires of the Liberal party, see what it was and I liked what I saw. Again, I am not going to defend everything. Yes, you can bring up electoral reform, I'm just as disappointed as probably everybody in this room that that was dropped. I'm happy to also criticize 'em for the things that didn't work. What I liked about them was that they understood that advancing on things like climate change, like social programs, like biodiversity conservation also requires building an economy and shifting an economy towards one of the future. That doesn't happen overnight and that it's hard to do and they really try to put together thoughtful policies that would drive that change.” “About a year ago, I started thinking about running. It was a really big decision for me to do this. It's kind of like being in a popularity contest in high school, but the results are printed all across national news in the whole country. I'm feeling very vulnerable right now, but I just really felt like it was important to have a conversation in this riding because this writing has been an NDP/Conservative split forever. To me, this riding has so much more to offer than just getting caught up in that tension.” She submitted her application to become a Liberal candidate last October:

Michael Keith and Iris Gildea are leaving Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:19:10 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Michael Keith and his wife Iris Gildea are leaving Cortes Island. “This was a decision we made a while ago. My wife teaches at the University of Toronto. When we moved to Cortes, we thought she was going to be leaving there, but in the last couple years some things changed and she's decided to stay. It's quite the commute between semesters and we started investigating the possibility of moving somewhere a bit closer to her work. We found the ideal situation in the Maritimes. The commute is about a fraction of the time and we can get the place that really suited us. So we made that decision. It was tough, but it's time for the next part of the journey,” he explained. Cortes Currents: I heard you found a place in the Annapolis Valley Michael Keith: “That is correct. We have a friend down there help us arrange to check it out and it's kind of like our dream place. Where we have been here on Cortes has been wonderful and very dreamy. This is a lot more suited to our needs, about six acres of land and right on the ocean. We're so excited, but it's bittersweet.” “I will firstly miss just the beauty of this island, which I feel so blessed to have experienced for the last almost eight years. I'm sitting here right now looking over Hague Lake. I've recorded so much music, played and created so much right from here. I'll miss that greatly.” “I also felt like I made some really lifelong connections with some people but I really plan on maintaining a relationship with the island. It's important to me and of course I felt very supported by just random people who would come out and see me play and always have kind things to say.” “I've done some awesome gigs with my friend Zach Sukuweh who's just a great percussionist and fun guy. Him and I have such a lovely rapport. We just played about a week and a half ago at the Gorge Hall with Rick Bockner and Jerome. We each did a set and it was really, really fun.” Scotty Martin added, “Michael Keith and his wife Iris were a huge part of this community. It's going to be a giant loss that they are gone. People around here don't always realize how lucky we are to have such talented people. Michael and I have both been professional players. I could just call out a song, tell 'em what key and off we would play. My wife Shelly enjoyed playing with Michael.” “We had a great get together at Rex Weyler's. He's got a nice little jam space there, and it was a going away party for Michael Keith, one of the legendary guitarist entertainers of Cortes Island.” Rex Weyler explained “I got a call from Scotty, about a month ago and he said, ‘would you host a party for Michael and Iris who are going to leave the island?’ First of all, Michael and Iris leaving the island is a very sad thing 'cause they've been such a wonderful addition to the island and they're just two beautiful people. Michael is funny, talented. He's really brought the music quality up on the island a notch. His guitar playing and his creativity are wonderful and we will miss him. So anyway, I said to Scotty, ‘yes, we'll have a party here for Michael’ and we did. “Lots of Michael's friends showed up. We just had an afternoon in the studio here. We played music, we had a little jam, and sang some songs. We had some food, wine and beer. It was a really nice day and it was people out on the lawn and people in the studio. Some people stayed over for dinner and so it was a really nice day.” “We're going to really miss Michael. he can't come to LoveFest this year, but I'm going to invite him to LoveFest for 2026.” Michael Keith: “I love the idea. I would love to do that. I know I'd have no problem finding a place to stay.”

Summer Moorage Spots On Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 13:25:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Harbour Authority Cortes Island started taking applications for summer moorage spots at 9 AM on April 1st. Harbour Master Jenny Hartwick explained, “This is our way of helping to manage the number of boats using. What's happened over the last few years on Cortes especially after Covid, is we've seen a steady increase in summer visitors and local residents getting out on the water. That's put additional pressure on the available mortgage that we have at the docks.” “The one point that I want to make really clear is we have ample space available for anyone who is looking for mortgage at the docks. What we do not necessarily have is available mortgage at your first choice dock. We have some areas of higher population density and the docks that are in those areas tend to be the most popular. For safety reasons, we cannot accommodate every single boat that puts in a request for mortgage at those docks. If we tried, there would be too many security issues, be it vessels getting damaged, the, the possibility of people getting hurt and literally the facilities themselves wouldn't be able to support the weight of all of the boats that we have asking to stay there.” “Again, just making it clear for the community, absolutely we have the space and we will accommodate you. We just need your understanding in working with us to make sure that our docks are both accessible and safe to everybody.” Cortes Currents: Do you have any docks that are already fully booked for the summer? Jenny Hartwick: “I'm still working my way through numbers and applications. people give us the dates that they'd like to be there and we really try our best to fit everybody in. We say, okay, this person only wants three weeks, we can partner them with this person.” “Typically the Cortes Bay and the Whaletown docks are full. That's been the pattern for the last number of years. Those two tend to be the most popular, again, simply because of their geographical location.” “I have mockups of every single dock down to the exact footage. We plot out whose boat and then who we can raft together. We try to get everybody their first choice, but I would suspect this year, like last year and the previous years that Cortes Bay and Whale Town will be full.” Cortes Currents: My next question was going to be about waiting times, but you mean there's just no chance of getting to those two? Jenny Hartwick: “Most likely but, again, that's not always true.” “We encourage everybody to reach out and communicate with us because stuff happens. Your boat breaks down. You go on an extended three week sailing trip. If people communicate that and they let us know, we're down on the docks every single day. We monitor and we watch.” “If we notice that something's going on, we keep a wait list. If we can move somebody into their first choice doc, we'll do that.” “One of the important things to remember in this, our Small Craft Harbours docks give priority to commercial and CFB mortgage. That is the mandate that we're given from the federal government, we are to support those users first.” “The Gorge Dock for example, is primarily commercial users only. We actually don't solicit recreational mortgage at that dock because we really don't have room just with the number of commercial users that we have.” “So there's multiple factors in play, but it's an ongoing process for us and we keep wait lists. We'll get you in if we can.”

2025 Forest Trust For the Children of Cortes Island Society AGM

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 19:03:01 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - This broadcast opened with the Klahoose Singers chanting a blessing to the forest and the land in general, at the Forest Trust For The Children of Cortes Island Society AGM on Saturday, April 5, 2025. As many of you are aware, the Society was set up to try and obtain 624 acres of forest adjacent to Carrington Bay Regional Park on Cortes Island, that are currently managed by Mosaic. Around 40 people were present when Chair Chris Dragseth announced they were making progress in the negotiations for 261 acres. “The society's been in place for 15 years and we've been in serious discussions with Mosaic since 2019, about the operational issues around negotiating a fair market value for the properties. We've done some work jointly with Mosaic over this period of time. We've hired timber valuation companies and land valuation companies to come to a point where we've had what we feel is a fair market value for the property. The big step is coming up. We are probably going to be in a position in the very near future to actually make an offer. This will really be the key point for 2025,” he began. “Once that agreement is reached, the clock will start ticking because it will have a built in provision to allow us to do serious and significant fundraising over the coming months.” “We can't and are unable at this point to give the value yet because we haven't finalized the price with Mosaic, but it's my expectation and my hope that in the very near future we're going to be able to give you some very positive news. Then we'll start moving forward.” The Society intends to purchase another 363 acres that are not included in this initial purchase. Chris Dragseth: “There's still three properties that are not in the package right now. Those three parcels were put into the carbon capture by Mosaic, through the Big Coast Program, and they have another 20 years to unfold before those properties will come up for discussion. Those parcels will eventually become part of a longer term discussion. Once we take possession, probably in a year's time is what we're hoping for, then a longer term vision will be required.” Christine Robinson gave a slideshow of the property, what had taken place during the year, and an outline of the society's history. She asked, “I'm just curious, if you've been anywhere in the Children's Forest, just raise your hand.” It seemed like the whole room responded. Christine Robinson: “Lovely. We have a very familiar audience right now, all of you pretty much long term on Cortes, but it is a gem in the heart of Cortes.” As the audio quality was poor, here is a quick summary of her talk as written in the slideshow: The Children's Forest Trust was created in 2010 and would not have been possible without the expressed support of the Klahoose First Nation. These lands are ecologically significant and support 14 species at risk and the rare occurrences of 11 ecological communities. Cortes Island is part of the Discovery Islands Archipelago that forms a ‘bridge’ between Mainland British Columbia and Vancouver Island and may provide important information on genetic diversity in species. The geographic location of the 50th parallel north marks the transition between the Coastal Douglas-fir and Coastal Western Hemlock bio geoclimatic zones. Important wildlife corridors are provided by landscape level ecological networks through the Children’s Forest. In the last 12 years the Forest Trust For The Children of Cortes Island Society has delivered a strong youth nature based program that has become an important part of the youth culture on Cortes Island.

Three Reasons 338Canada’s Riding Projections Don’t apply to North Island Powell River

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 16:14:21 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Depending on which election poll you are looking at, the Liberals are leading by anywhere from 5 to 10 points nationally. The last poll to suggest the Conservatives were tied with them was taken by Abacus on February 4, 2025. An Angus Reid poll taken on April 7, 2025 found that in British Columbia the Liberal Party leads by 11 points. It’s more difficult to get a breakdown riding by riding. While 338Canada’s projections are generally fairly accurate, they are calculated using a mostly proportional swing model adjusted with provincial and regional polls. In North Island Powell River there are currently at least three factors which this approach does not take into account. Firstly there is the widespread reaction to a series of tweets Conservative candidate Aaron Gunn made between 2019 and 2021. Many people feel his comments about residential schools are demeaning to First Nations and at this point 57 elected and former politicians, as well as Frst Nation leaders, have signed a joint letter calling for his resignation. So has every other candidate in North Island Powell River. There is also a little group of 9 politicians, primarily based in Campbell River, who have come out in support of Gunn. However with this kind of controversy going on, it is difficult to believe that 48% of the electorate would vote for Aaron Gunn if there were an election today. There is also NDP candidate Tanille Johnson’s popularity with some of the electorate, and the fact Bob Chamberlain, former Vice President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, endorses her. Lastly, Liberal candidate Jennifer Lash, her Campaign Manager and Deputy Campaign Manager are all government staffers with an intimate understanding of how elections are run. When I interviewed Deputy Campaign Manager Holly Johnson last week, they had recruited 150 volunteers. Those are three good reasons to ignore 338Canada’s projections for North Island Powell River. The only poll that could tell us what is going on in North Island Powell River must be taken here.

Aaron Gunn, Residential Schools and the Meanings of Genocide

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 15:43:51 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - In a series of tweets between 2019 and 2021, the Conservative candidate for North Island Powell River, Aaron Gunn, argued against the the idea that residential schools were a form of genocide. In the first of these he agreed that they were ‘truly horrific events,’ but added that people should not refer to them with a loaded word like ‘genocide’ that does not remotely reflect the reality of what happened.” He was wrong, residential schools are a perfect example of genocide. Mr Gunn’s understanding of the term appears to be limited to ‘killing of a large number of people,’ but when Raphael Lemkin coined the term he stated it wasn’t necessary to kill people. There were also genocides of political and social institutions, culture, language, national feelings, religion, and the economic existence of national groups. Lemkin was a Jewish lawyer who fled from his native Poland after the Germans overran it in 1939. He was deeply concerned about NAZI Germany’s extermination policy. In his book Axis Rule in Occupied Europe (1944), Lemkin wrote: “By ‘genocide’ we mean the destruction of a nation or of an ethnic group. This new word, coined by the author to denote an old practice in its modern development, is made from the ancient Greek word genos (race, tribe) and the Latin cide (killing), thus corresponding in its formation to such words as tyrannicide, homocide, infanticide, etc. Generally speaking, genocide does not necessarily mean the immediate destruction of a nation, except when accomplished by mass killings of all members of a nation. It is intended rather to signify a coordinated plan of different actions aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves. The objectives of such a plan would be disintegration of the political and social institutions, of culture, language, national feelings, religion, and the economic existence of national groups, and the destruction of the personal security, liberty, health, dignity, and even the lives of the individuals belonging to such groups.” He added that. “Genocide has two phases: one, destruction of the national pattern of the oppressed group; the other, the imposition of the national pattern of the oppressor. This imposition, in turn, may be made upon the oppressed population which is allowed to remain upon the territory …” Lemkin also coined the term cultural genocide, which is the systematic destruction of traditions, values, language, and other elements that make one group of people distinct from another. How does this relate to Aaron Gunn’s Tweets? These three appear to be misguided: “There was no genocide. Stop lying to people and read a book …”; “I understand that people have a misinformed view of history which they have reached following a steady and persistent attempt to discredit Canada’s past in order to undermine its institutions and future.” “Residential schools were asked for by Indigenous bands in Eastern Ontario when John A MacDonald was still a teenager.” This last remark refers to residential schools in eastern Ontario sometime between 1828 and 1835, when John A MacDonald was a teenager, but according to the Canadian Encyclopedia, the purpose of residential schools changed during the 1870s. “With the passage of the British North America Act in 1867, and the implementation of the Indian Act (1876), the government was required to provide Indigenous youth with an education and to assimilate them into Canadian society.”

Aaron Gunn Responds- About Vladimir Putin

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 05 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The following statement was taken from Aaron Gunn's Twitter feed - I am firmly opposed to Putin’s heinous and illegal actions in Ukraine, and his oppression of the Russian people within Russia. I have held and articulated these views publicly for years. In early 2014, when I was still in my early 20s, I made foolish comments about Putin and Ukraine. I stopped holding those views a long time ago. Canada must support Ukraine in their defence against Russia’s illegal invasion, including by building pipelines to tidewater to displace Russian oil and gas and stop the funding of Putin’s war machine. A point I have made consistently in documentaries and viral videos since their second illegal invasion in 2022. Conservatives have a proud history of supporting Ukraine. It was under a Conservative government (Brian Mulroney) that on December 2, 1991, Canada became the first Western country to recognize Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union. Conservatives were the ones who successfully negotiated the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement. Stephen Harper led the charge to kick Russia out of the G7 following their invasion of Crimea. I’m proud to continue this legacy of support for Ukraine as they continue their fight against Russia’s illegal invasion.

Aaron Gunn Respond- About Residential Schools

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 05 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Aaron Gunn, the Conservative candidate for North Island Powell River, has responded to some of the allegations made about his position on residential schools. I am reading this out from his Twitter feed. I’d like to clear up what has been said today. I have always been firm in recognizing the truly horrific events that transpired in residential schools, and any attempt to suggest otherwise is simply false. I have never wavered in condemning these institutions of abuse, where countless First Nations suffered at the hands of a patronizing federal government. I have never wavered in condemning the theft of children from their families, or the forced destruction of Indigenous language, culture and traditions. Not only have I repeatedly denounced what happened at residential schools, through my documentaries I have also interviewed more than two dozen Indigenous leaders on the importance of economic reconciliation with First Nations while also highlighting the disproportionate impact the addictions crisis has had on their communities. Leader Pierre Poilievre explained it well at the AFN Assembly last July: I know that the relationship between First Nations and the federal government has been painful and destructive because of the federal government's terrible decisions. For decades, the residential school system removed children from the love and care of their families. It was a monstrous abuse of excessive governmental power that cut your children off from their cultures, languages, and traditions. In many cases, students were neglected and abused tragically. Too many young children never came home. Those were terrible crimes by a big and imposing government against each victim and against your communities. In 2008, the federal government under then Prime Minister Harper issued an apology and launched the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, but there is more work to be done. I know that Canada has no future without a strong future for the First Nations people. We must acknowledge the terrible mistakes of our past and learn from our history while celebrating Canada as the greatest country on earth. I look forward to working with great candidates such as former Haisla Chief Ellis Ross, to repeal the Liberals’ radical anti-resource laws to quickly green-light good projects so First Nations and all Canadians bring home more powerful paycheques.

Elected and Former Politicians Calling For Aaron Gunn To Step Down

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - A growing number of elected and former politicians in the North Island Powell River riding are calling upon the Conservative Party to withdraw their endorsement of Aaron Gunn, and demand he withdraw his candidacy. There were already 19 names on this jpoint letter when Cortes Currents spoke to the two women spearheaded this campaign. “This has all happened within the last 48 hours. I believe (Bob Chamberlain) a former Vice President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs who sent out the first call for Gunn to be removed. After that many other chiefs supported the call for him to step down,” explained Arzeena Hamir, a former Regional Director of Area B in the Comox Valley Regional District. Wendy Morin, a City Councillor from Courtney, added. “When I saw the repeated posts of comments that Aaron Gunn has made, particularly that the experience of residential schools etc was not genocide, that's what really struck me as really harmful to First Nations communities in our region. Especially since the House of Commons unanimously stated that residential schools were genocide and, that was from all parties, including the onservatives. I thought, wow, this is someone who's a candidate who's not even aligned with the previous MPs in the House of Commons. I just felt that it was really important to show solidarity with the First Nations communities in our region, in the region where Aaron Gun is running.” Arzeena Hamir: “As elected and former elected officials, we just wanted to support First Nations leaders in really emphasizing that call because it's just an unacceptable viewpoint.” Wendy Morin: “We felt that it was important to show leadership on this and to show that local leaders across all different backgrounds, we don't all agree with each other. We don't all vote the same way, but on this issue we were very united.” Arzeena Hamir: “She and I sat down and crafted the letter and then sent it out for everybody else to sign.” Robyn Mawhinney, from Area C was one of the recipients, “I, as a director in the Stratcona Regional District know that within the administrative boundaries of the Strathcona Regional District, there are 11 First Nations and there are many more First Nations when you look at the entirety of the North Island Powell River riding. I believe that reconciliation is multifaceted and much more than only economic reconciliation. I have grave concerns with our riding being represented by someone who doesn't appear to take this full spectrum of reconciliation seriously. First Nations Leadership Council and many other First Nations leaders have expressed concerns with Aaron Gunn and I support them.” Arzeena Hamir: “We're not asking for the conservatives to not put up a candidate because everyone has a right to representation, but that candidate obviously was not vetted properly. Apart from his very awful views on First Nations, there's just a long list of very disturbing comments that this person has made. We don't believe that people like that should take the platform of a candidate.” “I think many people who just vote Conservative normally, don't even realize what he stands for. So this part of this letter is to raise that awareness in people so that they know, and hopefully choose otherwise.”

First Nation Leaders Call Upon Conservative Party To Drop Aaron Gunn As A Candidate

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -First Nations leaders are calling upon the Conservative Party of Canada to drop Aaron Gunn, candidate for North Island-Powell River, due to a series of tweets he made between 2019 and 2021. More than 150,000 First Nation, Métis and Inuit children were taken out of their homes and forced to attend residential schools between the 1870s and 1997. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission called the residential school system "cultural genocide" in its final report released in 2015. Gunn tweeted: “Why are the report authors (and now Trudeau) sensationalizing truly horrific events, that need to be examined honestly, with a loaded word like ‘genocide’ that does not remotely reflect the reality of what happened.” More tweets followed: “There was no genocide. Stop lying to people and read a book. The Holocaust was a genocide. Get off Twitter and learn more about the world” “I understand that people have a misinformed view of history which they have reached following a steady and persistent attempt to discredit Canada’s past in order to undermine its institutions and future.” “Residential schools were asked for by Indigenous bands in Eastern Ontario when John A MacDonald was still a teenager, but hey, why let the truth get in the way of a good headline.” “ I think Mr. Gunn's comments about Canadian Indian residential schools are absolutely appalling and utterly unacceptable for someone that is seeking public office. It shows me that he is completely untethered from the reality that First Nations have experienced in this country and completely absent from knowledge of what the government has done and spoken of. I believe it was in 2022 when the House of Commons spoke about what happened to First Nations people as genocide, and when the Pope of the Catholic church also spoke of it as genocide. For Mr. Gunn to just disregard these statements based upon reality of this country, it's absolutely appalling. There's no way that I can envision anyone should be able to sit in public office with such blatant, racist perspectives,” explained Bob Chamberlain, a Powell River resident who served as the Union of BC Indian Chief’s Vice-President for 10 years and elected chief of the Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis [quick-wa-sut-uh-nook / hakwuh-meesh] First Nation for 14 years. The First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) echoed this opinion in a press release issued on April 3: “the FNLC is joining calls for the Conservative Party of Canada to drop Aaron Gunn, the candidate for North Island-Powell River, due to his horrific and offensive posts on X between 2019 and 2021 refuting that Indigenous people faced a genocide in Canada and that ‘residential schools were asked for by Indigenous bands.’ Such attitudes are extremely harmful and divisive and should not be held by those in public office.” Terry Teegee, BC Regional Chief for the Assembly of First Nations, added "It's really concerning that perhaps the Conservatives can't work with First Nations peoples across this country, especially with a party that supports an individual of this type of view." Gunn has not responded to Cortes Currents requests for comment. When he was rejected as a potential candidate of the BC Liberal party in 2021, because of his views, Gunn claimed he had been blindsided: “At worst, it could be argued that one of the tweets was more terse than necessary. But it is difficult to see how any of these tweets expressed extreme or factually dubious opinions that fall outside mainstream Canadian political thought. Especially considering “genocide” is most commonly defined as “the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group” – a rather serious accusation which, I believe, should only be used in those rare, extreme circumstances (such as the Holocaust, for example).”

Chief Bob Chamberlain endorses Tanille Johnson

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Bob Chamberlain, former Vice President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs and former elected chief of the Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis First Nation is endorsing NDP candidate Tanille Johnson in North Island Powell River. “I just hope that your listeners are understanding and supportive of justice for First Nations people.” “I hope they'll vote for the NDP. I say that because I've been NDP my whole life. Back here I've got a sign when I ran for the NDP in Nanaimo." "I hope that they will recognize that only the Liberals and the Conservatives have ever formed government in Canada federally. The situation we're trying to deal with and correct today is a result of red and blue. I have no faith that they'll do what's right, from Prime Minister Trudeau's tearful acceptance of the missing murdered indigenous women's report and the Truth and Reconciliation report - which he then did nothing with.” “That's why I would encourage people to support Tanille. She's from here. She's got the lived experience of the North island, she understands .She's very articulate, and has high concerns for the environment and employment. To me, she's an ideal candidate because she's First Nations, but she's not limited to that focus. Looking at what economy would make good sense, what does the environment need given the current global warming crisis, and what we need to do in our little area of the world to look after our environment.”

Campaign Stories From North Island Powell River

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - All of the recent polls report the Liberals ahead in this election. If the election were held today, 338Canada and CBC’s Poll tracker are projecting a landslide victory, with between 193 and 202 seats going to Mark Carney’s Liberal Party. It’s a bit more difficult when it comes to calculating the outcome in individual ridings. According to 338Canada’s projections, North Island-Powell River is the bluest of the four northern Vancouver Island ridings. Aaron Gunn is expected to receive about 47% of the popular vote, but projections rely on algorithms and past voting history, and there are some things that can sneak under the radar. For example, does 338Canada know about NDP candidate Tanille Johnson’s following, as the only non-Conservative councillor in the city of Campbell River? Or that Liberal candidate Jennifer Lash, her Campaign Manager and Deputy Campaign manager are all government staffers who have amassed an army of 150 volunteers to knock on doors, man the phones and put up lawn signs? Or of the small successes of a Green Party movie and conversation night? The following stories came out of interviews with an NDP Campaign manager, a Liberal Deputy Campaign manager and two of the leading Green Party campaigns workers. The Conservatives were to have replied by an email which, should it arrive later, will be published separately.

Cortes Island Museum AGM

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Museum had their AGM on March 30th. “We had 52 people come out despite a really nice gardening day. You could see people having conversations and lots of hugs. Nice to see everybody out after the winter. Coffee and treats were available, a nice wide selection of home baked goods. So it's like the social atmosphere was really positive,” explained Melanie Boyle, Managing Director of the Cortes Island Museum. “The museum AGM business meeting takes maybe half an hour and then Iris Steigemann gave a really wonderful visual presentation of her travels in Greenland. Donations are up and membership is up, so we're very pleased about those facts.” Cortes Currents: How many members do you have now? Melanie Boyle: “When our fiscal year report came out 310, but I know between the time we printed the documents and the meeting we had more than that. So it's well over 300 this year.” Cortes Currents: Which is impressive on an island whose adult population was just over 900 in the last census. What about your donations? Melanie Boyle: “The donations were good and we have to just do our final tallies. With the museum, it's a donation of time or money. We don't set a minimum donation and we do find that works really well. Some people contribute their efforts in other ways.” Cortes Currents: What's coming up this year?

Anna Kindy explains why she does not endorse part of DRIPA and more

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - While she recognizes DRIPA as a valuable document, MLA Anna Kindy recently informed the SRD Board that she does not support ‘article 26.’ The topic came up when she took part in the May 26 Board meeting. Kindy began by stating, “ Part of the reason I'm here is to actually learn how things are run. I'm not going to pretend I know everything, far from it. It's a steep learning curve, but my motivation is to truly represent my constituents. I ran for a party, but I'm apolitical now that I am an MLA, I just look at issues separately and try to bring people's voices to the legislature, to whoever it needs to be brought to. I'm not a public speaker by nature, but I do answer questions very readily, so I'm just going to pass it over to you guys if you have any questions." Regional Director Mark Vonesch, of Cortes Island, responded, “My question is about Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People's Act (DRIPA). During the election, your leader spoke about dropping it and since then, members of your party have denied the graves that have been found in some residential schools. That's raised a lot of concern and I'm just wondering if you could comment on that.” Anna Kindy: “Okay, first of all, let's go back to the first question, DRIPA. You have to look at unintended consequences of every bill that passes. UNDRIP is from the United Nation and we are the only, and I will repeat the only jurisdiction worldwide that has adopted it word per word (as DRIPA).” “Most of DRIPA is fine, I'm a hundred percent for economic reconciliation. What we've done is terrible and we need to reconcile what we've done. It's about treaties, it's about economic reconciliation. What DRIPA does, if you look at section 26, there's a question of what will be the private property rights of every British Columbian.” Article 26 1. Indigenous peoples have the right to the lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned, occupied or otherwise used or acquired. 2. Indigenous peoples have the right to own, use, develop and control the lands, territories and resources that they possess by reason of traditional ownership or other traditional occupation or use, as well as those which they have otherwise acquired. 3. States shall give legal recognition and protection to these lands, territories and resources. Such recognition shall be conducted with due respect to the customs, traditions and land tenure systems of the Indigenous peoples concerned. Anna KIndy: “The entire aspect of crown land will be under the jurisdiction of 4% of the population potentially to make decisions and I am of the opinion that we all have equal rights. We are all Canadian.” “Economic reconciliation means that we need to make sure that we lift First Nations out of poverty. In this region, what that means is to support industries that are lifting them out of poverty. I'm an addiction doctor. If you look at the GNN nation (Gwa’sala-’Nakwaxda’xw Nations), they had 10 or 11 overdoses and suicides in a two month period in 2024. So this is urgent, I don't talk about semantics.” “The issue is section 26. This is in a democracy and we're an equal society, we all should have the same rights.”

Are Oil and Gas emissions holding Canada back from reaching its climate goals_

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - On March 21, Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a press release stating that in 2023 Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions dropped to their lowest level in 27 years (excluding the pandemic years). The exception in this otherwise positive picture was the oil and gas sector, where emissions continue to rise. However there is good news within that sector as well, ‘fugitive greenhouse gas emissions from oil and natural gas have decreased by 33% between 2013–2023, driven in part by Canada’s 2020 oil and gas methane regulations, which have reduced methane venting and leaks.’ “The two main messages from the National Inventory report last week, which I feel are really important, is that climate policy works. Over the last 10 years, Canada's greenhouse gas emissions have gone down. Our methane emissions have gone down. Our electricity has become less emissions intensive, and all of that has happened while our economy has grown. This is a significant point to make. And this is something that environmental groups, activists, researchers, community leaders, all of them have been saying for decades,” responded Aly Hyder Ali, from Environmental Defence. “The other aspect of the report was that the oil and gas industry is holding us back. The oil and gas industry has failed to do its part when it comes to emissions reductions and if it was able to or willing to do that, Canadians would be in a much better place.”

FOCI 2025 Broom Bash At Mansons Lagoon

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) has been helping maintain Mansons Landing Provincial Park since 2016. They’ve been putting up railings to prevent further erosion of banks, putting up interpretive signage and maintain the trails. FOCI also holds a Broom Bash every year. 15 volunteers and staff showed up to remove this invasive species on Saturday, March 21, 2025. Cortes Currents asked Helen Hall, FOCI's executive director, “Is this a good turnout?” Helen Hall: “We’ve got a lovely turnout of people this morning, all ages and we're anticipating more people will turn out throughout the morning. We've also got BC Parks rangers coming out to help us as well, which is great news.” “ The reason we started clearing broom on the Spit originally was because of the coastal sand ecosystem. This grassy looking habitat doesn't look like very much, but it's actually an ecosystem that's quite rare up and down the coast. When we started, about six years ago, it was covered in broom and it was getting shaded out. So we decided to remove broom from there. Then we realized it was also all over the Spit. So partly to stop it growing back onto the beach, we decided to clear it on the Spit. Then we realized that the broom was out competing native shrubs like huckleberry.” “We've now been doing this for six years and we are begining to see a difference. The coastal sand ecosystem is starting to thrive and we've noticed a lot more native shrubs coming in. It's a good news story, but we have to keep on it because broom just keeps growing back. So it's great to have volunteers coming out today to help do this.”

Shout Out From Tanille Johnston

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The election writ was dropped Sunday and the following day Cortes Currents published responses from the candidates in our riding. As they were either emails or excerpts from press releases, it is only on the web. However NDP candidate Tanille Johnston just sent in an audio clip as well. She’s referring to a meeting the Cortes Island Climate Action Network put on in Mansons Hall. “Hey everybody, just doing a little shout out. Thanks so much for having me a few weeks back. I really heard loud and clear your priorities of investing locally, especially in food sovereignty, climate mitigation, and how much investing locally really gets your best results for doing that kind of work on the ground.” “So really excited that the writ has dropped and the campaign is launched. On my way to qathet, and will be over in Powell River today. I have a full packed schedule and look forward to seeing you guys again soon, bye.”

Firesmarting Rainbow Ridge

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - There hasn't been a major wildfire on Cortes Island for decades, but this could change as our summer’s grow hotter and drier. The Rainbow Ridge Affordable Housing project is being designed with this in mind. “The main idea is to try to have more of a FireSmart community and get rid of the conifers that are much more prone to embers catching fire and then catching the neighbor's houses and vehicles on fire, like we saw in the California fires this winter,” explained Mark Lombard, speaking on behalf of the Cortes Housing Society. “We're also going to try to incorporate deciduous trees into the landscape of the 24 units, so that in the summer time you'll have nice leafy, shady zones around the houses in key spots. So that you don't get, for example, overheating in the summer midday and afternoon sun from the south and west, while still allowing our buildings to have good access for passive solar design and solar photovoltaics on the roofs of the buildings.” “Fire smart principles in general are to not have conifers - firs, cedars and hemlock trees - within 10 to 20 meters of your house. So when there are embers that fly ahead of a fire, they won't land in those trees, catch them on fire and then ignite the buildings around them. Using siding that's not going to be flammable like cedar; using metal or plaster as siding; designing your soffits so that the embers can't get trapped and then catch the roof on fire. We're going to use metal roofing which is very fire resistant.” “The way you do your landscaping is really important. If you put in a lot of hedges, for example, that is a real problem because embers can catch those on fire and then it's really hard to protect the structures. So trying to do a fire smart architeure site plan as well as the specific landscaping is the general idea.” “One of the big things for Cortes Island, if we have a major emergency our current plan is that we'll evacuate the island and that is expected to take about 40 - 48 hours - primarily using BC ferries. However, we know that if there's a major wildfire that starts, for example in Carrington, with a big northwesterly in five hours we could have serious fire conditions throughout the island. “So we need to create places where we can do what's called ‘shelter-in-place,’ which is have a cleared area that has no trees for four times the height of the nearest trees nearby. We don't really have very much of that on Cortes, as everybody knows. There aren’t a lot of big cleared areas. One of the areas that was the most likely place that we want to shelter in place and use as an anchor point in a major wildfire would be the training grounds at the fire departments.” “In the case of Manson's Landing, we had trees that were really tall directly adjacent to the helipad, and we did not have anywhere near the necessary four tree lengths. So now we've cleared the area to expand the training yard and directly behind that. We’re not going to have any tall conifers. So we've created a much more defensible place to ‘shelter-in-place’ on the south end of Cortes, right by the fire hall, which we think of as a bit of a multi-solving approach.” You have been listening to an interview with Mark Lombard about the Fire Smarting aspects of Rainbow Ridge.

Phase 1 At Rainbow Ridge_ Logs, Branches and Other Wood Debris

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - A four acre clearing was carved out of the forest in downtown Mansons Landing to make way for the Rainbow Ridge Affordable Housing Development. A crew was busy piling the last of the logs when Cortes Currents arrived on site, and the ground was covered with branches, wood debris and stumps. Construction on the first building is expected to start in a month, which means a lot of wood is going to have to disappear. What is the Cortes Housing Society going to do with it? Mark Lombard answered on behalf of the Cortes Housing Society: “That's a great question.” “We have two loads of saw logs going to the Klahoose Sawmill, and there are four loads of saw logs going to the Blue Jay Lake Sawmill. One of those loads is going to be for the use of the Housing Society for construction in the future. Over time, as we need lumber for various projects, we'll be able to pull them out of the inventory of logs that went to the Blue Jay Sawmill. There's also a load of saw logs going to a small mill in Mansons and another load of saw logs going to a small mill in Cortes Bay.” “In terms of the firewood logs, any of the logs that were a little bit smaller than the local mills can use or a little bit lower grade, we have two loads of firewood going to Klahoose and then multiple groups of residents who are getting two or three neighbors together are buying the rest of the loads of firewood logs.” They started delivering logs across the island on Saturday and were expected to finish Monday, March 24. Mark Lombard: “ The next step for the project is all the branches and tops. It's a bit of a challenge to decide what to do with them sometimes..” “We've decided not to burn for a few reasons. One is the smoke, right in Mansons. Another is, there's a new requirement to have your piles piled for three months before they're burned, and that would put us right into fire season. So what we've decided is we're going to chip up the branches and tops too. That'll help keep the biomass on the site.” “Once we pull the stumps and level up the site, then we can spread the wood chips out so that it builds topsoil and slows down erosion. So we don't have a lot of exposed soil.” “The school is building a wetland this summer at the back of the school yard, and they are going to take about 125 stumps from the housing society projects. On the north end, directly behind the fire hall and where the first community building is going to be built, we are going to pile up those stumps so that they can be moved over to the school wetland project in July. Then the stumps further south on the project are going to be moved to the very south end of the clearing, where there was a little bit of a natural opening.” “Once the site is levelled out, we're going to start building the first community building, the laundromat and housing society office. We are hoping that in about a month from now we'll be starting construction on that building.” “There are lots of small cedar logs that we're not making into firewood logs. So if people are looking for posts for garden fences or any kind of posts, we have lots available. We also have quite a few longer cedar poles that would make a really good barn pole or timber frame outdoor shed that will be for sale.” “We also have lots of pieces of curved fir and cedar. Some of them are longer, some of them are shorter, but can make some nice curved beams for things. We're also thinking that some of the really curved pieces of cedar, we’ll Alaska mill them and make them into slabs. So if people want any cedar slabs, we're going to have some of those available.” Cortes Currents: Any last thoughts? Mark Lombard: "We are fortunate to have a crew of professionals doing the work and everything has been done carefully and in the most tidy way possible.”

Phase One At Rainbow Ridge_ Boundaries With The Senior's Village And Firehall

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - There were a couple of changes in the plan for the Rainbow Ridge Affordable Housing Development as the site was cleared. A small parcel of land along the northern border of the property was given to the Cortes Island Fire Department, to enable it to expand. Plans for a hedge of trees between Rainbow Ridge and the Cortes Island Senior’s Village were drastically altered after root rot was discovered. Mark Lombard spoke on behalf of the Cortes Island Housing Society, “ In the first phase, we have cut down the trees in the area where the housing society will be building 24 units of affordable housing over the next few years, as well as a community building that'll house a laundromat and washrooms and an office for the housing society.” “We've cleared about four acres of land right behind the Manson's Fire Hall. We've also cleared about 50 feet of forest that is now going to be part of the training yard for the fire department. There's more space for the helicopters to land and more room for training. The ambulance is also bringing in a housing unit for the paramedics into the training yard.” Unfortunately they also cut down a great many more trees than the Cortes Island Seniors Village wanted. Mark Lombard: “We didn't communicate as clearly as we could have. We met with some of the seniors this week, and we had a really constructive, positive conversation. I feel like their concerns were addressed and we were able to answer their questions, but it's a really hard thing and we really empathize and understand the fact that it's never easy to see the trees cut down in the neighborhood where you live” One of the seniors, who did not wish to be identified, expressed support for Rainbow Ridge as a project and agreed that Cortes Island needs more housing, but she had loved that forest. Cortes Currents spoke to three seniors and they were all devastated, but Naomi Hayter was the only one who agreed to an interview. “I've only just moved here. My concern is for the village here and the impact it's had on the people who have lived here much longer than I have. This has been a shock to everyone.” “This village was created by the elders who came before us, and I find that to be a very special living situation for people of the age group from seventies up into nineties. It's been a safe place for people and I think it's a model for other communities to come and look at. People have come and looked at it as future possibilities for other places, but it has been compromised, I think.” Up until now the Senior’s Village had been sheltered in the trees, now it sits on the edge of a four acre clearcut. This does not appear to be what the Cortes Housing Society intended. Two months ago, at a public meeting in Mansons Hall on January 29, Sadhu Johnston, Executive Director of the Housing Society, said, “We heard loud and clear from them that they support the project, but they don’t want to lose all the trees. There are some nicer cedars. So we’re moving the project south. There’s a natural land clearing down here that we’ll be taking advantage of this way.” Cortes Currents: The first aerial photos of the logging operation showed a fringe of trees separating the Senior’s Village from Rainbow Ridge. Most of these have since been removed. Mark Lombard: “ In the northwest corner, which is directly adjacent to the senior’s cottages, we cleared the area where the training yard for the fire department's going to expand. Then we cleared out a little patch of trees that were unhealthy that had a lot of root rot in them, and some of them had already started to fall over. We were particularly worried about having them blow onto the seniors' homes.”

2025 MicroGrants 4 Neighbours Program on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - mmanuel McKenty is the new face of the Cortes Island Microgrants 4 Neighbours Program. When this ZOOM interview began, he was sitting in a room that looked very similar to where I interviewed him along with the rest of the Awakeneers on previous occasions. Cortes Currents: Give me your spiel and then I’ll ask some questions. Immanuel McKenty: “ The 2025 round of the Cortes Island MicroGrants is now open for applications between March 10th and April 7th. We're accepting applications for cool projects in on in theCortes community and giving out grants between $50 and $500. The application process is super simple. The link is on the Cortes Foundation website under their Grants section. And there's also posts on Tideline and the various different Cortes Island Facebook pages. One interesting new thing we're trying this year for the first time is we're planning to put all of the applications out for input to the whole community once we receive them. So anyone who lives on Cortes can log in and view all the applications and submit their votes on which are their favourites.” “I'm looking forward to seeing all the creative projects that get submitted and there's a few that are coming in already.” Cortes Currents: Actually, the first question that popped in my mind is how did Immanuel McKenty end up as the person doing the MicroGrants? Immanuel McKenty: “Manda Aufochs Gillespie recruited me shortly after the program launched. She initiated the program based on her literacy outreach coordinator position in 2020, I think that was the first year she organized it, and she recruited me as a jury member in 2021. The jury is basically a collection of people who review the different applications and rate them based on the rating matrix of different attributes. I was on the jury for a few years after that, and Co-adjudicator last year. This year I'm coordinating the program for the first time.” Cortes Currents: When exactly did you say ‘yes,’ you'll be the guy in charge? Immanuel McKenty: “Manda asked me, I believe it was in December of 2024, just after Isabella McKnight retired from working for the foundation. She had been the previous coordinator, and I had been a co-judicator with her last year.” Cortes Currents: Are you going to be doing more than MicroGrants? Immanuel McKenty: “I've just been contracted to run the MicroGrants program this year. It's roughly a three month engagement during the time period that the grants are being accepted and reviewed.” Cortes Currents: What’s special about the MicroGrants? Immanuel McKenty: “I find them very special and inspiring because they're so easy to apply for. Obviously applying for it doesn't mean you'll get the money, but the nice thing about the MicroGrants is that you don't need to have a registered non profit or a registered charity and go through all of these hoops of submitting financial statements, forms and hours and hours of details. They're small grants and it's super easy to apply for them.” “They're a great fit for some types of community projects. For example, in the past, they funded things like the Cortes Island Skate Jam, or songwriter circles that happened on the island, or several years in a row they've funded some youth kayaking trips, or little library boxes, or language classes. Basically, they're great for projects that somebody is excited about doing on Cortes and needs a little bit of encouragement and support to get the project to happen.”

Mascon By TELUS Cuts Off Some Cortes Island customers, CityWest Update

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Mascon by TELUS informed at least 10 Cortes Island residents that their internet service will be terminated on June 2, 2025. A dozen people were chatting about it on the Cortes Island Is Home Facebook page, where one typed a message to Regional Director Mark Vonesch, “The SRD was part of the whole CityWest to insure all communities were connected? Most of us do not have access to CityWest yet and now we are losing access to our only other option.” Nancy Kendel posted a comment on the Tideline, “A LOT OF GOVERNMENT MONEY was given to the Connected Coast Partnership of CityWest and the Strathcona Regional District, but THE JOB IS NOT FINISHED! When will Cortes Island be connected?” She also emailed Cortes Currents, which is what led to this story.

Pembina Institute Explains Need For Emissions Cap On Oil And Gas Sectors

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, the oil and gas sector is a major contributor to Canada’s economy, employing 182,000 people and generating $209 billion in GDP during 2023, yet it is also the source of 31% of Canada’’s Greenhouse gas emissions. “Demand for oil and gas is not going to go to zero tomorrow. It is a transition that takes decades to undergo. There will be a role for oil and gas as we move forward along that transition, but it is likely to be a cleaner oil and gas sector as the rest of the world stops buying the oil and gas products that Canada and other countries produce. Which , I think, really underlines the importance of investing in decarbonization now while we're still using oil and gas to 2050 and a little bit beyond if we get on a net zero trajectory,” explained Janetta McKenzie from the Pembina Institute, a Canadian think tank and non-profit focused on energy. She was responding to a new report from the Federal Parliamentary Budget Office. Janetta McKenzie: “They were assuming that very little action was taken by oil sands firms in particular, to reduce emissions on site, and therefore they would be choosing to stop producing. Across the sector, there's been a lot of commitments to slashing emissions by 2030. There's billions of dollars on offer through federal and provincial tax incentive and grant programs. We think there is a path towards choosing to decarbonize, choosing to reduce emissions and not just choosing to shut in production. We think it's a pretty narrow analysis that's based on a very specific set of assumptions that doesn't necessarily reflect the suite of options available to the sector.” The oil sector has been promoting the idea of carbon capture for years. A group of oil companies put forward a $16.5-billion plan for a massive carbon capture and storage (CCS) network in northern Alberta, but has not implemented it. Janetta McKenzie: “We have not seen a lot of movement from the oil sands Pathways Alliance carbon capture project. This was announced several years ago. We simply haven't seen it move ahead. In the absence of news on that, it's difficult to make the call on whether those big emissions reduction projects will be implemented anytime soon.” According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, “New regulations to be finalized later this fall will ensure that the sector continues to cut methane emissions by at least 75% from 2012 levels by 2030. Carbon capture is also going to play an increasingly important role in reducing the emissions from oil and gas production and Canada is well placed to cement its position as a global leader in this critical technology. According to both the IPCC and the International Energy Agency, there's no credible plan to carbon neutrality without carbon management technologies such as carbon capture and storage and their deployment must be rapid and immense, scaling up by nearly 200 times by 2050.” Janetta McKenzie: “It's difficult to say what is on the docket for these firms right now. I will say, with the combination of policy, like industrial carbon pricing, incentives, tax incentives like the carbon capture incentive tax credit from the federal government and provincial grants in particular for carbon capture, but also other emissions reductions technologies plus the possibility of doing a deal with the Canada Growth Fund, the conditions for the last couple of years have been quite good to get a pretty package to incentivize and encourage the industry to move forward with these things.”

Polls suggest Liberals may be on their way to forming a majority government

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - As Canada prepares for an election, which may be called sometime before parliament is recalled on March 24, polls show the Conservatives and Liberals in a statistical tie. But 6 out of 8 recent polls also show the Liberals rising quickly and now narrowly ahead. On Sunday 338Canada projected the odds of a Conservative forming a majority government has fallen from 99% on January 19 to a mere 13%. About 8 AM Tuesday - an hour after Cortes Currents sent in its daily radio broadcast! - 338Canada revised its projections to suggest Mark Carney’s Liberals may be on it’s way to forming a majority government. That may have been because the first of this week’s polls. The Angus Reid Institute suggests the Liberals may be on their way to a majority. Mark Carney is believed to be better equipped to: handle the trade war with the United States (55%-30%), develop or expand new trade relationships outside the US (54%-28%) handle Trump’s threats of annexing Canada (53%-31%) protect Canada’s economy (53%-33%) deal with the provinces (47%-31%) protect health care (44%-26%) and reduce the cost of living (41%-35%) That said, Angus Reid only found the Liberals leading by 5% in the popular vote. Leger gave them a 3% lead and also identified a ‘wild card.’ 28% of their respondents said they did not know enough about Carney to have an opinion, compared to just 12% who said that about Poilievre. 338Canada’s latest projection, from this morning, suggests the Liberals could be elected in 177 seats, which is 5 more than what is needed for a majority. The Liberals are now projected as leading in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario the Yukon and Northwest Territories. They are tied with the Conservatives in Manitoba. The Conservative Party currently only leads in BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Angus Reid and Leger suggest the NDP’s support is now down to a single digit (9%). In British Columbia, where 338Canada projected the Conservatives may be elected in many as 22 seats, a dozen former NDP seats may be going Conservative or LIberal. Six of them are on Vancouver Island, where there is not a single NDP candidate leading in the race. North Island Powell River (NIPR) has been an NDP riding since Rachel Blaney was elected in 2015, but Blaney stepped down and the new NDP candidate, Tanille Johnson, is 25 points behind Conservative candidate Aaron Gunn. The big story in this riding may be the Liberal’s jump from 12% to 20% since Jennifer Lash announced her candidacy last week. While the NDP are currently second in this riding, they just lost 6 points and the Liberals picked up 5. 338Canada suggests the progressive vote in North Island Powell River is split between three parties: with the NDP falling to 23%, the Liberals rising to 20% and the Greens unchanged at 6%. Sometime in the next two weeks, Prime Minister Carney will dissolve parliament and an election will be declared. Once the writ is dropped, there will be a campaign of at least 37 days and no more than 51 days.

Land Sharing on Folk U

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Sadhu Johnston/Cortes Housing Society - Tune in on March 14th for another collaborative monthly housing forum presented by the Cortes Housing Society, and supported by Folk University. Themed “Land Sharing”, this forum featured 5 local Cortesian guest speakers chatting about different land-sharing formats (Tiber Bay, Siskin Lane, land partnerships, living estates, and more!), what has worked for them, and what hasn’t. This hybrid-style forum took place on March 8, 2025, in-person at Manson’s Hall and over Zoom. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Wave and Range Cortes Island Broadening Out Into The Community

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Wave and Range Cortes Island has decided it's time to go public. “This year we're going to be putting on the Cortes adventure challenge, essentially a Cortes triathlon: It's a kayak or a canoe, a swim and a trek. We've got a short course, and a long course. That'll be on the 12th and the 21st of July, tentaively. I'll need to confirm those dates with you, but we'll advertise that. We'll do a little bit of lead up training for that,” explained Kay Hope. “There's an opportunity with where we live to have not so much a love affair, but like a marriage with the physical place that we live in. I think a majority of us are really disconnected from our biophysical reality. All sorts of things have unfortunately corrupted a lot of people away from a connection with their body and the environment. I'm just trying to foray back into that. I think there's a big opportunity for all of us to just keep doubling down on hiking up Easter Bluff, going to Mansons Lagoon, getting a sweat on, but then exploring in, around and up Desolation Sound. The beauty we have around us, it's really underutilized by us as a community together. I don't want to go out and just be exploring by myself. I'd love to go out on the weekend and see more kayaks than I see power boaters. That's my wish, and my wish for my baby boy.” “I've traveled to so many different places and the stuff that's just in our backyard here, it's world class. The longer term plan is just to connect more Cortesians to get outside together, and to get away from these damn screens and all the internet fights.” “I've been interacting with Cortes for over 15 years now. We're living in Vancouver for the most part and coming here in the summers. My partner Tiana grew up here and we moved here a bit over two years ago.” “I'm pretty busy. I've got a young son, the business to run and that sort of thing, but I'm really passionate about this sort of stuff. I've been getting people outdoors for a long time. I run a business in Vancouver helping people do that.” “Essentially we looked at what Quadra Island was doing. They have the Quadra Island Outdoor Club. It's essentially a member led club. They do trips outdoors, hiking, skiing, kayaking, all that sort of stuff. “We incorporated Wave and Range in April 2024. We get insurance through the BC Federation of Mountain Clubs as a nonprofit. There's myself, Jordan Best and Tiana on the Board right now. We're looking for more board members and more people to get involved. We are a bit over 20 members.” “We've done maybe 32 plus trips. We've been canoeing and hiking. I've been putting on strength and mobility classes at the hall for our members as well, for people to build up the strength and mobility they need to go adventuring.” “Josh Bannister does some of the hiking stuff. Aaron Ellingsen is going to be there and Sanchez is going to be there. Trevor Bass , Kenny and Evie have been coming to the strength and mobility classes. Kate Madigan and Mike Moore are coming out on the canoe. It's just cool to interact with those people, and listen to the sea lions carrying on down at Mary's Point and getting to know the different places.” “I've got a big 22 foot, eight person canoe. I've done a bunch of canoeing and adventure trips, as much as I can with running a business. We canoed up from Vancouver to Cortes. I brought some of my coaches a few years back. Just a couple of years back, we canoed from Cortes and climbed up Mount Denman, which was really cool. Last season, Jordan Best, one of the board members and I kayaked around the Redondas in two days. We're both busy fathers, and we crammed that in.”

RIEP Presentation_ Affordable Housing Across The Islands

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - One of the 2025 RIEP Virtual Forum presentations was a panel discussion of how the affordable housing societies were faring on eight rural islands. There were a lot of common themes running throughout their stories: difficulties obtaining funding through BC Housing, CMHC and other organizations whose requirements are drawn up for urban rather than rural areas; the cost of builing on remote islands; relationships with regional districts and Island Trust; and water issues. The moderator was Mike Hoebel from the Galiano Island Affordable Housing Society. Mike Hoebel: “The lack of affordable housing is truly a crisis in our communities and housing policy was a major item for discussion back at RIEP's 2023 In-Person Porum Gabriola. Today we're going to hear from a number of people about housing related initiatives underway in their communities.” “First we'll be hearing from Elizabeth FitzZaland from Salt Spring Solutions, then Adam, to talk about the Housing Now program, Bruin Black is going to share some information about the Cortes Housing Society’s Initiatives. April Lewis from Hornby, Simon Palmer from Denman, Deb Goldman from Mayne, Avi Bryant here on Galiano and I'll share a bit of update about the Galiano Affordable Living Initiative Society's project on Galiano. Following the panel presentations we'll touch briefly on some advocacy issues to the province.”

RIEP Presentation_ Identifying Ways To Further Support The Success Of BC’s Indigenous economy_

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - One of the most popular presentations at RIEP’s 2025 Virtual forum was Former Green Party MLA Adam Olsen’s identification of ways to further support the success of BC’s Indigenous economy. Francine Carlin, Chair of the Rural Island Economic Partnership (RIEP) introduced Olsen, “ Adam is a proud member of the Tsartlip Nation. He currently serves as the lead negotiator for the Tsartlip, representing the nation's interests on land and resource management, governance and the treaty land entitlement process. His leadership and negotiation plays a crucial role and advancing the nation's rights and self determination, Adam's expertise of bridging gaps between environmental concerns, indigenous rights and sustainable development makes him a true champion of the greater good.” Adam Olsen: “ÍY ȻEĆIL. SȾHENEP TŦE NE SNÁ. ĆSE LÁ,E SEN ET W̱SÁNEC LÁ,E ET W̱JOȽEȽP ÁLEṈ. ZȺWIZUT TŦE NE MÁN. ZIȻOT E TELX̱ILEM TŦE NE SILE.” “My name is SȾHENEP (Adam Olsen) I am W̱SÁNEĆ from the Tsartlip village. My father is ZȺWIZUT (Carl Olsen) and my late grandparents are ZIȻOT (Laura Olsen) and TELX̱ILEM (Ernie Olsen).” “It’s an honour to be here working from my home. I want to acknowledge the territories of my relatives throughout the straights from south of the San Juan islands through Southern Gulf islands, through to the islands in the Northern straights. These spaces have been stewarded by my relatives and our ancestors since time immemorial. I raise my hands to the organizers, the brains and muscles of the Rural Islands Economic Partnership (RIEP).” “I've always appreciated how you've kept the economic well being of the rural islands centered in your work. At this moment, we're all facing extraordinary economic times. We're confused by the actions of our neighbour, concerned about the future of this territory, and because it is unprecedented, it's difficult to visualize and plan for what may be next.” “Whatever may unfold in the next few weeks and months, I believe our short, medium, and long term success is contingent on the resilience of our relationships with each other. While some celebrate this term economic reconciliation, I argue that this catchy little phrase remains incomplete to our collective responsibility to First Nations and to our own Canadian identity.” “Reconciliation cannot be selective. It must be comprehensive addressing land governance and economic sovereignty together. It is important to ground our discussion today in the fact that for the state niche, the rural islands that we know as the Gulf islands today. The San Juan Islands are our relatives.”

RIEP Presentation: Us tariffs & How Island Economies Can Respond

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Around 100 people signed up for the Rural Islands Economic Partnership 2025 Virtual Forum. At least 10 were from Cortes Island and there were others from Quadra, Texada, Hornby, Denman, Cormorant, Malcolm and the Gulf Islands, as well as the Broughton Archipelago. Several of the topics were of great importance to islanders. One of the foremost was Aaron Cruikshank’s analysis of the impact US tariffs will have on island economies and what we can do about it. Cruikshank is the founder of CTRS, a Market intelligence company from the Lower Mainland that has worked with hundreds of organizations and governments over the past 20 years. He began his analysis of President Trump’s actions by stating, “People are really focused on the tariffs, but the message I want to leave with everybody is it's actually trade policy uncertainty disrupting economic patterns. It creates volatility in global markets. It leads to reduced investment, supply chain disruptions, and a contraction in economic activity which hurts everybody. I don't care where you are in Canada, all of that is bad news, but I wanted to make clear that tariffs are just one example of something that contributes to trade policy uncertainty. We're seeing others, and we'll continue to see others that are going to make these numbers rise.” He put up a chart showing the relative uncertainty that Trump and some of the previous U. S. presidents have created in international trade markets. Aaron Cruikshank: “This chart goes back to 1960 and the index is based on the impact of policies. You see the baseline jumping up from 25 points to 100 points under Nixon and Ford, that was considered a very big deal in the 60s and 70s. Then in the 80s and 90s you had some spikes with Reagan and Bush. I believe the one with Reagan, or maybe it was Bush Sr., was to do with NAFTA.” “If you look at these spikes that are happening during the first Trump presidency, where we're getting into the 250 range. Very, very, very significant trade uncertainty policy. Then the most recent hockey stick growth there is just in the last couple of months where we're getting up into the 450, 500 range. We're talking more than an order of magnitude above baseline for trade policy uncertainty. We also are hearing talk of President Trump or as I call him, ‘the orange turd,’ wanting to renegotiate the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, what some people refer to as NAFTA 2.0. That uncertainty makes people freak out. Threatening to withdraw from certain trade agreements makes the chart do this. Putting export controls on specific technologies or goods, that makes the chart do this, saying the US is only going to allow X amount of this good.” “That affects countries like Canada a lot because we end up exporting a lot of raw materials into the US: lumber, oil, metals, minerals, things like that. We supply 80 percent of the US potash, which is used for fertilizer to grow their food. So, they might be putting import caps on things like that. That makes markets go “woo.’”

Unexpected Detours, Chance Encounters, & Other Travel Adventures

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On March 7, 2025, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by a group of Cortesians as they swapped stories of unexpected detours, chance encounters, and the adventures that changed them. Are we talking international travel or trips to town gone wrong? Tune in to find out! Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Disruptions of CityWest’s Services on Cortes and Quadra Islands

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - CityWest’s internet service for Cortes Island was cut off again, sometime after 10:44 on Saturday, March 8, and not restored until after 9:00 on Monday, March 10. This is the third or fourth time in the last 12 months. The outage did not affect CKTZ, which relies upon Mascon de TELUS, but did shut down numerous CityWest customers (including Cortes Currents). ‘Rumour’ has it that the fibre cable was cut somewhere on the underwater stretch between Denman Island and Williams Beach. “They require a special "marine team" to take care of it and it will be weather dependent. Hopefully the break will be near shore, but they may have to pull up the entire length of cable to find the break and fix it.” One of CityWest’s public relations people confirmed there was a break in the cable, but could not say where. However the recorded announcement on their phone in line stated: “We are seeing services affected in Williams Beach, Stories Beach, Manson's Landing, Bold Point, Heriot Bay, Whaletown, Open Bay, Granite Bay, Chatham Point, Blink Channel, Bliss Landing, Seaford, Klahoose, and Gillies Bay.” So the rumour was true, at least in regard to where the break occured. There are some questions about CityWest’s recorded announcement. For starters, it says services are affected in Bold Point, Open Bay, Granite Bay and Heriot Bay - which are all Quadra Island locations. Only Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney, who lives on Quadra, has yet to hear of ANYONE being connected on Quadra Island and, up until this point, there has been no mention of Heriot Bay being served. A number of Cortes Island residents have been connected for over a year, but a lot of people have not. It is not clear which group is in the majority. In a previous post, Cortes Currents mentioned that numerous households in Squirrel Cove, Whaletown and Mansons Landing have yet to be connected. Since then, a source who wishes to remain anonyomous, claims that service has yet to be brought to Seaford Road. Don Hall, from Tiber Bay, recently stated there is no service in his area either. “We expressed interest early on to get hooked up. They used to phone us and they used to try to sell us things. They ran a line from our local road to our house, but they never ran the line from the main fiber optic network into where we live at Tiber Bay. They never hooked up our house either. The last time I ever heard anything from them was three years ago when they scheduled an appointment to hook up the internal to our house. They never showed up for that and we never heard from them again.” The Strathcona Regional District has not been talking about the connected coast project very much lately, but according to the press release on their website, this is “a joint venture between the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) and CityWest" which “will be managed and implemented by CityWest and the Strathcona Regional District.”

Jennifer Lash on Mark Carney's Election As The Liberal Party's New Leader

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 09 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - On Sunday, March 9th, the Liberal Party chose Mark Carney as their new leader. While there have been no polls taken since his election, EKOS carried out a survey just prior to the Convention that suggests Carney may be able to lead the Liberal Party to a majority government. 42% of the respondents between March 2 and 5 chose the Liberal Party, while the Conservatives slipped back to 33%. The NDP was at 13% and the Greens 4%. Cortes Currents reached out to Jennifer Lash, the Liberal candidate in North Island Powell River for her perspective. “I am so thrilled with the results of the leadership race last night. I think that Mark Carney is the right person at the right time, not only for the Liberal Party of Canada, but for all of Canada. He brings a level of expertise in terms of how to handle the economic chaos caused by donald Trump at the exact time that we need it,” she said. “I also think that the overwhelming support that he received, almost 86 percent of the vote shows that the Liberal Party is united. There's aren't factions. There's no infighting. We are united. We stand by him as our leader, and we're really looking forward to the next steps. One of the things I've found so fascinating about Mark Carney, when I've been talking with people on the street, on the phone, on social media, is just how much he is drawing people in from across the political spectrum.” “So people who have historically voted NDP, people who have been considering voting Conservative, they're all starting to look at the Liberal Party under Mark Carney's leadership as a really good viable option and for exactly what Canada needs right now. There's a lot of momentum growing and i'm really hoping that people continue to explore and Learn more about the Liberal Party . If they have any questions or any concerns or want to talk with me, they can always learn more about what I feel the Liberal Party can do for North Island Powell River at jenniferlash.ca."

Jennifer Lash, the Liberal Candiate for North Island-Powell River

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Jennifer Lash has been working at the intersection of the economy, ocean conservation, climate change and reconciliation for the past 27 years. She founded two non-profit organizations in Sointula and more recently was a senior advisor in the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. Now she is running for election in North Island-Powell River. "In the situation we're in right now, with the dire need for strong leadership both at the riding level and nationally. We're not getting that leadership from the NDP and the Conservative Party. Whether you're voting for the leader; whether you're voting for the party; or whether you're voting strategically: I think the best choice this year is Liberal,” she explained. “I have lived in this riding for 27 years. I have voted for the NDP for many years. I voted strategically. There wasn't anything the NDP were advocating for that I was opposed to, but I didn't really love everything that was being done. I wanted to keep the Conservatives out." "In 2021, I voted NDP and I didn't like it. I didn't like the experience. I didn't get the thrill of feeling like I was voting for the vision that I wanted. The NDP had a terrible climate plan, if you call it a climate plan at all, and I just didn't see myself or my kids in their vision." "Fast forward a couple of years, I started thinking that if I'm not happy voting for the NDP, then I can't just expect somebody else to step up and change the conversation in this riding. I realized I had to do it myself. So I submitted my application back in October/November.” “I did it because I felt that there was a conversation for this riding that looked at how do we build our economies and our communities so that they thrive? So that they have the support that they need, We are protecting our oceans and our forests and our climate, but still making sure that people feel a part of the community. So that people don't feel alienated; workers feel supported and resource users feel like they are a part of things. I really felt like that was something I wanted to help facilitate in this riding. So I threw my hat in the ring. It's just taken a while to get through all the hoops you have to jump through to get final approval."

Cold Water Swimming on Folk U

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/Folk U - On February 28, 2025, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Carrie Saxifrage, Jane Newman, and Karen McDiarmid, to chat about cold swimming. Are you curious about what cold water swimming could do for you? In this episode, we dive into the icy depths to explore the stories, benefits, challenges, and the sheer exhilaration of taking the plunge. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

A Peek into Big Oils Lobbying Playbook with Environmental Defence

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Environmental Defence just released a report showing that last year oil and gas company lobbyists were targeting the Conservative Party, in preference to the Canadian Government, by more than a 2 to 1 ratio. Cortes Currents interviewed Emilia Belliveau, lead author of ‘Big Oil’s Playbook, A Summary of Big Oil’s 2024 Federal Lobbying’ and asked Max Thaysen, from the Cortes Island Climate Action Network for his insights. Emilia Belliveau: “Environmental Defence is a charity, so we are nonpartisan. What I can do is simply relay the facts, which are that the Bloc Quebecois and the Green Party did not take any lobbyist meetings. The NDP took a very small number, four. Then you have most of the lobby meetings targeting the Federal Liberals and the Federal Conservatives. The Federal Liberals had 62 meetings with ministers and 29 meetings with backbencher MPs, and Conservative MPs took 216 lobby meetings.” Cortes Currents: That’s 91 contacts with government ministers and Liberal MPs, which is less than half of the 216 meetings the lobbyists had with Conservative party members. Belliveau said this was a change from 2023 when gas and oil lobbyists met with Canada's two leading parties about 200 times each. (203 Liberal meetings vs 197 Conservative meetings.) Max Thaysen, a member of the Cortes Climate Action Network pointed out, “The numbers presented for who the fossil fuel companies were lobbying, means that they are hoping for and planning on a Conservative government. This would be very strongly in their favour as far as I can tell and probably as far as they can tell. That's something that we need to consider when we're making our decisions and taking action leading up to our celebration of democracy (voting day), whenever that comes.” Emilia Belliveau: “Environmental Defense tracks the fossil fuel industry's lobbying of the Federal government in order to get a window into the ways that they're trying to influence climate policy. That has huge implications because we need ambitious government climate policy in order to tackle climate change at the scale that's really required.” Max Thaysen: “To quote one scientific paper that I'm still working through, ‘We are on the brink of an irreversible climate disaster.’ This is a global emergency. We can't really remember that often enough and that should form the context of how we interpret these kinds of activities.” Cortes Currents: What about meetings that are initiated by the government or by one of the parties? Are those tracked? Emilia Belliveau: “When we try and track lobbying, what we really see is only meetings that are initiated by lobbyists get tracked in the government's registry. If the government itself requests a meeting, or sets up a working group, which we know they have done with certain oil and gas companies on major projects, those meetings don't count as lobby meetings. So they're not filed in the public record.” “There's actually way more contact with the government that we know is happening, but can't report on in our analysis. We've seen some really wonderful investigative journalism. For example, in the past year, the Narwhal did a great investigation into TC Energy where they revealed lots of other ways that industry is trying to influence government. Lobbying is just one tactic, in this real playbook that they have, for trying to shape government policy in favor of fossil fuels.”

Polls Suggest Gap Narrowing Nationally, And In Our Riding

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - After trailing far behind in the polls for the better part of two years, the Liberal party’s propects appear to be on the rise nationally, and the gap between the Conservatives and NDP is narrowing in our riding. Canada’s two leading political forecasting websites, 338Canada and CBC’s poll tracker, still show the Conservatives in the front, but no longer predict a Conservative majority. Last week Ipsos and EKOS both released polls showing the Liberal party edging into the lead. However Innovative Reseach, Abacus Data, Leger, and Nanos all reported the Conservatives were still ahead. On Thursday, CBC’s Poll Tracker reported the weighed average of all these polls showing the Conservatives still had 40% of the popular vote, the Liberals trailing with 31%, NDP with 14% and Greens had only 4%. 338Canada’s projection, released Sunday, March 2, showed the gap narrowing. The Conservatives were still leading, but with 39% of the popular vote to the Liberals 33%. The NDP and Greens remained unchanged. A special feature of 338Canada’s projections is they give breakdowns for every riding. North Island-Powell River is still regarded as a safe Conservative seat, but the gap between the two leading parties shrank 5% during the past week. The Conservatives now have 47%, NDP 29% and Greens 6%. If there was a Liberal candidate, 15% of the population may have chosen her or him. As there is no Liberal candidate, a significant number of those people would probably choose NDP. If they all did, there would only be a 3% gap between the Conservatives and NDP. Given the speed in which the political situation is changing, it is important to realize that none of this data was collected after Tuesday, February 25. On a National level, the gap between the two leading parties has most likely narrowed. Similarly, the NDP are probably doing better than what the projection shows for North Island-Powell River.

Coming This Week _The Rural Islands Economic Partnership Virtual Forum

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The 2025 Rural Islands Economic Partnership (RIEP) Virtual Forum is coming up Thursday and Friday, March 6th and 7th. Two of the organizers, Francine Carlin and Kate Maddigan are my guests today. “ It's going to be a jam packed two half days, 9:15 AM to 12:30 PM. Our virtual events are really unique because we all live on islands or coastal remote communities and don't have the opportunity to get together as a collaborative regional grouping. So it's important to have these virtual events that bring together people from all across the coast and the islands, up from North Island as far as Alert Bay, to Sooke and beyond. So we have a pretty broad reach and this year it's really important, particularly with the events in the world around economic issues that relate to our local economic and social wellbeing,” explained Francine Carlin, Chair of the Rural Islands Economic Partnership. “Our theme this year is adaptation, innovation, and resilience, because in these times you need to be able to adapt to change. You need to be innovative in terms of what you are doing to keep small businesses vibrant and alive during these challenging times and to be resilient. It's an ongoing process to ensure that we have our sovereignty as a nation. And that we have our local communities and our local economies thriving as best they can.” “The opening sessions will be looking at our economic snapshot in terms of what exactly and who exactly are we in terms of our population, our economy, our, our health and wellbeing. We're going to follow up with a program around how we share our services. How we can leverage our economies of scale to be more resilient in times of change. Then moving into using artificial intelligence” Is it a friend or an enemy? Or fremony? (laughter) You have to find a way to use it so that it doesn't overpower and that we can take advantage of the technologies that have been evolving for the last 30 years.” “Day two is looking at economic reconciliation. What is that all about in terms of how we're going to work collaboratively and in concert with the indigenous communities that live and work on these islands and across the remote coast. We're having former MLA, Adam Olson, who is now the Chief Negotiator for the Tsartlip Nation. One of the reasons that our Southern Gulf Islands got into the Island Coast Economic Trust and was able to apply for funds there was because of his advocacy with the province. He's going to be speaking to us about working together with Indigenous communities to ensure a diverse and integrated economy over time. The most difficult thing to pull together was what we're calling this Learning Exchange. We're bringing together about nine Representatives of organizations from across the islands and the coast to share everything from housing initiatives and solutions to climate adaptation to food security and social enterprise.”

Unedited audio from Feb 21 NDP Meeting on Cortes

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Unedited audio from

NDP Candidate Tanille Johnson visits Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Island - NDP candidate Tanille Johnson recently visited Cortes Island, where 20 people were waiting to see her in the Pioneer Room at Mansons Hall. The event was sponsored by Cortes Island’s Climate Action Network, which also provided lunch. Johnson said she prefers small meetings like this, “I've been spending most of my time going to people's houses, meeting with their friends, I like to think that I'm a very truthful, honest person and I actually care about what happens in this riding. It means a lot to me, like my family, generations and generations, lived here.” Recent polls suggest the Conservative Party may have lost its early lead in this pre-election period. Both EKOS (February 26) and Ipsos (February 25) released polls that show the Liberals edging forward in what has once again become a two party race. The NDP are a distant third and fading. That’s on the national level, it has always been a very different race in North Island-Powell River. If you include the results from the former Vancouver Island North riding, the choice has been NDP or Conservative for decades. Rachel Blaney has been our MP since 2015, but her predecessor John Duncan was a Conservative and the Conservatives have been a close second in every recent federal election. Now Blaney is stepping down. 338Canada’s most recent projections still depict Johnson as the underdog in our riding, but those projections will only be released on Sundays until the election is declared. A great deal has changed since last Sunday. More will change in the weeks to come. Tanille Johnson began, “ I was born and raised in Campbell River, that's my home territory and my home community in more ways than one. I am a member of the We Wai Kai First Nation, one of the three Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ Nations that make up the greater Campbell River area and a little bit up into Sayward for our traditional territory. I didn't grow up on reserve. I spent a ton of time on reserve, but my house was down in Willow Point in Campbell River, which started me off in an interesting place in my life.” “I purposely moved back from Victoria eight years ago because I wanted to be home. I wanted to be home for me and for my kids. I did not want to raise a family outside of my traditional territory. I'm extremely connected and loyal to this area. I'm not going anywhere. I recognize that Ottawa is very far away and I will be in Ottawa when I have to be in Ottawa but I will have big accountability for showing up in the riding and having my ear to the ground and showing up when you need me and being where I need to be.” “I first got into politics in post secondary education. I dove in with both feet. I was on the Native Student Union Council, I was on the UVic Student Society Board of Directors, I was on the UVic Senate. I sat at the Equity Advisory Council for the School of Social Work, federally with the Canadian Federation of Students on their Federal Executive Board as well as their Provincial Executive Board.”

Behind The Campbell River Premiere Of Yintah

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - 21 people attended the Premier of the feature documentary Yintah at the Campbell River Community Center on February 20th, 2025. The movie is sponsored by the North Island Powell River (NIPR) Federal Green Party Riding Association and follows the Wet'suwet'en land defenders 10 years struggle to keep gas companies from building a pipeline through their territory. Cortes Currents interviewed two of the event’s organizers about the film and some of the deeper issues within the local community.

Should there be a Maximum Size for Houses on Cortes?

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - A quick question just came up in regard to Cortes Island’s ongoing Zoning Bylaw Review. Cortes Island residents have up until noon on Friday, March 7, to make their thoughts known on possible limits to house sizes known. “Do we want to put a limit on the maximum house size on Cortes? It's a basic yes or no question.” asked Regional Director Mark Vonesch. “If you do agree, what is the maximum size you would like to see happen? Everything from 2,500 square feet to 4,300 square feet. I've certainly heard from a lot of people that this is something that's important to consider. Basically do we want to have folks buy land here and build mega mansions? Do we want to have Cortes be a place where the ultra wealthy can buy a piece of land and build a summer mansion?” “There's probably going to be quite heated thoughts on both sides of this question and rather than me just making a decision I want to understand what the wishes of the community are.” “If this new regulation goes through and we do say Cortes agrees that we should limit the size of the houses that are built, one of the questions people have is what does that mean for houses that are already larger than whatever square footage that we choose? The answer for that is simple, they’ll be grandfathered in. The bylaw does affect new builds only. If the house burns down, they won't be able to build to that same size.” “If this regulation does go through and anyone decides to build a house that's larger than the square footage that Cortes Wants, then the SRD can create a court injunction and have them either go through the process of reducing the size of their house to conform to the regulation, or take the house down.” “Is this something we want? How do we want to have land use on, on Cortez B? I'm really excited to hear people's answers.”

Possible SRD Breakdown_ Campbell River Vows To Cut Admin Payments

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - While most of the Strathcona Regional District’s costs can be directly allocated to specific areas, others are labelled administration costs and need to be shared among the 10 communities. At their February 19 meeting the SRD Board discussed ways to make a more fair allocation of this expense. Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch explained, “ To put this in perspective, let's say the SRD's total budget is $20 million or whatever it may be this year, we're talking about $2.8 million for admin costs.” Campbell River has close to three quarters of the SRD’s population, but only contributes $1.6 million towards the $2.8 million administration bill. That’s just under 56%. Some Campbell River Directors dispute that number and most appear to think they are paying too much for a service they derive very little benefit from. Mayor Kermit Dahl served notice that at the next SRD Board meeting he will move to slash Campbell River’s contribution by 82%.

De Clark: A Deep Dive into Neoliberalism

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/Folk U - On February 21, 2025, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by De Clarke for a deep dive into neoliberalism—its history, impact, and the debates surrounding its influence on economics, politics, and society. How do current trends in US and Canadian politics affect us on Cortes? Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Scientific Methodology, 'Activist Science' and Corporate Spin

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Brian Kingzett, the Executive Director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association, recently informed the city of Campbell River that: “ We have seen a weaponization of science where industry and government have their science, industry science is always put into conflict. Then we see activist science, which is largely coming out of urban areas being weaponized against us. We need that independent science more than ever.” What Kingzett, who by the way has a Master’s degree in Marine Biology from SFU, did not say is that the professors he was defaming ‘have cumulatively published over 1,500 peer-reviewed scientific papers, serve or have served on over 30 editorial boards of scientific journals, include five Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada, and have many decades of experience in science advice processes across levels of government.’ Nor did he mention that they were either professors working in the following universities, or have moved on from them after obtaining their PHDs: namely Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, University of California (Davis), University of Hawaii, University of Toronto, and the University of Victoria. At least two of them are also connected to the Pacific Salmon Foundation. When Cortes Currents asked Dr Gideon Mordecai, from UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, for a response, he pointed out that the urban label was not accurate because ‘much of the work is carried out by researchers living outside of large urban centres’ and additionally, there is a huge amount of science being led by, or carried out in collaboration with, First Nation Communities, which are often more rural.’ Cortes Currents: Do you have any response to Kingzett's comments? Or his dismissal of a letter from 16 recognized scientists as ‘activist science?’ Gideon Mordecai emailed: “Bias exists in all scientific endeavours. However, I would suggest that it is quite clear who stands to benefit the most from certain scientific narratives. Industry-backed science inherently has a vested interest in outcomes that support continued operations, whereas independent academic research is typically more driven by curiosity and public interest. All that to say, let’s not let the BC Salmon Farmers Association be the final arbitrator of science!” “The 16 scientists who critiqued the DFO rapid science response did so based on their expertise. Dismissing their concerns as “activist science” oversimplifies the issue and avoids engaging with the actual critiques they raised (which would be more typical of the scientific process). These issues (as described in our letter) are that DFO’s sea lice report is fundamentally flawed due to selective reporting of methods and results. We noted that the report was did not meet any reasonable standards of independent peer review, and downplays a large body of peer-reviewed research — both BC-focussed and international — that has repeatedly demonstrated the relationship between salmon farms and sea lice on wild juvenile salmon” “One of the usual ways to mitigate bias is transparency— e.g. disclosing funding sources, data access, and methodologies. DFO has failed to share data for the sea-lice rapid science response (see the Information Commissioner's report on this). We will have to wait and see if the data is released in the coming weeks.” There is much more in the podcast

All things love on Folk U

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2025, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by three beloved Cortes couples to chat about all things love. We heard their meeting stories, their advice, and we chatted about commitment, long-term love, challenges, and joyful moments. Tune in for a moving celebration of island romance and connection. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Minimizing the impact Trump's tarrifs could on the $130 million REC-reate Strathcona Garden project

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - It is only two weeks until President Donald Trump decides whether to impose 25% tarrifs on Canada and Mexico. There is some question whether he will follow through. Trump was initially going to impose the tarrifs on February 4, but the previous day Wall Street's three main indices fell sharply over concerns about the global economy. The stock market recovered that afternoon after Trump announced he would postpone the tarrifs for a month. However Canadians are preparing for the worst and, on the local level, one of the topics discussed at yesterday’s Strathcona Gardens Commission meeting is impact Trump’s proposed tarrifs could have on Campbell River’s $130 million REC-reate Strathcona Gardens project. Commissioner Cal Grunerud raised the question: “ What's happening with America.” Commissioner Ron Kerr stressed, “This is a tariff that is definitely going to raise our costs.” Wolfgang Parada, Senior Engineering Manager with the Strathcona Regional District, assured the Comissioners that steps are already being taken to minimize any impact. “The first thing is looking at the contracts, what type of contract the general contractor has with the trades. It's under the duties and taxes, basically the trades are only responsible for those duties and taxes when they bid for the project. Anything extra will be billed to the general contractor. The general contractor will pass it to us.” “We need to work carefully to minimize the impact to the project and the first thing that we have done is we asked the General Contractor to compile a list of materials and equipment coming from the States.” “This is very preliminary right now because if the tariffs are implemented to Canada, that doesn't affect the project. It will only affect the project when Canada retaliates and put tariffs on the States, if those tariffs are related to some of the materials that are coming for this project. That list is being developed at this point. We need to understand what suppliers we have here in Canada, if there are alternatives. We need to look at the status of the solutions.” “This is not an easy process. When we hire a trade, that trade needs to submit shop drawings. Those shop drawings are approved. They need to procure the equipment. Once they buy the equipment, they ship the equipment from the States. Once they cross the border, that's when they pay the tax.” Parada explained they are trying to assess which materials can be brought into Canada before the tarrifs are implemented. They are also trying to identify Canadian alternatives for some products. “I'm happy to provide an update as soon as I have more information, but we know it's critical. We're ahead of the game and we're hoping that the project budget and as well as the schedule doesn't get impacted by the tariffs.” David Leitch, CAO of the SRD, added, “If there's going to be a negative impact, we're going to let our MP, MLA and the province know because they will be hurting us.”

Cumberland Gold for Frank Mottl

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 16 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Frank Mottl’s latest novel, Cumberland Gold, takes us to the quaint village of Cumberland BC. This is the same setting as his first novel, The Cumberland Tales, in which Mottl described the community he knew in the 1960s. Only now he is writing about the late 19th century, when Lord Dunsmuir (1825-89) was attempting to recruit Chinese immigrants to work in his coal mine. Mottle explained, “ I did some research at the Cumberland Museum, and there was an unsolved homicide in the 19th century in the old Cumberland Chinatown. Nobody knew much about it, other than it was unsolved. That really appealed to me, so I just ran with it. Of course I spent a year teaching in China, so it did have a lot of that Chinese influence inside of it.” Cortes Currents: I'm wondering about the divisions you mentioned in the Chinese community, with the secretive Buddhist and Taoist basement temples and the Confucian temple and the Presbyterian church. You're tracing them back to the periodic persecutions of Chinese academia during the early Qing dynasty. Frank Mottl: “Yes, there were a lot of revenge scenarios in ancient China, and I portray some of that in the book. What I did is I pulled those old revenges into the Cumberland Chinatown to give it a political edge, to make more sense of what was going on. So I introduced the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), and the Tang dynasty (618-907). Each dynasty had their loyalists and there were betrayals. Especially between the Ming and the Qing dynasties. There's one passage in the book about a Ming dynasty general actually leaving the capital’s gate open so Qing forces could come in and start slaughtering people.” Cortes Currents: Was that kind of division actually occurring among the Chinese communities in British Columbia and San Francisco? Frank Mottl: “As far as I know, no - but can I say for sure? A lot of people hold on to political beliefs, so it would not surprise me if the old Chinatown held on to these things.” Cortes Currents: I like that scene where Dougal learned how to speak Cantonese. Do you want to talk a little bit more about that one? Frank Mottl: “That’s from a true scenario. My wife told it to me. One of her relatives did a speech in front of a group of people, I'm not sure if it was in his native Norwegian. He assumed that the people could understand him, then all of a sudden realized that nobody knew what the heck he was saying.” “As soon as I heard that story I thought 'oh my god this is great' because of course in China, a Mandarin speaker can't understand a Cantonese speaker. They are two different dialects. I thought that would be great because it was a real nice little conflict where the bad guy is embarrassed In front of this big union hall meeting with all of these Chinese gentlemen watching him and they don't understand what he's saying. His higher up, Lord Dunsmuir, had no clue. He said, ‘Wow, wow, it's really going great.’” Cortes Currents: I noticed that you brought one of the characters over from the Cumberland Tales, Sam Yick. Mind you, it could have been his grandfather. Do you want to tell us a little about this? Frank Mottl: “The character intrigues me and I wanted to get some poetry in there. I knew that I would, I wanted to have two characters that were poets. There's an old Japanese technique from the 14th century where they would make the characters poets. So I stuck with Sam Yick and then I came up with this other character's name called Crowheart.”

Busting Myths about BC's coming electrification

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -According to some estimates, BC would have to double its electrical output if everyone switched to electric vehicles by 2035. Others talk about blackouts and rolling brownouts if we don’t back renewables up with LNG or nuclear power. Clean Energy Canada has just released a report that claims this is not true, the province’s electricity grid can handle the increased demand from EVs, heat pumps and extreme weather events, while electricity trading keeps energy bills low. “Over the last year or two, we've been seeing quite a bit of incorrect information on BC's electricity system. It's being circulated and reiterated in the media. The purpose of this report was to do some myth busting and do some deep dives into the actual data to figure out what trends are actually happening,” explained Mark Zacharias, Executive Director of Clean Energy Canada. “We went into three areas. The first one is looking at EVs and heat pumps. What they would do to the grid due to future demand and whether there is a need to go back and revisit government climate policies around EV sales mandates. The second one is there has been lots of commentary on how much power BC is importing from the US over the last year. We wanted to explore the balance between imports and exports and what's the value of the trading? The third one that we looked at was there are lots of commentators that talk about wind and solar as not being affordable and not being able to integrate into our grid because they're intermittent."

Construction starts at Rainbow Ridge

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - After years of anticipation, construction has finally begun on the Rainbow Ridge affordable housing project in downtown Mansons Landing. “We had an open house a couple of weeks ago, and we had a lot of back and forth with the seniors village next door. We made some considerable changes to our plans based on their input. Then Monday, we started clearing the land in preparation for phase 1 of our project,” explained Sadhu Johnston, Executive Director of the Cortes Housing Society. “Phase 1 is to clear the land and build the infrastructure that we need, which is the water and the sewer and get electric in and build a community building. That will be our first structure on the land, and then we hope to build seven townhomes later this year. We're going to be needing to raise the money for the townhomes, but we've got the first chunk of money set aside for getting all the infrastructure ready to go.”

Free Ecotrust Canada Workshops On Energy Retrofits

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The energy team of Ecotrust Canada will be visiting Quadra and Cortes Islands next week. They are part of a registered charity which works primarily works in rural and remote areas and helps guide people through the process of doing energy retrofits, installing heat pumps, new windows and solar panels. They will be giving free workshops at 2:00 and 6:30 in the Quadra Community Centre on Monday, February 17 and at the same times in Mansons Hall on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. “The upcoming workshops are to introduce residents to our Home Energy Savings Program. We're offering a one on one support service, often called a concierge service. So once you register for our program, you'll get an email from me asking very basic information about your home, like the age of your home, the heating system you have etc. After that, you will receive a phone call from me and we'll go through more questions about your home. You explain what your desires are, what challenges you're experiencing around your energy bill, and then I can help guide you toward the right rebates and the right renovations, or retrofits, so that you can achieve that goal,” explained Michael Anthony Lutfy, the program manager for our area. “We support households from the beginning of the process all the way to the very end when it comes to selecting contractors, following through with the rebates, ensuring that they received what was expected from the contractor and we do financial planning, reminders, everything and anything a household needs to complete the process.”

Donald Trump, Canada's Conservatives and uncertainties of the 2025 election

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - If there were an election today, the polls show that Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative party would probably form the next government. This isn’t what is necessarily going to happen. I like to think of polls as ‘point in time’ snapshots which may be 100% accurate right now, but the situation can be very different tomorrow. One of the trends I have noticed on 338Canada, which gleans data from many polls, is that support for the Liberals has been tacking upwards since Trudeau resigned (6 points), while support for the Conservatives and NDP has gone down (4 points each). If the Liberals pick a popular leader, we can expect their popularity to rise even higher in the polls - all of which is just to say that the as yet undeclared election is too far away to be certain. Anyway Max Thaysen, one of our thought leaders here on Cortes, has been watching what Donald Trump, a Conservative leader in the United States, is doing and getting anxious about what this latest rendition of the Conservative Party might be like if it comes to power. Max Thaysen: “Watching Donald Trump do his Donald Trump thing in America is pretty scary. There's a breakdown of the rule of law happening, but also just some really nasty meanness. It's such a tragedy that America was taken over by these goons, In part because 40% of people didn't vote. It's easy and tempting to be cynical.” “Yes, the result of checking out the whole political game is that sometimes the bad guys win, and sometimes when the bad guys win, they win for a long time. We actually go very far backwards.” “Defunding science and making life dangerous for activists, or including journalists such as yourself in the pool of people considered to be activists by the government. Those are all really dangerous things that are hard to recover from.” Cortes Currents: This is all about Donald Trump, a Republican leader who many Republicans are now finding alarming. What do you see in our Conservative Party that's alarming? Max Thaysen: “Like most Canadians, I read mostly American news.” (Laughter) “Yeah, you're supposed to be quiet while I'm talking! I don't think anybody knows that much about Pierre Poilievre's policies because he hasn't said very much about Pierre Poilievre's policies. But that's true of Donald Trump as well, which is one of the reasons why it's useful to look at what Donald Trump is doing.” “His policies are being implemented now, whereas before we had some hints, maybe some loud hints from the kinds of people he was planning to work with and what they were saying and stuff like that. Now the rubber is hitting the road.” “I think that's true of Pierre Poilievre too. He just seems to say one liners over and over again and indicate his cruelty, but not really delivering that much. I think we can just assume the worst because he's demonstrated a similar style and approach and intention in many issues similar to Donald Trump. That's what I'm most worried about. What he has said, the nastiness towards journalists who are trying to ask honest questions, tells me that he's the enemy of most of us in his intentions and whatever policy comes from that. It's unlikely to be fair, or kind, or honest - based on what I've seen so far. Those are very dangerous anti-values that he's got.”

Concussions, Brain Health, and Nervous System Regulation

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 09 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On February 7, 2025, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Elizabeth Burr to chat about concussions, brain health, and nervous system regulation. This discussion shed light on the hidden impacts of brain injuries, healing resources, and the path to recovery. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

The (Almost) Secret Budget for REC-Reate Strathcona Gardens

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) may have a nasty surprise for property owners in Campbell River and Area D. They may soon be asked to approve an additional $54 million debt to finance the second phase of the new REC-REATE Strathcona Gardens project. When they originally consented through an Alternative Approval Process (which automatically passes unless 10% of the electorate object), taxpayers were informed the cost was almost half of what is now being put forward “The April 2023 staff report indicated that both phases of the REC-CREATE project were going to be included. They had a Class A estimate they were using for the swimming pool and Wellness Center and they had a 2019 Class D estimate for the ice arena. They also said that the Class D estimate for the ice arena had been escalated. So you would assume by reading that the April 2023 staff report was costed up to be based on current construction costs and inflation. In addition to that, what I found in the staff report was that they said that the $73 million would include both phases and that staff would strive to deliver the project within the $73 million budget. That staff report, since it was in April 2023, was less than two years ago,” explained Deborah Rasnick, a professional accountant who worked in senior budget positions of BC public sector organizations for 15 years. “ The new business case that was presented in December of 2024, and approved tentatively by the Strathcona Gardens Commission now, has an estimated cost for phase two only of $58 million. That's on top of The previous approval. So the total cost now of the entire REC-REATE project could increase to around $130 million, and that's an 80% increase from the prior amount.” “Same thing goes with debt. The original approval allowed for the SRD to borrow Up to $64.67 million and that was approved through AAP. Now this new REC-REATE project phase two, as they're calling it, wants to allow for an additional $54 million, creating a total debt of up to $118 million, providing they get authority to do that from the participants in the Strathcona Gardens service area. That increase to total debt reflects an over 80% increase from the prior balance as well.”

Folk U Vital Signs Round Table

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On January 30th, Kate Maddigan, Rose Fitcyk, and Sadhu Aufochs Johnston joined host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie, to talk about the state of Cortes Island, the recent Vital Signs survey, CHS’ Rainbow Ridge housing project, and the stories and data of “now”. This is an important community update! Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Food Prices And Food Security From Local, Provincial And Global Persepectives

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Around the time President Donald Trump started threatening to start a trade war, Cortes Currents reached out to Dr Kushank Bajaj from UBC’s Institute for Resource, Environment and Sustainability and Marc Doll, from Foot Forward Forest Farm on Quadra Island. The topic was food security and Dr Bajaj is one of the developers of a website called Canada Food Flows, which traces the amount of fruits and vegetables coming into British Columbia from other provinces and nations. Marc Doll comes from what, at first glance, seems like a totally different perspective. Foot Forward Forest Farm sells locally grown pastured chickens, custom made sausages, grass-fed lamb, free-range goat, pastured pork and free range pastured eggs.

Cortes Island's new Makerspace

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Cortes Island’s dream of having a makerspace has become a reality. The Cortes Wood Makerspace is being set up in the Orchard Village Shop, 671 Sutil Point Rd, Mansons Landing. “This idea has been around for a long time. I have heard people talking about it for at least 15 years and some old timers apparently remember even longer. We have lots of people who are woodworkers or building their own homes and not everyone has to build a shop for themselves and equip it with machinery,” explained Hannu Huuskonen, the Shop Master. “We had our first meeting here on Saturday and there were at least 21 of us. That's how many names I have, but there may have been one or two who didn't write their name down. There were quite a few professionals, a few total newbies and a few people who were working on their houses.” “People who don't have experience will have to go through an orientation workshop, where you learn the ‘one on one’ of using shop tools safely and doing a small project. The people who have extensive shop experience will be mentors in this process.” Huuskonen mentioned the Cortes Community Forest Co-op partnering with the Cortes Housing Society on this project: “Cortes Community Forest Co-op has a mandate to increase ‘value added’ products. They had the consultation where one of the things that was recommended was a makerspace.” Mark Lombard, General Manager of the Cortes Forestry General Partnership, added. “The question for the community forest, in terms of the bigger picture roadmap, is how do we get to where we want to be in the future? A woodworking maker space is a big, big next step. So this is really exciting. The community forest is putting in $15,000 towards some of the tools and the housing society is putting in $15,000 - $20,000 to upgrade the electrical service and then a little bit towards tools. It's a really great collaborative community project.”

Anna KIndy Waiting for the Legislature, the Health Critic and MLA for North Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Anna Kindy was sitting in her Campbell River office. Her assistant stood almost out of the frame long enough to wave, before handing Kindy a headset and disappearing. The thing I find refreshing about Kindy is she doesn’t sound like a politician, which is understandable because she only recently became one. She and her husband are both doctors. Anna Kindy was elected as the MLA for North Island on October 19, 2024 and is the Health Critic for the Conservative party Shadow Cabinet, but has yet to sit in the legislature. This fact emerged when I asked her about the trips between her home in Merville and the legislature. Anna Kindy: “ The NDP didn't call the house. We had no sitting which is unusual, currently there's a lot of crisis that needs to be dealt with. The first sitting will be February 18th.” Cortes Currents: The legislature hasn't met in how many months? Anna Kindy: “Well apparently, if you look back, it's since May because usually they don't run the legislature during the summer.” Cortes Currents: The NDP government dropped the writ for the last election on September 21, 2024, four months after the last sitting. The legislature will have had a 278-day break when it reopens on February 18. Anna Kindy: “Our party did FOIs (Freedom of Information requests) to see what kind of meetings they we're doing. To me it seems almost unconscionable that you're not at work when you've been elected and part of work is becoming accountable, sitting in the legislature to make sure that you respond to the questions that the electorate has and move forward on policy that might improve certain things.” Cortes Currents: How many times have you been to Victoria? Anna KIndy: “Since October 19th, I think twice. Around February 12th to 14th we have MLA school and then on February 18th, the house starts.” Cortes Currents: Are your relationships with the NDP frosty? Anna Kindy: “I don't think. From what I hear you still talk to each other, but once it comes to the Ledge gloves are off, but behind the scenes, you try to make things work.” Julie Osborne is a former mayor of Tofino and was first elected in 2020. She was appointed Minister of Health in November 2024 - courtesy BC Government News “For example, with this specialist group that I met , they try to get a hold of the Minister of Health, Josie Osborne, and for some reason they weren't able to get through. Which surprises me a little bit, but I think she's very busy and there's probably layers of bureaucracy that they have to approve. They've talked, I think, to the Deputy Minister and they still didn't get through.” “So my job will be two things. I want to talk to her personally if I can, say, ‘hey, these are the specialists of BC.’ I probably would listen to what they have to say and then if that doesn't happen, I bring forward what their concerns are - bring it forward so that people are people at BC are aware. That's my job as a critic.” “I've been pretty full on since being elected, to be honest.”

Construction coming to the Common Areas of Mansons Landin

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Close to 50 people turned up at Mansons Hall on January 24, for an update on the construction coming or already underway in the downtown Mansons area. The Cortes Housing Society, Southern Cortes Community Association (SCCA), Cortes Island Community Foundation and Cortes Island Pickleball Society were on hand to describe what’s taking place at Rainbow Ridge, the multipurpose courts and the Village Commons. Regional Director Mark Vonesch exclaimed, “The big news here on Cortes is that the Housing Society is going to start building houses this year.” Sandra Wood, who's been at the heart of the Rainbow Ridge affordable housing project from the beginning, added, “It's exciting to finally get shovels in the ground. We feel like we've been shovel ready for years.” Manda Aufochs Gillespie, from the Cortes Island Foundation, described another focus of the meeting “More and more, it's clear that the Village Commons is really this whole area and all the things that we gather in the heart of Mansons to do.” She mentioned the shared office and workspace which was close to completion beside FOCI, the CKTZ radio station and the little green with a picnic table. “The space is opened up so that you can get into that area where the pavilion is basically breaking ground as we speak. So by the summer, the pavilion will be up, wired into the radio station, and set up for performances. We also have put in these storage spaces. We have signed a lease for two of them with the Cortes Island Food Bank, as a drop off and distribution center, but also just to expand their capacity. The other two we're hoping will be for non-profit and the public because, as we all know, somehow on this island there is never enough space.” “This whole space has largely been possible because the SCCA was like, ‘yes, let's think about parking as a community effort downtown.’ Which I've really appreciated because before it looked like we would have to use a whole huge chunk of that rather small space for parking. There has been the creation of a set of new parking spaces, which is going to be signed, I think, by this summer.” Cora Moret, from the SCCA, continued, “I love the idea that this is all the Village Commons and that all these nonprofits are looking for the same thing, which is the Cortes community. So why would each place have a separate parking lot? It's all within a few dozen metres of each other.” “There is a sign as you come up past this parking lot, directly to the west of the parking lot between the skate park and the fire hall. It just looks like a cleared gravel area, and we'll work on that. What we'd like to see is an area that is central , that could host some EV charging stations. That hopefully is coming in the near future. BC Hydro wants to pay for these but they have certain parameters around them. So we're working on that too.” “We're going to be bringing in more grant projects for the area between the skate park and the parking lot. We are very open to input. We're happy to hear what you think of what we're doing, what you think we should do or could do.” The main interview was with Sadhu Johnston from the Cortes Island Housing Society.

Cortes Island’s Community Meal Pogram

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - There is a community meal somewhere on Cortes Island every week. “A warm bowl of soup, or a stew, that’s at the heart of it. Then there's always some sort of fresh veggies or a fresh veggie platter cut up. Folks are getting that kind of food in them. Then bread and butter, because that's just the basics for everybody and usually a dessert, some sort of cookies or brownies and the whole meal includes gluten free and vegetarian options,” explained Yasmina Cartland. “There's nothing you have to do to come to lunch. Everyone can come. You don't have to prove that you need it. It's completely inclusive. It's meant to be a warm social time and it's meant to actually nourish people with some warm nourishing food.” Cortes Currents: How many people show up on a typical day? Yasmina Cartland: “The average is around 60. That can be folks with families and little kids. The students have been coming from the Cortes Island Academy, so we've had that youth energy there. Also seniors and then just different individuals from all sorts of walks of life and ages. It really is quite a melange of folks who come out.” “At one point around this time last year, maybe a little further into the spring, it was sunny and people said, ‘Oh, I'm going to go to this community lunch.’ Folks just came out of the woodwork. I hadn't been quite ready and we didn't have quite a big enough pot. There were about 80 people. Luckily somehow, loaves and fishes, we were able to feed everybody who came right down to the very last scraping of the pot. Which is great, but I said, ‘okay, we need a bigger pot and I need to be ready every time.’ Not that there's been 85 people every time, but we need to be ready every time.” “There's people in their neighborhoods that might need a meal for whatever reason. People who don't get out much, or don't like to be in social settings or who've just been home from hospital or people are just ask, 'Is there enough to take home?' There are takeouts that go out into various neighborhoods, with the neighbors thinking of their neighbors that way.”

Petition Against Making Quadra Residents Pay For REC-CREATE Strathcona Gardens

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 26 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - A timeline on the REC-REATE – Strathcona Gardens Revitalization Project website traces the origins of this project back to an operational review in 1998. At that time, most of the community was satisfied with the existing facility and the idea of building a new complex did not gain momentum until 2015. A community survey taken between February 2nd and March 2nd that year found that someone from 72% of the Campbell River and 64% of Area D households visited Strathcona Gardens at least once a year. Construction for Phase One, the New Aquatic and Wellness Centre, finally began on September 10, 2024. However the estimated cost of this project had risen to $73 million and the Strathcona Regional District is exploring the idea that Quadra Island and Sayward taxpayers should be contributing. Nothing has been decided, but the SRD has received a stream of letters from hundreds of Quadra Island residents stating they do not use Strathcona Gardens and definitely do not want to pay for it! A little group calling itself the Friends of Area C collected hundreds of names on a petition opposing the suggestion that Quadra taxpayers should be included in Strathcona Garden catchment area. Cortes Currents: How long have you been collecting signatures? “We've been collecting for two and a half weeks. We have well over 600. My last estimate, because I haven't actually collected the form, is that we're closer to 800 already. We're actively canvassing, in some cases door to door. We have signing tables in front of the grocery stores. We have petition sign up locations at a multiple business locations throughout the island,” explained Mike Gall from the Friends of Area C. Cortes Currents: How long will you continue to collect? Mike Gall: “Well, I could set a limit and say 1,000. We think that would be a pretty good representation of the sense of the community. Or a week or so before the next board meeting, which will be February 19th. There's no set timeline for all of this because it's really a non-binding petition.”

Paul Watson: Activist, Pirate, Friend (Part 5 of 5)

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - The grand finale of a series of interviews in which Rex Weyler offers his personal memories of the early Greenpeace campaigns and of Paul Watson, who became a lifelong friend.

Area C Taxpayers Resistant to paying for Strathcona Gardens Re-Development

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Campbell River’s Strathcona Gardens is in the midst of re-development. Following a successful Alternative Approval Process (APP) in Campbell River and Area D, whose residents use this complex, in 2023 the Board authorized borrowing up to $64.6 million for this project. Crews are currently building the foundations. The SRD is exploring the possibility of using Area C property tax dollars to support this complex, but has not yet decided upon a course of action. This sparked a great deal of resistance from Area C residents who do not want to see their property taxes increased to pay for a ‘Campbell River’ project. In a motion made by Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney in November, she referred to hundreds of items of correspondence to that effect. The flow of correspondence continues. Emails and scanned letters from 65 Quadra residents, 2 Read Island residents and 1 Maurelle Island resident were received as correspondence at the January 22, 2025 SRD Board Meeting. None of the 68 correspondents supported the project. One admitted to using the Strathcona Gardens approximately 4 times during her 40 years on Quadra Island.

Paul Watson: Activist, Pirate, Friend (Part 4 of 5)

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

De Clarke/Cortes Currents - The fourth in a series of interviews in which Rex Weyler offers his personal memories of the early Greenpeace campaigns and of Paul Watson, who became a lifelong friend.

Paul Watson: Activiest, Pirate, Friend (Part 3 of 5)

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

De Clarke/CityWest - In the third of a series of five programs, Rex Weyler talks about Captain Paul Watson, some of the personality dynamics onboard the Greenpeace vessal and blockading the Russian whaling fleet.

Paul Watson: Activist, Pirate, Friend (Part 2 of 5)

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

De Clarke/Cortes Currents - The second in a series of five broadcasts in which Rex Weyler offers his personal memories of the early Greenpeace campaigns and of Paul Watson, who became a lifelong friend.

Short Term Rentals must be registered by May 1, 2025

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - There are approximately 100 short term rentals, collectively earning between $1million and $5 million a year, on Cortes Island. At of the end of 2021, there were 177 on Quadra. As of May 1st, all Airbnbs and short-term rentals in BC have to register with the provincial government. “It's a process where the provincial government is asking short term rental operators and short term rental platform operators to register. Then they're going to cross reference and use that as a way to regulate Airbnbs,” explained Mark Vonesch, Regional Director for Cortes Island (Area B). Cortes Currents: Is there a cost? Mark Vonesch: “I think it's $100 if your Airbnb is in your home and you get 50% off if you register by February 28th. There's incentive to do it quickly.” Cortes Currents: Are there any exceptions? Mark Vonesch: “ Anyone can offer a short term rental to their friends and family and not have to register. If you've got a family home on Cortes, for example, and you rent a few weeks to your friends and family.” “This is only a registry for people who are publicly advertising their short term rentals. If you are operating a short term rental where you're advertising through public newsletters, newspapers, social media, Airbnb, VRBO, Booking. com, those kind of things. If you're advertising your short term rental publicly, then you need to register.” Cortes Currents: What happens if you don't? Mark Vonesch: “ If you don't, then what will happen is Airbnb or whatever sites you're using to advertise will pull your listing. You won't be able to use the platforms.” “ If people check out the link that you've included in this story, there's tons of details there and lots of fine print of how things apply and who it applies to and the processes. According to the provincial website, from June 1, 2025, and going forward, platforms must stop advertising any short-term rentals that do not have a valid registration number, prevent any new bookings, and cancel any existing bookings. Operating without a valid registration number may also result in monetary penalties. Mark Vonesch: “ I just want to make it clear that Airbnbs are great. Short term rentals are an awesome way for people on Cortes to make some supplementary income and to be able to support them living here. We have a hundred Airbnbs on the island. It's an important source of income for a lot of people and I encourage people to get a short term rental and to do Airbnb.” “At the same time the reason why there was popular support for opting into the primary residence requirement is that we don't want Cortes to be sold off to folks to turn properties into Airbnb businesses when they don't live here. I've heard lots of stories already of places being opened up to the market and rentals being provided.” “So this is a way to sort of just protect the rental housing that we have on Cortes and to close the door on speculation in the housing market, and people buying homes and turning them into businesses.”

Cortes Island Residents Waiting for CityWest To Connect Them

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - This is Roy Hales with Cortes Currents and as the data for the following report was almost exclusively collected by email or phone, the only voice in the following report is mine. CityWest started hooking Cortes Island residents up to the internet in December 2023, but many homes are still waiting. As the evidence is anecdotal, it is difficult to say how many people are currently connected through CityWest and how many are not. Sherman Barker just informed me that he has never met anyone who is connected. After waiting for two years of waiting, he was using Starlink by the time a CityWest crew showed up to do the final hook-up. “I have a pile of CityWest cable, all the way from my driveway to my yard, that they don’t want back.” Sean Coyote, a techie who works for Cortes Community Radio, said typically people who have yet to be serviced are told their names are on a list. Some, like Sherman, subsequently moved on to other internet providers. Sean added that there are a couple of CityWest trucks working on the island right now.

Paul Watson: Activist, Pirate, Friend (Podcast 1 of 5)

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 19 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

De Clarke/Cortes Currents - In December 2024, the environmental activist Paul Watson was freed by Danish authorities from detention in Greenland. He had been held there due to an Interpol red-notice (warrant) issued against him by the government of Japan. The Danish Ministry of Justice denied official requests to extradite Watson for trial in Japan, and he was released to rejoin his family. What did Paul Watson do that so angered the Japanese government? Watson, born in Canada, has spent most of his adult life — ever since the 1970s — protesting against the commercial slaughter of whales and other marine mammals. He was a founding member of Greenpeace, and participated in their early actions to document and obstruct the Russian whaling fleet in the North Pacific. One of his shipmates on these early campaigns was longtime Cortes resident Rex Weyler. In this special feature, we offer an extended interview with Rex Weyler; he offers his personal memories of the early Greenpeace campaigns and of Paul Watson, who became a lifelong friend.

Time Travelling To 2040 With The Cortes island Academy

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 18 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Academy’s third semester is wrapping up and in this year’s end showcase the students are taking the audience on an imaginative visit to the year 2040. It starts at 7:00 this Thursday, January 13, 2025 at Mansons Hall. “A really important part of the Cortes Island Academy is our year end showcase where the students are given the task of finding a way to share some of the learning that they've gone through in the semester in a form that is digestible for the community at large. So they put on this big event which is supposed to be fun and compelling and also spark the imagination of the citizenry of Cortes and the surrounding islands. We are really hoping that a lot of people will come out. I'm quite proud of the way the students have really taken things a different way this year,” explained Executive Director Manda Aufochs Gillespie. “ One of the big things that the students were examining this year is the concept of climate and art. By climate, we don't necessarily mean climate change. They did a lot of deep diving into citizen science and current ecology, but we also wanted them to examine this time that they were living in.This time is often referred to as the Anthropocene which is derived from the ancient Greek word 'ánthrōpos' meaning human and ‘cene’ meaning new. People are using it to refer to this geological era that we're in now, where human activity has been the dominant influence on the world and the environment. The students have spent the semester examining what it means to grow up and live in this time with radical change, with societal pressure, and ecological pressure, ect. So they did a bunch of different things.” “They had Tianna Hope come in and lead them through art. Rex Weyler led them through science. Kai Harvey and her brother Tosh Harvey led them through citizen relationships, science, and also field studies of different kinds and outdoor education. Michael Datura led them in social justice and in English. I helped them through two big things. One is what we call the Apocalyptic Book Club, which was not as doom and gloom as it sounds. It was a series of very interesting books that examined the idea of different apocalypses through time, from now and into the future.” “They also put together an anthology of their works called 'growing up in the Anthropocene,' where through art and through writing, they look specifically at what it means to be alive in this time and what it means to try to remain hopeful in this time. They are basically creating a time portal into the future and they're saying, what if we really choose and fight for the most imaginative and hopeful future possible? They are taking all the guests that come Thursday through this imagining of what it might look like in the future on Cortes in 2040.”

The Cortes Housing Society looks back to things accomplished in 2024 and what's ahead in 2025

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Cortes Community Housing Society will soon break ground on Rainbow Ridge. They are also renting out two houses, are about to explore the possibility of a tiny house village, and hope to launch a homeshare program this summer. There is also news about the aquifer study, more online housing forums, the Cortes Island Trade Directory and Cortes Island’s vacant homes. “2024 was a banner year for us in many ways,” exclaimed Executive Director Sadhu Johnston. Bruin Black, the Society’s new Project Manager, added, “This year is going to be a big year in terms of things happening. I'm just excited to see how things unfold.” Orchard Village What was special about 2024? What did you accomplish? Sadhu Johnston: “ I guess the biggest thing is that we got some housing under our belts. We purchased a property with two existing houses on it, and we're able to get those rented out. I'm really excited to be working with the health association, CCHA to be providing housing to the doctors on the island, which is much needed. We have a second house on the property that's being rented out to some artists, long time Cortes folks. That's really great and exciting for us to have housing that we're able to provide in the community.” Cortes Currents: Tell me about the woodworking maker's space. Sadhu Johnston: “At Orchard Village, the project where we have the houses being rented, we have a good size shop. We put a call out on Tideline for proposals for how to use that shop for community uses and we got a wonderful proposal from Hannu Huuskonen who's a woodworker on the island. He proposed the idea of setting up a woodworking maker space and those are pretty popular around North America. Shared workshops where people can go and be a member and use tools and use a shop.” “We've established a partnership with the Cortes Community Forest Cooperative, where we will be co funding it and working together to pursue the value added wood strategy that the co-op adopted last year. People can have an annual membership and that gives them access to use the shop and we'll have commercial grade tools there and hopefully support entrepreneurs and hobbyists alike to have access to a wood shop and hopefully use more local wood for business opportunities.” On the Webb, the Cortes Trades Directory & New Staff “We've also just got staff and a new website with the Trades Directory on it. So there's just really a lot going on right now and gearing up to get construction going on Rainbow Ridge too. So it feels like an exciting time.” Starting Construction on Rainbow Ridge Cortes Currents: So tell me about this construction on Rainbow Ridge. I understand it's going to be this Spring?

MaxShellfishRecording_Jan9_Edited

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/Folk U - On January 9, 2025, Max Thaysen and Erik Lyon hosted a hands-on workshop on all things shellfish! This fantastic teaching team chatted harvesting, sustainability, identification, risks and benefits of eating local shellfish, and so much more! This is a field-recording-style episode made possible by Decoda Literacy, the Cortes Island Community Foundation, and the Cortes Island Food Bank. Big thank you to Max and Erik. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Proposed Campbell River Bylaw for Nusance Lighting

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - On January 9, 2025, Campbell River’s City Council gave first and second readings to a public nuisance amendment bylaw intended to prevent floodlighting, spotlighting and directional lighting from shining beyond the properties they protect onto residential areas. Council is giving the public to respond in writing before making a decision. Bylaw Services Manager (SM) Karl Read pointed out that it has been a year since Paula Burque asked the city to remedy this matter.

Green Party Candidate Jessica Wegg talks about the coming election

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Election fever seems to be in the air again and in the first of a series of interviews with the candidates, Cortes Currents talked with Jessica wig the green party candidate for North Island-Powell River. “We have a chance now to show the world that we will not Follow the trend of electing conservative right wing governments out of fear because we're told that things are bad. We know that things are bad in some ways, but things are amazing and wonderful in so many other ways,” she exclaimed. “If we just have our knee jerk reaction and say, the last government was liberal, they didn't work. Let's go over to the other side and give this. Conservative government a try, we're never going to advance the ball. We're just going to keep hitting it back and forth. What we need is a way through this mess. That is with each other, that is by voting with our hearts and knowing what is right, what we value, using our brains to look at the world around us and see what is happening and ask ourselves, what's the best way that I can try to make it through this?” “Who's the best person to stand up for what I believe in, to represent me in Ottawa and that's the Greens. We have known this is coming. We've been shouting it from the rooftops, trying to get attention and now it's unavoidable. It's here, so I would encourage people to vote Green.”

From Shore to Table Workshop on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Max Thaysen and Erik Lyon led a shellfish harvesting workshop in Mansons Lagoon on Thursday January 9, 2024. This was a free event sponsored by the Cortes Island Community Foundation, Decoda Literacy, and the Cortes Island Food Bank. Cortes Currents interviewed Max a few days prior to the workshop. “ I would love to support people to get more of their food from our local environment in a way that is ecologically sustainable and invited my friend Eric Lyon to join me in presenting the glory of shellfish to anybody who hasn't yet heard, or felt comfortable accessing this food,”he said. “I think eating wild local food makes life more meaningful. I am hoping to encourage people to develop this relationship that I find so meaningful. It defines part of who I am , and makes my life beautifully intertwined with the ecosystem. Eating the place that we live is a way to love and need the place that we live, in addition to making life more affordable and healthier.” “I also plan on talking a little bit about the impacts of climate change, which are strongly felt in the shellfish community.” “Clams exist all around our coast. Manila and Littleneck are the easiest to find and the ones that I'm most familiar with. Then of course, there are oysters. Both of them are super easy to harvest even in not a very low tide, more like a medium low tide.” “They are pretty accessible, delicious, abundant and super nutritious in ways that lots of other foods that we eat are not. Like healthy sea fats, which are rich in brain food and also important for heart health and immune function. So shellfish are pretty amazing, if we can figure out how to work it into our lifestyles.” Cortes Currents: How do you know where to find the clams? Max Thaysen: “They're pretty common. If you're not sure, you can go to the beach and just start poking around. Certainly finding shells on the surface of the beach is a good indicator that there's clams around. Manson's Landing, also known as Clytosin, is the place that I'm most familiar with. There's shells everywhere littering the surface, indicating that there's clams everywhere under the surface. They're about an inch down.” “Oysters live on the surface, so they're visible. You can find them almost everywhere.” Cortes Currents: You didn't mention mussels. Max Thaysen: “There are some wild mussels around, but they don't get as big as the commercial variety in most of the places that I've been. They tend to be quite small. While I have eaten them, I haven't usually bothered to harvest them.” “If you find yourself somewhere where there's big mussels and they're safe to eat, then that's pretty premium stuff. On the west coast of Vancouver Island there's some really big mussels that are quite delicious.”

On the Threshold of a 1.5°C World

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -While there is some disagreement as to whether we have passed the 1.5°C threshhold set at COP 21 in Paris, scientists agree that we are on the brink and 2024 was the hottest year on record. At COP 29 last November, Jim Skea, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) explained, “Children born today will not know a world without climate change. The IPCC has shown that we, and furthermore they, will live in a world marked by more intense storms, exceptional heatwaves, devastating floods and droughts, a world where food chains are disrupted, and where diseases reach new countries.” On Friday, January 10, Samantha Burgess, Strategic lead for climate, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, reported, “We are now living in a very different climate from that, which our parents and our grandparents experienced.” “Giving some more details for 2024, the year was 1.6°C above the pre-industrial level. 2024 was the warmest year on record, and the last 10 years have been the 10 warmest years on record. The primary reason for these record temperatures is the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and this accumulation has occurred primarily due to fossil fuels as greenhouse gases continue to accumulate in the atmosphere. Temperatures continue to increase including in the ocean. Sea levels continue to rise and glaciers and ice sheets continue to melt. According to the latest IPCC six assessment report published in 2021, greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are the highest that they have been for the last, at least 800,000 years for methane and for over 2 million years for carbon dioxide.” The most positive reports of last year’s average global temperature rise come from NASA and NOAA, in the United States, who claim it was slightly below 1.5°C. However the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that 2024 was warmest year on record and stated the average global temperature was 1.55°C. This is the second year in a row that Berkeley Earth reported that the global temperature rise exceeding 1.5°C. They were 1.54°C in 2023 and 1.62°C in 2024. As a result of our entering a weak La Niña phase, Berkeley Earth suggests 2025 could be cooler than 2024, but still ‘roughly the 3rd warmest year in the instrumental record.’ Jim Skea warned, “Today, our chances of limiting warming to 1.5 °C are hanging on a very slender thread. The recent UNEP Gap Report concluded that global emissions would need to fall by 7.5% per year through to 2035 to return us to a 1.5 °C pathway. If we delay more ambitious action to 2030, this becomes an unprecedented 15%. Even limiting warming to 2°C is at risk.” “This does not have to be the case. As the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report demonstrated, we have the know-how, tools and financial resources to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. A world where transport is no longer polluting, our cities are green, and we have transitioned away from fossil fuels. We have shown that carbon pricing, regulations and other interventions have already resulted in gigatonnes of avoided emissions. More can be achieved if policies and measures are scaled up and deployed more widely.”

The Documentary Salmon Secrets Comes To Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - French filmmaker Jérémy Mathieu’s award winning documentary ‘Salmon Secrets,’ will be coming to Gorge Hall at 1 PM on Sunday, January 12. This 40 minute film was produced by Clayoquot Action, whose co-founders Bonny Glamback and Dan Lewis will be speaking at the screening. Mike Moore, President of the Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI), stated, “The film is hosted by FOCI and our streamkeepers who have just done an incredible job working with the highways department to put in new culverts so that the fish can go up beyond Whaletown Road and the Squirrel Cove Road. They've done a lot of work on salmon enhancement projects, but without ocean survival all of those efforts are in vain.” “One thing that we can do to improve ocean survival of the salmon is to remove the salmon farms that are in their way. We can't affect ocean nutrient levels and upwelling currents and plankton, which all feed the salmon when they're out in the North Pacific, but we can keep the salmon farms from transmitting diseases and lice to the wild salmon.” The trailer starts with Joe Martin, of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, speaking a Nuu-chah-nulth word I cannot pronounce or spell. He said, “ It means that everything is connected. The mountains to the ocean and they're actually connected by salmon. All the Nuu-chah-nulth have survived with that. You don't see that anymore.” As the aerial view of a fish farm came into view, Dan Lewis explained, “The companies are Norwegian. They imported the eggs from the Atlantic Ocean from Europe and those eggs brought with them Piscine Orthoreovirus and the fish here had no defence against it.” Independent biologist Alexandra Morton is depicted staring into a microscope, “I have been looking closely at hundreds of juvenile pink and chum salmon every single year. By the time the juvenile salmon made it to the open ocean they passed four or five salmon farms and they were just dying, hundreds of thousands of them.” John K Forde, from the Marine Mammal Research Unit, added, “Right now the gray whales are having a catastrophic die off. In the spring, we're getting gray whales washing up on shore that are starving to death. If they don't have their food because it's been poisoned by Cermaq, then we won't have any whales through the summer months in this area. This is going to be devastating.” Morton added, “Orcas have culture, and to maintain their culture, they need to gather. For resident orca to gather, there have to be a lot of salmon. That's how they maintain not only their health, but their culture. In recent years, it's been really sad to see them come in. Sometimes they pace up and down, one little family, and then they leave.” You’ve just been reading a transcript from the trailer for ‘Salmon Secrets.’ Dan Lewis was skiing at Mount Washington when Cortes Currents contacted him. He stated, “With this whole fish farm transition, we knew that there would be a compromise. When we looked at the war in the woods, and we were saying, stop clear cutting old growth. What they said was, well, why don't we try variable retention in old growth? We knew there would be some kind of half assed compromise like that being proposed.” “When Cermaq brought a semi closed containment system to Clayoquot Sound in 2020, we knew right away that's what they're going to be pushing for.” “So we've been focusing a lot of effort on that. Our goal is to make sure that there's nothing in the water at the end of this transition. Fish farms in the water, it doesn't matter what kind, they're not going to work.” “We have an amazing videographer on our team, Jérémy Mathieu. He comes on our Clayoquot Action missions where we monitor the fish farms, and he's collected quite a bit of footage.”

Turning Down the Heat Part 2: It's Time to Kick Some Ass

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Max Thaysen/Climate Action Network - When filmmaker Jon Cooksey talks about kicking ass in his frog-boiling film, he's referring to the application of pressure, embarrassing, shedding light on the people and institutions that are doing bad things. He points to the fact that we have massive access to video and publishing resources, so we can be ass-kicking youtube stars (or tiktok if that's your jam). The theory is, if businesses or politicians get bad press coverage, they will change their ways because they have strong self-preservation instincts. And the opposite may be true: if no one is paying attention, then many of these people will do whatever they can get away with. The enemies of fairness, safety and progress would have us believe that this is basically 'clicktivism': the act of doing activism online. This term is used in a derogatory way, as in, "It's online, it's not 'real' so it can't have an impact, right?" Well... wrong. And I can prove it.

Dance Temple Cortes

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Starting on Saturday, January 11th, Dance Temple Cortes will be held every two weeks in Manson's hole. "Everyone has an excuse not to dance. In Gabriel Roth's book, Sweat Your Prayers, there's a two page list or maybe a three page list of all the reasons. That's great, if that's your choice, but there's something to be said for getting over the resistance because there's no wrong way to dance. There's no wrong way to move. It's incredibly freeing to be in a space where you can dance in all your goofiness, offbeat, rolling around, whatever works for you and just engage with your body in a healthy way," explained Connie Quail. "Sometimes it's just stretching that shoulder. You can do Dance Temple sitting in a chair. You can do Dance Temple lying on the floor. It's just about moving however feels freeing to each person. That's the essence of Dance Temple. For some it's a spiritual practice. For some it's just a connective practice. For some It's healing, hence somatic healing, and for me, in my recovery from a dissociative disorder, embracing mindfulness practices has been key to what's brought me into being able to be functional and well again. So good for mind, body, heart, and spirit." "The support of a room full of people doing that has a collective energy that helps us stay engaged with the energy in our bodies in a way that can be transformative." Cortes Currents: How did you come to Cortes? Connie Quail: "I moved here first in 2003, and left Cortes for some years to spend some time in Victoria, where my kids were in high school." "I found this weekly Dance Temple in Victoria and I just started going every week." "Dance Temple first began something like 15 years ago on Salt Spring Island and in Victoria. It's a model, a container, a way of doing dance." "People picked it up all through the pandemic. Like Mary Lloyd, who facilitated dance on Cortes. She had these outdoor silent DJ headsets. We just kept dancing on the beach all through the pandemic and then back indoors when that was allowed." "It was slow to get the ball rolling on Cortes. I think it was just once a year for the first couple of years. Naomi Jason, one of my mentors and one of the founders of Dance Temple, came to Cortes a couple of times." "That just became such an important source of community, of wellness for me, a big part of my own healing journey. So I took facilitator training, I took DJ training just to be able to keep carrying this forward and offering it where I live on Cortes so I still always have access to it. It's a little bit selfish that way, because I just want to keep dancing." "Andrew Lee and I picked it up with a lot of support from Dancing Wolf two years ago. We said we want this in our lives and we want the DJ experience." "I'm DJing Dance Temple in Campbell River at the end of the month. I'm DJing in Mid Island - in Cedar Dance Temple, Salt Spring Dance Temple - in the coming year. Then in Victoria again. It's a consistent container in every place it's offered, or as consistent as we can make it." "We start with very slow, gentle music, then slowly build, build, build, build, build in tempo and intensity of music until we reach a peak. The peak is the chaos stage of five rhythms and then we go down through what would be lyrical and into silence. So, into a quiet relaxed ending, sometimes the sound is healing, sometimes it's just a little bit of breathing meditation." "So it's a whole journey that we go on, and there's something for everyone. Some people don't like the peak. For years, I didn't. I'd leave the dance temple in Victoria, go outside for a bit, just wait for the intensity to ease off, and then I'd go back in and rejoin the dance. Some people don't like the slowness at the ending, so they duck out early, after they've had their journey. There's so many ways to approach Dance Temple and it's so much fun."

Biggest Christmas BIrd Count Ever

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Audobin Society has been holding Christmas Bird Counts across North America for the past 125 years. On Cortes Island it is co-sponsored by the Cortes Island Museum and Birds Canada. Thirty-nine walkers, cyclists, boaters, and people in cars participated in Cortes Islands 2024 Christmas Bird Count. This was the third time that more than 4,000 birds have been counted since the islands first Christmas Bird Count in 2001. A new record was set: 4,545 Birds were listed. Donna Collins explained, "We had more birders out, more areas covered and lots of birds counted." The most numerous species were 1,057 Surf Scoters. There were also three unusual sightings. This is the first time Ring-billed gulls have been listed in a Christmas count. Laurel Bohart counted 32. Turkey vultures are not usually seen this time of year. One was seen during the week in 2014, but it did not make it into the official count. Sierra Sullivan saw a Turkey vulture this year. Michael Sullivan saw three American coots. Laurel Bohart and Donna Collins agreed to describe their experience of the day. Laurel Bohart: "Donna showed up at my place in Squirrel Cove. I had already looked at the birds on my feeder, which were maybe 12 Juncos. We went directly to the dump to check on birds there and spotted 6 Ravens. Of course, they're always there when the dump is open because of food. Along with them, there were some wrens." Donna Collins: "We were having a hard time because we could hear them, but couldn't see them." Laurel Bohart: "It's hard to see them because they were lurking in the bush. We spent some time just on the driveway, in and out of the Recycling Centre. Unfortunately my binoculars aren't very good and her eyes are better than mine and sharper. So she was just describing what they might be. We had the bird book with us and were frantically looking through the pages." "We saw a whole cloud of Pine Siskins." Cortes Currents: Can either of you recognize the birds by their sounds? Laurel Bohart: "A Wren's like ‘chik chik, chik chik, chik chik, chiche, chik, chik, chiche, chik, chik.’ That's the alarm call." "The other calls were more a mingled sound, kind of a high pitched ‘we wi wi wi wi wi.’” Cortes Currents: What was that? Laurel Bohart: "That would be birds higher up in the trees and no, I couldn't really tell which ones they were. I could hear them, although my hearing aid is not perfect." "The adventure came first of all, when we went down to the waterfront by the Squirrel Cove store." "I have never seen so many gulls in my life. The gulls were Glaucus-winged Gulls mostly. There was one Mew gull, one Bonaparte's and a bunch of Ring billed gulls, all splashing very happily right around, right in the creek's mouth and making a great deal of noise." "What was happening was the gush of water out of the Basil Creek estuary was fanning farther out into the ocean. Behind that fan, where all the birds were in front, there were sea lions or seals. We had a line of a couple dozen Bufflehead ducks cleaning their feathers in the fresh water. There were Goldeneye ducks, I think there was four. There was a whole line of Surf Scoters, at least a dozen." "What caught our attention was the crows between there and the Klahoose First Nation." Cortes Currents: In the final tally it says you saw 89 crows. Do you have any explanation for that number?

DFO Confirms No Problems With Raw Oysters From Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

De Clarke/Cortes Currents - There has been a flurry of media stories about the dangers of eating raw oysters lately, but Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) confirmed that there have been no problems with Cortes Island grown oysters. (And there have been no problems anywhere with cooked oysters.) Only one of the 8 emergency closures DF0 listed, in response to Cortes Currents request, is in the Discovery Islands. A DFO notice from December 23 states, “The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has received reports of illness linked to BC Aquaculture Tenure Landfile #1402974” in the Bold Island-Crescent Channel area between Quadra and Read Islands. The other 7 oyster closures pertained to 42 ‘Landfiles’ in the Baynes Sound area across from Denman Island. Mo Qutob, Communications Advisor with Fisheries & Oceans Canada, emailed that all of the closures he listed were in force as of December 31, 2024. “The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has received illness reports linked to aquaculture tenures in British Columbia and has recommended emergency closures for certain aquaculture tenures within Pacific Fisheries Management Areas 13 and 14.” The Crescent Channel tenure mentioned above is in Management Area 13 (Subarea 13-12), and the Baynes Sound closures were in Management Area 14 (Subareas 14-8 and 14-15). Two of the Landfiles mentioned In DF0’s December 19, 2024, closure notice (#1402293, #1413888), were also in US reports about people being infected with Norovirus after eating ‘raw oysters from British Columbia.’ The associated DFO notice mentions ‘multiple reports of illness’ and lists closures to 13 Landfiles in the Baynes Sound area. A second closure notice, issued the same day, lists closures to another 18 Landfiles in the Baynes Sound area. An extensive list of these and subsequent closure notices is at the bottom of this page. Qutob: “The Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program (CSSP) is a federal food safety program jointly administered by the CFIA, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and DFO. The goal of the program is to minimize the health risks associated with the consumption of contaminated bivalve molluscan shellfish such as mussels, oysters and clams.” “As partners in the CSSP, CFIA conducts testing for biotoxins and ECCC conducts water quality sampling. DFO’s role as partner in the CSSP is to enact fishery openings and closures based on recommendations from CFIA and ECCC. Please reach out to those agencies for specific information concerning biotoxins and water quality sampling.” “DFO’s mandate under the CSSP is to manage shellfish harvest (e.g., to close and open areas, patrol closures) and provide support to illness investigations.”

Folk U- All things snow on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 29 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/Folk U - On Friday December 27th Manda Aufochs Gillespie from Folk U and Jane Newman from the Cortes Island Museum teamed up to present stories of snow on Cortes. A festive radio story telling event where neighbours tell their favourite stories of fun, festivities and mishaps. All things snowy on Cortes. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Stonehenge_ Exhibition from a Sacred Place for All Britons

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 29 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Modern geneticists have shown us that the past is much closer than most of us realize. We carry the genetic coding from previous generations in our DNA and it can be traced back 200,000 to 300,000 years. Adam Rutherford went further, proclaiming everyone with European roots descends from Charlemagne (as well as his most humble followers). His point being that the number of your direct ancestors doubles every generation you count backward. By the time you count back 33 generations—about 800 to 1,000 years ago—you have more than 8 billion ancestors. By way of contrast, the population of England is believed to have only been about 2 million in 1,000 AD. At that point you had 4,000 ‘ancestors’ for every living person. This means your genealogy is populated by the same people counted over and over again through different lines of descent. If you are of English ancestry, something of even greater antiquity like the Stonehenge artefacts currently being exhibited at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria is definitely about your heritage.

Folk U-Michael Keith and Greg Osoba Chat About All Things Guitar

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Greg Osoba/Folk U - On December 20, 2024, host Greg Osoba was joined by guitarist Michael Keith to chat about all things guitar: theory, terminology, sounds, effects, and practice. This is a fun, demonstrative interview for both total beginners and advanced players looking for some new inspiration. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Bulk Water Regulations for the Outer Islands

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - At their December 11 meeting, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board passed a bylaw to regulate bulk water processing, bottling and sales on Maurelle, Sonora, Stuart, and the Rendezvous islands. Three Campbell River Directors voted against receiving the staff report for this bylaw. Director Susan Sinnott explained, “I just want to hear from staff, the reasons necessary. Is there a pending application for people to bulk water in the distillation sound area? Is there an imminent issue?” Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch replied, “The impetus of this. Bylaws came from the directors. So I think it's probably more appropriate for the director to speak to it.” Cortes Island Director Mark Vonesch pointed out, “This is the same bylaw we already passed for Area D, Cortes and Quadra Islands.” Director Sinnott: “Well, thank you, my recollection was there was concerns about water usage and aquifer protection. I just wanted to know if this was similar. I don't know if there's an issue in the Desolation Sound area that's similar.” Robyn Mawhinney is the Regional Director for Area C, which includes Quadra, Maurelle, Sonora, Stuart, and the Rendezvous islands: “Although it says the Desolation Sound Rural Land Use Bylaw it's funnily enough, not in Desolation Sound. It's Read, Maurelle, Sonora, Stuart, and the Rendezvous Islands. If you look at the bylaws, it's really about providing an opportunity for community to have a public hearing If there is an application for a commercial water extraction enterprise.” Director Sinnot: So raising my question again, are we regulating something that's not ever going to happen? I can't imagine there's ever going to be a person that wants to bulk water bottling or any type of extraction of a very remote area without ferry service. So one, I don't like the idea of regulating things if we don't have to, but second of all, we're intruding into an area outside our jurisdiction if it's about water preservation.” Director Mawhinney: “I would suggest that providing an opportunity for the community to have input on a commercial enterprise, which could drastically affect their drinking water is reasonable. I think when you look at what happened in Merville, if you wait until an application is coming forward it's too late.” The concern about bulk water extraction can be traced back to a Merville property owner’s idea to bottle and sell the water beneath his property. On March 8, 2023, two weeks before CVRD approved MacKenzie’s application, Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney asked the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) to report on the possibilities for limiting groundwater extraction within Area C. The District had just gone through the severest drought in Campbell River’s records and it was about to go through the drought of 2023. On September 25, 2024, the SRD passed bylaws prohibiting ‘bulk water sales, bulk water processing and bulk water bottling’ on any upland or foreshore area of Cortes or Quadra except where expressly permitted within a zone. That was when Director Mawhinney then introduced what has erroneously been called the Desolation Sound Bulk Water Regulation. Director Mawhinney: “ We've had a public hearing and the community was in support of it, as they have been for Area D, Area B (Cortes Island) and the Quadra island portion of Area C.”

Tiber Bay Residents Being Asked If They Want To Be Included In Cortes Fire Protection Area

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The 32 properties in Tiber Bay are one step closer to being included in the South Cortes Island fire protection area. They are currently outside the boundary and, consequently, the Cortes Fire department cannot immediately respond to fires in that area. It needs direction from the BC Wildfire Service. Tiber Bay residents will soon be receiving a petition in which they can state their preferences. Cortes Island Director Mark Vonesch read out the motion at the December 11 SRD Board Meeting, “That a petition be prepared and distributed to affected property owners to determine if they support the extension initiative, and then a further report be prepared for the Board's consideration at the conclusion of the petition process.” The only resistance came from two Campbell River Directors who had questions about process. Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott asked, “ With the petition being distributed during the mail strike, how are we doing this?” Shaun Koopman, the SRD’s Protective Service’s Coordinator, responded “We're going to work with the Cortez Island Fire Department who will, we'll also work with the resident to make sure that everyone's envelope ends up in their hands.” Director Sinnott: “So I'm assuming that there is a procedure under a petition that we can do this?” Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) David Leitch explained, “There's a petition process in generally. If you have a small amount of people in an area, you'll do a petition. If there's 10, 20, or 40 50 of them, whatever petition is totally acceptable. So this is a small group and a small area, and you can deliver the petitions to them.” Campbell River Director Doug Chapman objected to this, “The only comment I have is that I wouldn't send the volunteer fire department into the new area at the risk of appearing to be pressuring people to sign. I think it should be people in the current area seeking signatures from those who are already in the area.” CAO Leitch: “ I think what we'll end up doing is they'll be delivering them to their door. There's no solicitation here.” Director Vonesch: “This extension is a request of this community already. So it is a bit of a formality to go through this, the residents have signed on for this.” Director Chapman: “So, what you're saying is that every single resident who's going to be included has already said they're in favor. Is that my understanding of what you're saying?” Director Vonesch: “I believe that's what happened here.” Director Chapman: “I know you believe that, but is it a fact.” CAO Leitch: “After the petition process, we'll find out.” Director Vonesch: I guess we will. Let's see what happens here Doug.” Director Chapman voted against the motion being given a second reading, but the decision to send out a petition was unanimous when Vice Chair Matthew Jack called the final vote

New Major Vessels For A 21st Century Ferry Service

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -BC Ferries currently deploys 11 vessels on its major routes that connect Vancouver Island with the Lower Mainland. Six of these are decades old and nearing the end of their effective service life. While the volume of traffic has significantly increased over the past three decades, there have not been any additions to the major routes carrying capacity since the Spirit Class vessels were introduced in 1993-94. Consequently, 60% of the vehicles using the ferry on a major route last summer had to wait for at least one sailing. In a bold move to bring this portion of its fleet into the 21st century, on Friday, December 13, BC Ferries applied to the BC Ferries Commissioner for permission to add 5 New Major Vessels (NMV). Each of these new ferries is a diesel-electric hybrid, with the capacity to go 100% electric once the necessary infrastructure is in place. This would seem to open the door for a fully electric fleet at an as yet to be determined date in the future. Meanwhile, according to their application, “The NMVs are expected to reduce tank-to-wake GHG emissions and well-to-wake GHG emissions by approximately 90 percent compared to fossil-fuel-based diesel in support of the Province’s CleanBC goals and GHG emission reduction targets.” If this project is approved, the first of the NMVs should be deployed in 2029 and BC Ferries expects to add a vessel every six months until 5 are in service around 2031. The plan is to replace 4 of the fleet’s oldest ferries with 5 larger new ones. This will bring the total number of vessels serving these routes up to 12. If this plan proceeds as planned, BC Ferries will increase the routes’ carrying capacity up to 28% for passengers and 19% for vehicles. However their application warns, “If only four ships are approved, BC Ferries’ capacity growth will fall behind population projections for our region, meaning delays, waits and the risk of breakdowns will be worse than they are today when we are already feeling the impact of the lack of resiliency in the fleet. By approving all five vessels, the Ferry Commissioner will help ensure BC Ferries can keep pace and improve how it serves our region, with additional resiliency during refits and breakdowns, greater capacity in peak season and year-round, and demonstrable benefits to our climate with cleaner fuels (and the option for electric power) and less noise pollution.” The British Columbia Trucking Association estimates that ferry cancellations, breakdowns, and delays can cost up to $100 million per year, every dollar of which is passed on to consumers. These new ferries are expected to reverse this trend, enabling an increase of over $240 million worth of additional cargo by 2035. They are also projected to enable the introduction of another 130,000 incremental tourists to the islands. The current scenario is to deploy 3 NMVs on the Tsawassen to Schwartz Bay route (#1) and 2 on the Tsawassen to Duke Point (#30) run during peak season. Any additions to the Horseshoe Bay - Nanaimo route (#2) will preseumably be made by 2027, by which time BC Ferries hopes to have 7 NMVs deployed. Some of the additional features mentioned in the BC Ferries press release include: “The NMV propulsion systems are being designed to reduce underwater radiated noise, which poses a known risk to the health of at-risk marine life, including the Southern Resident Killer Whales.” Wider walkways on the ferries, designed to accomodate large wheelchairs. “new kids’ play areas and updated food service offerings still in the process of being designed.” “new pet amenities on the passenger deck, including stainless steel kennels, semi-enclosed seating for owners and pets, a handwashing station with hot and cold water, pet relieving areas with artificial turf, and a dog drinking fountain.”

Cortes Island Food Bank Drive To Meet Rising Local Need

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - he Cortes Island Food Bank recently launched a food drive to meet unprecedented needs. Cortes Currents met with two of the charity’s key personnel in the garage where most of the food is stored. Executive Director Filipe Figuera explained : “The situation is getting worse on Cortes. It is the same across the country. Two years ago, we had 100 client visits a year. This year we had 600, that's about 50 clients a month. People are really suffering economically. The good news is that we're in a better situation to help those people. We've really built up the capacity of the food bank to deal with this emergency. We’ve got some really good staff and good food, but it's not a good situation.” Cortes Currents: I understand that Food Banks Canada has just released their annual hunger count. What are the highlights from that? Filipe Figuera: “The picture is pretty bleak across the country. They do a count every March and the numbers increased again this year. In March 2024, there were 2 million visits to food banks across Canada. That's the highest ever. It's a 6% increase from 2023 and a 90% increase compared to 2019.” “The numbers just keep increasing. I think a lot of food banks are really struggling with this pressure. I know that 30% of food banks across the network actually ran out of food before they could serve all clients. At least 33% of all clients across the country are children and a new thing that's happening is that 18% of food bank users are now employed. They've got jobs, but they just haven't got enough money at the end of the month to buy the food they need to survive. That's a huge increase. It was historically around 5% to 6% and then it crept up to 10% and now it's 18%. There's a lot of economic pressures on people across Canada. We've known about housing for years. We've got people who won’t be able to afford to buy their home - ever - but now we're seeing working people who can't afford to buy enough food to survive to the end of the month. It's a great report. Google Hunger Count 2024. Have a look at the data, it's really interesting. Cortes Currents: How can people get food? Angelica Raaen responded, “The easiest way and the best way is through our website. Select the location, either Manson's or the Gorge, and then the day you want to pick up. It'll ask a few questions about your family size or your household size and your dietary restrictions, if there are any. Then you just book it and we'll have it ready for you on the day that you booked. Cortes Currents: Why do people need to pre-book? Angelica Raaen: “We don't have a purpose built food bank facility. The food is stored at a private residence, in a garage. We have to go pack the food into hampers and transport them to the pickup locations. This takes a couple of days to prepare, so it's better if people book in advance.” “So, the best way to book is through a website with the booking form, but you can also call us or email us if the website is a barrier for you. The phone number is 1-672-202-0052 (it’s a local number) and our email is cortesfoodbank@proton.me."

Political maneuvers_ SRD proposal to meet with the province about the allowable cut and other forestry matters

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - It has been 85 years since the Truck Loggers Association was founded to give independent loggers a collective voice in society and the forest industry. Now they would like the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) to intervene on their behalf with BC’s Minister of Forests, Minister of State for Workforce Development and Chief Forester. This was disclosed during the discussion of a motion from the SRD’s Natural Resources Committee at the Wednesday December 11 Board Meeting. Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney said she is not a member of the Natural Resources Committee, but the issue is a concern to her. The Forestry Practises Board recently released a report that stated there was a deficit of old growth on Quadra Island and only about 1% of the trees were greater than 250 years old. Three companies were found to be out of compliance with some aspect of forest legislation. The reported added that “the bigger issue is that no one is responsible for monitoring or ensuring that Quadra Island’s old forests are conserved, or that enough mature forests are protected from logging so that they can develop into old forest in the future.” Mawhinney had brought this matter to the SRD Board asking that “that the board write a letter to the Minister of Forests, the Minister of Water, Lands and Natural Resources, and BC's Chief Forester, highlighting concerns with old forest management on Quadra Island.” Instead the matter was referred to the SRD’s Natural Resources Committee, who responded with a very different motion of their own. Perusing the associated materials, Mawhinney realized,“ This motion was coming from the Truck Loggers Association.” Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch confirmed, “ Sure, this motion was crafted by the delegation, but it was supported by the committee. So this is a motion of the committee.” The Natural Resources Committee is proposing that: “WHEREAS Forestry works for communities in every corner of the province, from jobs to exports, to providing revenues for hospitals, schools and roads and communities;” AND WHEREAS the future of forestry is at risk, with the closure of half of BC mills in the last two decades, and harvest levels falling to more than 40% below the annual allowable cut; “AND WHEREAS a sustainable forest sector must have access to a reliable annual allowable cut to support the services and infrastructure British Columbians rely on to provide families with livable wages, and bring stability to the supply chain;” “THEREFORE the Natural Resources Committee directs staff to send a letter to Minister Parmar, and Minister of State Mercier, and Chief Forester Shane Berg, requesting a meeting to discuss their meaningful commitment to delivering a stable, accessible and reliable annual cut.” There was no reference to the Quadra Island backstory, when the Natural Resources Committee motion was introduced. Instead CAO David Leitch said, “Mr. Chair, this is a motion from the Natural Resources Committee, so nothing more to add from staff.” Regional Director, Gerald Whalley of Area A responded, “Just a question for staff here. The meeting, is that to involve the board or just that specific committee?” CAO Leitch: “It’s unclear, you're right.” Director Whalley: “I think it should involve the board, at least for those who are interested.”

Poll Finds 54% of Canadians Support prioritizing Renewable Energy

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - 54% of the respondents to a new poll from Abacus Data stated they think Canada should prioritize the development of renewable energy, 36% would like to see a ‘balanced approach’ and 11% would rather prioritize fossil fuels. “ We commissioned Abacus to run this polling for us and see where Canadians stand in terms of their support for renewable energy and around reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. What's clear is that a majority of Canadians want to see government action to phase out fossil fuels and prioritize renewable energy. Canadians know that renewables are a win, win, win. We know that they save people money. They mean lower energy bills. Renewables mean cleaner air. They mean job creation. So the benefits are huge,” explained Julia Levin, Associate Director for National Climate, Environmental Defence. “The results around phasing out fossil fuels may be a bit more surprising. More than half of the people we surveyed want to see government action to phase out fossil fuels. What it says to me is that Canadians are really understanding that the production and use of fossil fuels is what's causing the climate crisis and the only way to avoid ever more catastrophic climate disasters is a transition away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy.” “The extent of support, especially within progressive voters, took me by surprise because this is much bolder climate policy than what we're seeing being proposed, by any government outside of Quebec, and so I think there's a clear lesson to governments at all levels that these aren't just important policies for climate, for the economy. They're popular, Canadians want them.” Cortes Currents: I see that 2,700 Canadians were polled, how many of these were in British Columbia Julia Levin: “ We had a sampling size of 278 BC voters. BC and Quebec were the highest in terms of supporting renewable energy and prioritizing renewable energy over fossil fuels.” Cortes Currents: Looking over the figures I see 65% of the respondents in Quebec, 54% in BC and 52% in Ontario support prioritizing renewables. There is a similar alignment when it comes to phasing fossil fuels out: 60% in Quebec, 55% in Ontario and 54% in BC. Julia Levin: “Only about a third of Canadians put any kind of trust in oil and gas companies, and that was similar for BC. It reflected the national average.” Cortes Currents: I’m wondering how important is a poll like this? Public opinion seems to fluctuate. It seems like whenever the world takes a step forward, it is followed by a backlash. A lot of governments supported the Paris Agreement in 2015, but that was followed by the election of several Conservative governments including Trump’s first presidency. We’ve seen a similar backlash here in BC, where a government which at least claims to favour climate action only narrowly won the recent election. Julia Levin: “ I think there's a few observations on that. One is to validate your observation that when we see climate progress, then we see a big backlash. Part of that speaks to the influence of the oil and gas industry.” “This is, globally, the wealthiest industry. A lot of political influence, political power here in Canada at all levels and around the world. Any time there's a real threat, the oil and gas industry get creative about how they push back. We see that in the amount of lobbying that happens here in Canada. At the federal level, oil and gas companies were meeting with federal officials five times each working day last year. We see that in their massive ad campaigns. The coalition of the largest tar sands companies in Canada ran a multi-million dollar ad campaign to lie to Canadians about their climate impact.”

Folk U: All things circular economy and waste

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/Folk U -On December 6, 2024, Tina Willard-Stepan from Comox Strathcona Waste Management joined us to talk all things circular economy and waste. Along with the students of the Cortes Island Academy and some community members, we learned about where our garbage goes, how much we produce, repair cafes, and the Cumberland dump (where our garbage on Cortes is sent to!) Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Final count for Cortes island's 2024 Chum run

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -The final numbers for Cortes Island's 2024 Chum run are in. Local streamkeepers Cec and Christine Robinson gave a rundown. Christine Robinson: “I think we all know that this was a stupendous year for Chums up and down the coast. So not just Cortes, not just Quadra, not just the Sunshine Coast, but from the mainland all the way up to Alaska and down through to Puget Sound and I think possibly further south. The numbers on Cortes were the highest that we have seen since we've lived on Cortes, which is now 34 years.” Cec Robinson: “To put it in context, they're probably three times higher than the best years we've ever seen. So it was pretty huge.” Christine Robinson: “So it was very exciting and the interesting thing was that fisheries did not predict this. They were predicting a very low term return to the coast. They were caught off guard, and everybody probably was.” “The numbers that we keep are an approximation given that we don't have a fish fence across the creek that counts every fish. We've had a pretty high degree of accuracy, but there were so many fish that we couldn't count accurately this year. We did several bank walks, and at some point we stopped counting because we couldn’t count - which is always what we hope for.” “All eight creeks that we have kept an eye on over the years had something to report this year. In Basil Creek, we have about 2,500 Chum.” Cec Robinson: “At least.” Christine Robinson: “At least, they were higher up in Basil Creek because as more came in the lower parts of the creek it pushed them higher up. So it extends the spawning area. Squirrel Cove Creek, which is a little creek around the corner of where the Klahoose village is, was a huge surprise. It often has no fish and it often has no water. We figured there were 350 Chum there one day. Another 300 were in Hansen Creek. In James Creek, flowing through the Children's Forest into Carrington Lagoon, there were 220 - which was tremendous. The exciting thing about Whaletown Creek is with the new arch culvert, they all got through easily and they were further up the creek than we have ever seen. There were probably a hundred. For the little Frabjous Day Creek, which flows into Cortes Bay, our best guess is 20. There were probably more, but they weren't counted in the stream so much as in the intertidal area. Manson's Lagoon was the lowest, seven were counted.” Cortes Currents: Have you heard any explanations as to why there were so many Chum this year? Cec Robinson: “I think that the consensus lies with ocean conditions and so the bottom line would be feed. I'm not sure why. I know that the El Nino was backing off and the waters were cooling, which certainly favours more food, but it's only in the last year that cooling has been taking place. Those fish were relying on the ocean for three and a half years, so I'm not sure that even the El Nino phenomenon explains that, but probably conditions at sea and most likely food.” Christine Robinson: “ The fisheries people that we talked to would say the oceanic conditions, the food, was so right that they came into the creeks bigger, stronger, healthier than we typically see. That was everybody's observation. That wasn't just us and streamkeepers. Everyone who came to look at the fish that we talked to said, we talked to said, ‘my gosh, they're big and they're strong. Certainly they're healthier than we've ever seen come in.”

Janie Wray_ Listening to the whales

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Over 100 people came to the Quadra Community Centre on December 7, to learn about the acoustic dialects and social connections of Orca, Humpback and Fin Whales. Sierra Quadra invited Janie Wray - CEO and co-founder of the North Coast Cetacean Society, BC Whales, and the manager of the BC Hydrophone Network - to share from her more than two decades of research. “One thing that we've recognized is that if we want to understand and protect whales, we have to listen them. That is why we think hydrophones are so important. It's a non-invasive way of trying to understand whale communication and how communication between whales has changed over the years. There's so many different whale species along this coast that are communicating,” she said. “The more we learn, the better our chances are to protect whales and the only way we can protect whales is to work in collaboration with other people along this entire coast of BC, especially with Indigenous communities.” Cortes Currents: How did you come to study whales? Janie Wray: “I was about nine years old. I had heard the recording of Humpback whales singing. It was the first time that I had an emotional response to a sound, especially the sound of another species. That pretty much put me on track. I was fascinated by whales and whale communication.” “After school, I traveled a bit and then went to university. From there, I worked as an intern at a place called OrcaLab, which is near the top end of Vancouver Island. They have a large number of hydrophones in the water. A hydrophone is like an underwater microphone, it allows you to listen to the underwater marine soundscape. It was listening to a lot of different whales, especially Orca in those days. The more I learned about whale communication, the more I wanted to know.” “I met my partner at that point and we ended up purchasing a small liveaboard research vessel. We traveled up the whole coast of BC and ended up in the First Nations community of Hartley Bay. We asked the Hereditary Chief at that time for permission to build a whale research station within their territory. Not only did they give us permission, they shared with us their own historical knowledge of whales and also pointed us in the right direction concerning a great place to build a facility. So we built that in 2001. I've pretty much been working up there ever since.” “We record and analyze every whale call that we hear, whether that be an Orca, a Fin Whale or a Humpback whale.” “In regards to Humpback whales, we have a heavy focus on this song display, which is a song that evolves and changes year to year. It's only the males that sing this song, but when you listen to it, it really is a song. We're trying to understand how that song is being learned between individuals within the community of whales along the coast of BC, but also how it changes from the North coast to the South coast. Then as they migrate towards Mexico and Hawaii, how is the song changing and evolving through time and from season to season?” “The other call type we're fascinated with is this bubble net feeding call. It's a call that they only use when they're bubble net feeding. So we can actually put a behaviour to a call type, which is unusual to do with whales. When we hear that call, we know they're bubble net feeding, but even that particular call type has changed and evolved over the last 20 years. What these whales have actually done is they've taken a call type that was a bit complicated and they simplified it.” “There's a large number of Humpback whale social calls that are quite consistent. All of the Humpbacks within the Pacific Ocean use somewhat similar social calls. Up and down the whole coast, from Mexico, to Hawaii, we're having lots of fun trying to catalog those.”

BC’s Productivity Emergency vs Rising GHG Emissions

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - With the rise of global emissions already at 1.4°C, we are currently on track to reach 2.8°C by the end of this century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) claims, “every additional 0.1°C of global warming causes clearly discernible increases in the intensity and frequency of temperature and precipitation extremes, as well as agricultural and ecological droughts in some regions.” Denise Mullen, from the Business Council of BC, recently informed the SRD’s Natural Resources Committee that the province faces a more urgent problem. British Columbia is in the midst of a productivity emergency. “BC is unique among the provinces in registering effectively no private sector growth in the last five years.” “Almost all of the job growth in British Columbia has been in the public sector. Mainly in education, health, and public administration and even more so in general government administration.” 85% of the job growth on Vancouver Island has been in this sector. “The point to take away from the two, public and private, is that you need a strong private sector to pay for public sector jobs.” Mullen pointed to CleanBC, the provincial government’s plan to fight climate change, “the plan is to shrink the economy.” According to the Canada Energy Regulator, BC’s “emissions have INCREASED 26% since 1990.” This is only half the amount of the global increase, but during this same time period the EU reduced its emissions 37% BELOW 1990 levels while dramatically growing its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The European Commission states this reduction was ‘driven by the growth in renewable energy generation and fall in coal and gas use.’ Denise Mullen: “We should be focusing on global emissions and not domestic emmissions. Our hard targets on emissions are damaging to the economy, especially given that the rest of the world is responsible for 99.81% of global emissions. There's not a lot we can do to create an inflection point in the direction of either energy use or GHG emissions, but we can hurt ourselves economically.”

Fresh Homemade Pasta- Lunch with Trever Bass

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - “ Lunch is duck tortellini, which is one of the smaller ravioli. It'll be floating in a broth of vegetable and parmesan rind that have been simmered for six hours. It's very cheesy, but also subtle and just really complements a spoon sized tortellini.” I just met Trever Bass and his wife, Elizabeth Anderson-Bass, at Manson's Friday Market. Someone had suggested I do a story on them. When I asked Trevor for an interview, he suggested I come over for lunch. The duck tortellini was delicious. “I love feeding people. A plate of pasta can mean a lot of different things to a lot of people, so you can have a lot of different shapes, you can have the pasta itself can be made from a lot of different things, it can be sauced a lot of different ways, it can be presented a lot of different ways, so within just making pasta for people, there's endless variety,” explained Trever. “I'm an American living in Canada, making Italian food. it was more of a hobbier business, I would call it. In the most modern terms, ‘a side hustle’ - a thing that that I do to make some extra money to round out our household income. In my previous life, I ran breweries. I have a certificate in brewing science and engineering, fermentation science. I really liked being an American making styles from all over the world and got pretty good at it, but then also just put my own fingerprint on those traditional styles. I can make a Irish stout, which would be a lot like what you'd have in Ireland, that would be reminiscent of Guinness, but it'd be my impression of that thing. They try to honor the thing, but also make something that tastes delicious and pasta is a lot like that too. Elizabeth added “This is all Trever and his magical pasta making. I just get to enjoy it and be supportive. Trevor used to be my customer when we both worked in the beer industry.”

Introducing Anna Kindy, MLA for North Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - t has been three weeks since Anna Kindy was sworn in as the Conservative Party MLA for North Island riding. We actually had a long phone conversation shortly after her election, but this has been a very busy time for Ms Kindy and so we agreed to do the interview on December 3, yesterday. As I didn’t get an opportunity to interview her during the election, it's probably best to start at the beginning. “As an MLA, I represent everyone in this constituency. It doesn't matter if you voted for me or not, I represent you and I'll do it to the best of my capacity. I have to look at what the issues are in my riding and how to address them,” she said. Cortes Currents: Why did you run for office? What was the inspiration? Anna Kindy: “It wasn't in the cards a few years back, like two or three years ago. I wasn't even thinking of running for the office, but I was seeing so many things going sideways. I've always been politically aware, so I decided to stop complaining and do something about it. So I threw my hat in.”

Wildfire Mitigation in Squirrel Cove

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/COrtes Currents - There's a wildfire mitigation operation underway in the Community Forest near Squirrel Cove. "This is something that we've been working on since 2018. It was identified as a priority in the 2020 Community Wildfire Protection Plan. We received funding for a prescription, then we got funding to do an archaeological assessment, as required by law in the Tla'amin First Nation and then this year we obtained funding through the Forest Enhancement Society of BC to actually do the work. I'm just really excited to see it happening because when you see an overgrown plantation like this, it feels really good to be able to reinvest in the land base to leave a better forest for the future generation and reduce the wildfire risk in this neighbourhood," explained to Mark Lombard, General Manager of the Cortes Forestry General Partnership. Cortes Currents: How big of an area are we talking about? Mark Lombard: "This project is 6.5 hectares and then the Coulter Bay project is 9.8 hectares. So a total of 16.3 hectares this year, out of 3,800 hectares in the Community Forest. So it's just a drop in the bucket really, but they're in neighbourhoods.” Bruce Ellingsen, a founding Director and thought leader of the Cortes Community Forest movement, added, "One of the justifications for mitigating the possibility of wildfire is because of the adjacency to neighbourhoods and other residences." Mark Lombard: "Your residential neighborhood in Squirrel Cove is all uphill from here." Bruce Ellingsen: "That's the way fires go, it's uphill usually." The Cortes Forestry General Partnership's first cutblocks were in Larsens Meadow during 2015. They started working in Squirrel Cove the following year. Bruce Ellingsen: "It's the intention of the partnership to cut below the annual incremental growth of the whole forest on the Community Forest land base so that it gradually ages while we're still cutting a modest amount. Over time, they intend to harvest increasingly larger trees that are much more efficiently processed by Cortes Island’s local mills. We met at the gate, outside of the remediation area. Mark Lombard: "The hemlock are almost all dying out here. This stand was 'space improved' 20 years ago. They would have left a little bit of hemlock, and we're seeing it die out. There's one hemlock there and one hemlock there, they're both dead. There's another one right there that's broken off." "The stand that we're working in is maybe 10 years younger and it hasn't been spaced and pruned. It's really overgrown. The fir are not doing as well as in this plantation. We're forced to leave a little bit more balsam and a little bit more hemlock and certainly we're trying to leave cedars wherever we can because it's hard to grow cedars. It's nice to see the cedars doing well, but the balsam has a beetle in them so it's a real balancing act of trying to leave a decent stock knowing that quite a few of the trees we're going to leave are probably going to die just like these ones. We just don't want to leave a whole bunch of stuff in our wildfire risk reduction project that is going to be dead in 10 years or 20 years.”

Johnny Hanuse- Indigenous Governance, Decolonization & more

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On November 29, 2024, host Manda Aufoch’s Gillespie was joined by Klahoose council member and political science major Johnny Hanuse, to lead a conversation about indigenous governance. Tune in for a discussion of decolonization, politics, tradition, and community. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

SRD Motion Fails; Rural Areas Retain Sole Use of Gas Tax Funding

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 30 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - A Strathcona Regional District (SRD) motion that might have taken Gas Tax funding away from its rural areas was narrowly defeated at the Wednesday, November 27, Board meeting. Every year, the funds collected through Canada’s Gas Tax are used on infrastructure and planning projects across the nation. In British Columbia, the Union of BC Municipalities distributes $280 million to local governments. Municipalities like Campbell River, Sayward and Zeballos are all paid directly, receiving $1.7 million, $79,000 and $69.000, respectively. Viewed on a per capita basis, every municipality in the SRD except Campbell River receives between two and ten times more Gas Tax funding than the district’s rural areas. However the $543,000 for the Strathcona Regional Discovery’s four rural areas goes through the SRD. Up until now, this money was used ‘solely for their benefit,’ but there has been a push to explore ‘other options’ for this funding.

Mark Baker reelected Chair of SRD, Matthew Jack Vice Chair

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - By law, the Strathcona Regional District is required to elect a Chair and Vice Chair every year. The SRD Board met on Wendesday November 27 and as the SRD press release states, elected Mayor Mark Baker as Chair for the third consecutive year. What it does not say is that their were two other candidates: Mark Vonesch of Cortes Island and Gerald Whalley of Area A.

Changes coming to BC Ferries

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - As some of you may have already heard, BC Ferries is going through some changes. They range from a total revamp of the way they have been engaging with the public to that probably won’t effect fares until 2028. Let’s start with finances. BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez recently informed the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce the cost to build ferries has risen 40% since 2020. Speaking as a customer, my immediate thought was this sounds like there is a fare hike coming. Jeff Groot, BC Ferries Executive Director in charge of communications, responded “I think that's a fair reaction. There's a couple of things that we're experiencing right now.”

The 10th Annual Holiday Fair at Mansons Hall

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The 10th Annual Holiday Fair at Mansons Hall will be from 11 to 3 PM on Sunday December 1, 2024. “Join us at Manson's Hall on Sunday, December 1st, from 11am to 3pm for a 10th annual holiday fair. 30 talented vendors will display their finest wares, including gourmet food. handmade crafts, specialty beauty products, natural remedies, unique jewelry, artisan soaps, textiles, beeswax candles, musical instruments, baskets, baked goods, woodwork and handicraft items. The event also features live music and a delightful lunch,” explained Jennifer Pickrod, the Hall Manager. Cortes Currents: When was the first Holiday Fair? Jennifer Pickrod: “I just did some research into our database and it looks like there is a record of some kind of a Christmas fair happening since at least 2004.” Cortes Currents: Do you get much of a turnout? Jennifer Pickrod: “We get an immense turnout actually because people seem to be really excited to come out and support their local vendors at this event. And so it's always nice also for them to come and see how the hall is all decorated in Christmas lights and twinkling and it just seems like a festive, wonderful event for the whole community to enjoy.” Cortes Currents: What does this represent for the vendors? Jennifer Pickrod: “This represents really an opportunity for the vendors to showcase what they've been working on through the whole year. Many of our vendors only participate in the holiday fair because they have been having a great success at this event, and they see it as an opportunity to focus on something, a project throughout the year, wherein they will work on their crafts and have an opportunity to really showcase them at this very popular event.” Cortes Currents: Tell me about your vendors. Jennifer Pickford: Brig Weiler is our long standing jewelry and crafts and card vendor. Joy Shipway is going to be having some special holiday treats. Irene Bleweth will be showcasing her silver jewelry. We also have Dancing Wolf coming. He's going to be bringing some interesting goods. I'm not sure what, but it sounds very intriguing at this point. We have the Cortez food bank coming. They're going to be bringing their designer grocery bags. We've got a chap named Xavier who has silver jewelry as well. Alana Karen. Who's bringing her homemade soaps. Heather McKenzie is coming with some crystal jewelry. Savannah Young is bringing her pottery. Hilary Else is bringing her elsewhere clothing. Meredith Bill, has willow baskets, hides various herbal things like soaps, salves, mists. Tammy Collingwood will be there as well with her homemade cosmetics. We have Monica Mangetti and Sheldon with their books, watches, watch batteries, and handcrafted items.\ We will have the radio station CKTZ, with their merchandise. Anastasia will also be there with her glass jewelry. Melissa Campbell with textiles, beeswax candles, and goodies like that. Ron Bazaar with his beautiful handcrafted woodwork. Rod Lee will be there with his bird houses and other woodworks. Noba Anderson is going to be there with her wild harvested fish. Karen Paras will be there as well with some beautiful homemade clothing. We also have Sarah from Wildflower. She's going to be selling some homemade apple cider. “Of course, there will be a delicious lunch provided by Trevor Bess, who is going to be selling a little cup of his delicious homemade pasta in a soup that people can carry around with them as they're perusing all the beautiful products at the holiday fair.” “That's just a few of the vendors that you will see highlighted here. We are really excited that the community is so on board with this event. It is always such a pleasure to have everybody come through the door. There will also be some lovely harp playing by Laurel Bohart and we will have some Christmas tunes. It'll just have a general feeling of festivity for everyone to enjoy.”

Discovery Islands in the 2024 Interim Housing Needs Report

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - According to the 2024 Interim Housing Needs Report, in the next two years Cortes Island will need another 95 new housing units and Area C will need another 270. The studies underlying assumptions are that the Discovery Island’s population will continue to grow by 8% over the next few years. One of the key findings is that “there is a need for housing that is affordable and accessible for those on a fixed income, particularly within the rental market. An aging population presents a greater need for at-home care options and smaller housing units that allow for downsizing. Seniors are also more likely to be living with a disability or activity limitation than other age groups and may have to pay for all household expenses on a fixed income” Another sector identified in the report was renters who are expected to face continued challenges because the increase to their housing costs will continue to be greater than increases in income. Around 45% of the renters who responded to recent surveys indicated they were paying unaffordable rents. This is particularly alarming when you consider that a quarter of the respondents to Campbell River’s most recent Point in Time Count stated had been homeless for less than 6 months and the #1 cause they cited was not enough income to pay rent. There are currently 145 rental units on Cortes Island and 250 in Area C. Three of the comments cited in the report: “This is a crisis that needs to be dealt with. The number of folks online that are desperate for housing is shocking. Any renter is at the mercy of their landlord to become homeless.” As a small business owner and someone who grew up on Quadra Island, I see the struggle younger generations are going through to find housing. Rentals are increasingly hard to come by and finding property to buy for a young family trying to make a living on the island is not possible. There are younger generations that have grown up on the island and want to stay but just can’t make it without some kind of affordable housing. As a business owner, I am experiencing a lack of labour options because of this.” “There is a huge lack of affordable housing on Cortes. People are in a constant search of a place to live; some are elderly, many are young. People live in cars, vans, tents, derelict boats. People request a place to bring a trailer or a trailerable home.” By 2041 Cortes Island is expected to need another 241 units and Area C another 633 units.

A closer look into Cortes Island's economy

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - When the Cortes Island Foundation released Cortes Island’s Vital Signs Report last month, Executive Director Manda Aufochs Gillespie said she’d like to go into specific sections in more detail. "One of the things that really stood out to me is the information around income and work and economy. This area starts around page 13 in this document and I'm going to be using a lot of words to talk about this, but when you look at the report there's graphs, little quotes and etc. that make it easier to read.” She suggested inviting Kate Maddigan, from the Cortes Community Economic Development Association (CCEDA), to get another perspective.

Only A Week From Now_ FOCI's 2024 AGM

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -The Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) 2024 AGM is coming up at 5 PM on December 3rd. They are celebrating more than 30 years with their Marine Stewardship program and special partnership with the Watershed Sentinel Magazine. Sabina Leader Mense and Delores Broten will be the guest speakers. “That's the second part of the AGM. For the first part, we will be talking about the work we've done in 2024. We've just produced our 2024 Annual Report and that's bursting at the seams with amazing work that we've been doing over the last year,” explained Helen Hall. executive director of the Friends of Cortes Island.

Using AI for Good with Daniel Lindenberger

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On November 15, 2024, host Manda Aufoch’s Gillespie was joined by AI researcher and community organizer Daniel Lindenberger, to lead a conversation about artificial intelligence. Along with the students of the Cortes Island Academy and some community members, we explored the potential of AI in various tasks, including data structuring, summarizing, and generating business ideas, while acknowledging its limitations and potential risks. The conversation ended with discussions on the environmental impact of AI, the potential of AI for positive change, and the importance of considering the economic consequences of AI for artists. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Change Your Light Bulb

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Carries Saxifrage/ Cortes Currents & FOCI Climate Action Committee - In early July of 2024, a small group of Cortes Islanders, supported by Friends Of Cortes Island (FOCI), screened the film “How to Boil a Frog” for the community. You can watch the film here. The film is about the five-pronged problem life on Earth is currently facing — overpopulation, a war on nature, wealth disparity, peak oil (hee hee), and climate change—and offers five actions that can help—boycott Exxon, change your “life bulb” (reduce consumption), a change of heart, one kid per couple, and kick some ass. This article is the second in a series focused on each of these five solutions. You can read Maureen Williams great first article on a change of heart here. This second article is about changing your “life bulb.” The term refers to the end of Al Gore’s 2006 movie An Inconvenient Truth in which minor suggestions, including a switch to LED bulbs, float across the screen. The disconnect between the size of the problem and the size of the suggested solutions was so very obvious. It still is. Whether or not you change your “life bulb,” it is still important to “Kick Some Ass.” That will be the next article in the series.

First 2024 Egg Count from Basil Creek

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -The final count for Cortes Island’s 2024 Chum run is not yet in, but according to local streamkeeper Christine Robinson, “We have never seen a return like this during the 34 years we've lived on Cortes, but the phenomenon is up the coast as far as Alaska. It's not specific to Cortes and the Discovery Islands.” “It’s down into Washington state as well,” added her husband and fellow streamkeeper, Cec Robinson. On Monday, November 18th, five Cortes stream keepers and a semi-retired DFO employee from Campbell River gathered in the Klahoose Hatchery to count this year's first egg take from Basil Creek. Christine Robinson: “Males and females were taken from the creek. The milk and the eggs were taken out and they were fertilized by hand. It happened twice this year because there were enough that came in.” Cec Robinson: “So ten pairs and then another fifteen pairs.” Cortes Currents: All of the eggs counted Monday were from those first 10 pairs. There were 24,949 eggs. 829 were dead, which leaves more than 24,000 live eggs. Assuming that there is a similar harvest from the remaining 15 females, the streamkeepers could have about 60,000 Chum eggs. Cec Robinson: “Today was shocking the eggs that we have in the Klahoose hatchery. Shocking, picking out the dead ones and counting what we've got. The shocking is a simple process of physically shocking the egg to break a little membrane inside any of the non viable eggs. This little membrane will fracture and when the water gets in, it turns the egg white. So you know which ones are not viable and you pick them out. So it’s a case of counting or weighing the number of live and the number of dead. We want to know the percentage of the survival, how many eggs we've taken and the level of fecundity of the females. That's of all super interest to DFO.” “In this case it was terrific. The usual expectation is around 2,000 eggs per female. We took 2,500. These fish were extra big and extra healthy. The eggs actually are extra large. It all bodes well for the survival of these little guys. Now we know how successful we've been so far and what our potential is for stocking the creeks.” Cortes Currents: Do you usually have a number of eggs that die? Cec Robinson: “There’s always some, I think 5% mortality is excellent and at this point we're under four (3.32%). There will be a few more over the next few days and we'll just keep picking out the ones that have turned white. It'll still be under 5%.” Cortes Currents: Do you have any idea how many salmon came up this year? Cec Robinson: “Our best guess would be easily 2,500 and there could be close to 3,000 - in Basil Creek alone.” Christine Robinson: "Not collectively on the island, I'm still totalling up." Cortes Currents: Given that this year’s run seems to be shaping up to be two to three times larger than anything seen in recent memory, why bother taking eggs? Cec Robinson: “That’s a darn good question. I'm sure nature does the job way better than we can, but it's happened twice in recent years that Basil Creek has had a massive flooding that essentially blasted most of the eggs out of the creek or buried them. If the fish are unfortunate enough to have that happen again, this year we've got a bit of a reserve. The other thing we can do is use some of these eggs in the less productive streams. So, in Whaletown Creek, James Creek or Carrington Creek. Some of them will go there, and those streams are the ones that could definitely do with a larger run.”

Brian Scott, Sherman Barker & Isabella LePlante: the Cortez island experience

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Around 40 people turned out to the Cortes Island Museum on November 10 for the launch of a series of community speakers. The host, Brian Scott traced the idea for ‘Finding Home: The Cortes Island Experience’ to a conversation he had with Sherman Barker. “Sherman and I have known each other for a few years, it's long other story, but he was up on Easter Bluff one day when Jane and I went up for a hike. We're chatting, and he started telling us his arrival story. It actually goes even further back to when he came as a kid. He said, there's lots of stories on the island here and if we don't somehow capture them, we're going to lose them.” “I thought it would be an interesting thing for the museum to do because the museum has artifacts that it's saving and preserving and sharing with the public. Stories are artifacts as well. How do we capture those? Then it occurred to me, well, why don't we do a speaker series? I approached Sherman and said, ‘Hey, what do you think? You want to be the first?’ And he's like, 'yep, It's awesome.'” “So essentially it's: how did you discover the island? What made you decide this is going to be my home? And what keeps you here?” Sherman described his interest in the project: “In my mind, I pictured a book with a leather cover, front and back, maybe made from one of the goats you tanned. It has parchment pages, like you may have discovered it in a hobbit library. It could be in our library. When people come here in the summer, or people who have been here a long time, they can write down why they came to Cortes and the things that happened when they came here. Everybody's got funny stories, sad stories, like what was your first ferry ride like? What was the reason you came to Cortes? It could be really cool book just to keep the past, present, and future all intertwined." "The first time that I came here I just finished grade 6 in a little town up in the north Shuswap called Celista, which I think is pretty much burnt to the ground right now. My dad was a teacher and he had an elementary school that he was transforming into an outdoor educational school without the school board knowing about it. I'm going back into the seventies, and public school. He wanted to come to Strathcona Lodge, to take an edible plant and wilderness survival course so he could go back and teach his kids at the school. We packed up our old truck in the Shuswap and to the coast we came. We camped in the truck at Stanley Park. We ended up on Cortes because he was friends with the writer here, Gilean Douglas, and he wanted me to meet Gilean Douglas. We came to Cortes from Quadra. We camped at Rebecca Spit, because you could camp at the Spit at that time. I caught my first salmon there. We came across, and camped at the Gorge. And at that time, I think the Gorge would have been in the hands of Tammy Allwork's parents. It was just a big field. No hot tub, you could go outside, dig a hole, and have a fire. It's summer. I remember picking up some apples, they’re kind of started but not fully ripe, and walking out to an apple tree. A black tailed deer looked at me and I looked at the deer and it walked up and ate the apple out of my hand. That's a pretty impressionable thing at 12 because where I grew up, white tailed deer do not walk up to you and eat apples out of your hands for a good reason, right? That was my first sort of emphatic whoa!”

Jane Newman_ Three upcoming workshops at the Museum

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Jane Newman will be leading a series of creative workshops at the Cortes Island Museum this season. “The museum was in contact with me about running some programming this fall,” she explained. "After thinking about it I was like, 'yeah, I'm really interested, but I only want to run creative programming. I want to do things that are hands-on. It's my thing, I love doing it, I love sharing it with people. I love hanging out with people when they're making things. The things that come out of it are so precious!' So I designed three programs. One of them is collage card making, another is making some garlands and ornaments at 'Vintage Christmas' at the Museum and the third one is making homemade snow globes."

Proposed Conservation Area In The Mansons Bay Forest

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Nature Trust of British Columbia wants to purchase 35.7 acres in the Mansons Bay Forest for a land conservancy. They have already raised about half of the necessary funding and have until December 31 to rise the remaining $408,000. “One of the landowners has come forward, and they're interested in selling the land for conservation. They've never developed the land, and they'd like to see it stay in the intact condition that it is right now. We are working with them to purchase the land so that we can prevent the conversion of habitat to residential use and maintain the habitat values for the species at risk that live on Cortes Island,” explained Dr Jasper Lament, CEO of the Nature Trust of Canada. “The Mansons Bay Forest lands are located near Mansons Bay and quite close to Mansons Landing Provincial Park. It has some forest on it that's over a century old and then scattered veteran trees that are over 200 years old. There's habitat for species at risk including Barn Swallows, Band-tailed Pigeons, and Common Nighthawks.” The associated press kit also mentions “Evening Grosbeaks, Purple Martins, Olive-sided Flycatchers, and Northern Red-legged Frogs, all of which are of SARA Special Concern.” “Marbled Murrelets are one example of a species-at-risk that has been observed in the ocean waters surrounding Cortes Island. These small seabirds can travel over a hundred kilometres a day between their inland nest sites located in large areas of old forest and marine foraging areas, where they hunt for small fish to feed their chicks. Murrelets are unusual among seabirds because of their solitary and secretive nesting requirements. They avoid predators by flying silently at high speeds (greater than 80 km/h) during dark twilight to visit their secluded forest nests.” Jasper Lament: “These are just examples of over a dozen at risk species that have been observed within one kilometer of this important forested parcel.” Cortes Currents: What about animal species? I would imagine you have wolves going through there at least. Jasper Lament: "We don't have wildlife cameras up on this particular parcel but if we did, we might detect wolves, black tailed deer, cougar, mink, etc. There's definitely the potential for those species."  Cortes Currents: Tell me about your organization. Jasper Lament: "The Nature Trust of British Columbia is a land conservation organization that was founded back in 1971, and since then the Nature Trust of BC has conserved over 180,000 acres of land across British Columbia." "Cortes Island is one of the landscapes where the Nature Trust has worked. The first project was back in the early 1980s, when the Nature Trust acquired Hague Lake Island."

Next Steps for the Cortes_Quadra Transportation Study

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Current - There were a number of next steps connected to last summer’s Cortes/Quadra Transportation survey. Kate Maddigan, Economic Development Officer of The Cortes Community Economic Development Association (CCEDA) explained, “I haven’t publicly said the final report is complete because I really wanted to put some attention into just making it shorter, like a briefing on that final report, rather than having people read the whole thing. Having said that, the recommendations, which is what I always skip to if I have to read a final report, are pretty straightforward. If I was to summarize the whole thing, I would just say these are the next steps and this is what those people who participated said they wanted.” “I'm just in the middle of completing a funding application to the Rural Transportation Solutions Fund, which is due at the end of this month.” “We basically wanted to do a pilot project of old and new approaches to passenger transportation. A shuttle on Quadra, which should come to no surprise to anyone who lives here. They wanted a bus that does a loop across the island. A lot of people could use that bus. There's also some new ride hailing, and ride sharing technology that other places are using, so let's get it working for our rural area.” “You can get an app for things like ride hailing, which is Uber or Lyft. There's apps that have been developed out there to make it much easier for people to carpool. There is an option with these carpooling apps that allows people to make a donation towards gas or whatever other expenses a driver might have.” One problem with bringing an Uber type passenger transportation service to our islands is you have to have a car that's no more than 10 years old. That's going to disqualify a lot of people." "Some people were suggesting we should assist matching someone who has a car that's less than 10 years old with people who want to drive. You can lend your car out to people who have the appropriate license. The response from Quadra was very good.” “One of the streams was for the SRD’s recent Grant in Aid intake is for the environment. Getting people out of their cars and using alternative passenger transportation options is definitely good for the environment. So we applied for that to just help us be able to explore ride hailing, ride sharing apps and also recruit drivers.” Cortes Currents: Hollyhock expressed some interest in using their shuttle bus to transport people to and from the ferry. Kate Maddigan: “They were interested in that pilot project, and they were willing to provide a shuttle twice a day, first ferry, last ferry. We got a quote from them and we're factoring that into the budget for the pilot project, which we hope to roll out in the spring/summer 2025.” There has also been some talk about utilizing the Klahoose bus. We will undoubtedly hear more about all of these ideas in the months to come.

Nature’s Salmon Feast at Basil Creek

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The faint stench of rotting salmon greets visitor’s nostrils just beyond the Squirrel Cove Store. Further down the rocky beach, at the mouth of Basil Creek, clouds of seagulls feasted upon the corpses. A few of the dead Chum Salmon were reduced to skeletons, but most have been left to rot. The only body part missing is their eyes, a delicacy among sea gulls. Nothing has been feasting on their brains, which is a delicacy among black bears. There were reports of bears raiding human properties during the last big Chum run, in 2020. The Whaletown Bear needed to be put down. His Squirrel Cove counterpart was also slated for execution, but may have escaped. There have been a couple of bear sightings in Whaletown this fall, but so far they have not been a problem. The island taxodermist, Laurel Bohart, says she has not seen any scat or other indications of bears in Squirrel Cove. The question remains: Have Cortes residents learned to Bear Smart their properties? Or will yet another forest creature be lured to his death sentence by human attractants? As a result of the rains, water is now raging through Basil Creek. While their numbers appear to be slacking, there are still dozens of salmon fighting their way upstream. Bohart has been living in Squirrel Cove for 22 years, but insisted, “I have never seen so many salmon.” She listed four species of gulls feasting on their corpses: Glaucous gulls, Mew gulls, Ring-billed gulls and Bonaparte’s gulls. Another Squirrel Cove resident saw the gulls scatter as a bald eagle flew by. They returned to the harvest once it passed. Two squadrons of black duck-like birds were cruising offshore. Bohart confrimed they were most likely Surf scoters, but added there have also been Mergansers. Sea Lions can be heard barking most nights. Harbour seals are quieter. The anonymous Squirrel Cove resident reported seeing five gulls zero in on the Chum disturbed by a hungry seal. Bohart remarked, “Everything is feasting on the salmon.”

Canada's Unidentified And Unprotected Species At Risk

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - According to the United Nations, global diversity loss is one of the world’s most pressing emergencies. “Intense human activities, such as land-use change, overexploitation, climate change, pollution and the introduction of invasive species, is causing an extinction acceleration that is at least tens to hundreds of times faster than the natural process of extinctions.” More than 400 vertebrate species have been lost over the past 100 years. The populations of close to half the species listed by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals ‘are showing population declines’ and 97% of the fish species are ‘threatened with extinction.’ Canada made an international commitment to protect species at risk, but a new report from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada found we are not providing the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) with anywhere near the the support it needs. More than 5,000 of the approximately 80,000 species in Canada are potentially at risk, but COSEWIC only has the resources to complete 60 assessments or reassessments a year. Mike Moore, President of the Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) added, “It’s one thing just to enumerate that species are going into decline, but if that’s not also coupled with money that goes to changing policy to protect habitat, or to reduce the risk of climate change, then counting species is really just gathering data to write a really nice epitaph for the gravestones of species that go extinct.” According to the Auditor General’s report, “The department limited its support to 60 assessments and reassessments in 2023/24—without a formal analysis to demonstrate why the target was chosen—and it still did not provide the support necessary to complete the 60 as targeted. With a target of 60 assessments and reassessments per year, it would take almost 30 years for the committee to assess the species currently prioritized and over a century to assess those that are potentially at risk.”

A Weekend of Live Theatre At Mansons Hall

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

CKTZ/Cortes Currents - Two live theatre productions are coming to Mansons Hall this weekend Cortes Radio sent over five audio tracks. A lot of Cortes residents are going to recognize the voices of the two people who conducted the interviews that follow but as they chose to not introduce themselves, they are labelled CKTZ in the written version of this story. This is their show and it starts with the PSA for Moonrise the Rock Opera, which opens on Friday November 8, 2024: Moonrise, the mythic rock opera, retelling an old Celtic myth about returning power to the earth and the goddess. Starring in the Starseed Theatre production is Denman based artists Thomas Aerie, Jenna Bird, Bee Balm, Lea Tess, and Cortes’ own Rue McDonald and Christopher Fleck. Theatre Undertow presents The Elephant Song, a play by Nicholas Bion. Two performances. Saturday and Sunday, November 9th and 10th, 7 p. m. at Manson's Hall. Tickets available at the Co op, Cortez Market, and Manson's Hall office. PG 13 mature content. See Tideline for childcare options. The Elephant Song. Two performances, Saturday and Sunday, November 9th and 10th, 7pm at Manson's Hall.

Are Cortes residents paying more taxes because their property assesments went up

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Are Cortes property owners paying more taxes because their assessments went up? The topic came up at the Wednesday November 7, Electoral Areas Services Committee (EASC) meeting. Mike Harmston, Chief Financial Officer for the Strathcona Regional District (SRD), wanted to correct three widely believed myths. “The first one is the assessment increase automatically translates to a property tax increase. A lot of people compare property taxes to a sales tax where they requisition a fixed amount. For example With a provincial sales tax at 7%, if the underlying price of the goods rises, the government automatically collects more money. Whereas in the local government, we requisition a fixed dollar amount, so there's not always that automatic increase. Quite often, everything else being equal, when assessment values rise our applicable tax rates go down.” To which Mark Vonesch, Regional Director for Cortes Island, responded, “I think it's worth noting that on Cortes this past year that the assessments were increased more in proportion to the rest of the district. So in Cortes's case, property tax increases did cause a property tax increase.” David Leitch, Chief Administrative Officer of the SRD, objected to this, “No, that's not true. It doesn't matter where the area is because we have shared service. We have individual services. So each one of those has a requisition taxation limit to it. So if you have a park service on Area B, that has a requisition limit and it's not tied to any other areas.” “All the areas will go up differently, but those individual requisition limits are not tied to assessment value. They're all individually assessed. So you could go up twice as much as somebody else and in fact, if you did, it's more likely that the taxation assessment will go down. I don't know if it's ever happened that the requisition goes up. I would say 99 percent of the time, if not 100, the taxation assessment will drop.” Gerald Whalley, Regional Director for Area A, pointed out, “David, I think what he's saying is that the mill rate will go down as the assessment goes up. That makes sense. If there's a two participant service and the one area assessments go up but the other area doesn't, the mill rate will drop a bit - but each individual household will still pay a bit more in the higher assessment.” CAO Leitch: “When assessments go up, it almost always triggers a reduction in the rate.” Director Vonesch: “In the mill rate. Yes, I agree with that." Mike Harmston: “They’re both correct. What the slide is really focusing on is the amount of dollars we collect. The amount of dollars we collect is independent from the assessment increase. We don't even look at the assessments until the last minute when we calculate the tax rate.” Director Vonesch: “If Quadra and I are sharing a service, and our property values increase by 20%, that would mean that Cortes would cover more of the cost of that service?” Mike Harmston: “That's exactly right. If you two shared, then if yours went up 20% and Area C went up 40%, both assessments increased, but there would be a proportional more tax shift to Area C.” Director Vonesch: “Thank you.” So it would appear that Cortes residents did pay more taxes last year because of their assessments, but there are probably years where we paid less.

Part of Tiber Bay May Be added to Cortes Fire Service Protection Area

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Part of Tiber Bay may soon be included in the Southern Cortes Protection Area. This matter was brought up at the Wednesday, November 6, Electoral Areas Services Committee (EASC) meeting, where a motion to recommend it with no dissenting votes. Regional Director Mark Vonesch remarked, “This is great to see happening. I know it's been a lot of years in the works and certainly before my time. An increase in 32 properties to the fire service, is that going to have an impact on the budget, as the cost of the fire protection is distributed amongst more properties?” Thomas Yates, Senior Manager at the SRD responded, “My understanding from talking to Shaun Koopman is that there might be some slight increases in certain operational costs. Obviously, the gas for the trucks to get into that area, that kind of thing. But in terms of capital or a significant operating cost, I'm not aware of any.” Easc’s recommendation will be passed on to the SRD Board meeting of Wednesday November 20. If the motion carries there, approval of the protection extension will be sought through a petition process. More details will follow at that time.

Magic Mushrooms, Chronic Pain, and Healing

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/Folk U - On Friday, November 1, host Manda Aufochs Gillespie was joined by Rebecca Kirstein Resch, to chat about magic mushrooms, chronic pain, and healing. Tune in for a discussion about the power of psychedelics. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Preparations for Quadra Island's First Vital SIgns Report

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - In previous years, bits of Quadra and Cortes Island data have been incorporated in Campbell River’s Vital Signs Reports. This is the first year that both islands are collecting their own data. Cortes has already published its 2024 Vital Signs Report. The Quadra Island Foundation is about to start accumulating the baseline data that will enable it to produce a report for Quadra and Jody Rodgers, Chair of the Quadra Island Foundation: “Vital Signs empowers organizations for tailoring their initiatives: so they can work on things to improve, and also not spin their wheels on things that are already good. It also really gives them the hard data to apply for grants more effectively.” “I think that it allows us to gain perspective on the differences in spending needs of organizations. Vital Signs is a vehicle for organizations to measure their effectiveness or lack thereof, according to certain benchmarks.” “One of the problems that Quadra Island as a community has with respect to Vital Signs is it was always tucked in as this little afterthought to the Campbell River Vital Signs. They got our data from the surveys of Canada. Not only were they out of date, they were not very controlled because only certain people responded to the surveys. While it was a tiny little sidebar in their large report, I felt like it was non data.” “They also included Cortes and did the same sorts of things based on Surveys Canada. Cortes’ needs may be vastly different than Campbell River's and ours, which is what we strongly suspect.” Cortes Currents: Quadra Island’s needs are different from Campbell River? Jody Rodgers: “Yes, that's why Quadra wanted to break off from being a combined effort. I love the folks over at Campbell River Foundation. They are fantastic and they've been very generous to include Quadra in their Vital Signs report.” Rodgers met with Michaela Arruda and Manda Aufochs Gillespie, Executive Directors of the Campbell River and Cortes Island Foundations, respectively. “I gently said, we really want to go off and do this ourselves, if you don't mind, because I think our community would appreciate that too. It'll make it much easier for us to say to these grant writers, ‘we know you've given to XYZ. However we don't share these resources. We are completely separate organizations and entities and communities.' In view of the fact that our communities are unique, it seemed more sensible for us to be able to measure ourselves against ourselves.” “There are 12 indicators that are part of the Vital Signs. They range from things that are extremely applicable like housing, economy and education, to things that are aspirational, like transportation.”

Cortes Island's Proposed Multi-Use Sports Court

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Southern Cortes Community Association (SCCA) has partnered with several local sports to build a multi-use sport court beside the Cortes Island Skate Park. The proposed facility would consist of two courts on a 60 foot by 60 feet concrete or asphalt square. It could be used for pickleball, basketball, volleyball, badminton and tennis. According to Cora Moret, Executive Director of the SCCA, there is currently a complete lack of sports courts on Cortes Island. On October 2, she gave an overview of the project in a letter to the Strathcona Regional District. Moret wrote that the Cortes Island Pickleball Society (CIPS) approached the SCCA about the project last year. Pickleball is currently played on a small asphalt area behind the Cortes Island school. The surface is not ideal for court sports and cannot be used during school hours. Since then, the SCCA has been approached by youth and adult basketball groups. In June, the SCCA set up a Pickleball Committee headed by Board member Ruth Barrett. The committee considered various locations and configurations before recommending the area beside the Skateboard Park. Moret wrote, “CIPS has developed a provisional budget for the project and potential sources of revenue to pay for the expected $190,000 project. The major expenses (substrate material and concrete work) will be revised once the site is cleared and contractors can evaluate the work. For revenue, in addition to a potential grant from the SRD Community Works Fund, CIPS members and supporters will donate generously through the Cortes Island Community Foundation and SCCA. In-kind contributions of labour and expertise will be requested from island suppliers and contractors and other funding grants will be sought. The BC Gaming Capital Projects Grant will be applied for in 2025 and may match up to 50% of the total project costs, including documented in-kind contributions.” She also sent the SRD a provisional budget detailing the estimated costs and sources of revenue. The SCCA hopes to obtain a $50,000 grant from the SRD Community Works Fund, which is often referred to as the gas tax. At the SRD Board’s October 30 meeting, Regional Director Mark Vonesch moved “that a report on providing $50,000 of community works funding for the building of a multi use sports court on the Southern Cortes Community Associations property be prepared for further consideration by the Electoral Area Services Committee (EASC).” Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott responded, “I just want to hear a little bit more about the staffing requirements and the use of the community works fund with respect to a specified recreational project like this. If staff can give me any idea of how common this is, or if this is traditional use and how that affects the regional development of recreation.” Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch explained, “Recreation in itself is allowable for the community works funds, but there's a number of new rules and complications with non government organizations in terms of ongoing management, operational funds, asset management, land ownership, etc. As well with the new community works fund rules, it cannot replace another piece of infrastructure that the regional district either has or is on its list of infrastructure upgrades. For example, if you have a series of recreation, inner recreation, infrastructure projects that you're not providing gas tax in lieu of a project that competes for it, let's say a non government organization that would be a conflict. So there's a number of new rules with the community works funds that I'm going to say are going to likely complicate this request, but we'll bring back a staff report identifying those challenges.” This is only one of the proposed revenue sources for the proposed multi-use sports court.

When TELUS Withdraws Pay Phone Service From Remote Communities

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The cell phone reception in Village Bay Lake is sketchy. Up until this summer, the little Quadra Island community’s only reliable telephone access was a pay phone in the Village Bay Lake parking area. Then TELUS removed it. When Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney raised this issue at the recent SRD Board meeting, it turned out she was not the only Director dealing with the problems resulting from TELUS withdrawing pay phones.

Campbell River Place Names Proposal: Update

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

De Clarke/Cortes Currents - In September of this year, Currents reported on a proposal from Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ [pronounced Lee-gweeth-dowkh] Nations (We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum and Kwiakah) for the formal renaming of various locations in the greater Campbell River/rapids area. The new names would be drawn from First Nations language and tradition. Three of these place-names are local to the city of Campbell River. The well-loved park now known as Tyee Spit would be renamed to ʔuxstalis [pronounced Oox-sta-lease], the spelling of the Quinsam River would be updated to "Kʷənsəm River", and Discovery Passage would be renamed to "Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ Passage".

Modification of SRD Agreement with Cortes Community Halls

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - In 2020, the Strathcona Regional Regional District SRD entered into a core funding agreement with the Southern Cortes Community Association (SCCA) and Whaletown Community Club to support Mansons and Gorge Halls. Up to $80,000 a year could be used from Cortes Island’s property taxes. This agreement is due to expire on March 31, 2025. Staff is proposing that the new agreement include a new paragraph stating “The Regional District may contribute funds for capital expenditures at its sole discretion.” This would, for example, allow the SRD to use Gas Tax funding to finance renovations or purchase new equipment. This is a grant and would not cost Cortes Island taxpayers any money. In all other respects, the terms and conditions of the original agreement would carry on into the next. At the Wednesday October 30, 2024 SRD Boad meeting, Regional Director Mark Vonesh of Cortes Island moved The new contract will include the phrase allowing the SRD to use additional sources of funding for capital expences.

SRD To Meet With Cortes Housing Society About Possible Loan

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) will be meeting with the Cortes Housing Society to discuss the possibility of making a short term loan to help bring power, water and sewage to some lots in the Rainbow Ridge affordbale housing project. While the SRD created a Housing Service earlier this year, it has yet to requiistion any funds and the request prompted some discussion at the Wednesday October 30 Board meeting. Regional Director Mark Vonesch, of Cortes Island, made the motion “that the Regional District work with the Cortes Housing Society to develop a plan for a short term loan through the Regional Housing Service so that the Cortes Housing Society can develop a part of its land with power, water, septic, and road access to facilitate long term lease agreements and thus create affordable housing opportunities on Cortes Island.” The seconder, Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney of Area C, asked, “I'm curious from staff the likely timeline on the report and if it would be returned in time for the Board to consider the request inclusion in the 2025 financial plan.” To which Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch replied, “I don't know what kind of model they're looking at in terms of a lease. The motion says a short term loan. I don't really know what that means. I can bring something back as preliminary to high level thoughts about what the society has in mind and bring that to the board, hopefully before the end of the year, there's only two meetings left before the end of the year.” Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott added, “I'm just curious about staff capacity and coming in with an innovative thing. I would prefer if the Cortes Housing Society wanted to do a delegation present to us and explain to us how they've exhausted their options, including going to B. C. Housing, which seems to me the place you go for this type of funding and shows that they've met the requirements and how they're going to provide housing that goes within the requirements for the provincial funder. I'm not sure if I would appreciate our staff working on this right now. We have a lot of other things that we need to get through.” “When we create a housing service, does it include the power to grant loans?” CAO Leitch: “Well, that's also tricky. I don't know if it's just even through the service to grant loans, but I'm going to say it's highly unlikely that the regional and district would offer a loan to society without any security, that would create a significant amount of liability.” “I'm not saying that's what they're asking for. I haven't had any discussions, but let's say they needed 3 million loan through the regional district, that would create a great deal of risk and vulnerability to the regional district if there is no secured asset to that loan. I don't know what the payback terms of that would be, are we talking about security? I don't know.” Director Vonesch attempted to clarify the matter, “Obviously the land would back any loan and the initial discussions that I've had is looking for a million dollars put power, water and sewage into 10 lots, sell those to 10 lots in a long term lease for let's say a hundred thousand that would pay back the loan.”

Campbell River Rail Yard Market_ 3 months on

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - There has been a colourful addition to the Tyee Mall. The four brightly coloured boxcar-like units are a remembrance of Campbell River’s old logging railroads. They are also part of an innovative project designed to have cottage industries make the transition to brick and mortar stores. The Rail Yard Market has been open for about 3 months. "The project is fantastic. I think it gives little entrepreneurs like myself and the rest of my pod mates here a fantastic opportunity. We're allowed to be here for up to three years at a time and the city also provides business initiatives like marketing and online resources. They're putting us into a course right now. We've done two days in October and we'll probably do another two days in November. It gives us a lot of help to survive today's economy and a leg up on what to expect when we get to a real brick and mortar. I think we can be a success and I'm hoping that they'll open more," said Tina from Maggie's treats. "I think the Mayor had a real winner with this one." Cortes Currents: Whose idea was this? Tina: "It was the Mayor Kermit Dahl's idea. Mayor Kermit Dahl was actually my first sale as well. He doesn't own a dog, he bought a bag of dog treats for his neighbour." Rose Klukas, Director of Economic Development for the city of Campbell River explained, "It came together in maybe a roundabout way. On an annual basis, the provincial government makes available a grant to communities and particularly communities that have a strong connection to a resource sector, in this case forestry, which have been impacted by change. They make grant funding available through a REDIP (Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program) grant. It's a way for communities to try to diversify their local economy." "Simultaneously, we had a practically brand new mayor at the time. Kermit Dahl came with an idea that we should be looking for opportunities to grow businesses in Campbell River. He had seen various examples of this, including in Langford, and asked the Economic Development department to figure out a way to replicate that model here in Campbell River as a way to support the growth." "One of the challenges that businesses have today is that starting up is expensive. Rents in British Columbia are expensive and so this is a way to allow businesses to get their roots grown and hopefully move on from these units into more traditional bricks and mortar down the road." Cortes Currents: Tell me how you went from an idea to opening the doors to those four businesses? Rose Klukas: "Very quickly, which is the case from almost anything you do in Economic Development. We had two or three weeks to flesh out the concept and get the application in by the deadline. All this was happening over Christmas and then we had to wait for approval of the grant, which we weren't guaranteed for sure. During that waiting period, we gave some more thought to what this program could look like. We’re not inventing the wheel. We connected with other communities, to learn from them. What are some best practices? What could they have done differently? Or what should they have done differently? “I think it was probably in March or April that we were approved for the grant." The Rail Yard Market officially opened on September 13th, but as you will soon hear, some of the stories have been there since the end of July. Maggie's Treats, the Tin Can Pottery Shop, the Mossy Coast and Sinfully Delicious each rent an 8 by 20 foot module.

The Chum runs are better throughout most of our area

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - There are more Chum swimming up Basil Creek than we’ve seen for years. According to Matthew Clarke of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Cortes Island isn’t the only place where the Chum run is good this year. “As a general rule this year things are looking much better for Chum than they have looked, albeit with a couple of places that are not quite as strong as we would have hoped to see,” he explained. “We are seeing strength like you mentioned on Cortes. We actually saw some Chum in Campbell River, which has been hard for us to really survey for a while. It was nice to see that because we have had that as a question mark. Oyster River has some good Chum numbers in it, and as we move down the island, things are generally good." "There are definitely some returns that are better than we have seen in recent years, but we are also seeing some runs that may not come up quite as high as we would like to see. At Orford (which empties into Bute Inlet and has a summer Chum population) we saw a few thousand fish come back, but it wasn't excellent returns relative to what we've seen elsewhere. In adjacent rivers, like the Qualicum, Little Qualicum, and Big Qualicum, one is not showing quite as strong, but the other one is showing reasonable strength." "As a rule, pretty much throughout the entire south coast area, we've seen poor Chum productivity since about 2017. Some years we did see some slight upticks in abundance. 2019 was poorest year on record for all south coast Chum stocks and that has tumbling down effects. Chum returns are primarily 3, 4 and 5 year old fish with the 4 year old component typically being the strongest, but that can vary a little bit." “Last year the dominant brood year return would have been from 2019, a low abundance year. We saw low abundance pretty much throughout, but with maybe a slight indication that things were improving for Chum. We typically see that four year old component as the most abundant component, but in the test fishery last year, we actually saw the three year olds showing up in really strong numbers. Typically, four year olds are about 80% of what we would expect to see. Last year, in the final days of the test fishery, 50% of the run consisted of 3 year old fish."

Ruby Singh & Michael Datura visit Folk U

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/Folk U - On Friday, October 25, host Manda Aufochs Gillespie was joined by musician Ruby Singh and musician and principal of the Cortes School Michael Datura, to chat about biosonification, technology, and their collaborative projects kraKIN and Polyphonic Garden. Tune in for music, philosophy, and lively discussion. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Part Three of DIY e-Trike meets Builders needs

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

De Clarke/Cortes Currents - The conclusion of an interview with Gabriel Dinim about his experiences building and driving an

Part Two of DIY e-Trike meets Builders needs

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

De Clarke/Cortes Currents - Part two of an interview with Gabriel Dinim about his DIY e Trike

Part one of DIY Trike Meets Builders needs

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

De Clarke/Cortes Currents -In 2019 and 2020, Cortes Currents ran a series of articles about e-bikes on the island, interviewing owners about the pros and cons of their electric-assisted rides. One of the featured bikes was quite unusual: an electric sidecar cargo trike, designed and built by local resident Gabriel Dinim. It’s now four years later, and Currents checked in with Gabriel about his DIY personal EV. It has been his primary transportation for the last four years, and he’s quite satisfied. We asked him whether he’s ever found the trike inadequate and needed to borrow a car: The only time I’ve borrowed a car, was when I had to go to the clinic for early blood work and they had to measure the cortisol — and I didn’t want to arrive there all stressed out from riding. And it was cold — so I borrowed a car to do that. Aside from that, No… I mean, I did borrow a car sometimes to move firewood around — which I could do with the bike, but it takes so many trips, you know. I can put 80, 90 pounds of firewood in the bike. But it’s so much easier to borrow a van and put a thousand pounds of firewood in it and just transport it. Otherwise, yes, it’s met all of my needs. In the winter, too, I’ve ridden in two, three below zero. Just long johns, wool pants — just lots of gear.

The Chum return to Basil Creek

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 14:09:27 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Chum started returning to Basil Creek a week ago. To an inexperienced eye, the water levels seemed too low on the 16th, but dozens of large salmon were progressing upstream beyond the culvert. Christine Robinson said that she and her husband Cec had seen them the previous day. That was when we agreed to do this interview. “We know it's the big year in their four year cycle. Chum primarily have a four year cycle, a few of them three, and a few of them five, but the majority have a four year cycle. In 2020, four years ago, approximately 1100 fish came back to Basil Creek. Four years prior to that, in 2016, there were about 1100. We're not alone in this. All the creeks are in a similar cycle. Basil Creek, of course, is the main stream on Cortes for salmon return. So we're optimistic that it should be a big year this time,” explained Cec Robinson, one of the principal Streamkeepers on Cortes Island. “Just a few weeks ago, Fisheries was anticipating a very poor return, based on their test fishery. They couldn't find them and they thought that they weren't there, but the Chum pulled a lovely surprise. They were somewhere, and here they come. Lots of Chum have been spotted.” “They are so full of energy when they first come in, they're all excited. They're above average size this year, too. Beautiful, strong, big fish, nicest we've ever seen. That's also encouraging because the larger fish have more eggs and, also, larger fish eggs. It bodes well for the survivability of their offspring.”

The 2024 Vital Signs Report For Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 14:30:07 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Community Foundation just published Cortes Island’s Vital Signs report. “ When I started with the Community Foundation a few years ago, I was already in the community, trying to make things happen. In particular, I tried to make things happen in the most grassroots small nonprofit ways possible, but often in the area where I saw that there was a lot of need. Very quickly, I was in the process of writing grants and trying to figure out how to bring in those resources that I knew were out there somewhere,” explained Manda Aufochs Gillespie, Executive Director of the Cortes Foundation. “We're all being taxed the same as someone who lives in the city more or less, but when you look around, we don't have transit and fancy bike lanes and we don't have subsidized housing like the cities have. So I said, I know that there's money out there. There must be a way to bring some of that money here to Cortes. One of the things I realized very quickly is that we did not have data related to Cortes. Volunteers on the island would be like, ' we clearly have a housing crisis' but how do we try to express that because no one believes that rural communities at the time had a housing crisis. By and large, the data that was available to us had us lumped in with the entire Strathcona Regional District, including Campbell River.” “If you look at child vulnerability rates in Campbell River, they're looking at available childcare spots: What kind of resources are going into after school programming for the youngest? What kind of early literacy programs there are? What kind of food bank supports are available for families with young kids?” “When we tried to see how our young kids were doing, there was basically nothing. I would be talking to Desta Beattie, at the family services on Cortes, and she would say, 'I cannot get them to give us funding for a head start program, because I cannot show them that we have any particular need.'” “When I started working with the Community Foundation, a few years ago, I learned about Vital Signs and Vital Signs are usually done by community foundations with a lot more resources. Community foundations told the stories of needs and opportunities specific to their communities because a community foundation's job is to help bring the resources that a community needs to thrive and bring the knowledge of how best to leverage those resources into the hands of the community.” “I was like, 'we need to start with understanding what the opportunities are, what the needs are and what an amazing thing that this Vital Signs tool exists.' The Vital Signs tool is largely just a framework for looking at the health of the whole community.” “It has taken us a number of years to be able to come up with enough capacity and financial wherewithal to do it. I was told recently by one of the people who helped us with this project that we are, as far as she knows, the smallest community foundation to ever do a Vital Signs of this size.” “We specifically tied our Vital Signs into the release of the Campbell River Vital Signs. That beautiful community foundation offered to support us in a number of ways. One of the biggest ways was that they gave us a page in their print document because we are many thousands of dollars away from having the resources to do our own print document.” “We have this page that's going to thousands of people in and around the Campbell River area, including our representatives that sit on the Board for the Regional District and other government officials who make funding decisions for us. They get to see one page about Cortes, amongst the other things, and a link to our whole report, which is on our website.”

Odds of an NDP Majority

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 15:25:29 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - A day before the election 338Canada is predicting a slight NDP majority. 338Canada is a campaign website that uses available polling data, each riding’s history, and population data etc. It predicts the outcome of the election for every riding and has been used in 13 elections. They have been right close to 90% of the time. They were wrong, but still within the margin of error 6% and totally wrong in 4% out of 1,657 electoral district races. This prediction for the election was made Oct 16: 49 seats for the NDP and 42 for the Conservatives. As this is based on projections that show the popular vote very close (45% to 43% respectively) and this is within the margin of error (4%), the race could still be very close. The NDP need 47 seats to form a majority government. They are especially vulnerable in the 5 ridings where their lead is within the margin of error. This means their number of seats could (but probably won’t) sink to 44. The Conservative lead is especially vulnerable in 10 ridings, which means their total number of seats could be as low as 32. Our North Island riding is one of the ones where the Conservatives have a slight lead, but the race is so close 338Canada is calling it a ‘toss up.’ The popular vote for: Andy Kindy was projected at 44%, Michele Babchuk at 43% and Nic Dedeluk 13%. The margin of error for both Kindy and Babchuk is 7%, which means either of them could win. The Green Party is expected to take 2 ridings (Saanich North and the Islands and Furstenau’s own Victoria Beacon Hill riding) could take 3 and it is possible they may take 4. They are only 2% behind the Conservatives in West Vancouver Sea to Sky, which means that race is still a ‘toss up’ and they are 6% behind the NDP in Furstenau’s old Cowichan Valley riding. Overall, 338Canada is stating the Conservatives could still win, but gives them only a 20% chance. They gave the NDP a 69% chance of victory and a 5% chance this will only be a minority government. Of course if a large number of NDP supporters stay home, as happened when Christy Clark was elected in 2011, the Conservatives could win. The recent Angus Reid poll identified two segments of the population who are especially pro-NDP: women and males under the age of 34. Given the closeness of the vote, their votes (or decision to not vote) may decide the election. The Green Party’s hopes of increasing their number of seats beyond 2 most likely depend on the same segments of the population.

Cortes Housing talks about Aquifers, Rental Opportunities & More

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 13:47:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - There has been a lot going on at the Cortes Community Housing Society. They are starting to provide housing for the community, are supporting changes to the island’s bylaws and are acting as a matchmaker for potential renters and landlords. However the first story I want to cover this morning is about the aquifer study that is about to begin.

Deadline for Grants in Aid Applications - Friday

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 13:26:36 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Community Foundation is helping to review Grant-in Applications again. As in the past, the Strathcona Regional District Board will be dispersing a pool of approximately $25,000 to Cortes Island Social Profits. The average grant award is in the range of $1000 – $5000 and will be dispersed by end of 2024. This year’s Grant-in-Aid funding will prioritize projects supporting Arts, Culture or Environment. Any non-profits or charitable societies who wish to participate sust send their applications in by midnight on Friday, October 21. Manda Aufochs Gillespie, Executive Director of the Community Foundation explained, “We are working to assist Regional Director Mark Vonesch and the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) with reviewing the grant and aid applications for this year. Most of the nonprofits on Cortes are quite familiar with the fact that we have a bit of our tax money that comes back to us for assisting community groups on the island.” A volunteer jury of community members goes through the applications and makes a recomendation on who should receive funding, and how much. Manda Aufochs Gillespie: “The parameters of both who is eligible and the kinds of things eligible are set by the Regional District. The SRD does not allow organizations that are getting funding from other other tax districts or other text funds from the island , for instance, the Fire hall, Manson's Hall, the Whaletown Community Club Hall (Gorge Hall). None of them are allowed to apply through these funds. The Regional District doesn't want to see organizations that are funded through higher levels of government applying through these particular grants either. They also don't like to see operating grants come through these.” Cortes Currents: So no one can apply for core funding. Manda Aufochs Gillespie: “We would highly encourage that people do not apply for core funding. I just wanted to say right now, when I go to work with other community foundations, this is where community foundations are going. We believe in core funding absolutely 100%. If there was only one thing that I could do as a community foundation, it would be core funding. It's the most important kind of funding. The restrictions and extra burdens that are put on organizations that are working so hard, the endless rat race of applying for grants and trying to come up with new projects when you can't even pay your existing staff, I think is really unfortunate.” “These funds are largely project related funds this year. We have determined that we're going to be looking at projects that prioritize arts, culture and environment.” “We chose that area of emphasis because we looked at all the funds that we've been able to help adjudicate through our community granting process over the last couple years. They include over $440,000 that we've helped adjudicate through federal grants, the most recent of those grants were for the Prosperity Fund and the prosperity fund prioritized projects. This is also the third round of Grants in Aid that we've helped with.” ‘We said, 'Whoa, there was not a lot of emphasis on our arts, culture and environment in any of those rounds.’ So that's the priority.”

Unedited audio from NDP candidate Michele Babchuk's visit

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 17:55:49 +0000

Bryan McKinnon/CKTZ - The unedited audio of Michele Babchuk's meeting with Cortes residents on Oct 12, 2024

Michele Babchuk meets with Cortes Island voters

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 17:50:56 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - NDP incumbent Michele Babchuk came to Cortes Island Saturday, October 12, in the second in a series of meet the candidate events organized by FOCI’s Climate Action Committee. There is not room to unpack close to two hours of fact filled conversation into this half hour, but the full podcast is at the bottom of this page and here are some highlights. Babchuk began by giving an overview of her career: “I've lived in Campbell River for 20 years, with my wonderful husband of 37 years, my two kids, and my three grandkids. I started off in the school board in 2005, moved to Municipal Politics in 2014, became the chair of the Strathcona Regional District in 2016, and then made the jump to MLA in 2020, in the last provincial election. In between there, I had the opportunity to work on the Hill in Ottawa for the Member of Parliament for this area, in Jack Layton's caucus. My little claim to fame is I have either been elected or staff at every level of government. So, we joke that I am polylingual - because we know that they don't all speak the same language.” “It's no secret to people on Cortes that BC still has some issues that we've got to sort out. We have housing issues and we've got some education inequity issues, affordability issues. We're turning the corner and starting to get some of those going, but we've got a long way to go.”

How the election might have turned out if it been on October 13

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 12:15:13 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - 338Canada’s latest projection, taken on Sunday October 13, shows the NDP may be heading towards a majority government. The NDP was leading in 49 ridings, but in 6 of these only by a narrow margin. The Conservative Party of BC was leading in 42 ridings, but in 7 by a nose. Our own North Island riding is one of the the latter. Conservative candidate Anna Kindy is currently projected as a nose ahead of incumbent Michele Babchuk, 45% to 43%. As the margin of error for these projections is 7%, it is actually too close to call. A new projection came out Sunday, and the principle change appears to be more people turning to the Green Party. Prior to the the televised all-candidates debate on October 8, it looked like they might be reduced to a single seat (Saanich North and the Islands). Saturday’s projection suggested Furstenau has taken taken a 6 point lead in Victoria-Beacon, as of Sunday that lead is 9%. When I originally posted this article, the Greens were only 2% behind in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky. This is where Green candidate Jeremy Valeriote lost by a mere 60 votes in 2020. Sunday’s projection shows them tied with the Conservatives at 37% each. The Greens also appear to be narrowing the gap in Furstenau’s old riding, Cowichan Valley, where John Kouri was 9% behind the NDP on Saturday. On Sunday, it was only 6%. At the moment the Green Party appears to be leading or in a very close race for 4 seats. They currently do appear to be gaining momentum and hope to send MLA’s from 6 ridings to the next legislature. North Island is not one of the six. The latest projection shows the Green candidate at a mere 13%. Of course these statistics are the at best the most likely results if the election were yesterday. There are still five days until the election.

Unedited audio from Green Candidate Nic Dedeluk's visit

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 15:24:08 +0000

Unedited copy of meeting recording

Highlights from Green candidate Nic Dedeluk’s visit to Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 14:48:39 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents Around 30 people turned out to meet Green candidate Nic Dedeluk when she came to Mansons Hall on Monday, October 7. Cortes Currents recorded 145 minutes of the two hour meeting, which is far too much to fit into a half hour broadcast. So today’s program consists of a few highlights. A copy of the unedited audio is embedded in the written version of this story. As a third of the audience came from the Cortes Island Academy, Dedeluk told them, “I'm so thankful that youth are here and participating in this. You're part of the reason I'm doing this. I'm a mother, I'm a grandmother, and I'm concerned for the children yet unborn.” Dedeluk also gave an overview of her life before becoming a candidate, “I am a marine biologist. About 25 years ago, I came up to study whale/ vessel interactions. I fell in love with the area and I've lived in Alert Bay since 2003. Some of you who have spent time on the watermight've run into a small Zodiac program that does boater education and lets people know about the whale watching guidelines, Strait Watch. That was a program that I helped create in 2003, as well as the Cetus Research and Conservation Society. That program and society still carries on today even though I'm no longer with them.” “In 2013, I started working for the Namgis First Nation. I'm their Aquatic Resources Manager. If it has to do with the ocean or the rivers, those are projects that fall under my supervision and I really love my job.” “While working with Namgis, and still under Namgis, I was subcontracted to work on another project called the Broughton Aquaculture Transition Initiative. That was a four year program where we did work with two fish farm companies, MOWI and Cermaq, as we transitioned to closure 17 fish farms in the Broughton area. That program just ended in March, and so I'm now back to my aquatic resources position with just Namgis. The Broughton project was a project of the Namgis, the Mamalilikulla, the Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis nations together. As a biologist, I have experience working with multiple levels of government and organizations to find selective successful paths forward meeting the conservation needs. So that's quite a bit about me. I'd love to hear about you. I'd love to learn more about your concerns on Cortes and hopefully answer some of your questions.” The format we agreed upon at the beginning of the meeting was that speakers who were okay with having their comments included in the broadcast would speak their names and anyone who wished to remain anonymous would not. I believe everyone gave their name.

Our Fair Share: Climate Crisis Workshop on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 20:31:33 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - “A ccording to NASA, if we look back 800,000 years, we can see that carbon dioxide concentration fluctuated between roughly 180 and 280 parts per million and just in the geological blink of an eye, we have sent that parts per million up to just about 400. So we're getting very close to a doubling of CO2 relative to where it has been for a long time.” That quote was Max Thaysen, from FOCI’s Climate Action Committee, explaining one of the slides (top of page) shown at ‘Our Fair Share,’ an interactive online climate solutions workshop held in Mansons Hall on Thursday, October 3, 2024. The event was hosted by the Climate Action Committee. Max Thaysen introduced emissions targets and the concept of a fair share. Christine Leclerc, from Simon Fraser University’s Climate Research Lab, guided participants through the En-ROADS Climate Solutions Simulator, developed by MIT Sloan and Climate Interactive. Max Thaysen: “The other thing I hope they got, especially from playing with the simulator, is we have options. We're not stuck. There's actually no good reason, other than the political will and the will of the public, that we can't do this. The simulator helps to show that.” “All we have to do is the things that we already know we have to do. We don't even need magical technology in the future, which a lot of people's plans rely on. We just have to do it thoroughly and sufficiently. We have to actually do it and that's the hard part.” “The overall goal of the workshop was to expose people to this simulator that helps people see the impact of different kinds of changes, different kinds of climate solutions. We're trying to increase some ambition and attention and energy on the issue of climate change, trying to help us all stop contributing to the pollution that changes the climate in increasingly extreme ways.” “Half of the workshop was an information presentation with a bunch of slides, charts and graphs, letting people know here's what the admission levels are right now, what the impacts of that are now, and a little bit about what the impacts of increased warming are projected to be in the future.”  “The piece that I contributed was mainly helping people walk through the process that I went through, of understanding what it means to have a sufficient emissions reduction target?” “When governments and individuals want to address the role that they play in climate change, they're thinking ‘how much emissions do I need? How much less pollution should I put up into the atmosphere?’ The only scientific way to figure that out is to determine how much pollution causes how much warming and decide how much warming you're willing to tolerate, live with, or survive. Then stay within that amount of pollution. That's called a carbon budget or pollution budget, if you want to put it more simply.” “We looked at some different opinions about how to fairly share and this is where the title of the workshop comes in. Our fair share is about understanding if we have a global pollution budget, how do we translate that into how fast we need to reduce emissions and that translation requires fairness.” “When we signed on to the Paris agreement, we agreed to limit warming to 1.5°C, or try for 1.5°C and definitely keep well below 2°C.” “We also agreed to do that with a strong sense of fairness. In the Paris agreement, they call it common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities. That's referring to things like historical emissions. How much pollution have you contributed in the past? Well, that might have something to say about how much of the current pollution budget you should have access to. We can all understand that. If we're sharing a birthday cake and there's a couple pieces left, we might want to know how many pieces somebody has already eaten.”

Wind Power Coming to Campbell River Area?

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 18:41:26 +0000

De Clarke/Cortes Currents - Company seeks permission to locate wind farm north of Campbell River. Capstone Infrastructure Corporation, an independent and publicly traded power generating company headquartered in Toronto, has applied to SRD for permitting and approval for a new project on Vancouver Island. The "Brewster Wind Project" would install about 30 wind turbines on a site about 40 km northwest of Campbell River. The proposed site is on some ridges between highways 28 and 19 -- more specifically, between the White River and the Memekay River, spanning a range from west of the Memekay Horse Camp to north and east of Memekay Peak. Capstone is submitting their proposal in response to the 2024 BC Hydro Call For Power. Hydro is soliciting bids with the goal of acquiring about 3000 GWhrs per year of new clean or renewable electricity to serve the region. Capstone’s project, when completed, would produce about 200 MW; they anticipate a 30 year operational lifetime. If everything were to go smoothly, they anticipate a successful environmental impact report by 2028 and completion by 2031; so this project will not be popping up overnight. Capstone requested that SRD post the relevant information in public, and also ask and also asked for advice on a list of stakeholders who should be consulted. SRD responded by advising that Capstone should consult with the BC Speleological Federation, the Canadian Cave Conservancy, the BC Paleontological Alliance, and the Royal BC Museum Palaeontology Department.

No Future for Net Pen Salmon CAFO

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 23:43:44 +0000

De Clarke/Cortes Currents - There was some bad news this month for the Norwegian fish feedlot industry in Canada: their own trade magazine featured the following headline: The Critics Are Right: It’s Time To Close Down Salmon Farms As many of our readers know, the Norwegian salmon feedlot industry continues to defend its BC operations fiercely against critique from fishermen, environmentalists and marine biologists. Despite the political clout of this lucrative industry, and after years of activism, research and protest, several “salmon farms” were finally removed from the Discovery Islands channels — a constrained migratory path for wild salmon. This removal was in response to evidence that researchers and activists have been presenting for years that the effluent from Atlantic salmon feedlots damages the health of wild salmon as they pass through it. Not only do the feedlots use antibiotics and pesticides to keep the non-native fish alive in their high-density close confinement, critics say; but the crowded and unhealthy fish are a perfect breeding ground for sea lice, a natural parasite that affects salmonids on the BC coast. Critics of the industry say the locally inflated superdense population of sea lice from the infested salmon feedlots, has been spilling over onto the migrating salmon, weakening the fish and reducing their numbers. This theory was strengthened a year after the fish feedlot removals; returns of pink salmon in the Discovery Islands corridor were reported to be significantly larger than they had been for several years. Many took this as a vindication of long-standing criticisms of salmon feedlot operations. There are many pressures on salmon, including destruction of riparian habitat by logging, overfishing of small fish species lower on the food chain, and the warming of our coastal waters due to climate change. The fish feedlot industry has vigorously insisted that any decline in wild salmon populations is due to these other factors, and has nothing to do with their activities — and that sea lice in particular are not a problem. Meanwhile the BC industry spent about 40 million dollars in 2020 on a specialised vessel from Norway, equipped. among other things, to vacuum the sea lice off the feedlot fish. [This large investment in a “delousing ship” at the time led one mischievous fisherman on Facebook to suggest that maybe they were focusing on the wrong species — and should be harvesting the sea lice as their protein-rich product.]

The Most Exciting Conservation Story On Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 10:45:22 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Transcript of a radio broadcast by Sabina Leader Mense Just last weekend several of us were at the Cortes Island Museum for the launch of Sheila Harrington's new book 'Voices For The Islands: 30 Years Of Nature Conservation In The Salish Sea.' What Sheila does in this book is she celebrates this amazing community of conservationists that are living and working in the Salish Sea. In the foreword, Briony Penn wrote, "If you've picked up this book, chances are that you've fallen in love with the islands in the Salish Sea. You might have wondered how the heck they've retained their natural beauty against the hostile tsunami of contemporary clear-cuts, cookie cutter suburbs, and mindless malls that are encroaching elsewhere.” Briony talks about the collective efforts of thousands of people over generations that have actually been working to maintain the beauty of the islands. Sheila's book documents the last 30 years of people (voices in the islands) who have been working at conservation. She includes a chapter on Cortes, so we're in there with the best of them! I encourage everybody to pick her book up and have a read to see what the island community of conservationists have been doing. The most exciting conservation story on Cortes today is definitely the Children's Forest! This is the 624 acres of forest lands that stretch all the way from the Carrington Bay Road trailhead, east across Carrington Lagoon to Goat Mountain, just on the northern shore of Blue Jay Lake. These are lands owned by Island Timberlands. It's part of their privately managed forest land base on Cortes Island. When Island Timberlands announced imminent logging plans for their forest lands in 2009, several of us invited Briony Penn and Mort Ranson to come to Cortes. They were defending forest lands on Salt Spring Island in 1999. Mort is a videographer and produced a fabulous little video called 'The Money, The Money, The Money.' We asked Briony and Mort to come to Cortes to show the video, and to brainstorm with us and with the community for solutions to how we might conserve some of these lands. One of the sparks that came out of that conversation in 2009 was this idea of a forest in trust to the children. So that concept was established in 2010. By 2012, we had managed to register ourselves as a B. C. Society, the Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society. By 2014 we had charitable status and we've been hard at it ever since! We have engaged Island Timberlands with the goal of purchasing these 624 acres of land. We're tenacious! We're in there hanging on, and we have a very dedicated negotiations committee that's actively engaged with Mosaic Forest Management, who now manage the Island Timberland forest land base. The Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society has a vision and that vision is twofold. Firstly, we're setting out to protect in perpetuity natural forest lands on behalf of children and future generations. Secondly, we're there to nurture relationships between children and nature and to inspire advocacy for the natural world.

Nic for North Island, an interview with the Green Party candidate

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 13:37:26 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - While the Green party has shown promise in the past, especially on Vancouver Island, this has yet to translate into votes on election day. So my biggest question for Nic Dedeluck, the candidate for North Island riding, is why should we vote Green? Nick Dedeluck: “The Green Party is running candidates in 69 ridings, but we have six ridings that we are really hopeful will actually get elected. Getting six green MLAs voted in would be really positive for BC politics and holding the other parties accountable to moving forward in a way that's better for our environment.” “We’re not going to form a government, and we're quite aware of that, but the more green MLAs that we can get elected, the better it's going to be for BC. We can work better together with the other parties and the Green Party is well known for holding the other parties accountable to proper action for the needs of the communities rather than for big business. The Green Party is a party that has a four pillar platform that includes thriving people, resilient communities, a flourishing natural world, and good governance.” Cortes Currents: Tell us a little about your life before running in this election.

Roxan Chicalo: Searching for the elusive Western Screech Owl

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 12:56:48 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - A small group of people turned out to hear an overview of FOCI’s Western Screech Owl Project at Mansons Hall on Friday September 27, 2024. Participants listened to different owl calls, examined owl feathers and learned why putting up nest boxes is important. The speakers were the two biologists from Madrone Environmental who wrote FOCI’s final report. Cortes Currents interviewed the lead author, Roxan Chicalo, afterward. “What gets me up in the morning, when I'm working at these species at risk, is thinking about balanced ecosystems. Everything is working together to create the ecosystem that supports our lifestyles as humans. In my mind, every animal and plant has a role that they play,” she began. “Screech owls are a small avian predator. They eat anything from amphibians to small mammals to fish, insects, slugs, all sorts of different small animals in the ecosystem. As a predator, they keep a check on those prey species populations so that they don't get out of control, and they also support biodiversity. If one of these prey species booms in their populations, they might start to compete against other populations of other animals. We might see that we're having more extinction events. That's why we should care to promote a balanced ecosystem and support that.” Cortes Currents: How scarce are Western Screech Owls? Roxan Chicalo: “There's not a whole lot of recent data regarding population estimates for Western screech owls. So first I would like to talk about the two subspecies that exist in British Columbia. There's the Megascops kennicottii kennicottii subspecies, the coastal subspecies. They go up to the south coast of Alaska, and all the way down the coast to northern Oregon. Then we have an interior subspecies, the MacFarlane's Western Screech Owl. Their range is just a little bit into the Kelowna-Okanagan area. Today I'm mostly talking about the coastal subspecies that we would have on Vancouver Island and the Discovery Islands. The most recent population estimate from the COSEWIC report is about 2,000 individuals left in the wild and the range is between 1,500 to about 3,000.” “This data is heavily skewed from where these surveys have taken place. There's so many areas along the coast that are inaccessible or really expensive to access. A lot of the surveys were in Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island around Victoria, a little bit on the Sunshine Coast, but not much further north than that.” “There have been some long term studies, specifically from the Christmas bird counts. Where they started documenting their owl counts in 1983, they detected an owl about one hour per hour survey time. I think the most recent estimate, a COSEWIC report from 2012, found about one owl for every 10 hours of survey effort.” “So there's been about a 20 to 30% decline in the 15 years prior to 2012 and it's suspected that that decline has continued, maybe have stabilized a little bit. Nobody really knows, but there are recent efforts by the government to conduct an inventory of what is happening now with those populations.” Cortes Currents: Has the Screech Owl been driven out of areas like southern Cortes Island by human development and predation from larger owls?

Truth and Reconciliation Celebration on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 11:49:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - There was a Truth and Reconciliation ceremony at Gorge Harbour on Monday, September 30. It consisted of sacred songs and sharing experiences, as well as Chief Steven Brown’s perspectives on how the Klahoose are reclaiming their present and their future.

A Cortes Island view: the local election campaign on September 30

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 11:42:41 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - 338Canada’s latest projection for North Island Riding, taken on September 30, shows the Conservative party of BC having just taken the lead in the popular vote. Nineteen days from the election, they may currently be supported by 47% of the electorate as opposed to 42% for the NDP. The media website uses data from recent polls and the riding’s history. They have covered 13 general elections and, so far, 338Canada claims to have successfully identified the winner in 1,657 electoral districts 89.9% of the time. That said, this is essentially a ‘point in time’ analysis and yesterday showed these two parties virtually tied. “We know this is going to be a really close election, so we're rolling up our sleeves and we're not taking anything for granted,” said Michele Babchuk, the NDP candidate and current MLA for our riding. “I'm just actually in the car pulled over on the side of the road right now. It just came out of a meeting with a local group here. We will be in Campbell River today at the campaign office. As soon as I get back, I will be knocking on doors and out with my team. Another group will be on the phones, putting in the hard work, putting up signs, doing some fundraising. I've been all over the riding all summer, but this week focused in Campbell River.” “We've heard Mr Rustad talk about not believing in climate science, how the government shouldn't be involved in helping people with housing. We've heard a few conspiracy theories come out, so I am just concerned of what this looks like for the North Island.” Cortes Currents sent Babchuk, the Conservative candidate Anna Kidney and Green candidate Nic Dedeluk a series of questions about extreme weather events, emissions, the housing crisis, food prices, employment and education in our area. Dedeluk agreed to an interview which will take place later this week. Kidney’s campaign manager, Richard Martin, emailed “More than ever, British Columbians are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living as they see jobs, investment and economic opportunity leave our province. Anna owes it to the people of North Island to speak with them about their concerns on the direction of our province and how we can make it better. In the lead up to October 19, her focus is on engaging with voters directly at the doors.” So far, Babchuk has been the only one to respond in detail.

Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ Name Changes For Campbell River Area

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 12:42:15 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ [pronounced Lee-gwilth-daxw] Nations (We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum and Kwiakah) are asking the province to change several geographic names in the Campbell River area. They wish to change the name of the Discovery Passage to Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ Passage, the Quinsam River to Kʷənsəm and the Tyee Spit to ʔuxstalis [pronounced Oox-sta-lease]. The Discovery Passage was once called Yaculta Narrows, because the Ligw”itdax peoples charged a toll for canoes passing through. The name Ligw”itdax belongs to a virtually unkillable worm. If it is cut into segment, each part becomes a new worm. “Kʷənsəm” is a Coast Salish word meaning resting place. The Quinsam River was originally K’omoks First Nations territory and home of their first two ancestors. It is now Lig”itdax territory as a result of a conflict between the two nations which ended with a marriage between noble families. ʔuxstalis is a Ligw”itdax word which could mean ‘beach on the back side’ or ‘where the land ends.’ There were once several longhouses there and it is surrounded by food-gathering areas. There were crabapples, gooseberries, wild strawberries, medicial plants and fish traps. On August 19, Trent Thomas from the BC Geographical Names Office informed the city of Campbell River they have until October 25 to ask any questions or make any comments about the proposed changes. This matter was brought up at the September 5 city council meeting and referred to the Committee of the Whole Meeting on Wednesday, October 8, 2024.

Active Transportation Planning Grants open the door to far larger opportunities

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 21:42:51 +0000

Rpy L Hales/Cores Currents - The Active Transportation Planning grants that Quadra Island is about to receive, and both Cortes Island and Area D are applying for, opens the door to far larger opportunities. As Meredith Starkey, Manager of Planning for the Strathcona Regional District (SRD), explained “Active transportation means anything human powered: walking, cycling, and rolling in the sense of skateboarding or some other type of device that you might use to roll." "This is the BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant Program that's administered through the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. They have a sub grant that is specifically for active transportation network planning." "What we have is the network planning grant." “We just were directed by the Board to apply for Areas B (Cortes) and D. It's this same grant that we now have for Area C. The province provides a maximum of $50,000. It's 50 percent grant funded and 50 percent funded by the Gas Tax for us and so in total, it's $100,000 to develop the plan." "That enables us to do all the foundational background research, the data gathering part, but then also to flesh that out into a full plan. On top of that, we're able to pull out one high level priority from that plan and do all the engineering work, the survey, the cost estimates and concept design work that would need to happen so that we can actually make it shovel ready. All the groundwork that we need in order to apply for the infrastructure grant, which is the same fund but a different funding stream within it." Cortes Currents: So this grant is the door opener and in the next grant you actually get to do some of the stuff. Meredith Starkey: "That is correct." Cortes Currents: Is there a financial cap for the second stage? Meredith Starkey: "The infrastructure portion of the grant is much, much bigger. I don't actually know the cap on it now, but it's quite substantial."

Grant for Active Transportation Plans on Cortes and Area D

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 23:01:59 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) is applying for a grant to develop plans for walking, cycling and rolling (skateboard, roller skates etc) infrastructure on Cortes Island and in Area D. The Ministry of Transportation refers to these as active means of transportation and has made Active Transportation Network Planning Grants of up to $50,000 available to communities with populations under 25,000. If their applications are successful, the SRD plans to match the funding with money obtained through the Community Works Fund (better known as the Gas Tax). Mayor Michael Lott of Gold River read out the motion at the SRD Board meeting of Wednesday, September 15, 2024: “I'd also like to move that an application be submitted to the 2024/25 Active Transportation Network Planning program for grant funding to develop an Active Transportation Network Plan for Electoral Area B; and that the Regional District commit to overall management of the grant if the application is successful; and that, if the application is successful, 50% of the project funding be approved from the Electoral Area B Community Works Fund to a maximum of $50,000.” He also read the motion for Area D, which was virtually identical. Both motions passed with no opposing votes. Mark Vonesch, the Regional Director of Cortes Island (Area B), responded, “I just want to thank staff for bringing this forward. Active transportation is definitely an issue on Cortes. People are wanting some movement on that. So I welcome this grant application and to be able to support it through the Gas Tax funding as well.” John Rice, Regional Director of Area D said, “I'm wondering if we could tie this into the traffic study that Area D has been doing because this is also quite important to that traffic study.” CAO David Leitch asked, “Do you have line of sight that it's going to be done by 2025?” Director Rice: “My understanding is I think we'll be getting an update on it in November.” Campbell River Director Doug Chapman wanted to know, “How does that dovetail into the transportation study the Regional District is currently undertaking.” CAO Leitch: “This is an active transportation. This is different from the regional transportation that we're looking for because active transportation is different forms of transportation like, cycling lanes, walkways and pathways, and as opposed to the regional transportation that we're looking at, which is likely buses.” Director Rice: “When is this funding going to be available if successful? A staff member responded, “They announce the awards in April of 2025.”

SRD Supports Caddislfy Creek Application

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 20:02:15 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - At their Wednesday September 25 Board meeting, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board unaminously voted to support a We Wai Kai application for funding to make a feasibility study for the Caddisfly Wetlands Restoration project, south of Campbell River. This had been a topic of some debate a month ago, when the Board decided to defer making a decision on this project. Salmon once spawned in Caddisfly Creek and if they return, it could trigger a need for setbacks along the banks. This could directly impact building projects in Campbell River, as it is one of the sources of Caddisfly Creek. As CAO David Leitch explained, “There was some discussion at a previous board meeting about supporting this application and the folks from Campbell River had some hesitancy and anticipation that it possibly would interfere with some development applications they had in the works. We’ve attached some correspondence from the city staff which says there aren't issues and they would support the application.” Robyn Mawhinney, Regional Director for Area C, responded, “I'm really happy to see this request for resolution of support on the agenda. I am 100 percent in support of a resolution to support the We Wai Kai Nation's application to undertake wetland restoration planning activities for Caddisfly Creek.” John RIce, Regional Director for Area D, added, “I'm also quite happy to see this back on. I know that for Area D, where Caddisfly Creek is, the wetlands behind it have historically had a problem with high water. I’m hoping that there are a lot of things that can be addressed by this.” “I also want to point out that it's Area D's Stream Keeper (Greg Roberts) that has been working quite hard on Caddisfly Creek. There's still lots of things to do and I'm very thrilled to see Campbell River supporting this. I think if you're going to be the Salmon Capital of the World, you have to be able to support creeks that could possibly have Coho.” One of the Campbell River Directors who originally called for deferment, Ron Kerr, made the motion that all the SRD directors supported: “That a resolution of support be provided for the We wai Kai First Nation’s application to the 2024 Disaster Resilience Innovation Fund Grant Program to undertake wetland restoration planning activities for Caddisfly Creek.”

Final Report On FOCI's Western Screech Owl Research Project

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 13:49:33 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The final report on the Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) Western Screech Owl Project will be unveiled at Mansons Hall on Friday. The two biologists who were hired to write it will be giving an hour long talk that starts at 7 PM. “Western Screech Owls are a beautiful little owl. They used to be one of the most common owls in coastal BC, but they've declined hugely in the last 20 years,” explained Helen Hall, Executive Director of FOCI. “They're a species that need attention. In the last three years we've been running a project on Cortes, Read, Maurelle and Sonora Islands to look for Screech Owls and to do what we can to help conserve them. We started the project in 2021. In the spring of 2022, we conducted our first audio surveys, mainly on Cortes Island. Then in 2023, we expanded our surveys onto Read, Maurelle and Sonora Islands. We did pick up Screech Owls in the north of Cortes and one on Read Island. We also went out put up nest boxes around all the islands to try and provide nesting habitats for the owls.” “In the spring we employed consultants from Madrone Environmental, Roxanne Chilcalo and Alicia Mildner to conduct our final report for us. They looked at all the results. We're really lucky that they're now going to come over to Cortes on Friday and give a talk about the report, what we found on Cortes and to put it into the context of regional work on Screech Owl.” “They've been working recently on another big project in the Campbell River area. So there's a really good comparison for what we're finding on Cortes. They're also finding a lot of the landscape has been logged. There’s only very small pockets of old-growth remaining and again, they're finding Screech Owls in those pockets.” “What we're trying to work out now is what is the strategy for making sure they can exist in those small pockets and how do we provide more habitat for them. This is just one indicator species showing that where you have old growth, you still have some really valuable species like Western Screech Owls. Obviously, we don't want to see any more old growth forests cut down, and I think this is just another argument for retaining everything we have, and having a moratorium on logging old growth areas.” “We're hoping that we can do some more work on Screech Owls going forward. We're just in discussion about that at the moment.”

$110,000 in Funding: What the Quadra Island Foundation Accomplished

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 12:28:15 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Quadra Island Foundation recently distributed $110,000 to four non-profit organizations. In today’s interview the foundation’s Vice Chair, Marc Doll, explains the rationale behind those choices and a little of what he expects the money to accomplish. Marc Doll: “There was this recognized recognition of how much this province uses and depends on nonprofits. So the government of British Columbia put together a pool of $25 million, which went to Vancouver Foundation. From the Vancouver Foundation, it trickled down to foundations like the Quadra Foundation, Cortes Community Foundation and Campbell River Foundation. It was administered at the local level by local foundations, but from a pool of money that came from the British Columbia government.” “We advertised - online through local media, press releases etc - to indicate that we had this fund of $110,000 to distribute locally. We were almost triple subscribed, we had about $300,000 in total applications.” “So to whittle that down we hired a coordinator, Jennifer Banks Doll, who headed up the grant committee. She was tasked with finding a committee populated by regular Quadra Island citizens and a board member or two. They then went through the grants. We had a way of weighting the grants in terms of what was going to be the most returned to the community and from there allocated the grants to the four successful applicants.” Cortes Currents: Tell us a little about each of the successful applicants. Marc Doll: “There were 4 successful applicants. There was Quadra Circle that received about $54,000. Quadra Circle is an organization on Quadra that serves the seniors population. They have weekly meetings. They offer help to seniors that are housebound, need medical, exercise, or social gatherings. They have quite a portfolio of things that they do, and they were looking to build their capacity through the hiring of a part time Executive Director. The largest allocation went to them.” “The Quadra Island Seniors Housing Society received about $30,000. Again, I believe it was for a part time Executive Director. The Quadra Island Seniors Housing Society was incredibly successful. To be able to build affordable housing on Vancouver Island is an incredible task. They were able to successfully get that done a couple of years ago and I think they're looking at increasing the number of dwellings on the island. They have a waiting list in the dozens and dozens of people for the units that they were able to create. They're looking to future growth and getting paid staff to facilitate that.” “The third successful Grantee was the Quadra Island Climate Action Network, which on the island is known as ICAN. That organization is relatively new. It's been around for maybe five, six years, and their focus is building community capacity with a climate focus, and they've been doing a lot of great work on water, food security, and a bunch of different high profile projects that they've been undertaking. They are looking to, again, hire an Operations Coordinator to provide some support in all those many and varied projects that they're working on.” “The final successful grantee was the Quadra Island Recreational Society. It was a subgroup within the rec society, which operates the Wednesday lunches and the idea was to increase the capacity of that kitchen to serve the 100, 150 people that they do every Wednesday during the shoulder or the slower seasons. There were some kitchen upgrades that were going to enable them to better serve the people of Quadra. So those were the four successful grantees.” Cortes Currents: Which sectors of Quadra's population are in the greatest need? I'm thinking of age groups, but there might also be other factors which I haven't thought of.

September 2024 Update from the Community Forest

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 14:32:13 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Cortes Community Forest Co-operative’s 2024 AGM will be from 7:30 to 9 PM on Mansons Hall on Wednesday October 9th. Together with Klahoose Forestry, they make up the Cortes Forestry General Partnership. Mark Lombard, General Manager for the Partnership gave Cortes Currents an overview of their operations this year and plans for the future: Mark Lombard: “We’ve really got pretty good support from the community. Our emphasis is barely logging, our emphasis is building value for the community, training and firewood for seniors and logs, local mills. We're the lightest touch logging operation in the province by a mile and a half.” “Log prices are really low right now. There's potential concerns about a recession in the U S or globally or whatever reasons and because prices are low, we're not planning to do any logging right now.” Cortes Currents: So where were you working this year? Mark Lombard: “This spring we built 480 metres of road in the Gorge Harbour operating area and the log sales went all to local mills on the island. Seven loads went to the Klahoose Sawmill, Blue Jay Lake Farm sawmill, Ellingson Woods and Ron Wolda. They got the logs that they needed and the log sales paid for the road. We didn't have to buy capping for the road because we recycled the capping off of the spur road for the firebreak block. We basically paid for the road, which is a long term investment access into the land base. We did a new faller training. Two Cortes Islanders did the falling and got their training to become fallers. Then the logs went to the mills and all the firewood went out as a community firewood day for mostly seniors and people in need.” “So there was a lot of benefit, even though there wasn't a big so-called profit. There wasn't any financial profit from building the road, but it paid for itself. So that is pretty good value creation.” Cortes Currents: Do you find that the community forest has kept the local mills busy? Mark Lombard: “I think all of the mills have gotten the majority of their logs from the community forest since about 2015/2016. We haven't always been able to quite supply them with everything that they need because it takes a lot of community consultation, planning and announcements. All the T's have to be crossed and I's dotted to be able to cut one tree. It's the same amount of work if you want to go cut a whole bunch of trees. So it's tricky to just cut one logging truck load or two logging truck loads.” Cortes Currents: Tell us about the community forest’s role in the development of a superior tanker shuttle service. Mark Lombard: “Sure, the community forest moved two tanks from the Whaletown Fire Department to the Gorge Harbour area, to the new logging road, and the two tanks from the Manson's Fire Department were moved to the Coulter Bay Logging Road, and those were areas that were considered gaps on the island.” “The nearest tanks to Coulter Bay previously were at the Whaletown Fire Hall and the nearest filling station for the Thunder Road neighborhood was Anvil Lake. So by getting those tanks in, we improve our performance for the Superior Tanker Shuttle Service, which if we can get a certain amount of water shuttled to a fire, we can actually qualify to get our insurance lowered on the island.” “The two fire halls got big new tanks, and then two additional tanks went to the south end of Cortes. So now we've got a lot better coverage of the island with having moved these tanks into the community forest, which I was really happy to be able to work on with Fire Chief Eli McKenty and Shaun Koopman, Protective Services Coordinator for the Strathcona Regional District (SRD).” “We have a few announcements, mostly around wildfire risk reduction work in the community forest this fall.”

The perfect recommendation: Marnie's Bookstore

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 22:29:37 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - It’s been a busy season for Marnie’s Books. Marnie Andrews explained, “It's really fun to have a bookstore on Cortes Island. There's some amazing readers here. I get so many of my titles because friends come in and recommend what they've been reading. There's a lot of regular people, but I think a lot of people came west because of all the wildfires. It's been a great bookstore season, people are reading like crazy. They want real books.” A young customer named Devran was perusing the contents of a nearby shelf, “It's very nice to have a bookstore on the island. I can walk in, look at the books and pick what I want. I also like that I can order books from here.” Cortes Currents: How long have you been coming here? Devran: “Since I moved here, which was around ten years ago.” Another regular, local Naturopath Maureen Williams, added, “Marnie is a great curator of wonderful books. She has read everything on her shelf, and she always has the perfect recommendation when I'm looking for something special.” So Cortes Currents asked Marnie, “Can you give us some recommendations on books to read?”

The Next Chapter: Wild Things Seafood

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 22 Sep 2024 14:08:32 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - There was a familiar face behind the Wild Things Seafood booth at Manson’s Friday Market last week. In addition to being our former Regional Director, Noba Anderson’s family has a connection to Cortes Island that stretches back to 1978. So Cortes Currents asked Noba about the new business she is undertaking with Peter Schmidt. “It's Peter's passion, there's no doubt about that. Peter owned his first fishing boat when he was a teenager off Saturna Island and has been fishing on and off with his own boat in younger years, and then on other people's boats more recently. So last year he was out on a tuna boat and took his payment in fish rather than money and had it processed. You can't just sell tuna, so then he bought some other things and went on the road last winter,” she explained. “Then I started getting a few things from his supplier and went to Denman and Hornby islands last winter, just once a month kind of thing. We teamed up more considerably this spring and summer season.” Cortes Currents: How did you come up with a name for your enterprise? Noba Anderson: “Wild Things Seafood? - Peter came up with it. It speaks to the fact we only carry wild products, only BC products and that great old book ‘Where The Wild Things Are,’ just a little bit of play.” “We set up in the Comox Valley for May and June, but we either didn't do enough marketing or whatever. It didn't really pan out as fast as we needed it to.” “So we pivoted and we've been selling on six Gulf Islands every week all summer. Hornby, Denman, Gabriola, Salt Spring, Pender and Maine, and then the odd little place in between and then having one day to recharge and regroup and restock. So we direct source as cash flow and storage allows.” Cortes Currents: So you sleep on the road? Noba Anderson: “When we're on the road, we sleep in the fish truck. We carry four big freezers full of product, generators, and rope to the front bumper. It’s a traveling fun show a la Pete for sure.”

Turning Down the Heat Part 1

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 22:35:02 +0000

Maureen Williams/ FOCI - In early July of 2024, a small group of Cortes Islanders, supported by Friends Of Cortes Island (FOCI), screened the film “How to Boil a Frog” for the community. The film is about the five-pronged problem life on Earth is currently facing — overpopulation, a war on nature, wealth disparity, peak oil, and climate change—and offers five actions that can help—boycott Exxon, change your “life” bulb (reduce consumption), a change of heart, one kid per couple, and kick some ass. This article is the first in a series focused on each of these five solutions from the film, and more.

Rural Modular Housing

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 19:12:52 +0000

Sadhu Johnston/ Cortes Housing Society & Folk University- Tune in on September 20th for another collaborative monthly housing forum presented by the Cortes Housing Society and Folk University. Themed “Rural Modular Housing”, this forum featured guest panelists Michelle Mazzotta (Viva Kiwi), Ken Sharpe (Supermod), and Salik Khan (Rohe Homes). This is a recording of our September forum, hosted over Zoom, with over 45 people in attendance. Hear us chat about different kinds of modular homes, pricing, benefits and challenges, and the possibility of using them to combat our housing crisis. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Mark Vonesch at the Union of BC Municipalities Convention

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 23:26:02 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Union of BC Municipalities 2024 Convention is in Vancouver this week. Local government and First Nations leaders from across the province are participating. One of the delegates is Mark Vonesch, the Regional Director for Cortes Island, who spoke to Cortes Currents via ZOOM as he was heading out on the ferry last Friday. Mark Vonesch: “I’m on my way to a gathering that happens every year. All the municipalities, all the regional districts, the counsellors, the electoral area directors, and mayors are invited to a five day conference where we do workshops. We learn from each other. We hear speeches and we have a lot of meetings with the provincial government. We have a five or six meeting set-up through the regional district to meet with different ministers of the provincial government and advocate for everything from housing to our roads.” “Hundreds of millions of dollars flow through UBCM to municipalities and regional districts through the provincial government. It's one of the main lobbying organizations connecting regional districts and municipalities to the provincial government. There's hundreds of resolutions that get voted on and then become priorities to UBCM executives and staff. Throughout the rest of the year, those are advocated for and policy is suggested and pushed forward to the provincial government.” “One of the big things we're pushing for is getting a rural housing stream through the provincial government. Right now, all the housing grants are done through one category. We believe there needs to be a separate category for rural places, because our needs are different. The ways we build are different, and it should be a different category.” “That's one of the things we're pushing for, but it's a real opportunity for me to get in front of provincial ministers and staff and advocate for the needs of Cortes and the needs for the Strathcona Regional District. It's an opportunity for me to network and work with my colleagues in the regional district, other board members, and create more unity on our board as we move forward on our priorities. It's a chance for me to make connections with other politicians across the province that are trying to get good things done, and learn from each other.” “I don't want to have to reinvent the wheel on ideas. A big part of getting together is learning from each other, having conversations with other politicians that are looking at similar issues, and what they've done. A lot of times we can duplicate that.” “One of the exciting things for me at this UBCM is that I've been nominated to be the electoral area representative on the UBCM executive. There's another person running. So I'll also be running a bit of a campaign while I'm down there and we'll see what happens. If I do get in, it's a great opportunity for me to have a stronger voice with the provincial government to get the things we want to happen on Cortes, but also be a representative for rural communities. They are often underrepresented because a lot of the population is in urban centers, but a lot of the land base is held in rural communities. Our needs are unique and I want to be a strong voice to represent them.”

Open House at the Whaletown Dock; Renovation Needed

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 12:24:48 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - There were 45 people on the Whaletown dock when Cortes Currents left half way through the Open House on Monday, September 16. Some were listening to Andy Ellingsen, a Director of Harbour Authority Cortes Island (HACI), talk about the current condition of the wharf and what needs to be done. Others gathered in small groups, eating the free pizza, sharing memories or their perspectives on the matter. HACI has owned the 110-year-old structure since 2009 and now it is in need of extensive repairs.

How the Cortes Foundation Dispersed $105,000 to help Reduce Poverty on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 16:47:25 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Community Foundation recently announced that it is giving $105,000 to four of Cortes Island’s essential non-profit organizations. The Cortes Island Food Bank will receive $40,000, Whaletown Community Club - $22,000, Island Death Care Society - $26,400 and Support Our Seniors $16,600. This money came from the BC Government’s Community Prosperity Fund, which is intended to help local communities address poverty reduction and social inclusion. In today’s interview Christina McWilliam, Co-Chair of the Community Foundation and a member of the granting jury, and Andrea Fisher, Operations Manager of the Foundation, tell us the story behind this grant and why these four organizations were chosen.

Sept 12th Zoning Bylaw Review in Mansons Hall

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 14 Sep 2024 12:57:27 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Close to 60 Cortes Island residents turned out for the Zoning Bylaw Review Meeting in Manson's Hall on Thursday, September 12th. The following article consists of audio clips of the main speakers, taken at the meeting, and an interview with Regional Director Mark Vonesch the following morning. Mark Vonesch: "Leading up to it, I think there was a little bit of tension in the air. ‘What's going to happen?’ ‘How are we going to change our zoning in a way that's good for Cortes and protecting what we have here, but also making room for more housing and addressing the housing challenges that we face?’” “I think the key takeaway is this is a process that we're still in the middle of. There's still lots of opportunity for input. We've had four meetings leading up to this. Last night's meeting was about presenting the summary of the findings from the previous meetings, and giving us a sense of what the Zoning Bylaw draft is going to look like.” “The biggest shift, based on the input from the community, is that people are looking to increase density on rural residential lots." Annie Girdler, a planner with the Strathcona Regional District (SRD), explained, "We've also added the potential for an additional dwelling unit on lots greater than one hectare. Previously a residential property was permitted a single dwelling and one secondary suite or an additional dwelling unit. The proposed change is that this property would now be allowed to have a secondary suite AND an additional dwelling unit." Another proposal is to increase in the maximum size of additional dwellings from about 650 to about 840 square feet. Meredith Starkey, Manager of Planning and Parks for the SRD, stated, "The secondary units were previously called ‘Granny Flats’ in some places because it's intended for your parents, in-laws or a renter or a couple etc, but our world is changing. There may be more families who want to live in a secondary dwelling. So, that's certainly a possibility." Annie Girdler: "We've also added a new provision on clustered housing and how to accomplish that. We've also removed regulations that are not in the SRD's jurisdiction to enforce. Lastly, we've consolidated or removed zones that were either not in use or they were duplicate zones." "The current Zoning Bylaw is from 2002, and as a legislated document, there's several requirements under the Local Government Act that a Zoning Bylaw has to meet. Many of those requirements are new since 2002. So a review is necessary to ensure that our bylaw meets provincial requirements and is legal." "The goal is to bring the Zoning Bylaw into better alignment with your Official Community Plan (OCP). We'll also be removing or correcting outdated regulations, updating some of the terms with new language that's consistent, and also addressing some of the modern challenges, which we've heard a lot about." ”Our goal for this phase of the project is to hear your feedback as a community. It’ll give us a chance to either confirm that the provisions look how they should, or revise as necessary if we were way off. This revision process will be ongoing, and then we'll move on to the regular bylaw referrals process which will involve consultation with other government agencies, other levels of government, and First Nations. Once that phase is complete, we can move on to the bylaw adoption process. At that time we will have a formal public hearing and that will be the last opportunity to provide public input on a draft bylaw."

Nic Dedeluk Running For Green Party

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 14:28:09 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Nic Dedeluk, a marine biologist with over 24 years of experience, is the BC Green Party candidate for North Island. This brings the number of candidates in our riding to three. Michele Babchuk, our incumbent MLA, is once again running for the NDP and Anna Kindy is running for the Conservative party of BC. Zoominfo states Dedeluk is a Marine Coordinator for the Namgis First Nation, and based in Alert Bay. The ‘Namgis News contains’ references to her work to preserve Chum and Sockeye salmon stocks. The press release announcing Dedeluk's candidacy cites extensive work with nonprofits and local governments. In an interview with the National Observer, she mentioned housing, healthcare and the ongoing toxic drug crisis as key issues in North Island. As a result of staffing shortages, the hospitals in Port Hardy and Alert bay were unable to provide overnight services for a year and emergency patients had to be taken to Port McNeill. According to data released by the BC Corononer’s Office in August, Greater Campbell River and Vancouver Island North had are among the five worst Local Health Area’s in the province in terms of unregulated drug deaths. Dedeluk has also expressed support for the removal of fish farms, to help preserve salmon stocks, and preserving highly productive intact ecosystems within the forests. Close to 20% of the voters in our riding voted Green in the last provincial election,

Taxodermy Showcase at Wild Cortes

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 13:09:20 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - There will be a special Taxidermy Showcase at Wild Cortes on Saturday, September 14. Cortes Currents interviewed Laurel Bohart and Donna Collins, the co-curators of Wild Cortes, in the exhibition area. The bird songs in the audio of this story are from a recording of local birds, which provides atmosphere for the displays but is unrelated to this story. Collins gave an overview of the plan for the evening, starting from the opening at 6 PM. “Laurel is going to have a brief talk, and then we'll have lots of time to wander through all of the birds and see what's there. We're going to showcase Laurel's taxidermy from Africa and also some local animals not necessarily from Cortes Island that maybe nobody has ever seen before. There's also going to be some Nigerian artwork and interesting things like there's a Bird of Paradise under glass." "Mostly they're in very unique postures, for example, our Snowy Owl with the wings completely up. This is the posture that they take just as they're going to step off the posts, or whatever they're on, and take flight.

North Island: 38 Days from the Election

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 21:09:58 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - British Columbia is heading for the polls on October 19, a little more than a month from now. So far only two candidates have registered in our electoral district, North Island. Michele Babchuk has been our MLA since 2020 and prior to that she was a Campbell River City Councillor for six years, as well as Chair of the Strathcona Regional District Board. Dr. Anna Kindy is running for the Conservative Party of BC. She is an addiction specialist, and physician. On her campaign website it states “Throughout her career, Anna has been a tireless advocate for the marginalized and stigmatized populations of the North Island.” Neither she or her staff have acknowledged Cortes Currents’ request for an interview. Cortes Currents has interviewed Michele Babchuk on numerous occasions through the years, the last time being when she visited Cortes in July. At that point, she said, “I do have some concerns, not just from my riding, but for rural BC and some of the comments that have come out of some of the opposition parties in regards to cutting the budget by 25%, which means they’re cutting public service and social funding, usually That’s where they have a tendency to go. We have an opposition leader that is talking about the fact that human caused climate change isn’t real.” I know that’s something that is extremely important in this writing. As Islanders, we all have a very large environmental ethic. And we’re seeing that play out in everybody’s everyday life, whether it’s from fire smarting communities, like we talked about earlier with the fire department, to being able to grow our local food and have food security. “I’m also really concerned about the fact that the opposition leader {John Rustad) has also talked about cancelling DRIPA, or rolling DRIPA back. One of the things that I’m most proud about with the government that I am in, Is the fact that we are giving our indigenous communities that level of self determination that they have not had in the past.” Cortes Currents is hoping to secure another interview. Going through Babchuk’s list of assertions, John Rustad is on record stating “We must also repeal the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was established for conditions in other countries — not Canada.” He is not advocating a return of all traditional lands, but claims the real issue is ‘returning land to First Nations, who do not currently have sufficient property rights needed to secure prosperity.’ Rustad states the provincial debt has to come down, “It is immoral (and financially hazardous) to continue living beyond our means and leaving our children with the bill. While not immediate, we will plan on balancing the budget.” As regards global warming, when he spoke to the CBC a week ago, Rustad said there are many things that are far more important. “Climate change is an issue, there is no question it is an issue, but we have to put that in the context of making sure that people can afford to live in British Columbia.” He wants to scrap the carbon tax, develop nuclear power and dramatically expand B.C.’s natural gas production and LNG export facilities. Rustad calls himself a champion of resource development, and states ‘activists who impede the activity of resource development through illegal blockades, harassment and violence must be held legally, and financially responsible for their actions – as must the groups that support them.’ One of the ways he hopes to reduce health care costs is ‘unleashing the power of private-sector innovation.’ He is promising to spur economic growth through personal and corporate tax cuts.

FOCI: Continuity & Change

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 12:26:54 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) has a new President, is getting prepared to launch out in new directions and is also trying to raise $30,000 by the end of the month. The first two of those announcements may be interrelated, the third definitely is not. It is a result of two large contracts coming to an end, more on that later. First, Mike Moore has been one of FOCI’s members for decades and is now taking on a more active leadership role. Mike Moore: “I hadn’t really been that involved in FOCI before, except that FOCI and the Watershed Sentinel were at one time very closely aligned, and I’ve been a proofreading editor for Watershed Sentinel for quite a few years. I joined the FOCI board in December 2021, so I’m coming up now to three years. I joined because I was getting out of the Misty Isles and having more time to pursue naturalist activities. I was really excited about all the projects that FOCI does in the forest, on the ocean, and on the beaches. It’s a pretty cool thing that they’re doing.” Cortes Currents: Now you’re the president of the board. Mike More: “I’m the new president.” “It’s not a big upset or anything like that. Our AGM was in December. At our board meeting in January, when we elected positions, the board said that because we were just embarking on a process with Andrea Fisher (of board development, education, and defining the structure of FOCI), we would keep that course under Max Thaysen until it was finished. We finished that process in early summer and are still working on the final touches, but Max was happy to step back and I was happy to step forward. Nobody has left the board. Everybody is really happy and energized with how things are going.” Cortes Currents: Have there been any changes in direction? Mike Moore: “This is an excellent question and that’s just something that we’re coming to grips with.” “FOCI has done a really great job in monitoring the local environment, in enhancing the local environment, and in educating people about our local ecosystems. We work with parks, both at the regional and provincial level , to maintain Mansons lagoon and the regional parks all over the island. We’ve got the longest continuous data set for foreshore monitoring. We’ve embarked on some wonderful projects like the Dillon Creek Wetlands Project and the Western Screech Owl Project.” “We have all this stuff going, but it feels like it’s all pretty local and the world is changing. There’s this feeling that we want to have a bigger voice, a bigger input. We’re just coming to grips with that. That’s what this five hour meeting was this weekend. We’re pretty excited about where we can go. We are just in that revisioning process and we can’t actually make those decisions ourselves as a board. We want to involve our Executive Director, Helen Hall. She’s away at the moment and she’ll be back mid month, but we’ve done some preliminary work on that. We’re really excited about where we can go and stay relevant and vibrant as an organization.”

Feasibility study for the Caddisfly Wetlands deferred

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 09:49:33 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Wetlands are key resources to address climate change and help maintain surface water flow during dry periods. But they are also largely disappearing. According to a recent study in Nature, since 1700 approximately 3.4 million square miles of wetlands have been lost in the United States, Europe and China. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources estimates that 70 % of the wetlands in southern Canada disappeared prior to 1990. In densely populated areas, that figure is close to 98%. Unfortunately wetlands are often found in the same areas where humans like to live and this problem has been amplified by the critical need for affordable housing. Both of the most populated Discovery Islands are attempting to assess their water budgets while they look at further development. Quadra Island is mapping its wetlands, as well as carrying out rainfall, streamflow and aquifer studies. On Cortes Island, the Community Housing Society is seeking funding to carry out a study of Cortes Island’s water resources. Meanwhile the opportunity to apply for a $30,000 grant for the proposed Caddisfly Creek restoration project may have been lost, or at least deferred, because of Campbell River’s concerns about the possible impact on their plans for development. $5,000 of the funding was for removing logs and vegetation from culvert exits to the Salish Sea, but the bulk of the application was to fund a feasibility study. At the SRD Board meeting of August 21, Regional Director John Rice of Area D asked, “Caddisfly affects Area D, just like it affects the city of Campbell River, but this is only a feasibility study. Why are we potentially holding up their opportunity to get money to do a study that is going to include both Area D and the city of Campbell River?” Campbell River Director Ben Lanyon responded, “This feasibility study is one step towards making it even harder for Campbell River to meet its housing targets. We're choosing the environment versus housing in alot of cases, unfortunately. This isn't currently a salmon bearing stream, but changing its status will directly affect the city of Campbell River.” To which Director Doug Chapman, also from Campbell River, added that Mayor Dahl said they have almost 840 housing units ready to go. “We're waiting for the Minister of Environment’s approval. If there's an open ditch that has a pollywog in it, that delays everything.” There was a presentation in favour of the project earlier in the meeting. Katie Lavoie, Executive Director of the Greenways Land Trust made the introduction, “We're coming to you today to present on a project that we're applying for funding through the SRD.” Shawn Koopman, Protective Services Co-ordinator for the SRD, made an application to the province’s Disaster Relief and Innovation Fund on behalf of the Caddisfly Creek Restoration Project. Katie Lavoie: “I see a lot of familiar faces, you probably know what Greenways does. We are a Campbell River based environmental nonprofit. We've been around for 28 years. We do a lot of restoration, a lot of community work, a lot of partnering with First Nations and all levels of government and volunteer groups.” Caddisfly Streamkeeper Greg Roberts provided some of the details. “I'm a resident of Area D. We moved beside Caddisfly Creek around 2021. I felt very fortunate to have this beautiful little ditch beside my house. I started to do some research and thought, well, I'd start by cleaning up some invasive plants and maybe doing some plantings because all that's there at this point are some deciduous trees. One thing leads to another, and I realized that Caddisfly, like many creeks on the east coast of Vancouver Island, was historically a very productive salmon habitat, particularly for Coho. That’s been dramatically changed over the years through logging, road development, and urban development.

Music & 9 Special Projects: the Care 4 Cortes Campaign

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 14:47:35 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Care 4 Cortes campaign officially ends today, but there is still a chance to donate this weekend. Manda Aufochs Gillespie, Executive Director of the Cortes Island Community Foundation, explained “There's still a day or two where we'll leave up our Care for Cortes donation page on Cortes Foundation.ca. you can still see all the different projects that were highlighted. Give to them, if you have the financial wherewithal. It doesn't have to be a lot. $20 to something like MicroGrants for Neighbours or to the Cortes Death Caring Collective, makes a difference. If a lot of people do it, this makes a big difference.” “One of our jobs as the Community Foundation, is to make it easier for organizations who are doing the work to get the funds that they need and to help those who have money to give do it in ways that they know will have an impact. I hope that some people will still be like, ’okay, this is how I'd like to say thank you back to this place that I visited or to this place that I call home.’” Cortes Currents: What was the overall goal of Care for Cortes? Manda Aufochs Gillespie: “Our big goal was really to help people understand more of the projects and activities that are happening. The financial goal: We basically said to our partners this year that we were hoping to raise $500 into each fund. Most of the funds raised that, but not all did. Some of them got a few thousand. The ones that really did best through this campaign did their own awareness raising, that includes Cortes Radio and the Dr. Emily Ellingson Scholarship Fund.” “I think we did a great job of having fun and ensuring that everybody who comes to Cortes in the summer begins to understand a little bit more of the often hidden work that goes into caring for this place that we call home.” “We combined it with our Village Commons Music Series. We were like, ‘Okay, if we're going to be on the airwaves anyway, if people are going to be coming, could we actually just have fun with it? Could fundraising not be the kind of oppressive tons of work, big event hard thing that sometimes it can feel like I know to small nonprofits. Could it just be part of the fabric of the community?’ So we combined it with this beloved thing which is the village commons music series, which we do with Folk University and the Radio Station anyway. “There’s so many projects. We couldn't choose all of them. We knew we had nine weeks so we said, okay, we'll basically choose a fund a week during that time.” The Nine projects were: The Cortes Academy Scholarship. Village Commons Music Series. Cortes Housing Society. Dr. Emily Ellingson Scholarship Fund. Climate Adaption Fund. Social Profits Network, Cortes Community Radio Society. Cortes Death Caring Collective And MicroGrants for Neighbors.

Ester Strijbos moves on from the Tideline

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 12:33:30 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - After 14 years at the helm, Ester Strijbos is moving on from the Tideline. In one of the archived posts, from the fall of 2011, she wrote: “Last year June, after careful consideration, Richard Trueman decided to step down from cortesisland.com (Tideline). I took over from Richard in July 2010. Irene Blueth is still Assistant Editor, which means that she takes care of the Tideline when I am away, and also helps make editing decisions.” Cortes Currents: How did you become the editor of the tideline? Ester Strijbos: “Richard and I became friends when we met up at the TAC on a weekly basis. We got together with a bunch of people that were into web stuff and photography. We became friends. Then after a few years in 2010, he was just done with it. There was a lot of stuff going on, the hall tax , the rezoning of the fish farms and the community plan.” “So he called and said, 'I need to find someone within a few days because I don't want to do it anymore.’" “I thought I would do it for a little while and then someone else would take over. ' That was my initial idea because I thought, 'well, we can't not have it. So I'll do it for a while and then we'll figure something out.' I guess that part never really happened until now.” Cortes Currents: Has it been a good time? Ester Strijbos: “Yes. Most of it, yes.” (Laughs) Cortes Currents: Why? What was good about it? Ester Strijbos:"Well, it's the community. There's a lot of people that are part of the timeline, it feels like the whole community. I loved that about it!” Cortes Currents: What have been the challenges and what have been the successes? Ester Strijbos: “I think the successes are what you see every day, people communicating with each other and to our community.” “The challenges have been the not so nice notes or people just not wanting to understand the policies and the guidelines and staying within them. That's been a challenge. When things happen on the island, and when we lose people that you're really close to, that's hard.” Cortes Currents: What are you going to miss about it? Ester Strijbos: “Again, I'm going to miss the community. At this point there's lots of things I'm not going to miss about being editor, but I know I will miss the connections that I had on a daily basis with a lot of people. I won't have that anymore, and so I'll definitely miss that.”

Rising Food and housing insecurity on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 15:16:13 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Cortes Island's most economically challenged residents appear to be facing another bleak winter this year. Filipe Figueira, Coordinator of the Cortes Island Food Bank, explained, “We’ve definitely seen a huge rise in general economic distress over the last couple of years. I think that covers two key areas. One is food insecurity, the other one is housing insecurity, which feeds into economic insecurity as well.” “In terms of food insecurity, we all know prices have increased significantly over the last few years. I don’t think the reported cost of living index truly reflects what's going on. I think everybody's experiencing higher food costs, and that has an impact obviously.” “We are seen as a food insecure location. We don't have a lot of big stores which sell cheaper food. We don't have easy transport to places where food is a little cheaper. That puts us particularly at risk with food prices.” “I did some research recently, and the official cumulative food price rise over 10 years is about 48.7%. I think that's conservative. I think the real food prices that everybody experiences are much, much higher than that and certainly wages haven't increased that much over 10 years. They've probably declined in real terms.” “You can see evidence of this in the stores. There was recently a story about the dollar store in the US and I think in Canada as well. Their sales drop off in the last half of the month because low income people buy stuff from them, but by the end of the month they've run out of money.” Cortes Currents: Have you seen an increase in the number of clients coming to the food bank? Filipe Figueira: “Over the summer months we always see a bit of a decline because people get seasonal work and they're able to grow their own food and that kind of thing. We're expecting this winter the numbers will rise again. We reached a peak of around 86 people per month in January of last year. We expect to go to those numbers again because the economic situation has increased and people don't really have the reserves to survive.” “We're seeing a lot more people in housing that's precarious. A lot of people live on boats, in shelters and in trailers that don't have proper kitchen facilities, refrigeration, freezers, that kind of thing. So that makes it really challenging.”

Louis Belcourt Plays At The Village Commons

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 14:07:59 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On Friday, August 30, Louis Belcourt performed a live + live-broadcast FolkU concert in the big Village Commons tent. Hosted by Manda Aufochs Gillespie, this event marked the last concert of the season in the Village Commons Music Series. The series is put on every Friday by a partnership between Cortes Island Community Foundation, FolkU, and CKTZ Cortes Community Radio. The series is generously sponsored by Decoda Literacy and Coastal Community Credit Union. This year, the series is also raising funds for the Cortes Foundation’s fundraising campaign Care for Cortes. Every week, the donations raised in the big tent go towards a different community project the campaign is highlighting. This week, the series highlighted the Microgrants for Neighbours program which has supported community-led projects like the Skate Jam, song circles, community book exchange boxes, Ayajuthem language workshops, and many more. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Cortes Pickleball Society establishes committee to get new courts built

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 13:09:17 +0000

Louis Belcourt/CKTZ News - The Cortes Island Pickleball Society has recently established a Pickleball committee with the South Cortes Community Association to oversee the potential construction of Pickleball courts next to the skatepark. Mary Jo Woolgar, long time resident to Cortes, introduced Cortes to Pickleball with her husband about two years ago and she says its often described as “a lifestyle.” “We have capacity issues and we’re limited behind the school because obviously we can’t use the courts when school’s in. It’s totally the way it should be,” said Woolgar. “So we would like to have some courts that are dedicated to pick a ball ideally close by, probably behind the skate park.” An architect was hired last week, as well as a surveyor to assess a potential site for the new courts, according to Woolgar.

Folk U: Jemma Hicken plays at the village Commons

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 18:49:21 +0000

Louis Belcourt/ Folk U - On Friday, August 23, Jemma & the Good Thing performed a live + live-broadcast FolkU concert in the big Village Commons tent. Hosted by Louis Belcourt, Cortes Island-based Jemma Hicken (Jemma & the Good Thing) weaves together tender lyrics, funny storytelling, and catchy sing-a-longs to create a feel-good Canadiana-folk show. The Village Commons Music Series is put on every Friday by a partnership between Cortes Island Community Foundation, FolkU, and CKTZ Cortes Community Radio. The series is generously sponsored by Decoda Literacy and Coastal Community Credit Union. This year, the series is also highlighting community organizations and funds part of the Cortes Foundation’s fundraising campaign Care for Cortes. This week, the series highlighted the Cortes Island DeathCaring Collective. This collective is working create a fund to assist families with limited resources and to support the training of volunteers. https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/care-for-cortes-deathcare/ Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Debate on Proposed Grant in Aid Policy Continues

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 17:47:30 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District is considering a Grant in Aid policy which would funnel all applications through staff. According to Gerald Whalley, who has been a Regional Director since the SRD was formed in 2008, this is the third time the idea of a policy has come up. After an intense debate, the proposal has been forwarded to the Electoral Areas Services Committee and Municipal Services Committee for further discussion. Some of the main points of the proposed policy include: Financial assistance will only be considered for registered, non-profit organizations that have an operational presence within the Strathcona Regional District. Applicants must provide a current financial statement and budget for the year the SRD will not fund core operating expenses, capital improvements to equipment, insurance, property taxes, or multi-year funding commitments The SRD will give priority to applications that do not exceed $5,000 and are from organizations that do not already receive funding from the SRD Mayor Julie Colborne of Zeballos explained that in the past, “We found that it would alter many of the contributions that are already being made. We just felt that some of the restrictions were too restrictive.” Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney of Area C agreed: “I just wanted to point out that the next item on the agenda is three requests for financial assistance from Electoral Area C, and with this policy as is, none of these three very important and valid applications would be considered eligible. That includes the Quadra Island Foundation's application for financial support because they are hiring a consultant to create a Vital Signs report for Quadra Island. Neither would liability insurance costs for the Quadra Island Conservancy, which maintains public land that is publicly accessible and is a highly used piece of land for outdoor recreation in our community for visitors and for residents, be covered. Lastly Quadra Island Concerts is asking for $1,000 to assist with administration insurance costs for bringing music to our community for the entire winter. I just want to point out that this policy would negate all three of those applications.”

SRD Wants A List Of School District Properties For Potential Housing Development

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 12:22:04 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) wants a list of School District 72’s properties on Cortes Island and Area C. As Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney pointed out, in a letter to the other rural Directors, some of them ‘may be a good fit for a housing project.’ Mawhinney proposed that the SRD ask for a list. At the Board’s August 21 meeting, Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott made an amendment to Mawhinney’s motion: “I'm going to say that a letter be sent to School District 72, inquiring whether or not there are lands available for either the school district to develop for housing, or over which they have an interest, that they own or have a license of occupation or right of access that they'd be interested in disposing to the Regional District.”

Genealogical Records for Klahoose, European and Asian Cortes Island Families

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 20:46:55 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Museum has a genealogical database. It was compiled by Bernice McGowan, whose interest in genealogy was sparked by her mother’s research of their family roots. Coming to Cortes Island some 50 odd years ago, she was intrigued by the fact that so many of the island’s older European families seemed to be related. She has also dug up some census records for Klahoose, Japanese and Chinese residents. Bernice McGowan: "I was always interested in questions like, 'how are you related to so and so." When I started putting my family into a database, I thought it would be interesting to do that for Cortes if nobody has done that before for the museum. So, I just started doing it and when I retired, I went, 'okay, now I have some time to do that.'" "I started with June Cameron's book, 'Destination Cortez island: A Sailor's Life Along The BC Coast'. She talks about going around Cortes by water, talks about the various places and has lots of stories of the different families that she knows. So I just took names out of there." Bernice went on to incorporate the data from census returns, birth, marriage and death records, newspaper articles, interviews and all the other sources normally used by genealogists. Bernice McGowan: "I tend to limit myself to people who've actually lived here. So say with one family, I might have gone like 'so and so lived here and these were his siblings' if I happened to find it, and they were born in such and such a place and their parents were such and such, but I wouldn't go any further back than that. I'm really interested in the people who lived here, the interconnections between the families that are here and then maybe where they dispersed to."

Cortes Island Academy's Third Year starts Sept 3

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 12:46:57 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Academy’s third year starts on Tuesday September 3, 2024. Executive DIrector Manda Aufochs Gillespie explained that there are a number of innovative new programs this semester as well as popular facilitators from previous years. The Mother Tree Network, Hakai Intitute, Hollyhock and Power of Hope are all contributing partners. For the first time ever, there are also still some last minute spots available for new students. Manda Aufochs Gillespie: “For those of you who do not know what the Cortes Island Academy is, it's an accredited experiential place-based high school program that happens right here on Cortes Island and is a partnership with the school district, the Cortes Island School, the Cortes Island Community Foundation and pretty much every other organization and person on Cortes, because boy, does it take a lot of heart and help to make it happen.” “This is our third year, and we've decided to change all sorts of things up in order to keep it fresh.” “We'll start on September 3rd with a meet and greet. Please, please come and be part of it. Meet the students, some of the facilitators and get behind the scenes a little earlier on.” “That Labor Day weekend you will start seeing teenagers arrive back on the island.” “We still have some spots for this year. So if you have a special young person in your life who would be a great addition to this kind of experiential project based learning, send them our way.” “This year we have lower enrollment from Cortes students because there are very few local kids going into grade 10. That's both a little bit sad and also something that we knew would come. There are just years on Cortes where there are less kids or where the kids have already had to leave in that hard effort of trying to find schooling that works for them. For the first time, we don't have foreign exchange students, but it looks like we already have two signed up for next year.” “As we have in years past, we have students coming from other communities, most especially other rural islands - so Sonora, Reed, and some from as further out afield as Pender.” “We're doing a couple of things that we're pretty excited about.” “We have partnered with the Mother Tree Network and Hollyhock Leadership Institute and are doing a leadership intensive at Hollyhock October 20th through 25th. This gathering uses the creative facilitation model, which has really been popularized through Power of Hope, and is based on exploring the interface of ecology, the arts and experiential education. We have room for 30 students in a week long intensive with Dr. Suzanne Simard, other leaders from the Mother Tree Network, the Juno nominated musician Ruby Singh, a team of other local facilitators and knowledge holders, and some of the best known facilitators from the Power of Hope camps. Kari McClelland, who's perhaps the best known and most beloved of all Power of Hope facilitators is the main facilitator for that week. They're all going to be having a camp experience at Hollyhock.” “This case leadership intensive is for the Cortes Island Academy students and other students are coming to join. There is still some spaces for this. We're prioritizing local and indigenous youth, but there are still spaces for any kids and there are some scholarships available for this workshop. “Cortes Island Academy students are also going to be joining with some other students at Hakai again for a climate intensive to, see what the current science is around all things related to climate and the ecological impacts of our changing ecosystems. They spend a week at the incredible state of our science facilities on Quadra Island.” “The themes this year are climate and art."

Sean Coyote performs in the Village Commons

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 19:18:32 +0000

Greg Osoba/Folk U - On Friday, August 16, Sean Coyote performed a live + live-broadcast FolkU concert in the big Village Commons tent. Hosted by Greg Osoba, Sean is a long-time Cortes resident who has been a musician & music lover since he was young. Sean mostly performs in his living room for the benefit of the cat, however he does occasionally sneak out for a few rare public performances. Just beforehand, to wrap up her kids camp, Monica Lee also performed a kids music set. (Pictured) The Village Commons Music Series is put on every Friday by a partnership between Cortes Island Community Foundation, FolkU, and CKTZ Cortes Community Radio. The series is generously sponsored by Decoda Literacy and Coastal Community Credit Union. This year, the series is also highlighting community organizations and funds part of Cortes Foundation’s fundraising campaign Care for Cortes. This week, the series highlighted Cortes Community Radio’s Power the Tower campaign. Find out more here: https://cortesradio.ca/power-the-tower/ Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Heather Deeth: Hollyhock's New Iterim Executive Director

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 16:27:32 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - As of this morning, Heather Deeth has been the Interim Executive Director of Hollyhock for 19 days. Cortes Currents caught up with her on Sunday to talk about the changes in her life, as well as what’s happening in one of the most dynamic retreat centres on the West Coast. It is the peak summer season at Hollyhock. The programs listed on their webpage are grouped into categories like: wisdom teachings, social innovation, health & healing, creative expression, the Hollyhock Leadership Institute and signature holidays. Cortes Currents asked, Why is Hollyhock important? Heather Deeth: “People have transformative experiences here. If we can give people the skills where they can have their own transformation internally themselves, and then collectively together, whether we're bringing people together and they're collectively arriving somewhere, that's really potent. If we can be seeding that more and more out in the world right now, that's exactly what we need to be doing.” Cortes Currents: Have there been changes in your life, now that you're in the Director's seat? Heather Deeth: “We're feeling Peter's departure. I really loved working with Peter. I learned so much from him. It was a total gift to have two years of working and learning from Peter. I miss working with him very much and I'm thankful that he's become a dear friend and is a deep ally of Hollyhock and will be for a long time. I feel that in his continued relationship with me as well.” “For me, the change is in being with the people. I haven't worked on site since before the start of the pandemic. I worked remotely, many people worked remotely during the pandemic and it's my first time coming back. I've been out here a few times, but not for longer stays, always as a visitor.” “I arrived last week. It feels very different for me this time, really connecting with our staff who are here on the island.” Cortes Currents: Where are you living right now? Heather Deeth: “I'm in Shivon Robinsong and Bill Weaver's house. That's where my family's been staying.” Cortes Currents: What’s happening at Hollyhock right now? Heather Deeth: “This is the first summer where it's felt like we were back at strong peak summer numbers, the way it used to be. It's nice to see our guests returning.” “Today's a changeover day. We have ‘The Art Of Leadership’ starting. I have Dan Siegel coming in on Friday to offer two workshops back to back, which is very exciting.” Insights Meditation will also be this week and Cortes Island’s very own Bill Ophoff will be running his naturalist program. “We had Sophie Gregoire Trudeau to start July off, which was a really incredible experience. Many of our programs were running through the month of July. We had our Canadian Psychedelic Summit in July as well, which was our third year of running. There were a hundred people this year and the feedback from that gathering was that it was extraordinary. We're almost through our peak season and so that's feeling really good because the last couple of summers we were still in pandemic recovery.” Cortes Currents: Tell me about your day. When do you start in the morning? What do you do first? Heather Deeth: “I'm an early bird, especially because I'm from the East Coast. Usually I'm up around five. I love the birds, and so usually if I am lucky in the morning, I listen to the early morning bird song. Coffee is very important. Then usually the first thing I do is I look at my calendar, to refresh my memory about what's on and what's happening. So I can come in clear headed and ready. On a good day, I can get out for a walk in the mornings.”

Deep Breath: How Andrea Padovani Sees Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 15:03:31 +0000

Roy L Hales - Andrea Padovani is a professional artist who has been living on Cortes for much of the last 17 years, but there is a sense in which his show ‘Deep Breath,’ which opens in the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery this Friday, is his introduction to the larger island community. He explained, "I have a problem expressing my real deep feelings in a conversation, if you really want to know me, look at my paintings. That this really represents a hundred percent of what I am." Cortes Currents: Do you find people get it? Andrea Padovini: "10 percent." "It took me 17 years before I really understood and allowed myself to go and to really portray the different beauty of Cortes. Obviously I could do the first year, but that would've been a technical expression. What I'm going to show in my show is the way in which I see Cortes."

Help Power the Tower for CKTZ

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 12:31:44 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - CKTZ is looking for donors to help power the tower during 2024 and 2025. Cortes Currents caught up with Bryan McKinnon, station manager and President of CKTZ, while he was manning the radio’s booth at Lovefest. In addition to the hum of conversation from some of the first people to arrive at the festival, in the background you can hear a sitar and tabla from the opening performance. Q: So tell us about the power the tower campaign? Bryan McKinnon: “Our broadcast antenna is on a tower, and all that equipment goes back 20 years to when the radio station was first set up. Back then it was a pirate station where people were really pulling together equipment that was already used and old at the time. What we want to do is make sure that our signal goes far, wide, and clear as possible.” “We're looking to upgrade basically all the equipment around the broadcast tower. A broadcast tower has three components, generally. There is the radio shack at the base of the tower, which has a lot of the receivers , transmitters , all sorts of equipment, internet and then also backup power.” “There is the main tower itself, the mast. I believe David Rousseau was saying that tower was already falling over when we set it up. So, it's really past its due date and so we're looking to replace that. Then at the very top of the tower is the antenna, which is the most important piece.” “People may have noticed that the signal sometimes cuts out, depending on where they are on the island. In order for us to really get it to where it needs to be and where we're actually allowed to broadcast, we need to upgrade the equipment.” “Right now we are broadcasting in mono because it extends our reach a little bit. With the new upgrades, we'll be able to go back to broadcasting in stereo, which would be best for us and also for listeners.” “So this is Cortes Community Radio's Power of the Tower campaign. We have a goal to raise $25,000, which seems like a lot for us, but that includes full upgrades of all our equipment, a new tower, and then also to access the tower site. It's very difficult, and so in order to get equipment up there, we're going to have to do a little bit of landscaping.” Cortes Currents: How do people give you money? Bryan McKinnon: “Donors can give any way they, that they feel most comfortable with. You can give us cash, you can give us by check. E transfer is a really great way to give it to us and that information is all on our website at cortesradio. ca forward slash donate. You can also get by credit card right through our online portal. Or if you see us at the Friday Market, you can make a donation there, right at our table.”

Demonstration temporarily delays access to Cortes Airstrip

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 17:26:48 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Earlier this year, the Cortes Island community learned that there were renovations underway at the island's old gravel airstrip. At a town hall meeting last June, around 125 residents turned out to express their concerns. Very little transpired until yesterday, Monday, August 12, when an asphalt truck was spotted in the BC Ferries webcam feed from Heriot Bay. It did not take long to confirm that the truck was coming to help lay a layer of chipseal on the runway. During the next hour, around 20 people gathered at the corner of Raven and Suitil Point Roads to block access to the airstrip. From the beginning it was clear this demonstration was a brief expression of displeasure and, after a delay, the truck would be allowed to proceed to the airstrip. The truck was delayed for about half an hour. Ben Ajami, who Martine Rothblatt employs as the project’s lead contract, came out to politely listen to the protester’s concerns. He then clarified some details about the project. Chris Dragseth explained, “We’ve tried, as a small group of people, to engage in a respectful way. Unfortunately, to date, that has been totally unsuccessful. We're wanting to go on record stating the community is not happy. The contractors are stuck in the middle. Our intent is to allow this truck to go through, but we want to demonstrate that there is some concern at all levels within the community.”

Witch Pop performs in the Village Commons

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 22:15:13 +0000

Louis Belcourt/ Folk U -On Friday, August 9, WITCH POP performed a live + live-broadcast FolkU concert in the big Village Commons tent. Hosted by Louis Belcourt, WITCH POP emerges as a new duo of Heather Wolf & Raqa Down, fusing queer intuitive pop with folk lineages, moody soulful vocals, minor drones of the Appalachian mountain dulcimer layered with synth & 808 beats. They create dark wave electro psych folk trance rooted in the multidimensionality that is witch wisdom. Their music is quirky and playful, while descending into scorpionic depths, spellcasting visions for a healing collectivism. The Village Commons Music Series is put on every Friday by a partnership between Cortes Island Community Foundation, FolkU, and CKTZ Cortes Community Radio. The series is generously sponsored by Decoda Literacy and Coastal Community Credit Union. This year, the series is also highlighting community organizations and funds part of Cortes Foundation’s fundraising campaign Care for Cortes. This week, the series highlighted the Social Profit Network. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Stories from Love Fest 2024

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 20:35:16 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Brenda Hansen, with her brother Dwayne and Kenny Hanuse, greeted the audience of Love Fest 2024 with the ‘Klahoose Welcome Song.’ (You can listen to it, sung in the ʔayʔaǰuθəm language, in the podcast version of this story.) Close to 700 people purchased tickets, performed, or were at the event on Saturday August 10. Cortes Currents went backstage to interview some of the performers and record clips of their music. Singer/songwriter Rick Scott explained, “I've often been interested in what happened with the hippie movement. Because the hippies got it right on a lot of levels. The ecology, community, the idea of cooperative and there was also a musical Renaissance that happened. All these things coming out of that time were so great and it got co-opted. Suddenly, Coca Cola had long hair, and the Monkees were clean-cut hippies. Like so many things, it got bought out and changed. We all grew older, the computer age happened and all these things distorted it in a different way. Something like the Love Fest reminds me of the essence of that time, that renaissance I call it.”

What the Cortes/Quadra Passenger Transportation Survey Discovered

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 12:42:32 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - 283 people from Cortes, Quadra and the Outer Island’s as well as some visitors participated in CCEDA’s passenger transportation survey. They were asked about a variety of options for passengers on the islands; a bus, taxi, carpool, van pool, or rideshare. "We found that the most popular option for all respondents was a bus on Quadra that included both ferries. Cortes and Outer-Island residents only need a bus that goes from the Cortes ferry to the Quadra ferry. They don't necessarily need to go anywhere else on Quadra. It's just that straight line that so many people take across Quadra. On Quadra, the most popular option was a bus that included both ferries, but also made a loop. It would be helpful for people living on Quadra and for visitors to get around Quadra," explained Jennifer Banks-Doll, Project Lead for Quadra Island. "Those were the most popular. Of course those are also the most expensive options to try to implement, which is why we wanted to look at what else people would be interested in?" "People are also really interested in having some kind of a taxi or ride-hail, because of course a bus doesn't necessarily come to your door unless you're really lucky and live on the route. It doesn't come exactly when you need it. It doesn't necessarily have a direct route. It doesn't necessarily take you home from the bar at night." "People are still really interested in some kind of door to door option that they would be paying more for, but it might be needed under certain circumstances." "Ride sharing was really popular and in terms of economics, it is really the most economically feasible as well as the easiest to organize because it's already being organized on Quadra and Cortes, through Better At Home. Only a very small number of people can access it that way, but it's a worldwide program funded here to help people stay in their homes. We found that many more people besides the clients of Better at Home are interested in ride sharing." "The strongest thing motivating people to use passenger transportation was reducing their carbon footprint. A lot of people who responded have their own vehicles. They wanted to not always have to use them and be able to use options that are more environmentally sensitive."

Cortes Community Forest receives funding for Wildfire Protection Plan

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 12:46:06 +0000

Louis Belcourt/CKTZ News - The Cortes Community Forest Cooperative has obtained funding to implement two wildfire risk reduction projects in the community forest, a project that’s been in the works for years. “The Forest Enhancement Society of BC gave funding to the community forest focused on fiber utilization, but since last year, they’ve been spending half their money on wildfire risk reduction and have a mandate to spend it all around the coast,” says Mark Lombard, manager of the Community Forest Coop. “We’re the first shovel ready project that they have funded on the coast, which is exciting,” added Lombard. This fall, the projects funded will involve thinning out the trees and reducing fuel loads in the Colter Bay residential neighbourhood and in another area in Squirrel Cove. The Cortes Community Forest Cooperative worked with the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) to complete a revised wildfire protection plan that completed in 2020. These two projects are the final two of three remaining projects as a part of that plan, with one final project straddling Klahoose First Nation land.

Final touches before Lovefest 2024

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 11:24:38 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - A crew of seven volunteers was just starting to put up the stage, when Cortes Currents arrived at Linnaea Farm on Wednesday. The doors to Love Fest 2024 will open at 11 AM on Saturday, August 10. “This is the fifth year. We took two years off during COVID, so it's seven years since we started in 2017,” said Rex Weyler, one of the founding organizers of Love Fest, His co-producer, Benji Coey, added, “Things are going really well. We're about three days out and things are moving very smoothly, so fingers crossed touch wood it continues. It's going to be a beautiful day. The grass on the lawn in front of the stage is lush and green, which for this time of year is a miracle. The lake looks calm and I think the whole vibe is going to be really beautiful.” The final line-up; food; the grounds; getting there

Johnny Hanuse at the Village Commons

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 13:50:26 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/Folk U - On Friday, August 2, Johnny Hanuse performed a live + live-broadcast FolkU concert in the big Village Commons tent. The Village Commons Music Series is put on every Friday by a partnership between Cortes Island Community Foundation, FolkU, and CKTZ Cortes Community Radio. The series is generously sponsored by Decoda Literacy and Coastal Community Credit Union. This year, the series is also raising funds for the Cortes Foundation’s fundraising campaign Care for Cortes. Every week, the donations raised in the big tent go towards a different community project the campaign is highlighting. This week, the series highlighted the Cortes Foundation’s Climate Adaptation Fund. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Calma Sailing Story LB

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 21:00:50 +0000

Louis Belcourt/CKTZ News - A local sailing company “Calma Sailing” is offering a free sailing course aimed at providing Indigenous and lower-income people an opportunity to learn the sport. “I think sailing is a bit of an elitist sport,” said Dominik Domanski, co-owner of Calma Sailing. “It seems so inaccessible.” Funding is provided by Sail Canada’s “Sailing for All” initiative, created to support grassroots programs in delivering sailing experiences to underserved and underrepresented communities and groups. “When this opportunity came up, I thought it’d be great to give the opportunity to people who live on Cortes, who, even though they live in this area, the sport might not be so accessible to them,” added Domanski. Calma Sailing Co is based on Cortes Island owned by Dominik and Ania Domanski. The course is two days (running Aug. 12-13 and then Aug. 15-16) with a Sailing Canada certificate earned on completion on at the Gorge Harbour Resort.

Proposed Gowland Harbour Development Defeated

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 22:13:19 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Rick and Cheryl Schellinck have been trying to obtain approval to subdivide their Quadra Island property, as the first step towards development, since 2011. The most recent version of the proposed Gowland Harbour Views project consisted of twenty-two 2 hectare rural residential lots, a 5 hectare Agricultural Land Reserve parcel, and two small Regional District Parks. Quadra Island residents were given a chance to state their opinions of the project at a public meeting on June 12. Then Schellinck’s application was defeated in an electoral Directors only vote at the July 24, SRD Board meeting. It failed to make it to the third reading.

Josie Simpson performs in Village Commons Music Series

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 15:51:20 +0000

Greg Osoba/Folk U - On Friday, July 26, Josie Simpson performed a live + live-broadcast FolkU concert in the big Village Commons tent. Hosted by Greg Osoba, singer-songwriter Josie Simpson draws from influences of classic American jazz, blues, and country. "The timeless quality of her phrasing...sonorous melodies and tender songwriting are Simpson's strengths" - Regular Occasion. The Village Commons Music Series is put on every Friday by a partnership between Cortes Island Community Foundation, FolkU, and CKTZ Cortes Community Radio. The series is generously sponsored by Decoda Literacy and Coastal Community Credit Union. This year, the series is also raising funds for the Cortes Foundation’s fundraising campaign Care for Cortes. Every week, the donations raised in the big tent go towards a different community project the campaign is highlighting. This week, the series highlighted the Emily Ellingsen Scholarship Fund. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

SRD Considering A Grant in Aid Policy; Mawhinney, Whalley & Vonesch opposed

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 14:45:23 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District Board SRD is considering amending the Grant in Aid process. A proposed ‘Financial Assistance to Organizations’ policy from 2021 is being considered. Regional Directors Gerald Whalley from Area A, Robyn Mawhinney from Area C and Mark Vonesch from Area B (Cortes Island) voted in opposition, but were defeated. The associated staff report refers to a recent grant in aid to the Cortes Island School, questions the relationship between the school and Parent Advisory Council and asks whether the funds being requested should actually have come from School District 72. The policy brought forward in 2021 proposed that in the future: Applications must be submitted directly to the SRD’s Financial Officer. Only registered non-profits can apply. The funds are not to be used for core funding, operating costs, wages, insurance or multi-year funding etc. Applicants must include a written statement indicating how the grant-in-aid will benefit the community. The board will give preference to applications that do not exceed $5,000. Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney, of Area C, spoke in opposition: “I'm satisfied with the current model. I think that the proposed policy that is included as a draft from 2021, does not benefit Area C constituents as it would deny applications for support with insurance fees, which can be a significant item for small organizations, and the policy also denies support for groups which are not registered not-for-profits. "Apart from the repercussions this could create in area C. It made me wonder about more loosely organized events looking for support, such as the Campbell River Canada Group, which we supported with fireworks funding earlier this year, so I'm supportive of option B, leaving the grant and aid working as it currently is." Regional Director Gerald Whalley moved, “That the matter of policy for considering grants and aid not be pursued at this time.” Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott explained, “The city of Campbell has got a substantial confusion in terms of how much money we're spending for various things like permissive tax exemptions, grants and aids and where we sit relative to other communities, including the funding source right now, where it's tied to the percentage of revenue of the city's tax base, which continue means it's growing, which I don't know if that's an acceptable use of tax dollars.” More in podcast

Peter Wrinch stepping down as CEO of Hollyhock

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 28 Jul 2024 23:06:40 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Peter Wrinch is stepping down from his position as CEO of Hollyhock. "My last day will be July 31st this year. That will be exactly seven years, to the day," he explained. "The reason I'm leaving is a much deeper question. I'm 49 years old. I'm turning 50 next year. This is my second job as an executive director or CEO. When I finished the first one, I said, 'Well, I will never do that job again” and then a few years later, I took on this role. Coming into Hollyhock, I had very little sense of the depth and warmth and connection of this place. I also knew that I would not stay forever. I'm so happy that I got to experience the love that is Hollyhock. And, I am clear that my purpose at this stage of my life is to figure out how to support organizational leaders instead of being one myself. I've thught about this quite deeply and see this ending as a call to a deeper purpose. “Heather Deeth who's been Hollyhock’s Chief Product Officer for two years and is an incredible colleague and incredible friend will take over as interim CEO for the foreseeable future. We have written a new strategic plan for our organization and are socializing it through our networks. The idea is that the board is going to hire the next full time organizational leader through the prism of the new strategic plan. I feel really confident in that view." “Hollyhock has changed a lot in the seven years that I've been leading it. I had come from working in startups - political, advocacy, technology - and to come into an organization that was 37 years old was a new experience for me. When I came in, I did not regard myself as a change agent, but more as someone who culd manifest what was wanting to come through - mostly by getting out of the way. The change that has happened in the organization over the past seven years is the result of many, many beautiful hands.” “It has occasionally been seductive to define my tenure through the lens of the pandemic. And there is no doubt that the pandemic changed all of our lives, and certainly changed my trajectory here. However, I have come to see it as an amazing time to lead the organization. It allowed us to lead from values and I am very proud of the way we led through those years."

Calling For A Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program in BC

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 12:31:26 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - In 2008, the city of Berkely had a problem. They wanted to hasten the adoption of solar technology, but the $20,000 to $30,000 bill was too steep for a lot of homeowners. Cisco DeVries, the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, came up with what Scientific American would later call one of the top 20 “world-changing” ideas of the year. The capital would come from private investors, but homeowners could finance energy upgrades through their property taxes. Since then, Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs have provided more than $13 billion for solar installations and energy saving improvements for homes and businesses in the United States. Cortes Island resident Brian Scott would like to see PACE made available to British Columbians. “I represent two things, an idea and an organization. The idea is the PACE financing tool, which will not be ‘the magic bullet’ but is very close when it comes to our need to address climate change quickly. PACE specifically addresses the fact that roughly a third of our greenhouse gas emissions come from residential and commercial buildings. I'm representing the concept and promoting it. I also represent PACE Alberta and PACE Canada,” he explained. “The key that makes PACE work is that the homeowner isn't borrowing the funds. Their house is borrowing the funds effectively. It doesn't impact their credit rating. It shouldn't even impact their mortgage because essentially it's just like a local improvement charge. The bottom line is when you borrow PACE money to upgrade your house, that borrowing effectively flows through the taxation authority and you repay the borrowing through your taxes.” “PACE unlocks our motivation right across the board, whether it's personal, whether it's private, whether it's government, et cetera. It removes the barriers and it makes it easy to become a sustainable champion and to take action. The proof is that in the US: where those measures have been properly implemented, PACE is growing exponentially. In Canada, it's a turtle. That's really the bottom line.”

Bringing her personal interpretation of Tibetan Thangka art to the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 15:35:23 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Tamara Dawn has been travelling to India for the past 15 years. On August second she brings her personal interpretation of Tibetan Thangka art to the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery in a watercolour collection called 'Buddha as a Principle.’ “I was 18 when I took my first trip to the east, I went to Nepal. I went to India when I was maybe 20. I've been back and forth several times, going to India and Nepal, and then coming back to Canada and integrating what I learned,” she began. Cortes Currents: What’s special about India? Tamarra Dawn: “In my childhood there was a real absence of spiritual teachings. I was raised as a kind of pseudo-Christian. I have been baptized, but there were not really any real teachings involved with it, almost like a surface (Christianity). I was drawn to the East because of the preservation of tradition and the way that they're alive in day to day life.” “I think my favorite part is the embracing of the chaos and the embracing of just life being not all clean or pure. Life is full of the whole spectrum and an appreciation of that, the culture of worship and devotion being present. I think that inspired me in my life, and then really came through in my art.”

This Summer At Wild Cortes

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 12:10:09 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - There’s a lot happening at Wild Cortes this summer. “Come to Wild Cortes because it's the coolest place on the island, literally and figuratively. Literally because we're in the basement and it's always cool here,” said co-curator Dawn Collins. At 2 PM on Wednesday July 24, they are holding a bug hunt at Wild Cortes. There will be a taxidermy display at an as yet to be determined time on Saturday July 27. Kristen Schofield-Sweet will lead a session on drawing wild critters at 12;30 on Sunday, August 4. At 12:00 on Wednesday August 14, Ayamia Strike will offer a demonstration on crafting with nature. Laurel will give a taxidermy demonstration, using study skins, at 1 PM on Friday August 24. Wild Cortes will be holding a special Taxidermy showcase at 6:00 on Saturday September 14. These events are in addition to the current exhibits, which are on display five days a week through the summer.

Rick Bockner at the Village Commons

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 21:45:31 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie: On Friday, July 19, Rick Bockner performed a live + live-broadcast FolkU concert in the big Village Commons tent. Hosted by Manda Aufochs Gillespie and Greg Osoba, Rick Bockner is a guitarist, songwriter, teller of tales, and social commentator. He mixes a deep love of traditional music with contemporary influences and topics. The Village Commons Music Series is put on every Friday by a partnership between Cortes Island Community Foundation, FolkU, and CKTZ Cortes Community Radio. The series is generously sponsored by Decoda Literacy and Coastal Community Credit Union. This year, the series is also raising funds for the Cortes Foundation’s fundraising campaign Care for Cortes. Every week, the donations raised in the big tent go towards a different community project the campaign is highlighting. This week, the series highlighted the Cortes Housing Society. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Gumbooting through the history of Mansons Lagoon

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 15:00:02 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Once or twice a year, visitors are given an opportunity to ‘gumboot’ into the natural and human history of Mansons Lagoon. This is a joint event put on by the Cortes Island Museum and Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI). Jane Newman provides the glimpse into the lagoon’s past. In the following article, Cortes Currents supplemented her account with materials from the Museum and additional genealogical records found on the web. Jane’s account started with a description of Mansons Spit during the precolonial era.

Microgrants 4 Neighbours 2024

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 13:45:05 +0000

Louis Belcourt/CKTZ News - The Cortes Island Community Foundation announced its funded projects for the 2024 Microgrants for Neighbors Program. There were thirty-two applications, which was more than last year, and fourteen projects were funded that used up their entire budget of around six thousand dollars, says Isabelle Mcknight, Executive Administrator at the Foundation. Within in the successful applicants are multiple Indigenous projects supporting the Klahoose Nation, including a Helping Elders Heal program, design work being done for a group of Namqam Singers, and a project working on Klahoose Regalia and a workshop to go along with it. “We’re super excited that we have had lots of engagement from the Klahoose peoples throughout this program. One of the really big things that the foundation is trying to work on is increased accessibility for all different sectors of our community,” added McKnight.

bc ferries new boat interview

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 12:21:28 +0000

Louis Belcourt/ CKTZ News - Construction has officially begun on the first two of the four new battery-electric hybrid Island Class vessels at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania. “Today, the first steel plates were cut, marking the official start of production for our newest Hybrid Island Class ships,” said Ed Hooper, Executive Director of Shipbuilding at BC Ferries. “Their innovative design will also improve the overall efficiency and sustainability of our operations.” These ships have multiple improvements including increased capacity and better environmental sustainability by incorporating a battery system powered by BC hydro electric, according to BC ferries. The new vessels will enter service “around 2026 to 2027”, BC Senior Communications Advisor Colin Zak told CKTZ. They will travel the Nanaimo – Gabriola route and the Campbell River – Quadra route and “that’s going to help give us a little bit more capacity to ease some of the capacity issues we’re having on some of the other routes,” added Zak.

Whale Blitz teaches locals how to report entangled humpbacks

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 12:05:29 +0000

Louis Belcourt/ CKTZ News - July 18, 2024 - Cortes Island was included in the third annual Oceanwise Conservation Association’s 2024 Whale Blitz, which included events all over the Vancouver coast, educating people on whale information and how to spot whales and report on their sightings. A booth hosted by the coordinator of the Oceanwise Conservation Association provided information on whales in our area and encouraged people to report their whale sightings to the Whale Report App. The Oceanwise Conservation Association was made aware of the reports of the supposed three year old whale named Vector that is entangled in fishing line, but hasn’t heard of any follow up sightings. Another potentially entangled humpback was reported to Oceanwise off of Hornby Island on Monday night and locals are encouraged to keep an eye out and report it to Oceanwise, the D

Elevenses: Creative Writing At the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 11:48:50 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Elevenses is coming to the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery. “A lot of people are like, ‘Elevenses? What is Elevenses?’ Well, Elevenses is the time of day. I believe it's a Harry Potter thing, but it's not really why I like it. I like it because it's a great name for the time of day. We're going to meet at 11 and really the whole intent of doing this is to spark imagination. It really is not so much about creative writing and preparing something that's going to come to completion. It's about a process. So we're going to enter this evocative experiential installation space at the Old Schoolhouse Gallery at 11 o'clock Wednesday, July 24th as a group,” explained Jane Newman, who will lead this creative writing workshop. “I will have crafted a number of different prompts and questions for people to respond to in sort of timed writing segments.” “It isn't a traditional exhibition where there's paintings all around the room with labels on them and their price and the name and everything. It's called an installation and an installation has a different sort of form in the gallery.” “It's a little bit more interactive experiential. It may hit you on an emotional level just as far as the mood of the space. It may be misunderstood. It may be confusing. It may be that our responses are ephemeral and we don't really know what we're feeling, but we're going to capture it. We're going to stop, reflect, write, share, move forward, another prompt, stop, reflect, write, share, move forward another prompt“. “We'll be in that space. We'll interact with each other just in that we're in the room together, but really interacting with the installation by Ebony Rose. That's the intent. That's the process. This installation will be a little bit of a mystery to begin with for many, and we will meet the muses.” “There will be an opportunity to share back too, because that's always really interesting. If people don't want to share back, they don't have to share back.”

Michael Keith: The Village Commons Music Series

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 23:33:55 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On Friday, July 12, Michael Keith performed a live + live-broadcast FolkU concert in the big Village Commons tent. Hosted by Manda Aufochs Gillespie, Michael Keith is a guitarist from Toronto, now living on Cortes, who plays globally-informed, original music. The Village Commons music series is put on every Friday by a partnership between Cortes Island Community Foundation, FolkU, and CKTZ Cortes Community Radio. The series is generously sponsored by Decoda Literacy and Coastal Community Credit Union. This year, the series is also raising funds for the Cortes Foundation’s fundraising campaign Care for Cortes. Every week, the donations raised in the big tent go towards a different community project the campaign is highlighting. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Dedication of the Tsakwa'luten Wellness Centre

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 16:01:06 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - It began with sacred songs, drumming and dancers. Executive Director Kristie Lamirande would later tell Cortes Currents that while many healing centres have Indigenous spiritual components, as far as she knows none of them possess the 50/50 blend of Indigenous and Western healing methodology that the new Tsakwa’luten Healing Centre will offer. Some will remember this property as the Tsa Kwa Luten Lodge, on the southern tip of Quadra Island. There will be 42 beds for people struggling with addiction. 20 of them should be ready when the Centre opens this Fall. Jennifer Whiteside, the province's Minister for Health and Addictions, MLA Michele Babchuk, Chief Susan Savoy of the K’omoks First Nation and a number of leaders from the health community joined the We Wai Kai First Nation for the dedication on Tuesday July 16, 2024. Ronnie Chickite, Chief Councillor of the We Wai Kai Nation addressed the visitors, “I would like to welcome you all to our traditional territory. It's a great day to be here. The sun is shining for this monumental announcement that the Minister is going to do for us today. We've been working on this over the last year and a half, but this vision has been there a lot longer. It's something we've seen our people go through and not only our people, but people throughout this whole country, let alone BC, but Indigenous people are definitely struggling the most.” “We wanted to create an Indigenous led traditional healing centre. We've seen them work. We believe that the culture based approach, combined with evidence based practices, can heal our people. The clinical programming that we are looking at as well is going to be combined with 50 percent Western therapies and 50 percent land based therapies. We are looking to open up in the Fall, hopefully in November.” “I'd also like to thank the Ministry of Health and Addictions. Without Minister Whiteside and her team and staff, and also our local MLA, Michelle Babchuk, a lot of this wouldn’t be happening.” The province is investing $7.86 million towards the renovations and the operations. Whiteside explained, “It’s an important part of building a continuum of care in this part of the island, with the detox beds that have just opened now, at the hospital. The relationships that have been built through this project.” Lamirande added, “The province has committed to funding our social beds for the first year. That's 80 percent of our beds. 20 percent of our beds are corporate, private pay beds, and so year two and beyond, we need to sort that out, but social beds are covered for the first year.” Cortes Currents joined Minister Whiteside, Babchuk and Linda Campbell, the facility’s lead for construction, on a tour of the bedrooms that are already finished. They were discussing the centre’s interactions with other First Nations. Cortes Currents: What about Klahoose? Linda Campbell: “We haven't heard from Klahoose yet. They've been invited today, but I don't know if they're sending anybody over. Certainly we'll be reaching out to all the nations. One of the nice things about it is I sit on the primary care network and the Indigenous Advisory. Klahoose is also a member. I've been bringing them up to speed on where the Healing Centre is at. We will be open shortly, and a lot of nations have been reaching out.” Chief Ronnie Chickite: “Our goal is to create a safe and wonderful environment for anyone who wants to come here, not just Indigenous people. We want to make this for everybody.”

MLA Michelle Babchuk Visits Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 14:41:51 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - MLA Michelle Babchuk was on Cortes Island for a few days last week. She spoke to Cortes Currents after meeting with some of the island’s non-profits in the Village Commons. This was the third time she’s visited the island since she was elected in 2020. “I'm hearing that Cortes actually has a lot of capacity and we've known that for a long time. There's a lot of not for profit groups here. A lot of them are feeling extremely underfunded,” she explained. “I'm really excited because in my past visits there've been a lot of not-for-profits doing really great work at a grassroots level built specifically on need for the community, which is super heartwarming because it's a community feel, but now we're taking a look at those organizations scaling up. They are not dispersing little amounts of money that are not getting where they are needed. I'm seeing a lot of collaboration with people actually taking a look at where there is overlap, where the highest need is and being able to collaborate and scale that up so that you're actually hitting that next level of service delivery.” Babchuk has visited a lot of rural communities in her riding. Michele Babchuk: “I’ve been traveling through the North Island for the last four years, It's a large riding but I've been able to go to all of the communities at least once or twice to see if the direction of the government in housing, health care, public safety, all of that is working for the community, and if not, what are the things that need to change. Rural communities are different from urban communities, different from metropolitan communities and sometimes it feels like we're fitting a round peg into a square hole. We need to be able to listen to the communities to make that happen.”

Changes Coming To Downtown Mansons

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 11:03:04 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The audio version of this story starts with Michael Keith’s impromptu response to a car horn sounding off during his Friday, July 12, performance in the Village Commons Music Series. “I don't want to live in this crazy place, all the horns are beeping all over the place. Every time I try to play, I can’t - I hear another horn, it's probably someone shopping for corn.” There have been a lot of changes in what Manda Aufochs Gillespie calls the heart of ‘Mansons Landing.’ The big tent where Michael played has been moved beside the Mansons Hall parking lot for the summer. Cortes Currents did not check to see if Reef Point Farm is already selling corn at the Friday Market, but Sara Stewart was there. Her stall was involved in the realignment which now connects the Market with the Village Commons. Manda Aufochs Gillespie: "The Cortes Island Community Foundation is really excited to be partnered with our neighbors in particular, the Southern Cortes Community Association (SCCA) and Manson's Hall to rethink the Village Commons and heart of Manson's in a way that would be more from the neighbourhood user experience."  "One of the first things we realized, when we started looking at this piece of land that we're calling the Village Commons, is how separated the land right beyond the radio station and FOCI was. As if to say, ‘Who cares about that?’"  "What we want is to have interactive places where we can come together as a community, and flow between. The grants that came with the Village Commons, when CCEDA passed that land to the community foundation, provided an opportunity to do some revisioning taking onto account that has happened in the past with CCEDA and the deliverables that we have to do."  “One of the things that came up again and again, when we were talking to the community, was that people wanted to feel like there was less division between spaces. They wanted to park their car, leave it for some period of time and walk between things."  "As you can see now, the parking lot here at Manson's hall is starting to feel a little bit more organized. It's a little less overfull. Now there's an overflow parking that's tucked in near the skate park and the museum that is publicly accessible with a short trail that goes right to the Friday Market, Manson's Hall and the Village Common space."

Love Fest 2024: A Sampling Of Musicians

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 10:10:09 +0000

Lovefest 2024 is coming to Cortes Island on Saturday, August 10. The full slatep of performers has now been confirmed and today’s program is going to be a sampler from five of the acts: 6 Foot Johnson, Doc Fingers, Elise Le Blance, the Adonis Puentes Cuban band and Ann Mortifee “ It'll be a great day of music; it’s a family affair. There's food, of course, and all the crafts vendors and there will be massages. There's a kid's tent. We're going to have fun and games for kids. It's the Cortes annual music festival. This is for the people that are here in the summer and of course, the year round residents that live on Cortes. We like to feature our local musicians and we like to bring in new bands that people haven't heard. Doors open at 11, the music starts at noon, Lovefest will probably go till nine o’clock,” explained Rex Weyer, one of the Festival’s principle organizers. Tickets are on sale in the stores: the Cortes Market, Cortes Natural Food Co-op, Squirrel Cove General Store and Gorge Harbour Store. Rex Weyler: "They're also on sale at Friday Markets. I'm there every Friday.” Cortes Currents: Let’s go to the sampling: The audio version of this story opens with a short clip of 6 Foot Johnson which CKTZ News reporter Louis Belcourt recorded just prior to their 20th year anniversary performance. You can listen to it in the podcast above. Rex Weyler: “This is the first time that Six Foot Johnson is going to play at Lovefest. We're really excited about that. This is a Cortes band that's been playing for a long time for decades and great musicians, “We have Doc Fingers, great BC musician. I knew Doc Fingers in the seventies and eighties, when he used to play in Vancouver all the time. He'll bring his band, really good music.” Weyler’s co-producer, Benji Cohen emailed that Doc Fingers has been on the Vancouver scene since 1972: “Doc plays an eclectic mix of jazz, blues, pop, boogie-woogie and originals and has toured Europe regularly.” ‘Good Times Roll’ is from a 2017 recording of the Doc Finger’s Trio. Rex Weyler: “We have Elise LeBlanc, a country singer from Cumberland. She plays with a fiddle player. They do just great western swing style fiddle music. She did an album in 2011 called 'Runaway Kites' and her most recent, The Fiddle and the Fire, is excellent, just released last year. You can find her on Spotify and BandCamp and so forth. She's got a website. You could play some of her music on the radio too if you want.” "The Fiddle and The Fire” is from a 2023 recording of Elise LeBlanc & The Ridgeriders Rex Weyler: “The Adonis Puentes Cuban band that people love so much is coming back.” Puentes has been a headliner at the last two Lovefests and his song Sabor A Café was a shortlisted nominee for World Music Album of the Year at the 2014 Junos. This sampling closes with a clip from one of the most internationally recognized singers on Cortes island. “Anne Mortifee is going to do a retrospective of her career. And Anne, I also knew in the seventies in Vancouver. Anne has always been an extraordinary singer. She lives here on Cortes Island now, and we're really fortunate to have Anne on the island and double fortunate that she's going to do a set for us at Lovefest.” ‘Nobody Gets My Child’ is taken from the Ecstasy of Rita Joe Rex Weyler: “I found out that August 10th, the day of Love Fest, there will also be a massive shooting star exhibition put on by the universe. so as the music's ending, we'll be showered in shooting stars. The grand finale will be the shooting star display in association with the Universe and Love Fest.”

Squirrel Cove QXMC Project: The next Phase

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 22:05:28 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - As anyone passing through Squirrel Cove in recent months knows, there has been a great clearing in the upper part of the new Klahoose property. QXMC, the business arm of the Klahoose First Nation, hopes to open a store and gas bar there by March 2025. Ron Buchhorn, Chair of the Board of QXMC, explained, ”We retained a project manager back in November of last year and we have signed a letter of intent with Chevron for the gas station component of the store and gas bar. We have a commitment from Co-op that they will assist us with stocking the store and helping us basically manage to their standards. Co-op will supply us with all the products in the store through their wholesale distributor TGF. We're very happy about that. It won't be branded Co-op because obviously with the Chevron branding on the facility, you can't have two brands.” “The footprint of the store will be about 4,000 square feet. Full service with everything from groceries to produce, to meat, to deli to some prepared warm foods. It looks as though we'll have four suites upstairs. A 2 bedroom and three 1 bedroom suites, to ensure that we have accommodation for staff at the store.” “If we proceed with phase two, which is the campground next door, our plan is to have the General Manager and potentially a couple of the other department managers living at the facility. We want to have someone there full time.” “In terms of the store layout and the external architecture of the store, we're trying to keep the architecture consistent with the cabins that we've had an architect design. He's done a lot of research on Coast Salish buildings, during the last couple hundred years and tried to factor in that type of architecture. It'll be very similar to the Klahoose Administration Building as well, so it'll be a shed roof with some nice exterior wood paneling. Our hope is that the sawmill will be able to provide all of the beams and most of the wood that will be required for the structure.”

Jon Cooksey Interview

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 15:32:45 +0000

Maureen Williams/Cortes Currents - Last week, I sat down on zoom with television showrunner and independent film maker Jon Cooksey to talk about his 2010 film, “How to Boil a Frog”. The film, which also features Rex Weyler, is being screened at Manson’s Hall on Tuesday, July 9, at 7PM. Jon and Rex will be there to participate in discussion after the film. In the interview, we talked about the events that led to his interest in climate change and ecological overshoot, his long friendship with Rex, and how his thoughts about impacting the future have evolved since making this film.

Gorge Harbour Marina Renovations Completed

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 12:11:58 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The renovations at Gorge Harbour Marina are finished. This has been much more than a facelift. It includes a new water system, upgraded septic and electric systems, yet the face of the resort has also been dramatically improved. The RV sites, campsites, much of the grounds and internal layout of the lodge have all been redesigned. Six new visitor domes, 2 cooking stations, a new massage hut, a new bridge across the creek and a food truck have been added. There is one big decision remaining. Will QXMC, the business arm of the Klahoose FIrst Nation, build a restaurant to take the place of the former Floathouse restaurant? General Manager Marco Bedetti says a decision is imminent and, for now, the food truck serves the resort’s needs. The last three months at the resort have been a success story, which Bedetti insists starts at the board level: “Obviously we had ideas on the direction that the Gorge Harbour should go. Those ideas became more focused and clear towards the beginning of March. There was a board meeting at the end of March and we decided to go ahead with a bigger project which left us with basically April, May, and parts of June, to be able to get them all done for the opening on June 28th. We couldn't have done any of this without the Klahoose community, without council and chief, without the board of directors who: A - purchased the property, and B - had a vision of wanting to own a better run resort like this one. So I want to give a big thank you to the Klahoose Community Chief and Council and Board of Directors." Darryl Czegledi, the general contractor during this final stage of renovations, added, “This is a big project. It doesn't make a lot of money up front. So you have to have the vision and then you really have to want to put the money forward so the vision can come together. From my perspective, the Klahoose seems to want to invest in the community.”

Bringing “Six Strings and Beyond” To The Radio

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 10:40:14 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Michael Keith has been a professional musician for over 35 years, and lately people have been asking him to share some of his expertise on the radio. He finally launched ‘Six Strings And Beyond’ on Tuesday June 18th. “The idea of the programs based on guitar, which is my area of expertise: guitar, guitarists, and guitar like instruments from around the world. So, plucked string instruments a number of which I've studied privately over the years. I'm an amateur Ethnomusicologist,” he explained. Cortes Currents: What’s the format: interviews? recordings? your expertise? Michael Keith: “All of the above, I'm wide open. Cortes Community Radio (CKTZ 89.5 FM) would like to have local people as much as possible, so I'm certainly open to that, but mostly just sharing anecdotes about my experiences as a guitar player. discovering and being inspired by people ta lot of people (if they tune in) probably haven’t heard of. I've done such an extensive amount of listening and following of off the radar guitarists and other instrumentalists over the last 40 years or so. I also plan on bringing different instruments with me, having a little talk about them and playing a little bit live in the studio myself, just for the fun of it. Randy Bachman has done that on a CBC show where he'd have guitar player guests, and then they would jam a tune live on the air and I think that's a cool idea.” Cortes Currents: How is the show coming so far? Michael Keith: “I’ve done two and they both went smoothly. So now we're starting to advertise it a bit. It's Tuesday afternoons on CKTZ 89.5 FM, at 3:30 to 5 PM.

Summer 2024 activities with FOCI

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 23:24:46 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) have just published their summer activities program for 2024. “We're really delighted to be launching our 2024 Summer Events Program. We've got eight really fabulous events running in July and August. Everything from a low tide walk in Manson's Lagoon, which we call ‘Gumbooting in the Lagoon’, through to a kayak tour of Hague and Gunflint Lakes. We've also got a tour of Blue Jay Farm, a herbal tea workshop, and an early morning seashore walk in front of Hollyhock. So lots of really exciting events coming up,” explained Helen Hall, Executive Director of FOCI. Cortes Currents: Are any of these activities hands on, where you get to really experience nature? Helen Hall: “All of them are like that. We've got a new event for us which is called Forest Foraging on Foot, and that's with permaculturalist and herbalist Maria McKenty. That's going to be a guided walk through Hank's Beach Forest Trails. People get a chance to learn about the nutritional and medicinal uses of plants, so that should be a really fun and engaging.” “Our ‘Gumbooting in the Lagoon’ event is really hands on. Marine biologist, Deb Cowper is there to guide people around the lagoon and look at all the different marine life in the lagoon. On that event, we have lots of children who are really excited to take part. It's a bit like a marine treasure hunt for them. They look at crabs, the moon snails and Deb tells them all about it.” “We've also got a herbal tea workshop that we're running in August, which is where people can actually learn how to blend different herbs and make teas. So that's going to be a very hands on fun event for people to take part in too.” Cortes Currents: I noticed that two of your events or farm tours. Helen Hall: “That’s learning about the two different farms: Blue Jay Farm and how people live there off grid. Max Thaysen, who's a farm resident, will be talking to people about some unique systems of human habitation there. The Linnaea Farm Tour is quite a nice tour for kids to take part in. They get to meet the farm animals, see life on the farm and where the food comes from.” Cortes Currents: Are these events fundraisers for FOCI? Helen Hall: “It helps, we do make a little bit of money about it, but our prime reason is to get people out there enjoying. the natural environment, having fun and discovering new things about the island.” Cortes Currents: Do you find that it that some people who go on the tours turn around and become volunteers for FOCAI? Hellen Hall: Yes, over the years had people volunteering or joining FOCAI as a member, and then getting more involved in the organization. Maybe a child who's come on our low tide Gumbooting walk will be inspired to become a marine biologist. When people do an event or activity, you never really know what they're taking away from it.” We get a mixture of locals and tourists, so it's a good way for us also to talk about the work we're doing in the different locations. Like we're doing some work at Manson's Spit next to the lagoon, so it gives us a chance to tell people about the work we're doing as well. So people get to learn a bit more about us as an organization. It's a lovely time in the summer to be outdoors exploring and we usually get really good feedback from people who take part. “I'd like to say one more thing about our summer events program. The program is on our website, which is friendsofcortes.org. You can find out more about the events there. If people want to book a spot, then they just have to contact the FOCI office by phoning 250-935-0087 or emailing us on friendsofcortes@gmail.com. The events are usually very popular, so we encourage people to book to make sure they get a spot.”

Simon Kempston Coming To Campbell River, Quadra and Cortes

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 14:18:28 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents- Alan Morrison of the Sunday Herald described Simon Kempston as ‘One of Scotland's very best singer-songwriters.’ Scottish Television said he is ‘a stunning Talent.’ Tom Robinson of BBC Radio 6 added, ‘Beautifully authentic guitar style & heartfelt vocals.’ Kempston will be performing in: Campbell River’s Spirit Square from noon to 1:15 on Tuesday, July 9th; Mansons Hall on Cortes Island, at 7 PM on July 11; and in the Kameleon Cafe on Quadra Island, at 7 PM on Friday July 12th. This is Simon Kemptson’s 9th Canadian tour and Cortes Currents caught up with him in Wells BC, where he was playing at the Sunset Theatre. "Listening audiences are the most important thing to me, an audience that's going to listen to you. I have a lot to say both in the songs and with the music, but also I like to tell stories and give some context and background about the song. So small art centers, churches, small theatres, house concerts: these are the type of ideal venues for what I present," he explained.

Can A Universal Basic Income work in the SRD?

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 20:58:42 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - One of the most controversial ideas being considered in the SRD’s Poverty Reduction Plan is advocating for a Universal Basic Income (UBI). There are numerous examples showing this is an effective way to riase people out of poverty. The problem is too much of the financial impact may fall on the diminishing middle class ($50,000-$135,000 per anno in BC) rather than the rich who appear to be increasingly growing richer. Many Cortes Island residents would benefit from a Universal Basic Income. The recent Housing Needs Report states that our median wage was about $15,000 lower than the District’s norm.(1) According to data from the 2021 census, only 27% of the labour force have full time employment. The remainder work part time.(2) Quadra Island is only marginally better off than Cortes. The median wage was $14,000 lower than the District’s norm and 36% of the labour force had full time jobs.(3) Both islands also have residents whose take-home income would most likely shrink if a Universal Basic Income were introduced. (Someone has to pay the taxes needed to support such a system!)

Folk U: Cortes Foundation’s Care for Cortes fundraising campaign

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 20:23:47 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/Folk U - On Friday, June 28, host Manda Aufochs Gillespie was joined by community leaders Sadhu Johnston, Michael Datura, Bryan McKinnon, Kate Maddigan, Forrest Berman-Hatch, and Andrea Fisher, to chat about the Cortes Foundation’s Care for Cortes fundraising campaign and the community projects it will be supporting. Tune in for news and discussion about the CIA, Microgrants, CKTZ, the Cortes Foundation’s climate fund, Cortes Housing Society, and the Social Profit Network. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Sam Tudor Story CKTZ LB

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 19:59:42 +0000

LOuis Belcourt/CKTZ News - Sam Tudor, a recording artist based in Vancouver, is currently touring across BC to showcase their newly released EP and recently have included a show on Cortes Island as part of the tour. Tudor, a self-taught musician and recording artist, has been recording and releasing music since 2014. This upcoming show at Manson’s Hall on Cortes Island marks Sam’s debut performance on the island, arranged spontaneously following a recommendation from a friend with ties to Cortes. Titled “Hidden Minute,” Sam’s latest EP was released on June 15. The EP’s release show will take place in Vancouver on Friday, June 28, with the Cortes Island show following on Tuesday, July 2.

First Draft of the SRD's Poverty Reduction Plan

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 10:30:35 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District is considering what could be an extremely innovative and societal changing plan. As CAO David Letich informed the Board, at their Wednesday June 26 meeting, the draft Poverty Reduction Plan is already more than 100 pages long. It was his intention to have the plam introduced through a presentation and then, hopefully, they will forward it to the Committee of the Whole for further discussion. Madison Stewart, the District’s Community Health Network Coordinator, made the presentation: “A large group of folks worked on this plan, so I'm happy to be here to present it to you.” “In April 2023, the Strathcona Regional District was successful in receiving $147,000 from the UBCM (Union of BC Municipalities) Poverty Reduction Planning and Action Program, which aims to support local governments in reducing poverty at the local level and to support the province's poverty reduction strategy, known as Together BC.” “The plan is meant to build on and align with similar foundational reports such as the Housing Needs Report and be utilized for the following government functions. One being providing a strategic framework to focus and align poverty reduction efforts, lending to policy and program development, leveraging funding and resources to secure provincial, federal, and private funding, facilitating collaboration to foster a sense of shared responsibility.” “To monitor and evaluate, measuring success, ensuring accountability, and informing data driven adjustments, raising awareness, and serving as an advocacy tool to educate the public and policy makers. And to build on and leverage existing efforts, creating a more robust strategy.”

Roots Round-up Interview CKTZ LB

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 17:47:01 +0000

Louis Belcourt/CKTZ News - The Gorge Harbour Marina and the Gorge Hall have both booked Roots Round Up this weekend for two shows. The prolific Vancouver based band haven’t played Cortes since before the COVID-19 pandemic and have never played back-to-back shows on the island. Originally formed in 1985 in a small apartment in East Vancouver, Roots Roundup became more widely known through the late 80s and early 90s with their constant touring and high energy music. On their website, you can find videos of their first show on Cortes back in 2014. On Friday, June 28, Roots Round Up will play at the Fireside patio at the Gorge Marina and on Saturday at the Gorge Hall. They recently reunited to finish their new record titled Up Rooted, and released it earlier this June.

Iris Steigeman: Adrift Among The Arctic Circle

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 13:30:47 +0000

Roy L Hales/ CO\ortes Currents - Iris Steigemann was an artist before she came to Cortes island in 1980, but for the last five or six years her work has taken on a new focus. “I've been painting icebergs. What fascinates me is the underneath of the iceberg. You usually see a quarter to a third of an iceberg above the water. Under the water, it's kind of a dream landscape. I like to play around with that,” she explained. “There is also the environmental aspect of it. The ice cap there is melting way faster than what was expected. The thickest part of the ice cap in Greenland is about three kilometers deep. They're doing ice cores of this and they can actually see what kind of weather there was, what was happening on earth at those times. Now this is all melting. They break off and a lot of them from Ilulissat Icefjord actually float around to the Canadian side. They drift down the east coast and then they melt." An exhibition of her work called ‘Adrift above The Arctic circle’ will be on display at the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery from July 5th to 14th. It opens at 6:00 PM on Friday, July 5th.

Feasibility Study for On-Island Composting Treatment Of Cortes Island Septic Wastes

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 13:58:26 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The SRD will be carrying out the second step of a feasibility study to determine whether on-island compost treatment of Cortes Island’s septic wastes would be more beneficial than the current pump-out system, and could it be delivered at a cost comparable to setting up a conventional system. Cortes Island’s septic systems need to be cleaned out roughly every three years. This is currently done by a septic truck, which takes the wastes off-island. The SRD has just completed the first part of the feasibility study. Sylvis Environmental carried out a study which found that, ”On island composting of septage would produce a valuable soil amendment, slightly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and keep local organic matter and nutrient resources within the community.” However it could cost twice as much as setting up a conventional treatment system. Regional Director Mark Vonesch said this is not something that Cortes Island taxpayers are interested in, but still wishes to proceed with a phase two of the feasibility study. This consists of reviewing design specifications of up to three commercially available compost systems and providing capital and operational cost estimates for each system, with recommendations for the SRD Board’s consideration. At the SRD Board meeting yesterday, Wed June 26, 2024, Vonesch explained his rationale. “The initial report that came through showed, it's roughly a million dollar investment into making this happen on Cortes with anywhere between $150,000 and $250,000 in operating costs each year. This is not a project that we can just move forward with using tax requisition, not something I'm interested in. I don't think Cortes is.” Vonesch wanted to proceed with phase two because, “If we can get this study done when the provincial or federal government opens up, infrastructure funding, it could be something that we can jump on.” “I do want to make a note after talking with the CAO , I think there are some aspects that weren't necessarily considered in the first stage that could be considered in the second stage. “Cortes is such a boating and sailing center for a lot of people, and the Gorge Harbor has gone through a huge revitalization. If septic removal from boats could be added to that service, it could be a way to bring down operating costs.” “I'm really excited about this potential and recognize that it's a long term thing and hope we can have the board support to move forward with the second step.” There is no cost to Cortes Island taxpayers. Phase One of the study was funded by a $10,000 grant from the Infrastructure Planning Grant Program. If the Board proceeded with phase two, it would be funded by a $20,000 grant from the Growing Communities Funds and $5,000 from the Liquid Waste Management Service Function 340. There was a slight hiccup when Director Vonesch moved that the Board proceed with part two for Cortes Island (Area B). The studies were proposed for Areas B and D, but Regional Director John Rice of Area D agreed to have it carried out in his area as well. The Board unanimously voted to proceed with the second step of a feasibility study for compost septic treatment systems in Areas B and D.

Seeking your input to identify Cortes Island's Vital Signs

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 21:08:07 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - It has been two days since Isabella McKnight sent the word out. The Cortes Island Community Foundation was only a third of the way to collecting the 300 signatures needed for the Vital Signs community survey! “Vital Signs is a program supported by the Community Foundations of Canada. It's more than just a survey. It's a powerful tool designed to illuminate the areas where our community thrives and also identify the aspects that need our collective attention and effort. So by participating, you're contributing to a richer understanding of Cortes, explained McKnight, Executive Administrator of the Cortes Island Community Foundation. Cortes Currents: How important is this for grant applications? Isabella McKnight: “It will definitely help us streamline where the need in our community is, so it can definitely help us to decide what kind of grants we should apply for. For example: The housing needs on Cortes, or the need to support our elders, etc. It's really important to help us fill it out because we want to hear everyone's voice and understand, from a vast diversity of people, what Cortes needs and wants in the future.” Cortes Currents: When’s the deadline? Isabella McKnight: “The deadline for Vital Signs is July 7th.” “We have an option on July 5th at the Friday Market for people to come in and fill out paper copies or on the computer. We also have paper mail and pouches available around the island at Manson's Hall, the Mansons Post Office, Whaletown Post Office, Bertha's, Klahoose, and at the library.” Cortes Currents: How far are you towards getting the number of responses you need? Isabella McKnight: “So as of yesterday, we are at 155 responses, which is over halfway to our goal of 300. We've been focusing lots of efforts on partnering with the non profits on the island to get them to share the survey out to their networks, as well as just reaching out to friends and family on Cortes to try and get as much representation as we can.” Isabella McKnight: “With the published data from this Vital Signs survey, the Cortes Foundation will be able to see where the gaps in our community are and where our residents believe we should be focusing our efforts, which is a huge reason to participate.” “It also helps provide our nonprofits with some information that they can use to help better serve our community. Plus, you can win some really great prizes.” Cortes Currents: What are the prizes? Isabella McKnight: “The prizes that we have available are: a six hour trip with Misty Isle Adventures, $250 cash, dinner for two at Hollyhock, two 50 gift cards, one for the Refuge Cove Dockside restaurant and one for the gallery. A free Nzuri basket, a gift card from the Sunflower Food Truck, a free paddle with Cortes Kayaks, a gift set from Twigroot Botanicals, a handwoven tea towel from Beth Napper, handmade pottery from Jeramie Ellingson, and a massage from Fawn Baron.” “I really hope people take the time to participate. It's really great to get your voice heard and feel free to stop by on July 5th at the Friday market to fill out a copy in person.”

Richard Andrews Village Commons Update Story LB

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 19:11:34 +0000

Louis Belcourt/CKTZ News -The Village Commons construction project aims to have its new structures operational by end of October, says General Contractor Richard Andrews. In January, the Village Commons title was transferred from CCEDA to the Cortes Island Community Foundation. The CICF set out to develop the land for community usage with a variety of grants. The current project underway is “a combined shared meeting and office space” with an operating title of “the Nook.” “It’s two small buildings that are going to be covered by one roof, and there’ll be a fairly extensive deck and breezeway between the two buildings through which people can pass,” says Andrews. Recently finished was the “wild play zone” which is an “interactive playground and sculptural area,” including a large swing, a ship-like deck with seats and a small hut made of driftwood. The remaining projects include three shipping containers installed for non-profit storage and an outdoor pavilion for outdoor gatherings and performances.

Jemma Hicken & Robbie Banks tour: Coming Back To Cortes

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 10:34:01 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The audio version of this opens with a short clip of Jemma Hicken singiing ‘Skim Milk.’ I was hoping it would be a new version, with her and Robbie Bankes singing together, but it looks like the only place to hear that will be in Mansons Hall at 7:00 on Tuesday July 2, 2024. Jemma and Robbie are just finishing a month long tour of Alberta and BC. They were about to play at Campbell River’s Spirit Square when Cortes Currents reached them yesterday. They will be on Read Island today. Cortes Currents: How long have you been playing together? Jemma Hicken: “We had one show together last November. Then we've just had our tour, so mostly since May 30th.” Robbie Banks: “We started in Alberta, at Dinosaur Provincial Park, and then we worked our way back through southern Alberta and then through southern BC. Played in Calgary, Nanton and the small town of Parson. Then we went down to the Kootenays to the Nelson area for a few days and then back up to the Okanagan.” Jemma Hicken: “We played at a tree planting camp in Midway.” Cortes Currents: How many tree planters did you have in the audience? Jemma Hicken: “42.” Robbie Banks: “We thought it would be the biggest party show of our tour, but they were all very tired (laughter) and slept on the floor.” Jemma Hicken: “It was really fun.” Cortes Currents: Other highlights of the tour? Jemma Hicken: “I think one of my highlights was the first show that we played because we were in the Badlands and I'd never seen them before. It was really picturesque and it was exciting to go there for the first time.” Robbie Bankes: “We had some really great turnouts at a few of the house shows, which was really fun. We weren't expecting to play for that many people, but there were some house shows with 50 or 60 people, which was really nice.” “The whole thing was a highlight. We had really planned our driving days well. I was worried about long drives and stress, but it was very relaxing for the most part, which was a big surprise.” Jemma Hicken: “It was a big surprise, it felt almost like a vacation.” Robbie Bankes: “We got to see a whole bunch of different things and meet a whole bunch of different people and …” Jemma Hicken: “We got along.” Robbie Bankes: “Yeah, and we got along, which was also a surprise.” (laughter) Cortes Currents: So are you playing in Campbell River? Jemma Hicken: “Yeah, we're playing in Campbell River in an hour and a half. Then we are going to Read Island tomorrow, to play a show. Our last show of the tour is on Cortes next Tuesday. It's going to be at Manson's Hall with our friend Sam Tudor, who’s amazing. I feel just totally excited about this show because Robby and Sam are two of my favourite local songwriters. I feel honoured to be sharing a show with them on Cortes.” Robbie Bankes: “Sam’s a real up and comer. He's maybe one of the next big things in Canadian music, I would say. So it's really exciting that he wanted to come to Cortes. It'll be really fun, hopefully a good turnout, Sam puts on a great show every time I've seen him, so it'll be really fun to see that show.” Jemma Hicken: “There’s going to be lots of storytelling.”

HACI: Recreational Moorage and Winch usage on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 20:52:07 +0000

Roy L Hales. Cortes Currents - Moorage for recreational boats is even more limited on Cortes Island this year and vessels intending to stay more than 3 nights must make prior arrangements with the Harbour Authority Cortes Island. In addition, Small Craft Harbours regulations for using winches have changed. The manual winches at Mansons Landing and Whaletown have been decommissioned. The winch at the Squirrel Cove dock is available for commercial users who make prior arrangements through the Harbour Authority. The general public is no longer allowed access except through certified staff provided by the Harbour Authority. “Over the last few years, we have seen a drastic increase in the number of requests for moorage spaces. We are Small Craft Harbors owned facilities and so we are mandated to provide priority mortgage to commercial fishing vessels, aquaculture and then other commercial vessels. If there is space available after those priority needs have been met, we offer it to the community,” explained Harbourmaster Jenny Hartwick. “There's more and more applicants for the limited number of spaces that we have available for recreational moorage at every one of the docs. And so we just want to remind users that if you are looking for anything over 3 nights mortgage at 1 of our docs, you must apply in advance and you must have a signed and approved moorage agreement in place.” “Several of the docks on Cortez are now full for the summer season. We are no longer taking mortgage requests for the Whaletown Dock or the Cortes Bay Dock. We do have some long term recreational spots available still at Mansons and at Squirrel Cove, but again, as the season progresses, those spaces do fill up. So please reach out to the Harbour Authority and ensure the documentation is in place prior to bringing your vessel to the dock.” “Small Craft Harbours recently changed their requirements for winch usage.” “We have removed the manual derricks at the Mansons and Whaletown docks. At this point in time, those winches have been decommissioned. They are owned by Small Craft Harbours. We're waiting to hear what their plan is for those pieces of infrastructure.” “In order to access the winches or the derricks on the Squirrel Cove dock, you now need to be a commercial user and provide proof of WCB coverage as well as sign a winch user agreement with the Harbour Authority. The winch is no longer available for drop-in public use without first contacting the Harbor Authority. We can still arrange that we do have certified trained staff who will come down and have to be on site if the winch is being operated by a non-commercial user. Please reach out to the Harbour Authority. We can facilitate that.”

Twofold increase in Extreme Wildfires during past 20 years

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 14:11:30 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - So far, there have only been minor fires on Cortes, Quadra and Read Islands, but the BC government warns that the province will see more large fires in the future. “Longer, hotter summers lead to more droughts and a longer wildfire season. Dry conditions make it easier for lightning storms and strong winds to start fires. These fires can spread, combine and burn for longer.” This is not a local phonemenon. A new study published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution found that there has been more than a two fold increase in the number of wildfires, around the globe, during the past two decades. There was a 7-fold increase in Alaska, Canada and Russia. Lead author Calum Cunningham, from the University of Tsamania in Australia, told APF that, "The effects of climate change are no longer just something of the future. We are now witnessing the manifestation of a drying and heating atmosphere.” Cunningham and his colleagues used satellite data to study the energy intensity of nearly 31 million daily fire events between 2003 and 2023. Their focus was about 2,900 extreme events.

HACI: Parking Restrictions While Work Underway At Gorge & Whaletown Docks

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 12:29:42 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Harbour Authority Cortes Island is asking the public to not use its upper Gorge Harbour parking lot or park at the Whaletown Commercial Dockhead until further notice. There is work underway at both locations. "A few years ago the Harbour Authority entered into a lease agreement with MOTI, the Ministry of Transportation, and we actually hold the road allowance leases for the lower part of Robertson Road. We did some clearing, graveled and then developed a parking lot," explained Harbourmaster Jenny Hartwick. "There is a second area that is leased by the Harbor Authority, immediately adjacent to the BC Hydro's yard. Recognizing that there is very serious congestion and a real lack of parking for the commercial users that use the Gorge Dock, the Harbor Authority is moving ahead with some plans to clear and develop the parking area adjacent to the hydro yard. We hope to make several more parking spaces available that we'll be able to offer to our mortgage agreement holders and commercial users." Cortes Currents: Is the dock closed? Jenny Hartwick: "The Gorge commercial dock is open. It's commercial use only at that particular dock. We don't take recreational users there. The dock is full to the brim with our regular commercial users." Cortes Currents: When does the work in the upper parking lot begin and how long will it last? Jenny Harwick: "It sounds like the contractors will be in at the beginning of next week to clear the upper lots. So at this point in time, the request is simply that individuals who have left vehicles, boats, boat trailers, anything that's being stored in the current parking areas at the Gorge Commercial Dock find alternate areas to leave their vehicles while this project is happening. Contractors need access to the space. There will be heavy machinery operating in that area." "We don't expect it to take a significant amount of time, but we do have material and there are some things which need to be shuffled from the new lot, which is being cleared, into the lower lot for a temporary time while these upgrades happen." "Once the upgrades are complete, we'll be reaching out to the community with phase two of the parking plan and that will start to address the allocation of spots for the commercial users." Cortes Currents: What’s happening at the Whaletown dock? Jenny Hartwick: "The Whaletown Commercial dock wharfhead is, until further notice, closed to all vehicle traffic. There are some substructure issues which we need to address. None of which are debilitating, but they do need to be addressed before in good conscience we can allow vehicle traffic on to that facility again. The dock does remain open. There's no absolutely 0 concerns in terms of accessing that facility by foot." "We will be building a barricade. We are trying to source a dolly or a wheelbarrow for those individuals who do need to be transporting larger amounts of material. So the dock and the wharf head do remain open to foot traffic. You can bicycle, you can do everything you want on the dock. We just ask that you do not bring a vehicle onto the wharf head at this time." "The community may or may not know that the whale town commercial dock is not one of the small craft harbors owned facilities on the island. It was an old transport Canada dock, which was divested to the harbor authority in the late 2000s." "When the dock was divested to the harbor authority, it was brought up to good standards and has been maintained at that level for a number of years. However 20 plus years have gone by and there are some structural elements, which need to be addressed." "We just had a phenomenal structural survey done. The structure of the dock does look good, but there are a few maintenance concerns."

Recent Sinking & Previous Derelict Vessels in Squirrel Cove

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 21:17:40 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - On Sunday, June 2nd, a 50 foot vessel sank near the Squirrel Cove dock on Cortes island. "There was quite a lengthy, involved, process with the Coast Guard and Transport Canada. I am very happy to say that the vessel has now been removed and environmental remediation has taken place, but that was quite an exciting event for the Harbour Authority," explained Jenny Hartwick, Harbourmaster for the Harbour Authority Cortes Island (HACI). "I always want to stress this to the community., the 1st thing you do when you see a vessel that you have concerns about either because of an environmental spill or because it looks like it's about to go down or has gone down, is to call the Coast Guard ROC (Regional Operating Centre of the Coast Guard). It is their triage centre, which is based in Victoria. And the number for that is 1 800 889 8852. They provide 24/ 7 coverage. When you call that number, you will reach a live person. That person will collect some information from you. They'll ask for pictures to be sent. They may ask for length of vessel and information about the particular situation. They will craft their response around the information that's provided.” "In this case, when the boat went down the owner happened to be on site and was there immediately." "We actually have our own summer Coast Guard IRB station, the inshore rescue boat (IRB boat) in Cortes Bay. They access the water through the Seattle Yacht Club.” “We were able to get an extremely fast response because there was a very local crew that didn't have far to travel to do the initial assessment. Somebody came by relatively quickly, and the decision was made to boom the vessel.” "The Coast Guard made the decision to act on that vessel immediately because of the size of the vessel and the potential for hydrocarbon pollution and contamination." Cortes Currents: Have there been occasions when the Coast Guard didn't respond quickly. I'm thinking of the derelict boats at Squirrel Cove a couple of years ago. Jenny Hartwick: "A couple of years ago, anyone who's familiar with the Squirrel Cove Dock would have noticed that there were 3 derelict boats which sat on shore for a significant amount of time.” "Like I said, the very first step in the process is always to call the regional operating center, the Coast Guard ROC will always respond to every call. It may not be an immediate physical response, but they will always evaluate every phone call that comes in. In the case of the boats sitting on the shore in Squirrel Cove, they physically visited those vessels. They removed any potential hydrocarbons. So they felt that there were no immediate concerns of environmental damage and at that point in time, those vessels were triaged and handed over to Transport Canada.” "The unfortunate situation is that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of derelict vessels on the BC coast. When a boat gets added to the Transport Canada inventory, It's added to that list, but there's no guarantee that it's going to end up at the top of that list. It can take significant time for a boat that ends up on that side of the program to work its way to the top where we finally see some action.” Cortes Currents: What's the Harbor Authorities role in this kind of situation. Jenny Hartwick: "One of the really important things to note is that the Harbor Authority’s jurisdiction is extremely small and is limited only to a very small water area surrounding the docks themselves. The minute a vessel leaves the dock and gets outside of that lease area, we, as a Harbour Authority, lose our ability to act on it. Those boats were sitting outside of our water lot and we no longer had the ability to use our legal and environmental programs to act on them."

Summer Markets at Hollyhock

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 22:54:55 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The summer market season begins on Wednesday June 26th, from 12:30-3:00 PM. “We're having our first artisans market at Hollyhock, just outside the garden and the lodge in the grassy area above the hot tubs. This is our first in a series of five or six markets that are happening every second Wednesday afternoon over the summer. We have a variety of artists, fiber artists, ceramicists, lotions, potion makers, clothing makers, painters and live music,” explained Tamlyn Collingwoood, Business Mentorship Coordinator for the Cortes Community Economic Development Association (CCEDA). “Come and check it out, everyone's welcome.” “This whole plan came out of a meeting that I had with Hollyhock, in the early winter, where they shared their wonderful ‘Things To Do’ program. This is where they look for activities in the community for their guests to engage in, on their afternoons off. My thought was to create some activities that also involve engaging with the community, engaging with local businesses and artists - making it a win-win-win situation.” Cortes Currents: Where are you getting your artists and artisans? And can anyone get involved if they want to? Tamlyn Collingwoood: “There’s limited space, so it’s pretty much full now, but hopefully we'll be able to spread out once the grass is fully grown. It was just recently seeded. The market is curated to support local artisans and local small businesses.” Cortes Currents: Are they all from the Friday Market? Tamlyn Collingwoood: “No, there are a couple of vendors who come from the Friday market, but also some that don't. We do have one vendor from off island, Hillary from “Elsewhere Clothing,’ a very popular handmade clothing line from Vancouver Island. She comes once in a while to the Friday Market.” Some of the other artisans were listed in a press release:Moon Cat Magicals, Wild Spirit Glass, Twigroot Botanicals, Soft Rock Ceramics, Tenant Farms Handicrafts, Stephanie Whitman, Art Spirit Drum and Brigid Weiler Art. Tamlyn Collingwoood: “Once I started getting the word out there, about this market, a couple of the old timers told me that there used to be an artisans market down by the beach at Hollyhock and that it was really fun. Some of those folks were just really excited to see that this was happening again, and I was really happy to hear that this was something that people enjoyed and that we were bringing it back to life.” “I will be advertising the market in my usual bombarding way on all of the social media pages, the Tideline and sending it out to my email list.” “It's not just for Hollyhock guests. It's also to attract Cortes residents, or folks that might be here in the summer, to have a wander through the Hollyhock Garden, maybe visit the store or have a little bit of lunch before the market. Come and enjoy the setting and check out some really nice locally made art.” Cortes Currents: Do you have to pre book for the restaurant? Tamlyn Collingwoood: “Yes, there is a reservation system for booking lunches at Hollyhock. Anyone wanting to do that should phone Hollyhock and book ahead. Lunch goes from 12:30 to 1:30. We'll be setting up the market right at the beginning of lunch, so people can get a little refreshment from the restaurant as well and come out and enjoy the market.” Cortes Currents: What about the music? Tamlyn Collingwoood: “Michael Keith is playing music for this market, which is fabulous. It's always a great time to have Michael playing music and just creating a nice vibe. Hopefully he'll be able to play for us again at one of our other markets. All the vendors fees goes towards paying the musician, so if we have enough vendors, then we can hopefully afford to bring over a band that I really enjoyed listening to at the Quadra Market.”

Painting With Eyes Closed: The Artwork of Filipe Figueira

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 15:30:45 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - ‘Painting With Eyes Closed,’ an exhibition by Filipe Figueira opens at the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery on Friday June 21st, 6-9pm. “You always have to come up with the title for shows. Usually they're sort of pretentious and arty, but there's a reason for this one. It alludes to the process. I'm inspired by scenes on Cortes. I'll go somewhere, sketch and I'll get inspired, but a lot of my ideas come just when I'm at the point of falling asleep. The painting will come into my head. Sometimes really detailed thoughts, like the paints to use, the techniques, the layout and even very specific paints and paint mixes pop into my head. Often I have to get up and sketch. Sometimes it wakes me up in the middle of the night. I'll be thinking about the painting and that becomes the basis of the paintings. They are scenes from Cortes, but they're mediated through this process,” he explained. “Most of these paintings have been done in the last three months.” “This show is actually in fond memory of Lisa Gibbons. As well as being a lovely woman, she was a huge encouragement and very positive about my painting. It's actually bittersweet that as I paint them, I think of her and I'm still a bit stunned that she won't be here to see it.” Cortes Currents: Was she your teacher? Filipe Figueira: “No, no, she didn't teach me specifics. we had very different techniques, but she was just very encouraging in terms of continuing.” Cortes Currents: Why is painting important to you? Filipe Figueira: “It's something I've wanted to do for decades, probably since I was a kid, and somehow I waited till the COVID lockdown happened. I'd actually brought some paints from England when I emigrated to Canada about 25 years ago. I found them and then started painting. It's just a huge, meditative, therapeutic, helpful thing to do. I just love the process.” Cortes Currents: I notice some of your paintings look like familiar places - like the mouth of the Gorge, or looking through the trees at Hanks Beach - but at the same time they are not exact representations. Do you want to talk about that? Filipe Figueira: “I'm not particularly interested in painting an absolutely accurate picture of a scene. What I'm trying to capture is more the feeling that I have, the sense of the place, and trying to capture different angles of the same scenes, different things that are happening in the scene. Sometimes it's the texture on the rocks or the movement of the light. So trying to capture the whole thing.” “There's one I've done of Plunger Pass in a winter storm. It's a very monochrome one because that's the winter light. There's not much light but the background is a wave and the foreground is more of the islands and stuff. It plays with both scenes. The waves were pretty dominant in the scene, but were just painted in a different mishmash of senses.” “There's another one that I really like, which is also Plunger Pass. Again it breaks down the scene, uses different textures and different techniques. I've started mixing media a little bit. I've been painting in oils, but for this show, it's predominantly in acrylic paint and I've been experimenting with Indian inks and acrylic inks as well. enjoying the texture that those can create. I really enjoy paint. Sounds a bit weird, but I like the way that it dribbles, it runs, it mixes, accidents happen with it that you can use. The other Plunger Pass painting is a really good example of that.” “I've got some of Hank's Beach where it's focusing on the shapes of the rocks and almost like the historical movement of the rocks and trying to capture that.”

Phasing out Open Net Pen Fish Farming by June 30, 2029

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 13:40:32 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Government of Canada issued five year licenses to the fish farms still operating in British Columbia, and announced it will ban open net-pen salmon aquaculture in British Columbia coastal waters by June 30, 2029. “After July 1, 2024, only marine or land-based closed containment systems will be considered for salmon aquaculture licences. The Government of Canada recognizes that such systems are likely to come with increased investment costs. Incentivizing the transition to such systems is desirable given the need to promote wild fish health, reconciliation with coastal First Nations, economic development in rural and coastal communities, food security, and other important public outcomes. As such, the Minister intends to issue nine-year licences to successful applicants applying for closed-containment production.”

Screening of 'The Test' on Cortes Island Thursday

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 22:35:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Screening of ‘the Test’ On Cortes Island Thursday Male voice: “I’ll vividly remember there was a very large wall of flame methodically marching towards Logan Lake and a huge column of smoke coming off of that and looking down at these cul de sacs and thinking, ‘wow, they look so small.’ And in my mind, all I could think was that this is either going to be a great day for Logan Lake, or a horrible day.” Female voice: “What inspired the first activities in Logan Lake was fear.” Second female voice: “We’re a small community on top of this beautiful hill surrounded by forest.” - excerpt from ‘the Test.’ There will be a screening of ‘The Test’ in the Mansons Fire Hall at 7 PM, on Thursday, June 20. “This is a documentary about the Logan Lake wildfire and their success in preparing for it using the FireSmart methods. I believe they had been preparing for 18 years before they had a major wildfire come through the community, “explained, Interim Fire Chief Eli MccKenty. “We're going to be holding it at the Fire Hall, so we don't have a huge seating capacity there. If we're packed in, we probably could seat about 30. We looked at booking Manson's Hall in case we got a big turnout and it wasn't available. If we're overwhelmed, we might be able to move down to the truck bays and pull the trucks out. If we get strong interest, we will do a second showing. We even thought about doing a drive-in showing later in the summer when it's dark earlier and projecting it on the side of the fire hall.” Cortes Currents: Why is that important for Cortes Island? Eli McKenty: “It’s important for Cortes Island because FireSmarting is important for Cortes Island. This is a demonstration of how successful it can be and how important it is for a community to engage with.” Cortes Currents: I’m going to play another clip: Female voice: “Until the day we got evacuated, it's almost like you feel invincible - that it's not going to happen to you. Male voice: “Everything was going well and all of a sudden the power went out. We were down towards the acreage and we could see it rolling in on us, the gray dirty black smoke coming and then it got close enough we could see the flames and we knew it was definitely coming in.” Second male voice: “These people came to save our community. Holy jeez we're going to war!” Female voice: “I had one person come up to me and ask me at what point we should leave. I didn't know at what point you leave during an event like that.” Cortes Currents: Isn’t this film a bit alarmist? Eli McKenty: “It could be seen that way, but this particular documentary is also a success story for how we can mitigate the effects of climate change and how we can prepare for a worst case scenario. We may never see a worst case scenario on Cortes, but it's still relevant to prepare for it because we don't really know what's coming.” Cortes Currents: Do you think there's any chance we could have a major wildfire on Cortes? Eli McKenty: “Certainly, I think that It's a question of when, not if. In the larger scale of things, especially with climate change and increasing fuel loads in the forests and the transition of species as climate changes, we have a lot of dead cedar on the island . So I think it's definitely a risk and something that we should be preparing for actively.”

Harbour Authority Visits Folk U

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 17:57:50 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On June 7, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Jenny Hartwick from the Harbour Authority of Cortes Island to chat challenges, changes, and upcoming happenings on our island’s public docks. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Harbour Authority Visits Folk U

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 17:00:20 +0000

Our Grey Whales Are Getting Smaller

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 14:05:54 +0000

There are several whale watching companies in our area and one of the treats they offer are Grey Whale sightings. Campbell River, Cortes and Quadra Islands are in the middle of a migration route. Thousands of Grey Whales pass through BC, en route to Alaska, during the Spring and return in the fall, while heading for the warm waters of Mexico’s Baja penninsula. Most appear to go by the West coast of Vancouver Island, but there are also sightings in our area. About 240 Grey Whales spend their entire summer feding in the shallow waters of BC and Washington state. They are often close enough to the shore to be seen from the land. However few people seem to have noticed that they are getting smaller. A new study from Oregon State University found that the Grey Whales passing through their waters have been getting progressively smaller for the past 20 years. The average Grey Whale is now 13% smaller. Scientists have not yet determined if Grey Whales are shrinking because of the state of the food web, or what effect this will have the health and reproductive success of the affected whales. “This could be an early warning sign that the abundance of this population is starting to decline, or is not healthy,” said K.C. Bierlich, co-author on the study and an assistant professor at OSU’s Marine Mammal Institute in Newport. “And whales are considered ecosystem sentinels, so if the whale population isn’t doing well, that might say a lot about the environment itself.” “In general, size is critical for animals,” said Enrico Pirotta, lead author on the study and a researcher at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. “It affects their behavior, their physiology, their life history, and it has cascading effects for the animals and for the community they’re a part of.” Scientists used the drone images of 130 Grey Whales whales, taken between 2016 and 2022. As this study heads into its ninth year, they are tyring to identify the environmental drivers that have caused this change in size

Cortes Virtual Housing Forum: Increasing Rentals

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 17:17:06 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Viewers from Cortes, Salt Spring and Galiano Islands down to the cities of Victoria and Vancouver logged in to the virtual Cortes Housing Forum on Friday June 14, 2024. The topic was ‘increasing rentals’ and host Sadhu Johnston invited two high profile guests. David Hutniak has established himself as the voice of the rental housing industry in BC with the government, media, renter groups and other stakeholders that call upon him for input and advice. He is also the CEO of Landlord BC. Lisa Helps is a former advisor to the Premier, as well as a former mayor of Victoria. Now she heads the BC Builds program. Sadhu Johnston is a former City DIrector of Vancouver, and wears many hats on Cortes Island in addition to being Executive Director of the Cortes Community Housing Society. In his introduction to the program, Johnston pointed out, “Building in rural communities is even harder than building in urban communities. In many cases you've got to bring in materials, you have labor shortages. There are unique challenges that we face in our rural communities.”

Cortes Housing Society x FolkU Virtual Transportation Forum

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 19:53:39 +0000

Sadhu Johnston. Cortes Housing Society - Tune in on June 14 for this special pre-recorded episode of FolkU Radio. This week featured the May Transportation Forum, hosted over Zoom and presented by the Cortes Housing Society, CCEDA, and representatives from Quadra and the outer islands. This forum featured guest panelists from Denman, Gabriola, Bowen and more! Join us in chatting about passenger transportation options, and about how they could be applied to Cortes and Quadra. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

A Cortes Island Style Forum for Rental and Ownership Opportunities

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 19:30:27 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents Cortes Island’s Forum on ‘Rental and Ownership Opportunities’ came to Mansons Hall on Thursday June 13. There were breakout groups on what people were looking for in rentals, affordable ways to become an owner and renting your property out. Regional Director Mark Vonesh brought pizza. The whole board of the Cortes Community Housing Society appears to have turned out.

The Uncertain Future of BC's Fish Farms

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 16:50:10 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The future of fish farms in British Columbia is uncertain. On June 7, Judge Paul Favel supported the Ministry of Fisheries decision to not renew the licenses of 15 fish farms in the Discovery Islands, and denied a joint application by industry and the Laich-kwil-tach Nation for a judicial review. At the end of this month the licenses of the remaining 66 fish farms still operating in this province will expire. It has been a month since the current Fisheries Minister, Dianne Lebouthillier, reassured the industry that, “In the mandate letter, I’m asked to put in place a transition plan. It doesn’t say that we have to close everything, that we have to close all the aquaculture centres. It really means working to put in place measures to protect wild salmon. I’ve confirmed that there will be no closure of aquaculture centres in 2025.” Independent biologist Alexandra Morton explained, “The recent decision by Judge Favell was a big surprise because DFO staff appear to have worked quite actively in support of the salmon farming industry, particularly the aquaculture management division. That's why there's an ethics commission, right now, that was launched into how they're handling the science. They made it difficult for the minister to win this lawsuit. They offered the companies the opportunity to pay for their licenses before the minister had made her decision. So in court, the industry lawyers brought up that the companies had paid for their licenses, they expected them.” “For reasons like that, and many others, the lawyers cautioned us that we probably would lose this judicial review. We lost the last one as well. So the minister had to go back and make a new decision. The companies launched a judicial review on the new decision and we won. The industry is almost certainly going to appeal the decision.” “This is going to drag on and on and on, but what the decision did was it alerted the Canadian government to the fact that they can close the salmon farms. They do have what is needed. Their concerns are valid.” When Judge Favel made his decision about the Discovery Island fish farms, he weighed the opposing concerns of two groups of First Nations. Seven of the closed fish farms are within traditional territories of the Wei Wai Kum First Nation, We Wai Kai Nation and Kwiakah First Nations, collectively known as the Laich-kwil-tach Nation. Another of the closed farm sites, Raza Island, is off the northern tip of Cortes Island. In a press release last year, Wei Wai Kai Chief Councillor Ronnie Chickite declared, “This court challenge is not about whether we support fish farming or not – it is about our inherent right as title holders to decide how our territory is used, and determine for ourselves if, when, and how fish farms could operate in the future. We strongly believe the minister’s decision to not reissue licences in our territories was a political decision heavily influenced by nations who do not have title in our territory.” Yet many Indigenous Nations are dependent on sockeye salmon that pass through the Discovery Islands en route to the Fraser River. Judge Favel reasoned, “The Minister owed a deep level of consultation to Indigenous peoples outside the Discovery Islands since the right and potential infringement is of high significance to the Aboriginal peoples and the risk of non-compensable damage is high. Fraser River salmon play a significant role in the exercise of Aboriginal rights by many Indigenous peoples and the risk to the health of the Fraser River salmon posed by fish farms in the Discovery Islands is unacceptably high. In contrast, the risk of non-compensable damage to the Laich-kwil-tach and Klahoose is low because the impact of a decision not to reissue licences is the loss of economic benefits from their territories, which is quantifiable and compensable.”

Will Rendall: Keep On Smiling

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 15:22:23 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Will Rendall released a CD called Keep on Smiling on May 22, 2024. Some Cortes Island residents will remember him as Julia Rendall’s son. He was 7 when he moved to Squirrel Cove in 1976. He emailed, “I had always liked music but it wasn't until I heard Billy Joel in 1978 that i became a rock and roll fan. I always thought his lyrics were amazing. I think it would have been around 1981 when I started writing songs. To me lyrics were the most important part of a song. “I used to take a bunch of 5 gallon buckets we used for digging clams and would make a drum set out of them with a couple of pieces of kindling for drum sticks. I would set it up by a salal bush and that would become my hi-hat. Then I would sing my songs and pretend I was in a rock band. I would build guitars for my two brothers out of wood and they would pretend to play them.” Julia gave Will a real drum set after they moved to Mansons Landing in 1987. He started jammming with a few of the local Cortes musicians after that. When he was 20, Will moved to Quadra Island, where he met his first wife and they had a child. He put the drum set to rest. “I had written tons of lyrics and always had a tune in my head, but not being a guitar player I didn't know how to convey them to other people. I always had a passion for singing and remembered the words to most songs but did not have much confidence in my singing voice.” “One night I went to a karaoke bar. Most of the singers there were terrible so I thought ‘what do I have to lose?’ After doing a couple of tunes people kept asking me to sing. After that I started to go to open mic jam sessions and became the 'Rock and Roll Guy' on Quadra.” “I hooked up with Duane Hansen, an old friend from Cortes Island and started a band. Our first gig was at the Quadra Legion. Rendall either started, or helped start a number of bands in the years that followed: the Iron Pyrates, Electric Lemonade, Arabella Drummond and finally Queen Anne’s Revenge in 2015, That last band was a reformation of the Iron Pyrates which was active up until the time COVID reached Campbell River. “When the Covid restrictions were lifted and we were allowed in the bars I would bring an acoustic giutar and play some of my original songs.” “My friend Dylan Alps, a songwriter who could play any instrument, told me he would like to record me. So I would go to his little trailor where he had an interface hooked up to a laptop. He would then go to his studio in Campbell River, re-record the music and then I would sing along with his recording. It took about a year of me going to his trailor once a week for a couple of hours before the album was finally released.” Most of the songs on the album were written over the past 4 years with a couple from the 80's and one song I had written in the 90’s. All in all I am pretty proud of the final product. I feel there are a variety of topics as well as different styles on this album. I have just put it on BAND CAMP and also have some CDs for sale at $15 each. I can be contacted at 236-997-3265 via phone, text or e-mail at will.vette@outlook.com

The 2024 Creative Spaces Garden and Studio Tour on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 13:19:46 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Creative Spaces Garden and Studio Tour is Saturday June 22, from 10 am to 4 pm. This is an annual fundraiser for the Cortes Island Museum, as well as a showcase of some of the island’s hidden gems. “It's a great opportunity to feature creative talents of people on the island, and it's a self guided tour of studios and gardens that takes you all the way around from Whaletown, down to Smelt Bay, and Cortes Bay. We've got painters, textile artists, weavers, spinners, ceramicists . We've got a number of potters and pottery studios that are participating. And then some beautiful spaces with gardens that range from low bluff to high bluff. You pick up a map, which includes a button, and you just go around the island visiting people that you may not know that they've had all these hidden talents, or see spaces that you were curious about but never had an opportunity to actually walk into. Walk through the gates and see what people are growing there,” explained Melanie Boyle, Managing Director of the Cortes Island Museum. “We have 15 spots, when I say spots I mean locations, because, even though one person's name may be on the garden description, we know that there are a lot of people who participate and contribute to the shape of any garden. So we say 15 different locations, and I would say that we've had a good representation of artists.” Some of the artists will be selling work .And it's a great opportunity just to engage with your neighbors, for locals, as well as people coming from off island. Cortes Currents: Can you give examples of some of the spaces on the tour? Melanie Boyle: “Suzu Matsuda and Larry Cohen are longtime friends and longtime residents of Cortes. They have some beautiful works to show and their studios beautiful. Volker Steigeman and Larry built it together. It's a really unique space and a lot of people on the island may know of their space because they held an annual pottery sale, which was really popular.” “Brian Hayden's house up on the gorge is one of the houses that we're featuring here in the exhibition. When people go to visit Brian's garden, which is a really unique Mediterranean focused garden, they have an opportunity to see the outside of his home, which is based on a traditional pithouse design from the interior of BC First Nations design. Brian's landscaped and really integrated the building with the landscape. The home was designed by David Shipway and built by Trigva Ellingson and his crew.” “Christer Ekstrom has a very beautiful contemplative style of painting. He has a beautiful studio up north of Whaletown, and it was a delight to have visited his studio last year.” “Filipe Figuera will also be showing at the Schoolhouse Gallery this year. He was on the tour last year, and Philippe will be featuring his paintings as well.” “Jeremy Ellingson and Aaron Ellingson live in a historic float house on Haig Lake. Jeremy has a ceramics practice, and she will be opening the doors to her studio, as well.” “Mary Claire Preston is down at Foxglove Pottery Studios.” This is the first time Ayami Stryck has opened her her textile studio for the tour. “Hollyhock Garden is always spectacular and they're on the tour as well. Hollyhock is offering a 10 percent discount for lunch for ticket holders. This lunch discount requires pre-reservation, as spots are limited.” “The heritage garden here at the museum has really been spruced up. So much hard work has been put in through our volunteers.” “That's a few spaces. I don't want to mention too many people because I think everybody is bringing some really unique work to this tour.”

Cortes 2024 Island-wide Beach Clean-up

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 15:00:51 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The first truckload was filled over the roofline with beach debris. Sam Gibb drove into the Klahoose village shortly after 10:30 AM on Saturday. Alex Bernier, followed with a smaller load. Helen Hall and Autumn Barrett Morgan, two other members of the Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI), were there to help them unload. Stephanie Valdal, Services Coordinator for the Comox Strathcona Waste Management Service, had come from Courtenay. The debris collected by Klahoose Aquaculture had not yet arrived. By the time the month long Cortes Island wide beach clean-up officially ended, on Sunday, there was a bin full of beach debris. This year’s clean-up was a collaborative initiative between Klahoose Aquaculture, FOCI, the Ocean Legacy Foundation and Comox Strathcona Waste Management Service. “This is the first time we've done a whole island beach cleanup. We've been able to do that because we've been able to work with Comox Strathcona Waste Management and with Klahoose to bring an Ocean Legacy bin to the island, and also to get the super sacks that we've distributed around the community. So suddenly from us just doing one beach cleanup, which is what we've done for a number of years, we've been trying to target the whole island,” explained to Helen Hall, Executive director of FOCI.

Opening Night of the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery’s 2024 Season

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 13:10:49 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Eighty-three people turned out on Friday June 7, for the gala opening night of the Old School Art Gallery’s 2024 season. This was a group show, with 28 contributing artists, that will be open to the public on Fridays (6-9 PM) and on weekends (2-6 PM) until June 16th. Bianca Lee, Manager of the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery, was delighted by the large turnout, “I wasn't sure how it was going to work out having the member show at the beginning of the season, but it worked out pretty magnificently. There was so much interest and participation in the show. It seems like a really beautiful way to start out the season, get people excited about the gallery and also avoid the burnout of late season.” Early visitors were treated to an instrumental selection by Cortes Island guitarist Rick Bockner. At 7:00 Kristen Schofield Sweet gave a welcoming address, “We had 28 artists this year. (Cheers and clapping) It's the most we've ever had and I’m going to read out the names of a group of people, just to give you some sense of what it takes to hang a show. Besides myself, we are thanking Christann Kennedy, Gerry Davis, George, Orien Lee, Bianca Lee, Pamela Boles, Janet Turpin, and Ayami Stryck. It took that many people four days to get all that on the wall.” “Next Friday, the 14th, I'm going to be doing a walking tour of the show saying, ‘To get it on the wall didn't just happen by accident, here's some of the things that we considered. Why is this piece next to that piece? And those two are over there, but not with this one?’ A show is also a piece of work. How those parts come together is really fascinating. Especially when you have nine people doing it.” One of her colleagues, Christann Kennedy, later explained, “The idea is to try and create a dialogue so that the different pieces are talking to each other. Maybe they have a similarity of colour or a similarity of subject matter or a similarity of material that makes them seem like they might have something to say to each other. What we try to do with a group show like this is set up some relationships that are interesting, and that might illuminate the artworks in a way that if you were just seeing one piece, you might not see that.” “It's great to have so many creative people living on this island and to have a venue where everyone can come together and show their work and open up conversation between each other. I just think it's a really exciting thing that this gallery exists and I feel really lucky that I'm getting to participate.” Several viewers remarked upon their success. Sole Arico said, “It’s just an incredible diversity and the quality is just really high. Very beautiful work.” Jonathan Ogilvie went further, “I will say, as someone who has spent a good deal of time in art galleries as a religious practice, that this collection is exquisitely put together, that each one of these pieces complements all of the others. And that's not easy to do when you have so many artists at play together. So I'm feeling it.”

FireSmart is coming to Cortes, June 11 to 13

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 07 Jun 2024 11:03:53 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District will be carrying out FireSmart assessments on Cortes Island between Tuesday, June 11, and Thursday June 13. This is a free evaluation of the exterior of your home and surrounding yard, which usually takes about an hour. “I started doing home assessments across the Strathcona Regional District in January. I have come to Cortes a few times to do public education and have tagged on some home assessments. I was just there in May for emergency preparedness week, and through that we had quite a few requests to come back for home assessments,” explained Bonnie Logan, Wildfire Risk Reduction Coordinator with the SRD. “Usually there's only one wildfire risk reduction coordinator and that would be me, but I am eight and a half months pregnant. I'm in that danger zone at that point where they like you to be close to a hospital. We hired Jeff as my maternity leave replacement. So Jeff will be coming over to Cortes and he's going to be doing free FireSmart home assessments.” Cortes Currents: How did the assessments go in other communities? Bonnie Logan: “There’s definitely some common trends that we do see, like firewood stacked up against a home or under a deck because it's nice dry storage, and most people are lacking sufficient storage. Wood decks are another one. Unfortunately, wood combustible, there isn't really a good answer. That is the most common decking system. “We do have some suggestions on how to mitigate that. Again, it's not a pass or fail. It's not 'all of these things need to be done right now!' Some of these things are very small. There’s general housekeeping, like keeping your roof and gutters clean, mowing your lawn, raking some debris away from the home and then maybe moving that firewood pile in the summer when you're not using your wood stove.” “Everybody really buys into the program because it's not all or nothing. It’s a bit of a choose your own adventure. Everything we're talking about is scientifically backed. These aren't just Bonnie Logan's ideas, or Jeff Caring's ideas, and they're not just the Strathcona Regional District pushing this program. These are tried, true and tested; based on science and research. So once you start talking to people and pointing out some of these things, they say, ‘Oh, I never looked at that’ or ‘I never considered that.’ It's a conversation with people and people realize that Rome wasn't built in a day. So the feedback's been really great, actually.” Cortes Currents: How do you carry out an assessment? Bonnie Logan: “We start with the roof and the structure, and then we work down and out.” “FireSmart has three zones.” “The immediate zone, which goes out about five feet, is going to be your roof. We'll be looking at what type of materials on the outside of the house. What materials the house is built with, and then what materials surround the house. Something super common we see is firewood stacked up right against the house, which can be a hazard in wildfire season.” “Moving outwards: we move into the intermediate zone and then the extended zone. We get a little bit more lenient about what can be in those zones. Depending on how big your property is, you might not have that bigger zone. You might end up in your neighbour's yard and at that point, you have no control over what your neighbour does.” “Nothing is a requirement, it's just education and awareness for the homeowner. There's no follow up. We're not going to come back a month later and finger wag at anybody and say, you didn't do these things.” “Some of these things we're talking about, like a roof, that's a big ticket item to potentially replace. It's more about when that roof does need to be replaced, maybe we make a different choice if we have a combustible roof, like a cedar shake roof.”

Discovery Island Organizations Receiving $215,000 From The Community Prosperity Fund

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 12:47:19 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Vancouver Foundation, in partnership with the Government of BC, Community Foundations of Canada and over 50 local community foundations, is distributing $25 million to programs that advance poverty reduction and social inclusion. $105,000 of that will be channeled through the Cortes Island Community Foundation and another $110,000 the Quadra Island Foundation. The deadline for organizations to apply for funding is June 24th. “This fund is part of BC's Poverty Reduction Initiative. They're really hoping that communities are the best people to determine what the needs are in that particular community in terms of poverty reduction and social inclusion,” explained Jennifer Banks-Doll, coordinator of this program for the Quadra Island Foundation. Manda Aufochs Gillespie, Executive Director of the Cortes Foundation added, “We have quite a bit of flexibility in how organizations plan on using those funds. They can be for projects or for core operating support that could go over up to three years. We wish that it was significantly more than $105,000, but we are also very, very grateful to have access to these funds.” Photo credit:Photo by Michelle Spollen on Unsplash

Town Hall Meeting: The Cortes Airstrip

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 22:54:58 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - About 125 people turned up for the town hall meeting in Mansons Hall, on Monday June 3, 2024. Noticeably absent were the air strip’s owner, Michael Ching, his manager, Judy Kemchand, or Martene Rothblatt, who is financing the air strip’s renovations. This did not come as a surprise. One of the three speakers at the meeting read out an email he sent Rothblatt in February: “I am writing to see if there is a chance I (we) can persuade you from paving the airstrip.” “If left as a gravelled surface we have a better chance of preserving our wonderful island and community. As they say, 'If you build it, they will come.’" “Change is inevitable, a fact you are familiar with being a pioneer in so many fields. But I will guess it is this very change that has drawn you to Cortes, a safe sleepy little island, away from the busy mad world, and its constant change.” “A paved runway will bring even more people to Cortes, and with that, comes more change. The biggest threat from this change is the slow but steady replacement of our local population. It is the locals that have created the sanctuary you seek, the community created though countless volunteer hours and persevering through the long winters and isolation.” “I know that work is underway, so improve the runway, just don't pave it. Let's not make it any easier for change to advance here.” “My name is Mike Manson. We live about 2kms from your place and are on the beach down from Hollyhock. I am the grandson of pioneer John Manson ( Mansons Landing). My family has been farming this same piece of land since 1888, now in our 136th year. We have seen change.” Rothblatt did not reply. One of the speakers, Sadhu Johnston, mentioned numerous attempts to communicate with the air strip or Rothblatt - all of which were met by silence. Half way through the meeting, the assembly broke into small groups for further discussion. After listening to reports from the small groups, Johnston pointed out, “The primary and first concern was (Ching’s and Rothblatt’s) lack of community mindedness to show up here, to a community meeting, and (at the same time) be making changes that could be really significant for the island.” Judyth Weaver added, “A lot of this started because of non-communication, and it's gotten much bigger because of non-communication. This meeting was about communication, and I am so relieved. The difference is quite stark to me.”

Getting Ready for Love Fest 2024

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 12:29:08 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Ben Coey is co-producing this year’s Lovefest, which returns to Linnaea Farm on Saturday August 19th. “Rex, Amy and Rick have been running and producing the festival for a number of years. They've decided that they need to have a bit of a break from doing it. I've worked with Rex on a number of projects previously. He asked me if I liked to get involved and help out with co-producing and I said, ‘yeah, sure,’” Coey explained. “I'm good friends with Rex I've toured for many years as a drummer in a band with a Rex's son, Jack. I've always loved coming to Lovefest. I played it a couple of times and I'm spending more time up in Cortes. I'm gradually moving up here and this is a nice way to just get involved with the community.” Cortes Currents: Tell us about this year’s Lovefest “It's going to be the same vibe as previous years. It's just going to be about nice folks having a good time: good tunes, good crafts, lots of blankets, good food, hanging out all day and into the evening. It's very much about just having fun and just enjoying each other.” While a number of acts have yet to be confirmed, Coey was able to release a partial list of performers. “We have a few special feature acts who are going to be coming through, quite a lot locals also: “Johny Hanuse is going to be playing a set this year, and the McKentys (the Awakeneers). Nicole Demers, Six Foot Johnson, who’ve been promising to get to the frestival for a number of years. They’re a really great on-island band led by Greg Osoba. Heather Wolf, Michael Keith, Rick Scott is going to be doing a kid’s set, as well as an adult set. Doc Fingers, who is a wonderful blues pianist. We’re going to have a very special set from Ann Mortifee, who's going to be playing a catalog of some of her greatest hits. If you were there at the lasy Lovefest, we had a terrific Cuban band playing. Adonis Puentes are returning to Cortes and will finish the night off. “Early bird tickets for the festival are on sale now. You can pick those up at the Friday market. Myself and Rex we'll usually be there and we're taking cash.” They are also for sale at the Co-op, Cortes Market, Squirrel Cove General, and the Gorge Store. Adult - $40 Family - $80 Under 18 - $30

Folk U looks at Community Land Trusts

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 14:55:38 +0000

Sadhu Johnston/ Folk U - Tune in on May 31st for the third collaborative monthly housing forum presented by the Cortes Housing Society and Folk University. Themed “Community Land Trusts”, this forum featured guest panelists John Davis, Sandy Bishop, and Lisa Byers and a following community discussion. This is a recording of the third monthly housing forum in mid-May, hosted over Zoom, with 28 people in attendance. Hear us chat about community land trust initiatives on islands in the US, Canada, and internationally, and about how these ideas could be applicable to Cortes.

Folk U talks about Grief

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 11:01:44 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On Friday May 24, host Manda Aufochs Gillespie was joined by songwriter Jemma Hicken and founder of the DeathCaring Collective, Margaret Verschuur, in a program about grief.

Tales from Land Conservancies on Cortes, Quadra &15 Other Islands

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 02 Jun 2024 22:40:57 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - In 2021 Sheila Harrington embarked upon a three-year journey to explore the creation of local nature conservancies on 17 islands. Cortes and Quadra Islands were among them. She conducted more than 50 interviews, and wove together a chronicle of land conservancies and the people behind them since the 1990s. The resulting book, ‘Voices for the Islands, 30 Years Of Nature Conservation On The Salish Sea’ is just being released by Heritage House. There is a chapter dedicated to each of the 17 islands. The subject is very close to Harrington, who was the founding Executive Director of the Land Trust Alliance of BC from 1997 to 2011. She was also a director of the Lasqueti Island Nature Conservancy for more than 12 years. Cortes Currents: Why should we care about land conservancies? Harrington: “We should care because it works! These conservancies are protecting land and protecting nature. We’re in the midst of a species extinction that is unheard of all over the planet. The only way to save species is to save habitat, and land conservancies are an excellent way to save land. They’re local, they know what’s important, and they’re on the ground in order to ensure that it gets protected over time. They often work with regional districts. The Strathcona Regional District has worked with Land Trusts on Cortes, Quadra, and the province. On Salt Spring Island we protected 10 percent of the island by various land trusts working with the province and this whole Burgoyne Bay Park was protected through local people working with those other agencies.” “I took a sailing journey to meet with the dedicated founders of land trusts, which are also known as conservancies, and current activists from 17 of the islands in the Salish Sea, who have protected hundreds of nature reserves, parks, and protected places for people and the wildlife we share these precious islands with. The book chronicles this legacy of passionate Salish Sea Island residents who have dedicated much of their lives to protecting nature in determined, creative ways.”

Transport Canada Responds To Questions About Renovations Underway on Cortes Airstrip

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 29 May 2024 00:08:15 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Given the amount of neighbourhood concern about the renovations underway at the Cortes Island airstrip, Cortes Currents asked Transport Canada: Do the owners of private airstrips have a duty to consult with their communities before undertaking extensive expansions? What will Transport Canada do when, as appears to be the case on Cortes Island, this does not occur? Sau Sau Liu, Senior Communications Advisor at Transport Canada, replied, “All aerodromes on private property are required to meet the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs), regardless of their registration status. Aerodromes that are building a new runway, or increasing the length of a runway by more than 100m or 10%, are required to consult communities, as per Canadian Aviation Regulations 307 and the related Advisory Circular 307.01." Note that she did not mention hangers and this also implies that there is no requirement to consult if increases to the length of the runway are less than 100m or 10%. Liu continued, “This is a regulatory requirement that compels the aerodrome developer, in advance of construction, to proactively consult with interested parties, with the intent of hearing their comments or objections to the proposed aerodrome’s work and to propose actions to mitigate any concerns. Aerodrome operators may be subject to monetary penalties if they do not properly consult with communities. Concerns can be reported to Transport Canada at:aviation.pac@tc.gc.ca." “It is also important to note that the Aeronautics Act and CARs do not absolve an aerodrome proponent from complying with valid provincial or municipal laws of general application. Other federal laws may also be applicable.” “For more information about consultation construction at the Cortes Aerodrome, we recommend you reach out to the aerodrome directly.”

Three Development Proposals On Quadra Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 28 May 2024 21:59:11 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - At the May 22 meeting, Director Mawhinney informed the board, “the Area C Advisory Planning Commission met and discussed this Kanish Bay application and the following Upshur Road application. They also heard a delegation from one of the applicants. The Advisory Planning Commission did not support either covenant discharge application. The Advisory Planning Commission provided an additional motion, which supports maintaining the covenants for 520 Upshur Road and 1731 Kanishbu Drive as legal agreements freely entered into by the Regional District and landowners, recognizing that maintaining these covenants causes less land to be available for housing than would otherwise be the case.” The minutes of the Area C Planning Comission show that, in both cases, 7 out of 9 comissioners voted against removing the covenants. Director Mawhinney moved, and Director Whalley seconded, motions that the application to remove both covenants be denied. These carried with no opposing votes. Rick Schellinck has been trying to obtain approval to develop his property in Gowland Harbour since 2011. There has been a great deal of opposition from the surrounding community. The most recent application was to create 51 residential lots, a campground, marina and two waterfront parks. After 11 years of delays, the proposed Gowland Harbour Views development was finally allowed to have a public meeting on April 20, 2022. The Regional Director at that time, Jim Abram, reported all but 8 of the 546 submissions made at that meeting were in opposition. All four Regional Directors subsequently voted against the project, effectively killing that version of it. Now Schellinck is back with a proposal to rezone 64-hectares so that he can create a subdivision of twenty-two 2 hectare rural residential lots, a 5 hectare Agricultural Land Reserve parcel, and two small Regional District Parks.

The need more electricity in an expanding EV market

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 28 May 2024 12:42:21 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - British Columbia is feeling the strain of a rapidly expanding EV market. On January 11, 2024, BC Hydro stated there are more than 150,000 EVs on the province’’s roads. While It is more difficult to access local data, ICBC figures show that in 2022 there were 11 EVS registered on Cortes Island, 19 in Quathiaski Cove, 172 in Powell River, 190 in Campbell River, 228 in Comox, and 370 in Courtenay. In addition to being hailed as a partial solution to the climate crisis, an increasing number of drivers find they prefer EVs to gas cars. 96% of the EV owners who responded to a BCAA survey last year stated they found EVs to be more affordable and intend to purchase another in the future. There are currently about 5,000 EV chargers in the province and Clean BC set a goal of 10,000 chargers by 2030. A report by Energy Futures suggests that four times this number may be needed. There will also be a need for more electrical generation to service the new electric vehicles. BC Hydro states, “We're predicting there will be around 330,000 EVs on B.C. roads by 2030. This is estimated to add an additional 1,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity load per year.” To which the Energy Futures report responds, “Meeting the minimum new vehicle sales targets will require approximately 2,700 GWh of added electricity by 2030, about half the annual production of the Site C Dam. By 2040, this requirement will grow to 9,700 GWh or equivalent to two Site C Dams.” Image credit: Screenshot from CleanBC website

Dave Blinzinger: The Art, The Islands And Making A Living

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 27 May 2024 22:36:57 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Dave Blinzinger has toured Canada, the United States and Europe but, by choice, primarily plays his saxophone at local venues.  “I'm from St. Louis, Missouri. My father had moved up to Cortes Island in the 70s. I lived there from 88 to 1990. At that time, well, there wasn't very much happening on Cortes. You could go up to the Cortes Cafe on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, hang out with the fishermen and that was about it. So I moved to Quadra in 1990, basically to get a job,” he explained.   He has lived on Quadra ever since.   “I love both islands, but Cortes is special for me because it's the place I went to as an eight year old boy. I lived across from what's now Linnaea Farm in 1976. It was my first visit and it was magic. I just fell in love with the place! I think this place has its grip on me.”   “The summer of ’76 was my first summer on Cortes, when I was a kid, so I did a composition called ’76.’” Cortes Currents: How and why did you become a musician?   Dave Blinzinger: “I started when I was a teenager, because my father was a saxophone player and so was my uncle. I really admired them. That's what got me into playing the saxophone and into music, really.”   “My father was a Choir Director and I spent many years in choir. I did vocal jazz. I play a few other instruments. I play hand drums. I play the flute. I play a bit of piano and then I have several different saxophones to choose from, depending on the situation.”   Cortes Currents: When did you turn professional?  “I really started in about 1991, with a band called ‘the Valiants.’ They were a large 11 piece rhythm and blues band based out of the Comox Valley. I stuck with them for about 9 years and played probably two to three times a month, sometimes once a week.”   “My unspoken goal is to be a working musician. I didn't want to be a pro to try to ‘one up’ anybody. I really just wanted to play music professionally, eight days a week.”   “My father came from that breed of people. He played in dance bands in the 60s in the United States. In those times, the 40s, 50s, and 60s, you could work as a musician, get picked up by big bands and you could gig for a living, almost like a job. That's what I wanted, to be involved in my music full time.”   Cortes Currents: What will your second song be?   Dave Blinzinger: “One that had airplay on Cortes Radio and is on the Quadra Compilation CD. ‘Smoke From A Distant Fire’ is one of my original compositions.”   “The idea of this song is that you're laying out at night on Cortes Island under the stars, looking up at the stars, looking up at the universe, contemplating the cosmos, which we've all done a lot of. The distant fire is not the forest fires that we have. It's the fire in the sky, meaning the fire from distant galaxies, the light that we see.”

The Expanding Local Market For Solar Power

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 27 May 2024 11:22:36 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - A Cortes Island based solar company has been installing more systems that tie into the grid. There is a lot of potential for solar energy production in British Columbia. It has been largely untouched because of the province’s reliance on hydro-power and natural gas. As of October 2023, BC Hydro had 8,500 net metering customers with a combined solar capacity of 71 MW. This was only a fraction of the 4,609.5 MW of solar capacity tied to Canada’s grid that year.   These statistics do not include off-grid installations.   “The majority of my customers are off-grid. Anytime you're using fuel, switching to solar is a 'no brainer.' The payback is extremely quick. You don't have the noise of the generator and it generator is not very efficient either,” explained Ian King of Cortes Island based King Solar Contracting.   He cited a recent $60,000 installation on Twin Islands. Prior to this, his customer had been burning through $40,000 worth of diesel every year. The system should pay for itself, through reduced energy costs, in a year and a half.   King: “The bulk of my customers are on Hernando Island. I've put in about 95 of the systems out there. There's quite a few installers on Savary Island, but I've done a few out that way. I had quite a few up in Granite Bay before BC Hydro reached the north end of Quadra. Refuge is another little cove of no power. There's the two fingers around the Gorge, and that's generally where there's no hydro.”   He proceeded to list some small islands around Cortes: Channel Rock. Whale Rock, Heather Islet and Coulter Island.   King has put in more than 200 systems during the past 20 years. While the majority appear to be in our vicinity, he has worked on some of the remote islands around Port McNeill, and as far south as Mill Bay, or across the waters to the Lund - Powell River area.  Cortes Currents was especially interested in some of the grid tied systems King Solar recently installed on Cortes Island. The ‘pay back’ is slower, often about 20 years, but this really depends on the complexity of the system required.   Sadhu Johnston and Manda Aufochs Gillespie had two solar systems installed on their property a couple of years ago. They have a complex system with battery storage for their house, and a more simple system for their shop and a rental unit on their property.   Johnston: “Our system up the hill doesn't have the separate inverter and battery system, so that system was a lot less expensive to install. We don't get the benefit of power during an outage and whatnot, but we still get the benefit of reducing our consumption because we're generating power and putting it into the grid. So that system up the hill will have a much faster payback - because it's really just the solar panels.”   King: “I like to sit down with each individual customer and keep an eye on their bills, to better educate myself on exactly what the real time numbers areper each system.”   Johnston: “It's really great to have somebody in our community that knows my panel system and can come and give me technical advice and help me out versus hiring someone from afar that comes in and does your installation, disappears and it's really hard to reach them.”   “I call him once every few months with a question. Wondering what this light means, or can you come over and look at something or there's a noise or whatever. It makes a really big difference to be able to know that if I need him within an hour, he's over taking a look at something and he's not sending me a bill every time. He's a neighbour and he feels pride in his work. He wants to make sure that I understand things and can maintain it properly ourselves.”   King: “It's a big selling feature for me, even on Hernando per se, that I am local. Word of mouth is an enormous part of how my business expands and I get new jobs.”

Raising Waste Collection Fees, Funding Opportunities and a 5 Year Contract

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 24 May 2024 14:27:14 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - At their May 22 Board meeting, the Strathcona Regional Distrct (SRD) passed 3 important monetary decisions for Cortes Island. Firstly, the SRD will be increasing the annual fee for waste collection by $10 a year. This will be paid through our property taxes. Regional Director Mark Vonesch explained, “we're basically being forced to do this because Recycling BC changed their support for the solid waste collection fees so that we're having to make up that loss through increasing our fees, which we're going to be doing over the next couple of years.” Secondly, the Cortes Island Firefighters Association’s contract with the SRD expired more than a year ago. Since that time, the fire departent has been hired on a monthly basis. Now the SRD is once again offering a 5 year contract. SRD Chief Administrative Officer (CAO David Leitch) stated, “I just want to acknowledge the Cortes Island Firefighting Association and Sadhu Johnston for their participation and great patience. I think it's been a nice team-building exercise throughout but, as I understand it from Sadhu, the board has endorsed this contract, which is really great. This is a great step forward for both of us.” Mark Vonesch: “If I could add to that. It has been a year and a half and I'm just really grateful to staff, the Cortes Island Firefighters Association and this board for getting us here. This is a big win for Cortes. It's a big win for the SRD. It's a big win for Cortes Fire Department. I'm just really excited to get this five year deal passed. Now we can all move forward.” Lastly, the SRD is entering into an agreement with the Cortes Community Housing Society to provide up to $140,000 of the funding available through the Provincial Gas Tax on a road leading into Rainbow Ridge. We’ve actually been hearing about this project since November, but it was approved Wednesday. The Board passed all of these measures with no opposing votes.

Carrie Saxifrage's Cimate Mitigation Presentation to the SRD Board

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 24 May 2024 12:56:47 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Cortes Island author Carrie Saxifrage made a climate mitigation presentation at the May 22 SRD Board meeting. This is an abridged version of that talk. She began with a simple admission, “This is my first time. Thank you so much for having me. If I were to do it again, I'd do it a little differently, but here we are. We're going to whisk through some slides, and I'm going to emphasize what I think is most important.”

SRD Asking Transport Canada About The Cortes Island Landing Strip

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 23 May 2024 14:12:43 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -There were questions about what can be accomplished, but the SRD will be asking Transport Canada about the safety requirements, noise levels and frequency of planes using the Cortes Island Airstrip.   At their May 22 meeting, Cortes Island Director Mark Vonesch told the SRD Board:  “There is an airstrip on Cortes Island that's been there for a long time. A new buyer bought the land and has been upgrading the runway significantly. I've heard numbers: allegedly a thousand gravel trucks. They're paving it and there's a big concern from the community regarding: safety issues, what kind of planes can now land, frequency of planes that can now land, whether they need permission from the owner to be able to land. And also further gentrification of Cortes Island as it becomes more accessible.”  “There's a lot of questions that are coming to me from the community around this. I don't have the answers and would really love staff support to engage with Transport Canada and inform the board on what the rules are around safety, frequency and plane size. I have a motion as well.”  Campbell River Director Doug Chapman questioned whether this would be a waste of staff’s time:  “If it's a private runway, then the safety requirements are going to be based on the length of the runway. The length of the runway is going to dictate the size of the aircraft - and it's not landing, it's takeoff.”  “To make it simple, if you had a two engine aircraft to take off, you have to reach a rotation for one engine, then take off. That's why the length of the runway is important for takeoffs, not landing. If it's a private runway, as long as they meet Transport Canada requirements for the aircraft operation and the operator of the aircraft has insurance I don't think we have a lot of input into it. The Aeronautics Act and the regulations related to it dictate what happens.”

The SImon Fraser Field School Visits Folk U

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 22 May 2024 15:09:29 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On Friday, May 17, Manda Aufochs Gillespie was joined by the Simon Fraser University field school that visited Cortes in the week of May 13-17 to chat about how ecosystem approaches to health can help us understand the implications and impact of climate change through the perspective of rural and remote island communities. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

From The Ground Up: Cortes Island Dwellings

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 22 May 2024 13:32:37 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - A new exhibition in the Cortes Island Museum looks at the island’s housing from pre-colonial times up until the present. ‘From the Ground Up: Cortes Island Dwellings And Their Histories’ combines photographs and artifacts from the museum’s collections, stories and images from the community and a display from the Cortes Housing Society. Melanie Boyle, Managing Director of the Museum, took Cortes Currents on a tour of the exhibit.   “Welcome to the Cortes Museum and Archives. We are standing just inside the museum store, but as you know, the museum once was the Cortes Lodge store, down at Manson's Lagoon. We have a new exhibition which just opened on May 5th and runs throughout the year. I curated the show with Monica Hoffman,” she began.  “This exhibition looks at dwellings and communities from a historic perspective, not only just the dwellings, but the process behind a lot of them. On Cortes we face a lot of challenges, whether economic, terrain, or just accessing material. Our idea was to look at dwellings from that perspective: how people overcome the challenges; elusive solutions they find, and the connections they make to the land, to one another and the way they build community.”

Chief Darren Blaney: First Nations need to take over stewardship of Natural Resouces

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 20 May 2024 19:07:58 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - More than 25 people turned out for the ‘Polycrisis Townhall-Party’ in the Klahoose Multi-purpose building on Friday, May 17. Chief Darren Blaney of the Homalco FIrst Nation, his wife, MP Rachel Blaney, and Cortes Island Regional Director Mark Vonesch were among them. The event was put together by Cortes Island’s Alternate Director, Max Thaysen. Norm Harry, of the Klahoose FIrst Nation, welcomed everyone to the building. The most newsworthy portion was Chief Blaney’s declaration that First Nations need to take back stewardship of their traditional territories.  An abridged version of his talk follows.  Chief Blaney began by speaking in ayʔaǰuθɛm, which you can hear in the podcast.  Then, in English, he acknowledged the close relationship of the Klahoose and Homalco First Nations, “It’s good to be in the home of our relatives. I’m happy to be here.”  “When you were speaking, you made me think about listening to an elder, and the elder talked about a sacred alliance with us and all of Mother Earth, all the animals. We look after them, and they look after us.”  “I think when First Nations were connected to the land, it was the same. We were part of that cycle and I think it's important that we follow those teachings.”  He spoke of ceremonies from his grandmother’s day.  “Go to the first salmon ceremony, they were giving thanks and respect to that salmon, making sure it's there for future generations. The first berries and stuff, you give a prayer for that. You give thanks, respect, and appreciation.”  “For us, in this time when we have all kinds of climate change issues, with the fires going on up north, I think that our Aboriginal rights are the best protection for the environment.” He referred to the struggle with fish farms.  “That fight is about saving wild salmon and Homalco has spent about $700,000. I keep telling the fisheries minister, we've spent $700,000 defending your decision to remove the farms because we're protecting our salmon. And it's not just our salmon, it's all our clam gardens, all the rock cod, all the ring cod, snappers, herring. All these things that are part of our ecosystem.”  “I remember early in 2000 we were talking about the coming pandemic. And we were thinking, ‘what are we going to do when everybody's dying?’ And we thought, ‘We'll go back up to Bute Inlet, but the way DFO has managed our fisheries: our herring stocks have disappeared, our cod stocks have disappeared, lingcod disappeared so we don't have any cod eggs anymore. The salmon have just about disappeared because of the fish farms and climate change.”  “So our voice becomes even more important today as First Nations. What we're doing is we're working to rebuild the stocks, but at some point I'm looking to remove DFO from my territory because they're no help to the wild stocks.They're no help to the salmon.”  “They're pretty much pro-fish farmers in my mind because every time we talk to them, I feel like I'm talking to a fish farmer. For us to rebuild our salmon stocks, we have to get DFO out of the way, and that's been a big struggle for us.”  “Because of that, we have to build up our revenues. We have to get to the place where our people will be able to defend our rights in court and one of the biggest obstacles of going to court is what's called legal mischief. Where these corporate bodies keep throwing all kinds of motions at you. Mostly, when they do that to First Nations, they're trying to empty out our bank accounts so we can't fight in court anymore.”  “So we're working on building up a legal trust fund, so we'll be able to look after our land. The stewardship trust fund, so we'll be able to look after our land. The language, our trust fund for our culture, so that we'll be still connected to that land. All these things are important for us and it does go in a circle.”

Another 'Excellent' Seafest

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 20 May 2024 01:01:18 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The official count isn’t in yet, but more than 300 people turned out for this year’s Seafest. This is the annual celebration and fund raiser of the Cortes Island Seafood Association, which was held in Squirrel Cove again this year. “We come back every year. This is our 10th time. We love it every year. It's awesome. There's amazing food and amazing people and weather's gorgeous,” exclaimed Jason Thompson. “One thing that stuck out for us was there was only a lineup on one side this year. In the past, it's been both sides, and there was always a little bit of confusion, and, 'oh, I didn't get that'. So people would come in and get their food, and you'd look at them going, 'get out of my way,' but no, it's beautiful. It's run really nice, and the music's perfect.” Thaddeus Conrad from Med Man Brand believes markets like this are ‘extremely important for the community. It's an opportunity for me to meet people from around the world, and show everyone from around the world the island love.’” As the line-up extended almost back to the Squirrel Cove Store parking lot, it seemed like a good idea to start out by circulating among the vendors.

Cortes Fire Department Preparing For The Worst Case Scenario

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 19 May 2024 14:45:14 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Fire Department is preparing for what could be the driest summer on record. They have purchased more equipment, a new pumper truck, and are about to start recruiting for a much larger wildfire brigade. After a year and a half as the interim Fire Chief, Eli McKenty may be staying on. This was not the story Cortes Currents expected to cover. An open fire prohibition came into effect at noon on Friday, May 17. They were flushing water through one of the trucks in the front yard, when I arrived. Chief McKenty took me up to the office where it was quieter. There are two other desks there. BC Emergency Health Services Unit Chief Kim Robertson was away, but Office Manager Tammy Allwork was working on her computer. Their work spaces were meticulously laid out, with everything in its place. A few books and papers were sprawled across McKenty’s desk.

Bronwyn Claire Asha's one-woman theatre, Celtic folk music and storytelling

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 17 May 2024 10:28:13 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Bronwyn Claire Asha is bringing her one woman theatre, Celtic folk music and storytelling show to Cortes and Quadra Islands this weekend. She’ll be playing in Mansons Hall at 7 PM on Friday, and 7:30 in the Quadra Community Centre on Saturday.  “I am very excited to come to Cortes. I feel like Cortes and Quadra are both small communities that have a real heart to them and a real community connection,” she explained. Cortes Currents: You’ve also brought some songs for us today. Tell us about the first one.  Bronwyn Claire Asha: “So the first one is ‘Bridget O’Malley,' which is a song of lamentation from the 16 hundreds. It's a Scottish folk song. It's originally sung in Scots' Gallic. I talk a lot about longing in the show: longing for connection; longing for belonging; longing for love; longing for adventure. And it's a really beautiful song that I think encapsulates that even just through the melody, but it's also a lot about imagery and nature that connects you with the beauty of the world. It's a very sad love song as well.”  (Bridget O’Malley inserted 1:28-4:53 in the podcast) Bronwyn Claire Asha: “My music and my performance is about connecting people, community building. And it's not that the audience is not involved. They are very much a participant in the experience. I call upon them to do things. I call upon them to sing with me, to interact with each other so that by the end, we're not separate and we are not individuals sitting in that audience.”  “We're actually a community that have co created this experience together. So I really believe that what has been missing and What we yearn for in this modern age where we're disconnected from each other where we're experiencing The energy of each other through a screen as opposed to in real life when we capitalize on being in the same space together beautiful things can happen and that can happen through listening to really ancient Music and listening to stories that we would have listened to sitting around the campfire thousands of years ago that can help us return to that place where we worked as a community together.”  “We existed very much together, and we helped each other to survive through joining our voices together in song through sharing stories together and my mission With this performance, with the work that I do, with this character, the bardess, who's the narrator and the guide along the way.”  “It's all about helping us remember what was important and experiencing it again in our own bodies, embodying that feeling to remember that part of us is still there and we're still yearning for connection with each other. And if there's A place we can do that, that's safe, that's a container for us to be together, to go on a journey.”  “We don't know what the destination is, but we know that we're safe and we know that we have each other. The possibilities are endless and really beautiful. And so far, with this show, I'm experiencing that with my audiences every time. It's like we're, by the end, it's just like I want to give back. Give everyone a big hug and we're all in it together. It feels very heartwarming at the very end, we sing this final song together that I wrote, but everyone picks up on it so quickly.” “It's really beautiful to have these experiences where we remember that we're actually all the same, wherever we came from, our ancestors are the same far enough back. We yearn for the connection with each other and also with the earth. The earth is a big character in this performance as well.”  Cortes Currents: What’s your second song?

Study finds Bear meat is #4 in a wolf's diet

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 17 May 2024 10:04:41 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Over the past few years there have been increasing reports of wolves preying on black bears. There have been no reports of this on Cortes Island, and a lot of residents first heard about it at the 2024 Wildlife Coexistence Gathering, at Linnaea Farm. Todd Windle of Wild About Wolves explained that the evidences of wolves preying upon bears in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve go back to the reappearance of wolf population in the area.   “We were finding bear claws in scat. So that was like, ‘well, maybe they're just scavenging in them, or maybe they're finding a bear that got hit by a car,’” he explained.   “Then we started accumulating observations of wolves hunting bears. Bob Hansen actually captured a whole scene of two wolves killing a bear, ripping it apart and eating it. Dennis Hetu has documented multiple bear kills by wolves. So we did the analysis and sat down over MS Teams with a professor from UC Davis, our monitoring ecologist.”   “He went through all the results, and we had a list of questions beforehand.”   The professor did not report any evidence of bear meat in their diet.   “We said, ‘This doesn't make sense. We were expecting to find bear remains. We're actually hoping to finally quantify how much bear meat is in their diet, but there's no bears here. Why do you think that might be?’”   “And he said, ‘Oh, I just thought that was an error. I thought it was cross contamination that the wolves and the bears were preying on the same carcasses or something on the beach. So I took all the bear and I threw it out. (Woman laughs) Let me rerun the data and I'll get back to you.’”   “So he reran the data, and bears are actually the number four item in the wolf diet, at least currently. So, there's four species that make up 60%, 64% or 65% of a wolf's diet. Raccoon is still number one, then black tailed deer, river otters, and black bears.”

Supporting Cortes Island's Small Businesses

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 16 May 2024 12:57:51 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - In January, the Cortes Community Economic Development Association, or CCEDA, hired a Business Mentorship Coordinator. In the four months since then Tamlyn Collingwood has worked with a number of Cortes Island’s small businesses, developed procedures to help them and is about to unveil a series of new market opportunities in conjunction with Hollyhock. “I was contracted to support small businesses in any areas needed. There’s so many different aspects to business and, for many folks, they might be good at a few things and they might have a few challenges in some of those areas,” she explained. “My job is to help them in the areas I can, either providing one on one direct support or helping connect folks with resources that can help them or with other mentors in the community who can help them.” “So far I've been working with over a dozen businesses, mostly artists and product based businesses. A lot of times folks just need someone to bounce ideas off of or help connect them with resources. I've done a lot of sort of one on one creating labels, creating logos, strategizing and business planning.”

Seafest Returning to Squirrel Cove Saturday, May 18

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 14 May 2024 23:51:05 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Seafest will be returning to Squirrel Cove this Saturday, May 18, with delicious platefuls of locally grown and prepared seafood. with live music.   “ I think the first one was back in 1990 or 92. It was down in Smelt Bay with Redonda Sea Farms and the rest of the community and it was a huge event. I think they had walk-on overloads on the ferry. That was really when the Seafood Association was formed. Its primary mandate being water quality and it was formed in response to new technology that could assess dioxin pollution from the pulp mills,” explained Dave Nikleva. Julia Rendall added, “I think in the late eighties, it was to fight the pulp mills. ‘Water quality’ was our mandate. Then there was a time when some people were a little bit reluctant about us oyster farmers. They thought maybe we were getting in the way of their pristine scenery. We decided to show them that we did have a good product for everybody to enjoy and that it is a viable industry on the island and it is necessary.”   Dave Nikleva: “It’s continued in subsequent variations over the years in various places from Squirrel Cove to the Gorge and Manson's parking lot on a windy day. I think we've had a great show of support from the industry, and also from the community.”  They have both been involved since the beginning of Seafest. Julia is a former President of the Bee Islets Growers Corporation, which has their rafts close to the entrance of Gorge Harbour. Dave and his wife are independents. Dave Nikleva: “Since 1987, when I moved to the island, I moved to grow shellfish. We've got a few farms in the Gorge Harbour. We've got some beach leases and deep water leases.” Cortes Currents: What’s your target audience for Seafest? Who do you want to come? Dave Nikleva: “It has changed over the years and there have been changes in the location. Last year was the first time we’ve been back in Squirrel Cove for a decade or more. A different crowd of perhaps younger people and younger families were there. That was good to see, some different people showing up for it.”   Cortes Currents: Was last year a success? How do you define success? Dave Nikleva: “I’d say it was maybe half the size of what it had been previously at the Gorge Harbour Marina, before COVID, but it was a nice size. A good feeling there.”  “We're looking at hopefully about the same number of people, maybe about 300 plates. It's always interesting to see who comes out, but we do have some new things happening. We do have scallops on the menu for the first time and a little change in the lineup of cooks. So if you've been there before, this will be something new for you to come again.”   “Clams and oysters umpteen different ways, prawns, salads, and bread. There's also going to be a cookout with First Nations doing some salmon, that'd be a separate tent for them.”   Cortes Currents: Tell me about the music this year.   Julia Rendall: “The music is going to be in the same place on the deck in front of the restaurant, which worked really well last year. Scotty's putting on the music, and so far we're still actually looking for more musicians. If there's anyone out there who'd like to sing or play or dance, they could phone me or Dave or Scotty. Scotty's actually arranging the whole music. venue. You can send an email to jrendall182@gmail.com and I can forward their Information to Scotty.”   Dave Nikleva: “The thing always seems to come together at the last minute. Glad to have them and they're right beside the food tent lineup, so people are entertained as they wait for the next course to come along.”   Julia Rendall: “The vendor lineup is really strong this year, and we're going to have them lined along the road towards the store, so it'll be a little market there. We've got the radio station, we've got Turkish towels, body lotions, candles and t-shirts. So there'll be good shopping in between the eating.”

Cortes Foundation update: more grant opportunities; the shared social workplace & more

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 14 May 2024 16:40:27 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Manda Aufochs Gillespie announced two new grant offerings, the new shared workplace in the Village Commons and much more, in a Cortes Island Community Foundation update yesterday. “It has been a really busy year, and I am so excited about where we are, and this community that we get to serve. I'd love to tell you about some of the things that maybe you've been hearing about that are happening right now and some of the things that you and everyone can look forward to hearing more about this summer and as the year progresses,” she began. “We are very excited to again have some funds that we're getting to grant into the community.” “As a community foundation, we are still finding our way as to what that means and how we are most relevant to this community. The longer we're doing this, the more that we realize that we're a pretty different community foundation than most of those community foundations that are out there.”   “For instance, the Vancouver Foundation has I'm not sure how much money, but I think in the matter of billions in their endowment. They're able to use that endowment to support the good works of many, many different community organizations, particularly those based in and around Vancouver, but also throughout the province.” “The Cortes Island Community Foundation does not have an endowment of any size. We don't have money that is sitting in a bank, or that is invested, that earns a bit of principle that then we grant from. From the beginning we decided we can wait or follow a model of a community foundation that is about earning money, saving it up, investing it well, and then spending it out. When we look around us, it's clear that the organizations in our community need resources now. They need human resources, financial resources and social resources today.”   “Since our founding just a few years ago, we have managed to leverage over three and a half million dollars directly into the community without needing to have an endowment. This has been in no small part because of luck. I would like to say it's because of the genius of all those involved, which I'm sure has something to do with it, but mostly it's been luck. We've come into existence at a time when the government of Canada has made available, pretty much for the first time ever, a series of funds aimed at helping smaller community foundations immediately have impact in their communities.”

Water Housing Forum FolkUxCHS

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 09 May 2024 23:16:29 +0000

Sadhu Johnston/ Cortes Community Housing - Tune in on May 10th for the second collaborative monthly housing forum hosted by the Cortes Housing Society and Folk University. Themed “Water Quality and Quantity”, this forum featured guest panelists Darren Bond, Nick Sargent, and David Bethune and a following community discussion. This is a recording of the second monthly housing forum in April, hosted over Zoom, with 24 people in attendance. Hear us chat about water, it’s relation to housing, and about how these ideas could be applicable to Cortes. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

A Property For Cortes Island's New Land Trust & Other Housing Alternatives

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 09 May 2024 22:18:02 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Cortes Community Housing purchased a property with two houses at 671 Sutil Point Road. This will be the first property to go into the island's new land trust, formed in response to Cortes Island's housing forum last December.  The housing society has been active on Cortes for 6 or 7 years and made a lot of progress in buying Rainbow Ridge. Having that acreage for housing and community needs is a really great opportunity and sets us apart in many ways from some of our other island neighbors like Quadra, for instance, where they're working to acquire land, explained Sadhu Johnston, Executive Director of Cortes Community Housing.   We've been struggling to get BC Housing funding to build on that land and we recently heard we weren't successful. That's the 3rd time we had applied. We did get $100,000 from BC Housing to continue to get the project shovel ready. So they're not abandoning us, they're just not ready to fund it.   They're really prioritizing cities. I think 80% to 90% of the funding from the last round of BC Housing funding that was designated for the Vancouver Island region went to Victoria.   We cannot rely on provincial support to solve this problem here. We need it, but it's been years of trying to get it. We really are needing to diversify our approach, both on Rainbow Ridge land, but also across the community.   We are continuing to progress the 24 townhome development on Rainbow Ridge and we just received funding from the SRD to build the road into the development site.   We're looking at creative ways that we can still bring housing to the Rainbow Ridge land even if it's not subsidized housing, if it's more of a rental housing option. We are purchasing our first home, thanks to the generous donation of 1 of our Cortes neighbors. That property is about 3 acres and it has 2 houses on it. It has a well, it has septic, it has power backup systems. It has beautiful gardens, and a big shop.  I'm personally really excited by this opportunity because we get to provide rental housing immediately, but there's also the opportunity for other community uses with the shop and the agricultural land. It's a very centrally located. It's a walkable site. People can walk straight into Manson's, to the school, or to Smelt Bay and Manson's Lagoon.  We have over 200 people on our wait list. So we're going to put a call out and then, if we don't get interest from that, we'll go more broadly to the community   Having secure rental housing Is really important for people that often have to move over and over and over again.  That's the basic objective. We get to provide housing for people that need it. We get to maintain community ownership in the land. This land will be owned by all of us as a community and over time, we could even add additional cabins to the land to provide more housing. That would be something that we'll be looking to do.  The objective is also to ensure that as houses come up for sale, they aren't just sold to off-Islanders for summer housing, that we maintain existing homes for community use and for housing people on the Island, not just bringing new people to the Island or converting those family homes to summer houses for off Islanders.

Transportation Solutions for Cortes, Quadra and the Outer Islands

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 08 May 2024 17:54:34 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - A new passenger transportation solutions project was launched for Cortes, Quadra and some of the Outer Islands. Kate Maddigan, of the Cortes Community Economic Development Association (CCEDA), obtained a grant to fund the project and will oversee developments on Cortes. Quadra Island facilitator Jennifer Banks-Doll will be overseeing the project on Quadra and the Outer Islands. Their first step is fact gathering but unlike past initiatives, they intend to implement some of these ideas. A survey being launched this Monday, May 13, and an online forum on May 21.

BC Ferries Consultation Apr 27th

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 05 May 2024 14:15:08 +0000

De Clarke/ COrtes Currents - BC Ferries intends to upgrade their Heriot Bay and Whaletown terminals to accommodate new, higher-capacity “Island Class” ferries with the potential for all-electric operation. The construction project, scheduled for 2026, will necessitate closure of these docks and ramps — a serious logistical problem for BCF and for island residents. On April 27th, 2024, BC Ferries hosted a two-hour open house at Mansons Hall from 12:30 to 2:30 pm, asking for community feedback and suggestions on their early draft plan for this disruptive project. The event was attended by more than 50 Cortes residents over the two-hour period; for those who were unable to attend, the online comment period remains open until May 6th.

Before and After: Impacts of the "Hall Tax" on Gorge Hall (finale)

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 22:17:13 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - It has now been four and a half years since the 2019 referendum in which a solid majority of Cortes Islanders voted in favour of bylaw 341. This bylaw established a property tax service that would provide basic operational support for the islands two community halls. What’s Happening Now? — what events and programmes are being offered as of 2024, and how much community engagement is there?

Audio from the Homeshare Forum

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 21:54:42 +0000

Sadhu Johnston/ Folk U - Tune in on April 19th for the first collaborative monthly housing forum hosted by the Cortes Housing Society and Folk University. Themed “Homesharing”, this forum featured guest panelists Janey Rowland (HousingNOW) and Noelle Marcus (Nesterly), and a following community discussion. This is a recording of the first monthly housing forum in March, hosted over Zoom, with 19 people in attendance. Hear us chat about creative housing ideas related to homesharing and about how they could be applicable to Cortes. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

The Making of Sacred India

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 20:42:12 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Local filmmaker Jennifer Pickford found more than the spiritual paradise of her expectations, when she first visited India in 2008. She subsequently embarked upon the personal pilgrimage, 2,500 kilometres down the Ganges River, chronicled in the documentary ‘Sacred India: Plastic Revolution,’ which comes to Mansons Hall on Monday, April 22nd, 2024.  Jennifer Pickford: “I was involved in yoga studies and meditation, and I really had a longing in my heart to go there. It's not quite the spiritual paradise that my idealistic mind imagined it to be. I was particularly troubled to see a group of people who were burning plastic in a bonfire and actually standing around it to keep warm. I just felt they could have no real clear awareness of what plastic is, neither its toxic composition nor the fact that plastic is not biodegradable. I found myself wondering how this country, which for centuries sustained itself with its grassroots cottage industry style commerce, became such a mass consumer of commercial plastic? What, if any, recycling programs were in place? Particularly, as a Westerner, I started wondering what is my involvement in this? How did the colonization of India contribute to this plastic nightmare?”

Before and After: Impacts of the "Hall Tax" on Gorge Hall (Part 3)

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 22:59:41 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - It has now been four and a half years since the 2019 referendum in which a solid majority of Cortes Islanders voted in favour of bylaw 341. This bylaw established a property tax service that would provide basic operational support for the islands two community halls Part 3: What’s Been Fixed? — what maintenance and improvement has been made possible by the hall tax funding?

Round Two of the Giving Well Program

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 16:51:49 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Community Foundation is running a second round of the Giving Well program that provides one-time tax free cash “gifts” of between $5,000 to $10,000 to individuals. Isabella McKnight, Executive Administrator of the Cortes Foundation explained, “The first round was extremely successful. We were able to give over $180,000 to 30 different individuals and families in need. So far, the feedback from that has been really great, it was just the right amount at just the right time. The money went out right before Christmas, so that felt extra good as well.” “We've got about $25,000 (each) for five categories to give out to families and individuals who are in acute financial need.” “We've noticed through the granting cycles that we've run, that there's a lot of people that fall between the cracks. They're not quite 65, so they don't fall into that senior category or they own property, so people think of them as wealthy.” Cortes Currents: What specific groups are you targeting? Isabella McKnight: it’s really open for anybody, but we've selected five groups just to simplify it a bit: Youth/single-parent Elderly/seniors Indigenous Individuals or families adversely impacted by a health crisis Enterprising potential that can seed larger impact for the individual and/or community Cortes Currents: How do you apply? Isabella McKNight: Visit our website and fill out an application. It's not too long, just giving us the information that we need from you, how much you're looking for, or what you're hoping to use it for. Then we'll put you in. Applications are open until May 5th. It doesn't matter if you've applied before and even if you receive funds before. please apply again because we know that we might not necessarily have given you what you asked for. We're happy to keep supporting anybody who's applied or who hasn't applied and we really encourage people to apply because it's essentially free money. So why not apply? The application should only take you about 10 minutes. We're happy to help you through. That's why we also have community cultivators. It's because they can help people through the applications. If you don't have access to a computer, you can do it over the phone with not only your community cultivator, but you can do it with me as well. I can send you an email version, I can talk to you over the phone, I can give you a paper version, whatever you need to make it as accessible as possible. Cortes Currents: Applicants must have an ‘acute financial need.’ Don't get tripped up too much over that language because that's a really broad spectrum, ‘acute financial need.’ I was talking to one of the community cultivators and she works in a specific field and was talking to somebody and they said, 'well, I'm not literally starving. So I don't need to use the food bank.' Like, they do go to bed hungry some nights and just because they have rice and beans, they're not starving. That's not what we mean. If you aren't feeling like you can get access to everything because of where you stand financially you have the right to apply. This is a trust based philanthropy. When we give you this money, there is nothing in return that we need. We don't need receipts on how you spent it. We don't even need you to tell us your story, but the best way to support this program is for you to give us feedback, especially since this is a pilot program. This is only the second time we've run it and we're not 100 percent educated on all these topics.

The Awakeneers return to Folk U: A full length concert

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 20:08:58 +0000

Sadhu Johnston/ Folk U - On April 12th, guest host Sadhu Johnston was joined by the folk band Awakeneers for a full-length live concert. Kicking off an April tour on Cortes, the Awakeneers delighted listeners with their fiddle and harmony-centric tunes and sweet stories to boot! The live-streamed radio concert on Friday afternoon was a teaser for the community contra dance they led on Saturday night at Manson’s Hall. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Before and After: Impacts of the "Hall Tax" on Gorge Hall (Part 2)

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 19:36:11 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - It has now been four and a half years since the 2019 referendum in which a solid majority of Cortes Islanders voted in favour of bylaw 341. This bylaw established a property tax service that would provide basic operational support for the islands two community halls. Part 2: What Changed? -- why were the halls in such dire financial straits by about 2015? why could Gorge Hall not just go on as it had since it was founded?

A New Season For The Whaletown Garden Centre

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 15:38:44 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Noah Davidson traces his gardening itch back to the family plot in Ontario but prior to his arrival on Cortes Island, he worked in restaurants. He started out behind the cash register of his father's restaurant in Toronto and went on to work in a number of fast food establishments. This continued after his move to British Columbia. Noah worked at the Floathouse Restaurant, in Gorge Harbour Marina, during his first two years on Cortes Island.  “A couple of seasons after working with them, I decided to experiment with the possibility of starting a business on my own property. I remember asking the Gorge, ‘if this doesn't work out, would you mind hiring me back, because I don't know whether this is going to be a grand success or a grand failure.’ They said, 'you know, you've given us two good years and we'd certainly take you back,” he explained.  Cortes Currents: have you ever gone back to work for the Float House?  Noah Davidson:”No, that was the beginning of entrepreneurship for me. I really haven't had to branch out too far from there since then.”  Cortes Currents: One of the first things you notice upon entering the Whaletown Garden Center, is two garden chairs with the sign ‘registered psychiatrist’ slung between them.  Noah Davidson: “The Garden Centre can be a place of helping people find garden supplies, but sometimes maybe turns into some deep conversations. A friend delivered me a sign that says ‘registered psychologist,’ even though I'm definitely not a registered psychologist. I proudly display it on my Adirondack chairs where two people can pull up a seat and have a chat. It brought in a lot of good laughs.”  He emailed, “My passion comes from helping people find success in their garden, whether they're growing one pot on the deck or they have five acres of land. If someone's issue can be solved with a 20 minute conversation, with or without making a sale, my aim is that people will leave Whaletown Garden Centre happy and informed. Customers have told me it's one of the many things that keep them coming back to Whaletown Garden Centre.” “I established Whaletown Garden Centre in 2008 with the goal of bringing a comprehensive garden supply centre to Cortes Island. Over the last 15 years of operation, I've tried to hone in on the items that gardeners on Cortes are looking for. As of today, Whaletown Garden Centre has over 500 different products available. Even with our small island population, Cortes has a great community of passionate gardeners, and it was my hope that Whaletown Garden Centre would meet their needs and save them a trip off island. Competitive pricing is something I take very seriously. I am constantly looking for the best products I can source at fair and affordable prices for my customers.”  Noah Davidson: “I carry everything from different fertilizer products, to help with funguses, pathogens and issues with bugs. I have lots of tools, everything from forks and rakes and shovels, axes, pruning tools, Reemay, hoses, even some obscure tools like the old dutch hoe, or pick mattock. The list goes on and on. I've tried to put out various different advertisements that cover a lot of the products that I carry, but I don't think people can really get the idea unless they actually come in and see what's available.”  “I also bring in manure from a poultry farm in Black Creek. I carry peat moss, coco coir, potting soil, worm castings, perlite, vermiculite, mushroom manure and plenty of other soil products. One of the other things that I focus on is a decent West Coast seed selection. Every year I bring in this year's fresh seeds and try to cover all the bases as far as what people would need for their veggie garden, a little bit of a mix of flowers and that kind of thing.”

Before and After: Impacts of the "Hall Tax" on Gorge Hall (Part 1)

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 21:56:04 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - It has now been four and a half years since the 2019 referendum in which a solid majority of Cortes Islanders voted in favour of bylaw 341. This bylaw established a property tax service that would provide basic operational support for the islands two community halls. An interview with WCC President Izabelle Perry. Part I of 4 - Before & After — the Hall’s financial situation pre-2019 vs today Image credit: A Christmas Market In Gorge Hall - Roy L Hales photo

Virtual Forum on Water Quality and Quantity

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 21:35:30 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents: The Cortes Housing Society’s Virtual Forum will be returning to the airwaves at 10 AM on Saturday, April 20, with a program on water Quality and Quantity. Host Sadhu Johnstone will be joined by three expert panelists: Darren Bond from Hornby Water Stewardship, Nick Sargent from the Quadra Island Climate Action Network and David Bethune of Groundwater Solutions. There will also be breakout sessions to discuss how these issues apply to Cortes Island.   “In December 2023, we hosted a housing forum to talk about housing challenges in the community and concerns that people had. In environmental systems in particular, water systems really came up loud and clear as something that we needed to really be thinking about as a community. It was a very, very important discussion for me, as the new executive director of the housing society. (I now) recognize that we are really quite behind some of our neighboring islands in our work as a community, looking at our water supplies,” explained Sadhu Johnstone.  “We haven't really mapped our aquifers on the island and don't really have a sense of the aquifer health. With climate change, we're likely to face more droughts and more demand for water from aquifers as a community. If we're going to add additional housing to support people that are here and needing housing, that could cause a strain on systems. So this is critically important for the folks living on Cortes and for future people that are looking to live on Cortes.”  “I've spoken to folks on Quadra, Hornby, Pender and other islands. They've done a lot of this work already. This forum is a chance to have them in the room with us, on Zoom, and to learn what they've done, and what they would recommend we do or don't do. We're also going to have an expert from Groundwater Solutions, which has supported a number of rural communities and island communities in their work to map their aquifers and assess the aquifer health."  "There are things that we can do to recharge our aquifers. If there are aquifers that are overused or aren't being recharged, there are ways that you can do that. It's just very interesting to understand what those are and how we can utilize those approaches."  “I'm very interested to make the connection to ways that we can develop using less water. How do we do more with composting toilets and low water solutions? Capturing rainwater and utilizing that instead of needing to pull all of the water that we need from out of the ground.”  “We're hearing more and more that people with surface wells are seeing lower water levels in the summers. There's obviously a tie in with climate change.”  “This form is the first step for us, as the housing society, to really be thinking about this island wide and to be learning from other places and charting a course forward.” “We have applied for a grant from the Real Estate Foundation of BC to help to commission a study to assess the aquifer health, map the aquifers and assess the aquifer health, and to be thinking about things that we could be doing in the future. This forum is a way to learn from what other places have done that are ahead of us, but also to help shape our work.” Podcast View from Hornby Island office window by Glissmedia via Flickr (CC BY SA 2.0 Deed)

New Initiatives at the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 12:38:35 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery is trying out some new initiatives this year. Their season is starting earlier, there are more classes and special events than ever, and some of them will be in new locations. The gallery has reversed the order of its exhibitions, expanded its social media reach and now has a website at schoolhouseertgallery.ca  “The website is big news, and we really hope people will check it out. David Ellingson has helped put it together. There's a lot of different aspects to it. You can look at old shows, and see what's coming up. There'll be a place where current events are being announced, which is very important because there's more current events this year than there have been. We're trying to expand the borders of the art gallery, push out the walls and make it accessible and approachable for everybody in the community,” explained Gerri Davis, who joined the board this year.  Christann Kennedy, another new Director and also the gallery's education coordinator, added, “Classes will run from the end of April and through May, and the exhibition season will run June, July, August into the beginning of September. Then we'll have another six week session of classes from mid September until probably the end of October, at which point the building gets a little bit too chilly.”

Cortes and Quadra Island to receive more paramedics

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 12:51:22 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - On April 1, BC Emergency Health Services improved the staffing models for 60 rural and remote ambulance stations. Cortes and Quadra Islands are among the 6 communities within the Strathcona Regional District that will benefit. “We recognize that one staffing model doesn’t work for all parts of the province, and these three models will help us improve our services to better meet the needs of the community and patients and enable more of our paramedics to live and work in their home communities,” explained Leanne Heppell, BCEHS’ Chief Ambulance Officer, in a press release. The Quadra Island and Gold River ambulances are among the 21 rural stations upgraded to a 24/7 full-time “Alpha” model. Whereas under the previous Scheduled On-Call (SOC) model paramedics were at the station 8 hours a day, there will now be 8 full-time positions, with paramedics in the station 24 hours a day. Cortes Island previously had 4 SOC positions filled, and 3 on call staff. SOC shifts are 24-hour shifts, in which paramedics are at the station from 8am to 4pm, and carry a pager outside those hours Under the new ‘Mix Shift’ system Cortes Island, Sayward and Tahsis are among the 25 stations that will have a total of 8 regular part time positions providing 24 hours coverage. Paramedics will serve in the station for 16 hours and be on-call for 8 hours. This means staff on-duty in the station twice as often as they were in the past. An unconfirmed source stated the Cortes Island station is now recruiting. Unit Chief KIm Robertson declined to comment, stating Cortes Currents would have to contact EHS media. They have yet to reply. The on-call rate has also been increased from $2 per hour to $12 per hour. The last of the SRD stations to benefit under the new system is Zeballos, whih Zeballos is among the 14 ‘Kilo’ stations that will have a full time unit chief supported by on call staff.

On the Origins of the Cortes Community Wolf Project

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 18:03:24 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - There was an increasing number of wolf sightings and encounters on Cortes Island during the closing months of 2008. A number of posts in the Tideline over the course of the next two years mention 'an awful lot of them on the island, in an awfully short time.' There were mixed reactions. A Squirrel Cove resident wrote that 15 ran through one of their neighbours yards at 4 AM. Someone had a 'magical encounter' with a large black wolf, standing on the foot bridge over the channel connecting Gunflint and Hague Lakes, as she paddled through with her canoe. Another resident reported that three wolves killed her dog, only 70 feet from her house.   More than 150 people gathered in the Linnaea School, on January 17, 2009, when local biologist Sabina Leader Mense brought in two experts to share their experiences with wolves. Conservation Officer Ben York thanked the audience for bringing him in to discuss the situation, rather than put an animal down. He also stated that some of the wolves on Cortes ‘are very habituated’ and ‘˜there is a level of tolerance for these animals that is endangering them.’   The other expert was Bob Hansen, a wildlife/human conflict specialist in the Pacific Rim National Reserve.   Hanson was also one of the principle speakers at the recent Wildlife Coexistence Gathering on Cortes Island. He explained that prior to receiving Sabina’s invitation, his attention was primarily focused on the Pacific Rim community.   "I was approached by another champion, Sabina, because she'd heard about the Wild Coast Project."   "So now we're taking a step away from the West Coast. We were really laser focused. I was hesitant, and the management team was really hesitant, like - 'you want to leave the park and go over to the other side of the island?' They did agree, and the only stipulation they made was that the CO service had to be here as well."   "It turned out our other champion, Ben York, was the CO. We'd worked together on Bear Aware in our area and he'd taken a new posting. By this time Ben had married Crystal.” (Laughter)   (In the first article of this series, Hansen described Crystal McMillan as a force of nature in the Ucluelet area. Her Bear Aware group was so effective that she received a Premier’s Award. She insisted that all of her partners and collaborators also be recognized. So Premier Gordon Campbell presented the award to a group of people that included Crystal, Bob Hansen and Ben York.)   "So Ben and Crystal came to our first Cortes get-together in 2009. That was a huge learning experience, and out of that came the Wolf Primer. You were working on the whole idea of identifying and getting to know individual wolves and understanding which wolves were behaving in which ways."   Some of the wolves were drawn by the sheep carcasses at the back of Blue Jay Lake Farm. During his slideshow presentation, Hanson praised the farmer for his innovative solution.   Ben Hansen: "Under that blue tarp is a giant hill of moldering hay, and he started disposing of his carcasses with that. It's super hot, they break down really quickly, no more issues with the wolves patrolling for dead sheep."   "That led to the more in depth workshop in two years, where Grace SoftDeer, ourselves and Ben York came, along with some of the researchers from the Wild Coast Project. We stayed at Christine Robinson's place. That was the storytelling workshop, another really rich experience."

Connecting the Dots: Forestry Management and Some Implications for Wildlife

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 19:46:41 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - In the first of a series of articles from Cortes Islands recent Wildlife Coexistence Gathering, Cortes Currents looked at Vancouver Island’s first wildlife coexistence program in the Pacific Rim National Park. The problem at that time was human/bear conflicts. By the time Sabina Leader Mense reached out from Cortes Island, about 2010, WildSafeBC had been dealing with wolves and cougars for more than a decade.   Bob Hansen, Pacific Rim Coordinator for WildSafeBC, described the wolves' sudden appearance.   “Up until this point in time, it was bears and nothing but bears. In 1998/99, the wolves showed up after being missing from our area for decades. Their presence was very dramatically felt. I remember getting a phone call from the local paper in January of 1999, ‘have you been getting wolf reports?’ I checked our database, and we'd had six wolf reports since 1972. I said, 'nope.' Within two weeks it started, the wolves were back.” Cortes Currents: Hansen suspects that modern forestry methods may be at least partially responsible for the influx of wolves and cougars into his area.   Bob Hansen: "Behind the West Coast Trail, and definitely behind Long Beach, there's very extensive areas of large scale clear cuts. Major portions of watersheds were completely cut during the heyday of clear cut logging. What we learned through the research project was that the newly cut areas are exceptional deer habitat and support predators for 10 to 15 years, but when that second growth plantation grows up to a certain age, the canopy closes in. So it goes from being an exceptional deer habitat to the opposite end of the scale. It's been referred to in the literature as 'ungulate barrens.' We looked at satellite imagery of Vancouver Island with GIS. We colour coded the second growth plantations that were in that state. We had the cut dates and could see really large areas of Vancouver Island are now locked up in that 'ungulate barrens' condition. That condition persists till the stand is about 80 to a hundred years old." Cortes Currents: Aren’t some of the forest plantations now being cut after 40 to 50 years?   Bob Hansen: "They have a calculation about where the best cost benefit point is on a plantation. It used to be 80 to a hundred years, but the math has changed. Right now those plantation lands are being cut around 60 years or even as early as 45 years. So there's just no potential for them to become 'old growth' again."   "The predators had to adapt to that reality and were coming into the national park, coming out to the shoreline. There's old growth there. It supports a low, but consistent, density of deer. It has all of these other prey animals at that interface between the ocean and the forest: deer, raccoon, river otter and seal pups."   "It's food that they find at that interface between the ocean and the forest. That was the big missing piece. Something had happened on the larger landscape, and it's still happening." "If you apply a different forestry technique to those plantations, you don't have to let it close off. Wait until they get 80 to 100 years old. You can actually keep sunlight filtering through the canopy as that plantation is growing, by doing commercial thinning and other things. Also, there's other silviculture prescriptions that you can use to help promote medicinal plants and other values that are important for First Nations."   "There's a lot that could be done with those second growth areas, but it will take investment and a different vision. It's not just cubic meters of wood, you have to manage it from a different perspective."   Cortes Currents: With the arrival of the wolves, Hansen and his colleagues were suddenly faced with a whole new set of problems.

Food Security from the Perspective of Farmers, Food Thinkers, and the Cortes Food Bank

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 19:26:04 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On April 5th, Max Thaysen, Sara Stewart, and Filipe Figueira joined host Manda Aufochs Gillespie for a FolkU Friday group discussion on food security and food systems. They chat about successes and challenges in food systems, both locally and globally, from the perspective of farmers, food thinkers, and one of the main coordinators of the Cortes Food Bank. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Back to the Beginning: The First Wildlife Coexistence Program On Vancouver Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 18:27:29 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Around 40 people turned out for the Wildlife Coexistence Gathering on Cortes Island. This was an opportunity for Cortesians to meet some of the extended community of advisors to the local program and learn more about our three top predators: grey wolf, black bear and cougar. The gathering was organized and hosted by Sabina Leader Mense and Georgina Silby from the Cortes Community Wolf Project. It began with a welcoming ceremony in the Klahoose All Purpose Building on Friday, April 5. There was an all day teaching series in the Linnaea Education Centre the following day. The gathering ended with a nature walk in Hank’s Beach Forest Conservation Park on Sunday, April 7. Sabina Leader Mense emailed, “We celebrated our cultural relationships to our wild kin with the Klahoose First Nations singers & drummers and our guests Grace SoftDeer from the Chickasaw First Nation and Dennis Hetu from the Toquaht First Nation. We then explored our social and ecological relationships with our wild kin in formal and informal presentations by our invited guests, Bob Hansen, Pacific Rim Coordinator for WildSafeBC and Todd Windle, Coordinator for the Wild About Wolves Project. Cortes Currents recorded most of the sessions at Linnaea and has arranged the material in a series of articles. This is an abridged version of the segment in which Bob Hansen talked about the origins of Vancouver Island’s first wildlife coexistence program. Years later it became the model for Cortes Island’s program and Hansen was one of Sabina Leader Mense’s mentors. Bob Hansen: ”What I'm going to talk about in this presentation is through a personal lens and it's going to focus on my personal learning journey in time from Tofino in 1997 to here today, and a lot of points in between. The basic theme is a story of going from one person, feeling like they're working on things by themselves, to today, we are part of many communities that are working towards the same objectives." In 1997, the Pacific Rim National Park hired Hanson for a new program. His title is Human Wildlife Conflict Specialist and he was expected to find a solution to the park's ongoing bear problem.   Bob Hansen: "Our track record at that time was, we tended to be killing one to three bears every year. At times we would have trails closed and occasionally even the Green Point Campground closed during bear season due to conflicts."   "How can we break this cycle of responding to bear calls and putting down bears?"

Beyond personal carbon footprints, seeking a more sustainable planet

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 14:58:11 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - How should we live on a planet where the rate of extreme weather events seem to be increasing, and humanity is the cause?   “We're not doing well in terms of global temperatures at all. We're on a dangerous trajectory. We are not going to keep below the 1.5°C on average limit, that seems really clear. We're actually over 1.5°C in terms of individual years already, but the target was stated in terms of multi-year averages. It's clear, with the inertia and the climate system, that we're going to exceed that. It also seems quite clear that we're going to exceed the 2.0°C limit the way things are going. We just don't have the kind of policy action that we need internationally,” explained Dr Kai Chan, a professor in the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at University of British Columbia, Lead Editor of the new British Ecological Society journal 'People and Nature' and co-founder of CoSphere for a community of small planet heroes.  “That all said, I personally am concerned more broadly than just with climate. I'm an ecological scientist, and we think about a wide range of different stressors to the natural world, including to the benefits that we receive from that natural world.”   “In that context, we’re also doing poorly. We're not taking the kind of action that we need on the land use change that undermines ecosystems, threatened species, as well as crucial processes like water purification and flood mitigation, drought control. Unfortunately, these are hard times to be on the planet Earth.” Some suggest we need to curtail our personal carbon footprints.  According to Statistica, the average Canadian emitted 15.22 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2022. That’s more than three times the global average.   A number of people on Cortes Island, and some other rural communities, have carbon footprints that are closer to those of the developing world. We have few electronic devices, do not use our cars often and our principal heating source is a heat pump.  Lacking any other data, I (the author) used the carbon calculator at climate hero.org and calculated my personal carbon footprint. The answer was 3.4 metric tons. There are most likely people in rural areas like Cortes whose footprint is less than half of this.**   Yet I am also going on a trip abroad this year. This will add another 7.25 metric tons* to my tally, which I am going to divide by 10 as I have not flown since 2015 and do not expect to take another flight in the near future. That would bring my personal carbon footprint to a bit more than 4.12 metric tons, which is still less than the global average of 4.66 metric tones and far below that of most of my fellow Canadians.   Kai Chan: “It’s an amazing effort and what you're doing is showing how far we can go as individuals. It also reveals that we can't go all the way to a sustainable society through those individual level efforts. I live in Vancouver because I am employed at the University of British Columbia, it's not feasible for me to do all of the things that you're doing, and I'm not the only one.”   “What we try to do is to pivot the conversation so that those folks who can't emulate that at this point in their lives can still feel like they're contributing meaningfully towards making this planet a more sustainable place.”   He also pointed out that we really can't measure our carbon footprint without taking into account the contribution of the society around us.

Rachel Blaney will not seek reelection in 2025

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 20:56:11 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - After close to a decade as the Member of Parliament for North Island-Powell River, Rachel Blaney announced that she will not run in the next Federal Election.  “It was a very hard decision to make but, sadly, I have family issues that have come to the forefront. I recognize that time is precious and this is a long commute back and forth, so I'm happy to be able to continue until 2025 and stay till the next election . Going past that would have meant missing precious time with someone I love greatly, so I had to make a very hard and bittersweet decision,” she explained.  “I'm not gone yet. I know that I've had to make this announcement, but I'm still here and I'm going to still keep working as hard as I can. I stepped down as the whip in Ottawa, because I really wanted to make sure that for the remaining time that I have in parliament, I have more time for my loved ones. I also need to make sure I finish some of the things I really want to get done, both in my critic roles and in the riding.”   “If you need help, I'm still the office to call and I'm so grateful. People come to our office all the time for help, and we're able to help most of the time. That has been an amazing feeling for me, to hear people give us such positive feedback about helping them navigate the federal systems that are sometimes very difficult to navigate.”   Cortes Currents: I don't know who's going to be the next NDP candidate but they're not going to be as popular as you are right now. Do you have any thoughts on that?   Rachel Blaney: “Well, thank-you for saying that I'm popular and I want to thank the constituency. Everywhere I go, people are so positive. What I prided myself on being able to do is be clear on the partisan issues that I believe in, but try to be practical about how those things roll out in our communities.”   “Understand that we do have a unique riding, and it's been my pleasure to make sure that that voice is heard. I will see what happens during the next election. I believe that a lot of people, and I hear this a lot, are feeling connected to the NDP in a new way. They see that we actually were able to deliver on the things we campaigned on. People have talked to me about how amazing it feels to finally be able to get dental care. I knew it would have a big impact, but it had more of an impact than I thought. I've just had a lot of people stopping me in every place that you can imagine, talking about how good it feels to see the beginning of a national pharmacare program, and that their diabetes medication and devices are being covered.”   “I hope that constituents understand that I worked very hard to make those things a reality and I'll continue to work hard until 2025, because I believe in our region. I hope that they put trust in the NDP as a brand and the amazing person that I know will come from this riding to step forward in the NDP position for the next campaign.”

The #1 Outdoor Adventure Show in North Vancouver Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 12:13:04 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - More than 2,600 people went to the North Island Outdoor Adventure Show last year.   “Most of them were from Courtney and Campbell River. A good portion from Parksville, Nanaimo and then it got pretty slim, but Quadra, Gold River, Victoria, Qualicum. There was one that really blew my mind: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia,” explained Joel Wheeldon, Program Coordinator with the Strathcona Regional District. Google ‘what is the #1 outdoor recreation show in North Vancouver Island,” and the first result will most likely be the North Island Outdoor Adventure Show. It is held in the Strathcona Gardens Recreation Complex, in Campbell River, a function of the Strathcona Regional District. This year it will be held on the weekend of April 20 & 21. Admission is FREE! The show is open 9:30 am – 5 pm on Saturday and 10 am – 4 pm, Sunday.   The sponsors are Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours, Qaya Way West Transportation, All-in One-Party Shop, and 97.3 FM the Eagle. Cortes Currents: What are you trying to accomplish through this event? Joel Wheeldon: “The vision is to provide a community event that showcases all the great outdoor activities that North Vancouver Island has to offer, also giving a chance for the outdoor adventure companies an opportunity to promote and sell all their great products all in one place. There's a lot of stuff that some locals and even tourists probably don't know that we offer here.”   Cortes Currents: What kind of things are you showcasing that people don't already know about?   Joel Wheeldon: “We’re trying to showcase anything from boating, fishing, hunting, camping, recreational vehicles, paddle sports, mountain biking, adventure tours. We've got a couple of vendors that are doing outdoor and marine education courses, some photography stuff, survival gear. I'm probably missing a few, but that's the gist of it.”

Vancouver Island Regional Library explains 15% Budget Increase

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 16:59:37 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Vancouver Island Regional Library increased its operating budget for 2024 to $38 million. That is 15% more money than last year. Executive Director Brent Hyman explained that this increase is necessary because the library’s previous management did not budget properly and more money is needed for wages, benefits and leases. He has been giving presentations to the library’s funding partners. He has already spoken in Victoria, Nanaimo, and some of the other regional districts. Six of the library’s 39 branches are in the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) and he gave a presentation at the SRD Board’s March 27th meeting.  “For the SRD, the total levy breaks down to about $67 per capita. Much like the school act, that doesn't necessarily mean everybody's using the service. Unlike schools in the region, that serve about 5 % of the population, we're serving about 33% for significantly less funding than schools,” he explained.  Cortes Currents: True, but there is also a significant difference in usage between a student attending school for more than 9 months of the year and someone who drops-in to the library a few times.  Hyman pointed out, “We do benchmarking, in preparation for this type of presentation and we look at comparator populations.”  He said there is a library in Campbell River, which is contributing about $700,000 below the average funding amount. It also serves Electoral Area D, which is paying $30,000 less than norm. The library on Quadra Island serves Area C, which also provides about $30,000 less. There are libraries in Gold River, Sayward, Tahsis and Cortes Island, all of which pay about $16,000 below the average amount. Heyman claims Electoral Area A and the village of Zeballos, which do not have library branches, should also be providing another $16,000.  The Regional District’s rural inhabitants use the library more than their urban counterparts. Close to ¾ of the SRD’s population lives in Campbell River, but only 54% of the circulation goes through that library. Less than 6% of the SRD’s population is in Area C, but 22% of the region's circulation is through the Quadra Island branch. Another 6% goes through the Cortes Island branch. Similar statistics are reported from the Sayward, Gold River and Tahsis branches.  However one of the biggest funding shortfalls comes from the federal and provincial governments.  Brent Hyman: “Local government levies are about 94% of our budget. That's been true since the 1980s. The province is down to 4%, but has a lot to say about what it thinks it should get out for 4%.”  “Why is it in Canada that the level of funding from both the provinces and the feds lag below the G8 averages? And so there are a number of recommendations in the report, primarily to federal and provincial governments about seeing critical infrastructure and treating it as such and funding it as such.” Image credit Open book - Photo by Jonas Jacobsson on Unsplash

SRD Update: March 27th meeting and more

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 11:52:44 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - At the March 27th meeting of the Strathcona Regional District Board, a couple of items affecting Cortes were on the agenda. Decisions were taken with regard to funding for our community halls, and equipment for our volunteer fire department.

Part 5: 25 Years of Good Libations

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 01:07:53 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - Part 5 of 5 of 25 Years of Good Libations

CityWest's Cables Cut In Whaletown

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 22:02:09 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - he West Connect Infrastructure (WCI) crew had just finished laying CityWest’s main cable in Whaletown, when one of the workers noticed that a line had been cut. They immediately informed the RCMP, whose press release states they were initially informed of three cuts to the cable.  Scott Simpson, Senior Marketing Manager at CityWest explained: “On the evening or night of Thursday, March 21st, there was some vandalism done to the fibre optic network that was being constructed for the service to the community of Whaletown. Crews noticed some damage to the network. Upon further investigation, we found that 17 different sites have been damaged along about a 1.5 kilometre stretch on Whaletown Road. So, 17 different sites that had been cut with multiple cuts at each site, quite a bit of restoration work. We're looking at an estimate of about $40,000 worth of damage overall. That would include materials and the labour to fix everything.”

CAI at ZFolk U: The Wild Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 17:55:13 +0000

Cortes Island Academy at Folk U - On the March 29th replay episode of The Wild Island, created by the 2022-2023 Cortes Island Academy cohort, young journalists cover Cortes from different angles; Ro explores the island’s history with forestry, Finley unpacks the mystery of the abandoned cars in Carrington Bay, Sophie looks at the realities of coexisting with wild animals, and Seren and Sonia profile the Children’s Forest. What really matters most in the world? How will we help inspire the next generation of truth-seekers and truth-tellers? At the Cortes Island Academy we believe in the passion and skills of the people and wild places of this place and are proud of our youth who learned along side our community and shared their growing skills through journalistic podcasts, Elder Documentaries, Field Guides and unsung hero posters. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Part 4: 25 Years of Good Libations

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 12:14:30 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - part 4 of 5 of the interview with Doug Brown of Good Libations

Area C Opts In; More Details On The Short Term Residential Act

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 12:08:02 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Area C ‘opted-in’ to the Short Term Rental Accommodation Act at the SRD Board meeting yesterday. There was a spirited discussion in which the Director from Area D and two of his Campbell River colleagues discussed their reservations. Regional Director Mark Vonesch showed everyone an exception that would allow some absentee landlords to continue operating their short term rentals. When the final vote was taken Area C’s motion to opt-in was approved with only two dissenting Directors.

Short Term Rental Decisions for Electoral Areas B, C and D

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:58:38 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The SRD Board will be meeting again today and three items about BC’s Short Term Rental Act are on the agenda. The Ministry of Housing responded to Cortes Island’s decision to opt in. 58% of the respondents of Area Câ€™s survey on whether to opt in replied ‘Yes’ and Area D will not opt in.   On February 28, the SRD approved Cortes Island’s decision to opt in to BCâ€™s Short Term Rental Act. The Ministry of Housing responded to this in an email last week.   “The request to opt-in to the principal residence requirement will take effect November 1, 2024, to give hosts notice to comply. In the meantime, this spring the Province will be standing up a new STR Compliance and Enforcement unit to investigate, take enforcement action related to short-term rentals, and direct platforms to remove non-compliant listings.” Vonesch was informed that the Ministry needs to receive a copy of the SRD resolution approving Cortes Islandâ€™s action by March 31, 2024. Cortes Island and ‘other interested local governments’ will be removed from the exempt land list this spring. “If the Province grants a change to exempt land status, that change remains in effect indefinitely unless a subsequent request to reverse the exemption is made by March 31 of a future year.” In related news, on March 5 Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney of Area C launched a survey to see if her constituents also want to opt in. 58% of the people who 405 repondants stated 'Yes' and 41% stated 'No.' Area C has not announced a final decision and this matter will be discussed at today’s meeting. In the same staff report it states John Rice, Regional Director of Area D, the Director has chosen to not opt-in to the principal residence requirement but is looking for public input regarding the regulatory aspects of STRs within the zoning bylaw. This will be discussed at a later date in a separate report.

Part 3: 25 Years Of Good Libations

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:15:44 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - part 3 of 5 of the interview with Doug Brown of Good Libations

Island Alchemy: 25 years of Good Libations - Part 2 of 5

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 20:09:08 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - The story of Good Libations Part 2 of 5

the Pacific Herring Spawn and Nurseries Project

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 16:45:12 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - A citizen scientist project to photograph pacific herring spawn along the West Coast, from Alaska down to California, has been underway for two months. It is based in the Comox Courtenay area, and one of its many partners is the Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI). According to project lead Jacqueline Huard, a scientist with Project Watershed, “I work with the Coastal Forage Fish Network. We are very community scientist based and so working on a herring project in iNaturalist just was a natural fit for us. The network that I work with already has quite a bit of outreach. I wanted to encourage the folks that we work with to put their data somewhere where they could also access it. The goal is two fold, both to collect some data and address a gap, but also to get it out to the public and have a publicly available data set for the public and created by community scientists.”

CIA on Folk U - Cosmic Confidential

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 18:22:06 +0000

CIA on Folk U - On the March 22nd replay episode of Cosmic Confidential, created by the 2022-2023 Cortes Island Academy cohort, journalists Rose and Zella dig deep into Cortes Island’s infamous coffeehouse drugging incident with their piece Psychedelic Soup. Kiana and Igor explore the possibilities and pitfalls of using psychedelics as medicine in their piece, The Psychedelics Journey. What really matters most in the world? How will we help inspire the next generation of truth-seekers and truth-tellers? At the Cortes Island Academy we believe in the passion and skills of the people and wild places of this place and are proud of our youth who learned along side our community and shared their growing skills through journalistic podcasts, Elder Documentaries, Field Guides and unsung hero posters. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts. Jemma Hicken (she/her) Literacy Coordinator jemma@folku.ca Gratefully living on the unceded traditional and ancestral territories of the toq qaymɩxʷ (Klahoose), ɬəʔamɛn qaymɩxʷ (Tla’amin), and ʔop qaymɩxʷ (Homalco) peoples.

Island Alchemy: Twenty-Five Years of Good Libations

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 13:05:59 +0000

De Clarke/ Good Libations - One of Cortes Island's best loved businesses is a U-Brew tucked away in an old seafood plant, off the beaten track on Hansen Road. Founder and sole proprietor Doug Brown started the business 25 years ago after moving to Cortes from the Fraser Valley. Currents interviewed Doug in mid-March 2024. Our extensive interview covers many topics including: how Doug got started in wine-making, what inspired him to start a U-Brew on Cortes, how wine is made, why wine is now a more practical product for him to offer than beer, what challenges he has met along the way, what he loves about his work, his feelings about community and customer service, and his thoughts about the future of this iconic Cortes Island business.

The Cortes Island Food Bank at a Critical Crossroad

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 11:27:21 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Food Bank has met the rapidly expanding need for its services, but says it is time the local, provincial and federal governments stepped up to the plate. Only 110 food hampers were given out in 2022, but since August they have seen at least a threefold increase of demand every month. There were 86 clients in January and 70 in February. Prior to this, the highs for both months was 12.   “We really knew that the numbers that we were seeing in previous years were not reflecting the level of poverty that exists here. So we were doing some strategic things to try to increase people's awareness of the food bank. That was a major reason why our numbers went up so significantly. People felt that they could come to us. They knew it was a safe place to come for support. I think our clients are already dealing with so many challenges in their lives. I encourage anybody listening, if you could use some help, just come to us and we'll get you some food,” explained Beatrix Baxter, one of the Foodbank’s Directors.   Food Bank Coordinator and Director Filipe Figueira, added, “These are all people in our community who historically could get by and these days they just can’t."   “We'll keep applying for grants and we feel a bit reluctant asking people for more money on the island because there's a lot of people who are also struggling, also donating. If people have the ability to give more money it's always welcome, but we do face this national issue and it is something that I think the SRD, provincial government, federal government needs to look into funding more directly.”

A lifetime of experience in 4 classes: Linnaea's Homegrown Series

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 21:24:59 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Linnaea Farm's Homegrown Series kicks off at 10:00 AM this Saturday. This is a monthly series, which will be offered on March 23rd, April 20th, May 11th and June 8th, 2024. “I want to teach. I've had a lot of seasons under my belt now. 1995 was my first growing season, I was in Pemberton. Then I did a garden program at Linnaea Farm in 1998. I just really like sharing what I have spent a lifetime doing. I can share all these secrets. I've run a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) garden. I've done pure market gardening. I've done contract growing. I've grown food for sale in all the ways one can do it. So I can share this with anyone,” explained to Adam Schick, a resident steward at Linnaea farm on Cortes Island. “I feel like a really rare bird. Since I was a young man, I have managed to have a career as an organic grower and farmer. I've managed to do it, making my living mostly growing food. It's been a real struggle, but a real joy. Part of an evolution of myself is I've become more and more of a plant breeder and seed saver. That is where my true passion now lies. If you give a man a carrot, you feed him for one day. If you teach a person to grow a carrot and how to save those carrot seeds, then you're ensuring that people are fed forever.” “I'm sure there's new people out there who want this information. I would just love to share what I know. There's classes and I'll have a PowerPoint, but people can come with their own ideas. What do you want to learn? I have a formula, but I don't have to stick to it. I'd rather share what I know and answer questions. This will be two hours per session at the maximum. Spend a little bit of time in the classroom here in our beautiful Education Centre at Linnea farm then, if it's really nice, we might go wander around and look at some of the gardens. If it's a really brutal day, I'll probably bring a few things inside. In an ideal world we’ll spend some time talking, and some time observing.”

New subpopulation of Deep Ocean Orcas Identified

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 14:50:12 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - A new subpopulation of Orcas has been identified in the open ocean off the coasts of Oregon and California. UBC researchers have identified 49 individual killer whales in photographs taken between 1997 and 2021.   According to Josh McInnes, a masters student in the UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and lead author of a new paper in Aquatic Animals, they may also be off the coast of British Columbia.  “I would not be surprised. Transient killer whales can have distributions that are quite large, over 2000 kilometres. For instance, the transient type of killer whales that we do know about, that eats marine mammals in British Columbia, can be seen anywhere between Glacier Bay (in southeast Alaska), all the way down to San Diego, California. They have large distributions and they move widely,” he explained.   “Killer whales in the Antarctic have been seen moving straight up into the South Atlantic, into the South Pacific, and even up to Australia.”   Cortes Currents: Why are scientists only just beginning to realize that there is a new subpopulation?   Josh McInnes: "A lot of the issue that we're facing, with understanding killer whale movements in the open ocean, is the effort that is involved. Surveys are super expensive, the weather out there is complete garbage half the time, and it's very difficult to get out there."   "The reason why we believe we're seeing killer whales more off California than British Columbia is the continental shelf. This is the big stretch of underwater landmass that extends out from our continent towards what we call the continental shelf break. The break is where we separate the continental shelf from the open ocean. It's actually quite thick. It's quite wide off of Vancouver Island. It can go, on average, about 40 kilometers off the coast of Vancouver Island, which is a long way to get to the open ocean. Whereas in California, it's quite narrow. The open ocean comes really close to the coast. It's sometimes within 12 kilometers. So getting out to the open ocean is a lot easier off California and Oregon than it is off of British Columbia."

Salmon Update: CAFO Conditions, Mass Die-Offs, Manufactured Risks and License Renewals

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 10:42:04 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - Scientists at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden recently concluded that some farmed salmon die from depression. This may not be too surprising, given the conditions in which they are kept. In other recent research, a team of US and Canadian scientists has charted an ominous trend: mass die-offs of farmed salmon are increasing in both frequency and scale. Some observers question whether the industry, after decades of growth, may be past its peak and about to decline. Meanwhile, DFO suggests that salmon farming licenses should be renewed this summer for six years rather than the current standard term of two years — only five years after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a campaign promise to shut down net-pen salmon farming in BC altogether by 2025. The Swedish team made the most extensive study to date of what the industry calls “drop out” fish — salmon which fail to thrive and then die early. Their research found high levels of cortisol and other serotonergic symptoms in the dead fish, markers typical of high anxiety and stress. Humans facing poverty and other socioeconomic hardships are more likely to be diagnosed with depression and mental illness. It appears unnatural and stressful environments can have a similar influence on farm-raised fish. Farm-raised salmon and other fish live in crowded tanks where they must tolerate the presence of aggressive fish and battle for food. They must also endure sporadic changes in lighting, water depth, currents and more. “Farmed fish live in a very stressful environment, since the conditions in aquaculture farms are extremely different from what they have evolved to cope with in the wild,” Vindas said. —- Farm-raised salmon suffer from depression, UPI — May 2016 CAFO conditions are stressful for any organism; salmon, though they are fish rather than poultry, pigs, or cattle, apparently suffer comparable levels of misery and disease from their unnatural confinement. What is CAFO? The acronym stands for “Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation,” or what is commonly called a “feedlot” in the beef industry. It’s any animal husbandry operation at factory scale, in which animals are kept in densely concentrated confinement and fed a tailored diet with a view to (a) maximising meat production per facility square foot and (b) minimising time to market. What the industry calls “salmon farms” far more resemble “salmon feedlots.” While “farm” suggests bucolic imagery of happy cattle in green fields, a feedlot is quite another matter — or in our case, quite another kettle of unhappy fish.

Herring Roe on the beach at Smelt Bay

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 12:25:57 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - Early in the week of March 11th, during the annual herring run, a combination of weather and tides swept an unusual quantity of herring roe ashore at Smelt Bay. On Tuesday the 12th of March, the roe in some places was piled 6-8 inches deep on the beach. From a distance it resembled lighter coloured sand piled on top of the familiar gray sand and shingle of Smelt Bay.

CIA on Folk U - Episode 5

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 12:12:38 +0000

CIA on Folk U Radio - What really matters most in the world? How will we help inspire the next generation of truth-seekers and truth-tellers? At the Cortes Island Academy we believe in the passion and skills of the people and wild places of this place and are proud of our youth who learned along side our community and shared their growing skills through journalistic podcasts, Elder Documentaries, Field Guides and unsung hero posters. This week on Folk U Radio CKTZ 89.5 FM (1 p.m. Fridays, repeats on folku.ca/cortescurents.ca/cortesradio.ca) youth journalists interview neighbours and regional experts on the issues of the day in our communities in their Audio Series called Desolation Sounds. Friday March 15 will feature: Niamh – Set To Play Sophie – The Masked World Jonas – Technology Teen We hope you will tune in! You can listen to the CIA youth podcast series, Desolation Sounds, anytime at https://cortesislandacademy.ca/podcasts/ Watch the breathtaking and moving CIA/ReelYouth Elder Films at https://cortesislandacademy.ca/films/ Get your own pocket Biodiversity Field Guide for Cortes (e.g. edible berries, local fungi, marine species, seaweeds, mosses, and more!) at https://cortesislandacademy.ca/biodiversity-project/

Cortes Food Bank releases annual report

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 11:59:33 +0000

Louis Belcourt/ CKTZ News - The Cortes Food Bank has released their annual report for 2023 over the weekend, which shows that it was a very successful year for the Cortes Island Food Bank, but also a highly challenging one. Over the final months of 2023, the Cortes Food Bank served an average of 80 clients per month, which is almost as many clients as in the whole of 2022: a 616 per cent increase year over year, according to the report. “We really ramped up promoting the food bank, and immediately we got a response of so many more people. And it was quite scary because we weren’t expecting that big of a rise,” says Filipe Figueira, coordinator and treasurer of the Cortes Food Bank. “The number of new clients needing help is increasing every single week – from every demographic,”Figueira added.

Cortes Island Virtual Homeshare Forum

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 15:33:18 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Cortes Housing Society’s Virtual Forum kicks off this Saturday with a program on home sharing. This is a monthly event, co-sponsored by Folk-U. At 10 AM this Saturday host Sadhu Johnston will be joined by Noelle Marcus, from the US homeshare program Nesterly, and Janey Rowland, from the SGI (Southern Gulf Island) Housing Now Project.  “We all know that there are a lot of homes that are underutilized or empty, and there are also a lot of homes that are just under-occupied. Maybe the kids have moved away, or for whatever reason there is an extra bedroom. We know there are a good number of people on Cortes who are single and would be happy with a bedroom in a house,” explained Sadhu Johnston, executive director of the Cortes Housing Society.   “The idea of home sharing really came out pretty vividly for me during the housing forum last December. When we were having conversations in the breakout sessions, I just heard a number of times that people have space in their house but would need some support to rent out a room. That's where the home sharing idea really came up as a possible solution. Home sharing providers really help to vet potential tenants, take a look at the house, make sure it's good and help to make those connections work.”

Quadra Island considering opting-in to Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 16:34:54 +0000

Quadra Island considering opting-in to Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act by Cortes Currents (https://cortescurrents.ca/)

Medical detox coming to Campbell River

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 13:28:25 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The first community-based medical detox north of Nanaimo will be opening in Campbell River this fall. Island Health secured a location at 731 Nicholas Road near the North Island Hospital – Campbell River campus. “This is a really exciting addition to Campbell River. When people living with addiction reach out and make that brave choice of getting the services that they need, we'd need to be able to meet them where they are and with the services that they need right away. This is a new six bed medical detox that the community has been asking for quite a while,” explained Michele Babchuk, MLA for North Island and a resident of Campbell River.  “This is part of the Road to Recovery initiative that is a made in BC initiative through our government, that we're looking to come to full implementation in March of 2025.”   The province allocated $23.7 million to the Road to Recovery program in the 2023 budget and provided treatment for 4,167 people. This news comes in the midst of British Columbia’s toxic drug crisis. According to a 5 year study from the BC Coroners Service, unregulated drug toxicity is the #1 cause of unnatural death among youth in the province. It is worse than suicide or automotive accidents. However the highest rate of deaths is among adults between the ages of 30 and 59. There were 198 suspected drug related deaths in January, which works out to just under 61/2 a day. Vancouver, Surrey and Nanaimo were the most affected cities in the province, but North Vancouver Island has one of the worst death rates in the province, when measured proportionately. One of the five most afflicted Local Health Areas was Greater Campbell River. This is the part of eastern Vancouver Island between the Oyster River and Sayward, and also includes islands like Quadra and Cortes.

Folk U: Desolation Sound #4

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 09 Mar 2024 14:49:06 +0000

Jemma Hicken/ Folk U - What really matters most in the world? How will we help inspire the next generation of truth-seekers and truth-tellers? At the Cortes Island Academy we believe in the passion and skills of the people and wild places of this place and are proud of our youth who learned along side our community and shared their growing skills through journalistic podcasts, Elder Documentaries, Field Guides and unsung hero posters (the one here is by artist Zella Aufochs). This week on Folk U Radio CKTZ 89.5 FM (1 p.m. Fridays, repeats on folku.ca/cortescurents.ca/cortesradio.ca) youth journalists interview neighbours and regional experts on the issues of the day in our communities in their Audio Series called Desolation Sounds. Friday March 8 will feature: Jack – Serpent Stories Alora – Why Colour? We hope you will tune in! You can listen to the CIA youth podcast series, Desolation Sounds, anytime at https://cortesislandacademy.ca/podcasts/ Watch the breathtaking and moving CIA/ReelYouth Elder Films at https://cortesislandacademy.ca/films/ Get your own pocket Biodiversity Field Guide for Cortes (e.g. edible berries, local fungi, marine species, seaweeds, mosses, and more!) at https://cortesislandacademy.ca/biodiversity-project/

Community Meeting for Cortes Zoning Bylaw update

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 14:08:34 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Around 60 people turned out for the Strathcona Regional District’s (SRD( zoning bylaw meeting in Mansons Hall at 1 PM on Wednesday, March 6. The meeting went very differently from how the SRD planned it. There was to have been a short presentation, after which participants were to have gathered around two maps and put sticky dots on the properties where the bylaws should be changed to allow for greater densification. Instead, this was a community conversation. There was undoubtedly some confusion as to whether it should be a meeting where the community asked questions, or a forum for them to express opinions. A variety of perspectives were given: some pointed to the need for more housing; others suggested the first step should be determining what the island’s carrying capacity in terms of water and other resources.SRD staff members Annie Girdler and Meredith Starkey added their expertise.

What Moon Dance Productions Wants for Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 00:29:13 +0000

Roy L Hales/ COrtes Currents - Cortes Island has a new volunteer production company. According to their recent press release, Moon Dance Productions will pay travelling expenses, accommodation etc for bands coming to Cortes Island. They have already booked the Awakeneers for an Earth Day Contra Dance in Mansons Hall on Saturday, April 13th. A dance troupe will be coming on Tuesday, April 16th, and Elise LeBlanc with Sahara Jane on Saturday, April 27th.  “Music is soul food. Music is like air, we need it. Live music is a great experience. It's a different kind of soul food, to get moving and to be present with these great artists. I think it's really great for us to hang out together and have fun together. It's bonding as a community and I care about the people who live here. I like seeing them, I like going out and I like the opportunity to do this. I think it is important for the overall health of everyone. You gotta get out and shake your thing every now and then,” explained Cora Moret.  “I want to see regular live music in perpetuity. I want to see Cortes Island be on that list of venues when bands are touring. When someone's invited to come up to Quadra, I want them to know that Cortes is on that list too and to take that extra hop over and experience Cortes. Come join us too.”

Cortes Island Opts in to BC Short Term Rental Act; Quadra Considering

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:48:16 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Effective May 1, 2024, all BC communities with a population over 10,000 have to limit short term rentals to the host’s principle residence plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit. Campbell River, Comox, Courtenay and Powell River are all on the list of 64 communities where this applies. Cortes Island is too small to be on that list, but has chosen to opt in, and Quadra Island is considering the idea. “With that legislation came the option for smaller communities like Cortes Island, or electoral areas within the SRD, to be able to opt in. We can say, ‘yes, we want that legislation as well.’ So in December, I worked with the Cortes Housing Society and we put on a housing forum, and we put out a housing survey,” explained Regional Director Mark Vonesch of Cortes Island. “What are people's thoughts on solutions? Polling some people on some specific questions like ‘should Cortes opt into BC legislation that says you can only run an Airbnb on your primary residence property? The results came in overwhelmingly in support of the government legislation, a ratio of 3 to 1.”

Seeking Electoral Consent for a Dog Control Service

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 13:01:21 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - It has been 9 months since 106 Cortes Island residents petitioned the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) to set up a Dog control service bylaw. At their February 28th meeting, the SRD Board passed a motion to seek electoral consent through the alternate approval process. According to Regional Director Mark Vonesch, if the service is apporved the average homeowner would probably see an increase of somewhere between $4 and $20 to their property taxes, depending on the final form of the bylaw. If 97 of the island’s 961 electors notify the SRD they are opposed by April 15, 2024, the bylaw will be considered defeated.  “I realize this is a very divisive issue on Cortez. I'm personally not a dog owner, but I’ve talked to lots of people about this issue. Emotions run high. It seems like there's lots of people who want to control dogs on the island. There's also people who don’t. We'll see if there's enough to stop this,” explained Regional Director Mark Vonesh.  If there is no serious opposition, the SRD Board could pass Cortes Island’s new Dog Service bylaw at its May 22 board meeting.  “It's a tricky situation and, no matter what I do, there are going to be people upset, but I do want to move forward with what the community has asked me for in terms of the potential dog bylaws. I think there are some common sense things that we could do quite cheaply, as far as making sure dogs have to be under control or on leash in public areas.”  Vonesch said if the proposed bylaw is defeated, he may revisit the issue to see what people think in another year or so.   “When I create new services at the SRD, I have three options. If it's a really non controversial service, maybe there's no tax requisition for it, or very little, or there's just no controversy, I can just do it by director's assent. or I can say we're doing it. My other option is to do an alternative approval process where it comes back to the community and if 10 percent of the electorate write in against it, it stops it from happening for a year.” “The other option is to do a referendum, and the referendum costs about $60,000m of course everybody gets to vote.”  “In this case, because I had a hundred names on a petition, I've asked to come back to the community and see if there's strong opposition against it.” “We're never going to get consensus on issues like this. I think that's just the reality that we have to live in. When I first thought about running for this position. I really wanted to run on the idea that we can talk to each other, regardless of what side of issues we were on. I hope that people have empathy for people who are on the other side of this issue and that conversations can happen that are curious and are working to create understanding rather than blame and anger, because it is really easy to go that way.”

FolkU-CIA Episode 3

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 17:18:36 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - What really matters most in the world? How will we help inspire the next generation of truth-seekers and truth-tellers? At the Cortes Island Academy we believe in the passion and skills of the people and wild places of this place and are proud of our youth who learned along side our community and shared their growing skills through journalistic podcasts, Elder Documentaries, Field Guides and unsung hero posters. This week on Folk U Radio CKTZ 89.5 FM (1 p.m. Fridays, repeats on folku.ca/cortescurents.ca/cortesradio.ca) youth journalists interview neighbours and regional experts on the issues of the day in our communities in their Audio Series called Desolation Sounds. What really matters most in the world? How will we help inspire the next generation of truth-seekers and truth-tellers? At the Cortes Island Academy we believe in the passion and skills of the people and wild places of this place and are proud of our youth who learned along side our community and shared their growing skills through journalistic podcasts, Elder Documentaries, Field Guides and unsung hero posters. This week on Folk U Radio CKTZ 89.5 FM (1 p.m. Fridays, repeats on folku.ca/cortescurents.ca/cortesradio.ca) youth journalists interview neighbours and regional experts on the issues of the day in our communities in their Audio Series called Desolation Sounds.

Birds are smarker than you think

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 15:06:26 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Sandra Milligan has been teaching biology at North Island College, in Campbell River, for more than 20 years. She is an avid birder with deep roots in her local community. Someone from Sierra Quadra came to lecture she gave on bird intelligence, at ElderCollege in Campbell River, last fall. This led to Sierra Quadra inviting Milligan to speak at the Quadra Community Centre at 7:30 PM in Saturday, March 2. “Birds are incredibly intelligent, contrary to what science has believed in the past. They understand what each other is thinking. One of my favourite topics, because I'm a bird watcher, (aka a bird listener) is to talk about bird communication and language. They can have hundreds (and thousands even) of different vocalizations and they really communicate in much more depth than science previously believed to be happening,” she explained.

The Cortes Island Academy looks ahead to 2024/25

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 12:18:20 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Academy’s school year is over. Graduation was on January 25. Executive Director, Manda Aufochs Gillespie, just gave Cortes Currents an overview of the 2023/24 semester and a peek into the year that just about to begin.  “This year, the Cortes Island Academy was a lot of fun. We learned a lot from our first year. So this year we really got to just revel in the model, the awesome kids and local knowledge holders that came out to make this year happen. It felt to me like a lot more fun, and a lot less trailblazing,” she began.  “Some of the highlights included the students got to a week at the incredible science laboratories of the HACI Institute with some of the HACI Institute's incredible research and science staff. It's a once in a lifetime experience that these students had, every single one of them. They also got to work with people from the mother tree network and work alongside Dr. Briony Penn, who's well known for her work with all sorts of things that relate to understanding the stories, flora, the fauna of our particular area. They got to be part of this mycoblitz that the Children's Forest put on, that had different mycologists from all around the region - including our local Paul Stamets. It was a really beautiful year too with Klahoose participants. We had a number of different Ayajuthem (Éy7á7juuthem) language opportunities. Students got to participate in our first language trail that the Children's Forest helped curate. They identified different plant species all along this Sea to School Trail, drew the plants and wrote the names.”  “Really, really fun, neat projects and this doesn't even get into the culminating projects that the students did. If anybody has not yet seen them, I recommend enough going to the Cortesislandacademy.ca website and looking there at their videos. They did five videos this year with different Cortes elders.” (Jessie Louie, Duane Hansen, Nori Fletcher, Elizabeth Anderson and Christine Robinson.) “These are incredible short documentaries about the people in our community and some of the little known stories of what brought them here, who they are, et cetera. They are really, really beautiful. You will not regret watching them.” “They also participated in creating podcasts this year again. They're playing right now on Cortes Radio, CKTZ 89. 5 FM, but you can also listen to them all on the Cortes Island Academy website. Incredible pieces, everything from the wolf issue on Cortes and what we can do to live alongside wolves to what it means to live with dyslexia, or to question gender identity, et cetera. I really hope people will check it out.” “Other projects that they participated in this year, with many of the scientists previously mentioned and, some of the local knowledge holders and local naturalists like our field guides Kai Harvey and Tosh Harvey who grew up on the island. The students each made their own Cortes field guides.” Manda Aufochs Gillespie: You can see all the edible berries an Cortes: what they look like, what they're called, what you can do with them. Many of the mushrooms that could be found here and what you can do with them et cetera. These are pieces that you would spend a great deal of money to buy and they're just there, for free, on our website.”  “I would also actually throw out that this year the Cortes Island Academy did a really cool thing that I was very excited about, which was to host the fall ‘Folk U’ radio series. Many of them were hosted at the Cortes Island School building. I heard a lot from members of the community how much they deeply appreciated being able to spend a little bit of time with teenagers, hearing what's on their minds and being part of learning together.”

Quadra Organizations Explore Possibilities For Working Together

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 16:11:09 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Representatives from at least 56 Quadra Island organizations came together at the Quadra Community Centre on Saturday, February 24. Close to 30 more were invited. Jennifer Banks-Doll, who facilitated the meeting, estimates there were about 80 attendees. They were asked two questions:   “What are some ways Quadra groups and organizations could work together to combine our strengths and address our challenges?” And “What would help create or build stronger community connections?”  Jody Rogers, Chair of the Board for Quadra Island Foundation, would later remark, “I was pleased beyond all expectation. The participation was enthusiastic and the positive feedback that we got afterwards was unexpectedly terrific. One of the most beautiful conversations I had was with Jack Maher, who said, He's been living on Quadra for a very long time, and the event made him very, very proud to be from Quadra Island. It was a lovely, lovely phone call, and it really made my day.”  The Quadra Island Foundation hosted the meeting, which was one of the first steps towards its becoming a central hub for nonprofits and charities on Quadra Island and Surge Narrows-Read Island.

Green Party Leaders coming to Campbell River

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 15:04:33 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Canada is expected to have another Federal election in October 2025. Green party leaders Elizabeth May and Jonathan Pedneault launched their national campaign almost two weeks ago. Cortes Currents interviewed them in Ottawa (via ZOOM) yesterday morning. They will be coming to the Maritime Heritage Centre in Campbell River on Saturday, March 2.  “We're less than 18 months away from a general election. It's crucial that voters get a chance to engage and ask questions to Elizabeth and I about where the party's key priorities are. It's crucial for us to also get a pulse of what the key issues are for voters from coast to coast,” explained Jonathan Pedneault.  “We've been traveling extensively since the leadership race ended (on Nov 19, 2022). It's a great opportunity for the party to test a number of messages on housing, on affordability, and on the climate. Last year we saw some of the most dramatic impacts of climate change ever to have been seen in Canada - with the wildfire season, the storms in the Atlantic and with a continuation of an extremely dry summer in British Columbia. I think it's top of mind for a lot of small communities across Canada.” “The key objectives of the tour are for us to get to know what's on people's minds and to share where we're at as a party. We are really kickstarting our electoral readiness process ahead of what is going to be an extremely important general election.”  Cortes Currents: The Green party often does surprisingly well in polls taken prior to elections. A Nanos poll taken during the 2015 election showed that when the second choices of respondents were factored in, the Green party could potentially reach 27.7% of the electorate. During the 2019 election, 338Canada’s projections showed them leading in four Vancouver Island ridings throughout most of the campaign. In both cases, the Green party was not able to transform this potential into seats on election day.  What could make the next election different?  Elizabeth May: “Voter turnout, and voter turnout means citizens feeling engaged and empowered. That is the strategy, and we will win more seats on Vancouver Island and certainly that will encourage people who are dispirited.” She went on to illustrate her point with statistics from ridings where the Greens have won, adding that if 75% of the electorate turns out this election, they will take North Island-Powell River from the NDP.

Housing Society To Offer Event Series

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 12:19:03 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - From March through July of this year, Cortes Housing Society — in partnership with FolkU — is presenting a series of monthly forums featuring guest speakers and community discussion. These forums will address the vexed issue of housing — both price and availability — which remains a serious problem for the island. The invited speakers have expertise in various aspects of this problem, and some will be sharing results from successful projects in other communities. Cortes Currents interviewed Sadhu Aufochs Johnston, executive director of the Housing Society, to find out more about this event series. CC: Sadhu, can you explain the vision behind this event series — what is it you’re trying to achieve here? SJ: Well last December we hosted a housing forum, the report for which is posted online. And one of the things I heard from a number of people was the value that we would get here on Cortes, to learn about innovative housing initiatives happening elsewhere. So there was a strong push to continue the dialogue around housing and to be learning from other places, to continue to learn as a community. And FolkU does that on a regular basis so it seemed like a good partnership. CC: What will the series look like in practise? What’s the schedule, the format, and what topics are you planning to discuss? SJ: They’re going to be hosted virtually [Zoom]; there’s lots of people travelling right now, and most of our guest speakers are off-island. So they will be virtual meetings, at least at first. We might start to do some in person as well, but at first it will be all Zoom, and monthly. And it will be Saturday mornings, so people who are working can participate. We’re trying to hit on topics that were a priority for people coming out of the housing forum. So our first topic will be on March 16th, and that will be Home Sharing. We chose that topic because we know there are a lot of homes on Cortes that are unoccupied [most of the year], and there are also homes that are occupied but underutilised. So maybe the kids have moved away, or for whatever reason, you have 1 or 2 bedrooms that may be available, or a small cabin.

Federal Court Rules Canada Failed To Protect At Risk Birds In Old Growth Logging Areas

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 16:36:31 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - A Federal Court ruled that Canada’s Environment Minister, Steven Guilbeault, failed to protect habitats of at-risk migratory birds in old growth logging areas. Chief Justice Paul Crampton stated the Minister’s decision to limit protection to areas where nests were found ‘was neither reasonable or tenable.’ “This is specifically about the Minister's duty under the Species At-risk Act to take action to protect areas of critical habitat for at-risk migratory birds. Despite the Species At-Risk act being about 20 years old, we had never seen the Minister actually take any action under this section of the act to protect critical habitat of at-risk migratory birds. At least about 25 species of birds are affected by this section,” explained Andhra Azevedo of Ecojustice, the lead counsel representing Sierra Club BC and the Wilderness Committee. “The federal government had taken the view, through a document called the {, that the duty of the Minister to take action to protect critical habitat only applied to protecting the nests of these birds and not the rest of the habitat that these birds needed to survive and recover. That was what we challenged.” Lawyers for the Canadian government also argued that federal jurisdiction was limited by the division of powers with the provinces, but Justice Crampton found the federal government’s actions ‘inconsistent’ with the Species At-Risk Act. “This is particularly so where the relevant province has failed to avail itself of opportunities to take protective action in an area of joint responsibility.” Andhra Azevedo: “On February 1st we received the decision of Chief Justice Crampton, of the Federal Court, agreeing with our clients Sierra Club BC and Wilderness Committee, that the Minister's interpretation was not justified. The Species At-Risk Act and the Migratory Birds Protection Laws require the Minister to take action to protect something more than this.” In his Judgement and Reasons, Justice Crampton wrote, “The Applicants state that the Minister did not consider evidence indicating that habitat loss and degradation is a key threat to the survival and recovery of most at-risk migratory birds affected by the Protection Statement. I agree.” Judge Crampton pointed out that in September 2021, the Sierra Club and WIlderness Committee informed the Minister that ‘Marbeled Murrelet populations have continued to decline, despite being listed under the Species At-Risk Act for many years.’ The two conservation groups pointed out that, “The majority of the Marbled Murrelet’s critical habitat is on provincial lands and that the province of British Columbia had failed to adequately protect that habitat from industrial logging and other activities.”

CIA On FolkU - Episode 1

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 15:53:56 +0000

CIA/Folk U - What really matters most in the world? How will we help inspire the next generation of truth-seekers and truth-tellers? At the Cortes Island Academy we believe in the passion and skills of the people and wild places of this place and are proud of our youth who learned along side our community and shared their growing skills through journalistic podcasts, Elder Documentaries, Field Guides and unsung hero posters. February 16 on Folk U Radio CKTZ 89.5 FM (1 p.m. Fridays, repeats on folku.ca, cortescurents.ca, cortesradio.ca) featured youth journalists interviewing neighbours and regional experts on the issues of the day in our communities in their Audio Series called Desolation Sounds. February 16 featured: Samara Gibbs Reid - Finding Belonging Luis Dietz - Ant Ventures Sonia Schmidt - The Benefits of Pets Jasmine Harvey - Why Cortes? Fergus Walker - A Tale of Two Markets Lee Nagle - Living Authentically: Stories of Gender Expression We hope you will tune in! You can listen to the CIA youth podcast series, Desolation Sounds, anytime at https://cortesislandacademy.ca/podcasts/ Watch the breathtaking and moving CIA/ReelYouth Elder Films at https://cortesislandacademy.ca/films/ Get your own pocket Biodiversity Field Guide for Cortes (e.g. edible berries, local fungi, marine species, seaweeds, mosses, and more!) at https://cortesislandacademy.ca/biodiversity-project/

Strengthening Quadra Island’s Community Connections

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 14:36:23 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Quadra Island Foundation hopes to strengthen their island's community connections. They invited the island's charities and non-profits to a meeting at the Quadra Community Centre from 1:00 to 5:00 PM on Saturday, February 24. ”We have perceived there has been significant redundancy of projects between organizations. With collaboration between the groups, we will gain some strength, not only in people power, but also in the strength of 'asks' when applying for grants,” explained Jody A Rodgers, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Quadra Island Foundation. “We have nearly 30 Quadra organizations that include charities, nonprofits, clubs and groups. Of those organizations who have RSVP'd ‘yes,’ we requested that the organization send three individuals. They can be staff, board members or other designated individuals. There is a lot of overlap with people in multiple groups. Sometimes an individual may be representing two or more organizations, and that's perfectly fine.” "In addition to the usual sort of practices of being a community foundation, Quadra Island Foundation, is hoping to be the steward of data for Quadra Island and Surge Narrows-Reed Island." "We would have all of the indicators that reflect the health of a society. Not just economic and other demographic details, but things related to transportation, to housing, obviously access to health care, education, the arts, secure access to water and other infrastructures that we need to support expanding communities if necessary." "In other words: if we want to build an affordable housing unit, do we have the water supply? Can we deal with the septic situation? - those sorts of demographics. If we can gather all of that data together, by pooling the information that a lot of these groups have gathered with respect to their own facet of society, then Quadra Island Foundation itself would be able to utilize all of that information to help strengthen 'asks' in the future to different organizations, whether they be public or private, when trying to support a particular project.” "That's the intended goal, how we're doing it is really going to be under the art and magic of our facilitator Jennifer Banks-Doll. I'll be welcoming everyone and then turning the baton over to her.” “She will be doing various exercises where we'll come together in little breakout groups, or slightly larger breakout groups, and talk with each other. We're going to have some posted notes where people will have some data. They'll contribute, both pragmatic and wishful thinking information." "Obviously we're going to gather all of that together and write a report and try to glean what we have learned that we don't know, and we need to fill out. We'll also have a stronger network so that we'll be able to know who to ask." "People like to describe a charitable foundation as a three legged stool, where it has community engagement and endowment and fundraising. I'm hoping that Quadra Island Foundation will be more like the hub of a wagon wheel and that all of these different organizations will be the spokes of that wheel. The rim of the wheel is the community, so that in the center is Quadra Island Foundation to assist and support those entities that truly reach out to the community. It seems to be a better analogy for how we would view ourselves." "We're hoping this particular event is the start of many. We're essentially doing a 'who's who in the zoo' at this time, so that we can all meet and network with each other and realize we need to come back together again and thereby strengthen those connections and come up with some more tangible outcomes."

The Scallop Rafts Being Built At Squirrel Cove

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 23:49:27 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Anyone visiting Squirrel Cove right now can see a series of freshly constructed rafts anchored close to the government dock. There were four of them when Cortes Currents first noticed, and another two being built on the beach. Now they are all in the Cove. There are piles of lumber and floats nearby, and a huge pile of hoop-like ‘lantern nets’ waiting on the Squirrel Cove Dock. “We're leasing the spot off of the store this month to do the building because it's the most practical place,” explained Paul Muskee, Operations Manager for Klahoose Aquaculture. A well known member of the local aquacultural community, Erik Lyon of Rising Tide Shellfish, has been on the job site. Paul Muskee: “The rafts are being built by our partner Rising Tide, a bunch of folks from the island and Kenny Hanuse from the village. 100 They will be holding lantern nets, that will hold the scallops.” “One of the cool things is between the Klahoose Sawmill and Blue Jay Lake sawmill, all the word was milled on island. That's a good news story. Originally, when we had planned for these rafts, the Klahoose Mill wasn't operating, so we budgeted to bring wood on island from somewhere else.” CC: How long do you expect this project to take? Paul Muskee: “Just a couple of weeks. I think they'll be done pretty soon. There's I think they're building 10 or 12 rafts. So our original design was for larger rafts, eight rafts, but we've abridged the design, so we're going to get a few more rafts out of it. CC: Where are they going to be deployed? Paul Muskee: “We’re going to try a few different spots: Teakerne Arm, at our Klahoose tenure up there, we'll probably try some in Gorge Harbor. Those will be the two main places. The thinking is to spread the risk in case there's a health issue in one area, the other area will still be hopefully covered.” “These are all going to expand Klahoose's scallop program. We're pretty excited about scallops. It's been going really well. I know different scallop programs have ran into health problems, but we haven't had any. They're growing robustly.We’re especially targeting the Asian live market.”

Cortes Island Children's and Youth programs

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 23:58:14 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Cortes Community Health Association (CCHA) has been offering Youth Programs for more than 15 years. Serene Williams’ association goes back to 2009 when, shortly after moving to Cortes Island, she became the Teen Szene Co-ordinator. She married after that and now has two children of her own. They were initially homeschooled but when both of her children registered for the Cortes Island School, in September 2022, Williams became the Youth Programs Manager for the Cortes Community Health Association.  “I love it when I am filling in for one of the facilitators for these programs, and I get to go and actually be interacting with groups of kids. I’ve known most of them since they were toddlers, or babies. I have watched them grow up on Cortes. It is so sweet to watch them interact with each other and watch their creativity and their energy. It's part of why I enjoy my job,” she explained.  “What I'm really proud of right now is that this year, the 2023/2024 school year, we have 77 kids in total attending our programs, including 20 from the Cortes Island Academy and 56 from the elementary school. I think that is a phenomenal number for Cortes. We have a large number of the population of Cortes kids attending our programs, which includes home learners also.”  “At this point in time, we have 6 program facilitators: Kelly, Lydia, Claudia, Katrina, Steph, and Jasmine. A few of them do more than 1 program. Without great facilitators, we really can't have great programming. So I am so pleased to be able to have our staff going strong and continuing on from year to year.”  “Right now, we offer programs for all school age kids from kindergarten to grade 12. All of our programs are drop in, so we never know from week to week who's going to show up, or how many kids they will have. Sometimes the numbers are smaller, sometimes it's bigger, and that creates some challenges just to be able to manage the group of kids and their particular dynamics.”  “We have five programs at this point.”

Grant Writing Workshop

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 12:54:20 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - On February 12th at the Mansons Fire Hall, Sandra Wood and Kate Maddigan hosted a grant writing workshop for social profit organisations on Cortes Island. Kate and Sandra have considerable experience in grant writing; they offered guidelines, tips, and advice for those seeking funding. The event was sponsored by the Social Profit Forum, and attended by representatives from the Art Gallery, DCC, BetterAtHome/SOS, Cortes Currents, CIFA, CICF, FOCI, CCEDA, CHS, and SCCA. Here are a few examples of advice shared at this workshop by the seasoned grant writers:

Coming to Cortes & Quadra: a Poverty Reduction Plan for the SRD

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 14:27:13 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) received a $147,700 grant from the Union of BC Municipalities to prepare a region-wide poverty reduction plan. They will be holding meetings in Campbell River, Tahsis, Gold River, Cortes Island, Quadra Island and Zeballos at the end of the month.  “Our plans are only as good as the information we receive and we really, really want to be able to address poverty in a holistic, honest and earnest way. We can't do that without the community. So we really need you guys to come out and to talk to us. Give us your thoughts, all of your ideas, your criticisms, your comments, your questions. Whatever you need us to know, because all of that feeds into the plan, and it makes it more robust, and just everything we do is going to help alleviate poverty in the region as a whole,” explained Meredith Starkey, Manager of Parks and Planning at the SRD.”  “Are you struggling to have your basic needs met? Then how can we help alleviate that pressure? What are the barriers that you're experiencing, and how can we mitigate that experience?”  The SRD will be in our area on Wednesday, February 28, 2024.  “We are coming to Quadra and Cortes on the same day. We'll be at Manson's Hall at 11am to 1pm. Then we head off to the Quadra Island Community Centre. We'll be there from 3 to 6 and then back to Campbell River.”  “We’re developing an action plan and strategies that can actually be applied to minimize poverty in our communities. It's focused on 8 priority areas:   Housing, Education and training, Employment, Safe and affordable transportation, Families, children and youth, Income supports, Social support, And discrimination and stigma.” “We have a whole bunch of data. We did the housing needs reports. We've done transportation studies. We have lots of data and statistics about poverty, and we understand the intersections of what contributes to poverty in different areas of the region.”  “We know that it's different in rural areas and urban areas. We also know that the experience of poverty on Cortes is going to be different from the experience of poverty in Campbell River. What we're looking for from the community to do is to flush that data out and make it real and to let us know more specifically what that experience of poverty might mean for a person on Cortes.”  “We often hear that we're trying to bring Campbell River solutions into Cortes or something. That's not really our intent. It never is, but if we don't hear from people what is really needed, then it's hard for us to implement those things. When we hear from you, that helps us deliver things that you need.”

What They Heard: The Cortes Housing Report

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 20:01:08 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The ‘What We Heard Report,’ from Cortes Island’s Housing Forum and the subsequent Housing Survey, has been released.   “We already had a pretty good idea from previous reports and information, but this really gave us a good sense of what the challenges are and then what do people want us to move forward with?” explained Mark Vonesh, Regional Director for Cortes Island. “It really gives us a framework and direction for taking action following the political will of the people. Which is really exciting because it's really easy to be like, ‘I think this is a good idea,’ but this really gives us the information to move forward in a way that we know we're following the will of what Cortes wants.”   “I think it puts Cortes in a really exciting place. Not many communities have such a strong roadmap for making change. I'm really excited to work with the Cortes Housing Society and the Strathcona Regional District and, various levels of government, to move forward with the action items that have been outlined in the survey and all of the discussions that happened in the breakout groups during the housing forum in December.”  Sadhu Johnston, Executive Director of the Cortes Community Housing Society, agreed, “ It feels like a good step forward and it's a good culmination of lots of feedback from people through the survey and in person and online, but there's lots of work to be done.”  CC: What are the highlights of this report?   Sadhu Johnston: “I guess the highlight for me is just the extent to which people participated in the survey and in the in-person consultation and online. This is clearly an issue that's near and dear to a lot of people on Cortes Island.”   “At the forum, I was a little bit surprised that there were so many people that own property, and aren't at risk of losing housing, but are very concerned about the challenges on Cortes. It really feels to me like there's a pretty broad recognition of people that are living on the island, or spending time on the island, that the housing crisis is a threat to the community diversity and the very fabric of the community that we all love so much. That was really made clear to me in the type of comments that I heard and the way that people were showing up.”   Looking back to his years as the City Manager, and prior to that the Deputy City Manager. of Vancouver (2009-2021), Johnston observed, “I worked a lot on affordable housing in Vancouver. In Vancouver, if the housing in the community isn't affordable, people drive further away or take the train further or the bus in order to live. There's this old saying, "drive until you qualify,' which is really driving further and further out into the suburbs until you can qualify for a mortgage that you can make work.”   “In a community like Vancouver - the businesses that we rely on, the community of teachers and others - can still function because people are driving further and further out, which is not good for the environment or for their quality of life or for the health of a community, but the community could still work.”   “On Cortes, there's no ‘driving till you qualify,’ there's leaving. If you can't find housing, it's not like you can just drive to the neighbouring community and find housing. As people that can't afford to be there or can't find housing leave, many of those houses are being sold to people that are not on Cortes as much so there's more and more empty homes and under-utilized homes. That combination really is resulting in a fundamental risk to the community that we love so much. That was just really brought home to me in talking to people over the last couple of months, in the housing forum, and in the survey.”   “People want us to do something about it, which is really good to see. There's maybe not 100 percent alignment on what to do, but there's a lot of alignment on a number of the things to do.”

Community, Connection and Engagement on Quadra Island.

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 20:14:51 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - When Quadra ICAN held a community consultation last September, the central question was ‘what are the challenges the island will face as global temperatures warm up.’There were different questions when ICAN held another community meeting at the Quadra Community Centre on Sunday, February 11, 2024.  “We're moving to solutions and planning. So today, the questions we're going to be working on are: ‘What can we do as a community to become more resilient and self-sufficient in the face of ecological challenges? And then what is important for us to be working on right now?’” said Jennifer Doll, facilitator of the event.

FOCI’s Create, Connect and Conserve series

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 13:14:41 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) summer programs have long been popular with tourists and summer. This year FOCI wanted to offer something for the year round community.  “ The inspiration is partly wanting to make sure that more members of the community know about FOCI. We do a lot of projects, but they’re not really shiny and we don’t really advertise them. They're on our website, but if people don't go there and read about them, they don't know that they're happening,” explained Soma Feldmar, the society’s Administrative Assistant.  Executive Director Helen Hall came up with the idea for the ‘Create, Connect and Conserve’ series. :Yes, we need to” responded Feldmar. “We take so much for granted from the natural world. Especially working at Foci the last couple of years, it's really much more in my face how in trouble the natural world, and therefore us, really is.” She used a simile to complete that thought, “This is our home. This is like housekeeping, but our house is falling into pieces.”  Soma Feldmar became the project coordinator of ‘Create, Connect and Conserve.’  “I spent most of January planning the series and getting the events set up. There's still one that I have to do a lot of work on, which won't be happening until June, so there's time. Once I had the first three events set, I started advertising.”  CC: Where did you advertise them?  Soma Feldmar: On social media, in terms of the two Facebook Cortes groups, as well as on Tideline. Then I put the poster with the three events in Whaletown, at the Cortes Natural Food Co-op, at Bertha’s Cortes Market, in the Squirrel Cove General Store and the Klahoose Multipurpose Building. Now I'm talking to you about it, so it's going to get up on Cortes Currents.

BearSprayWorkshop 12m00s

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 23:12:15 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - FOCI launched their new ‘Create, Connect Conserve’ series on February 3rd at Linnaea Farm, with workshops on coexisting peacefully with wildlife. Bob Hansen of WildSafeBC explained the effectiveness and correct use of bear spray. In the course of the presentation, he shared several interesting statistics and exploded a few common misconceptions. Bob showed a WildsafeBC video, and also gave a live demonstration; attendees learned the mechanics of ‘laying down a wall’ of spray to keep wildlife at a distance, or directly targeting the animal’s face. In a brief lecture on bear behaviour, he explained why bears attack, how often this happens, ways to avoid attacks, and what to do if a bear does attack you. Fortunately, bear attacks are uncommon — the average North American is more likely to be killed by a lightning strike than by a bear. In North America there are fewer than three fatalities due to bears each year (versus 20 due to lightning strikes). In BC over the last 40 years, there has been one fatality every three years for black bears, and one every five years for grizzlies. Given the number of people out exploring and adventuring in the bush every year, bear attacks are quite rare; our culturally-reinforced fear of bears is somewhat exaggerated. Nevertheless, a close encounter with a bear can be dangerous — and it’s best to be prepared if you spend time in the bush. Bob explained the benefits and proper use of bear spray.

Wolf Tales From Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 14:48:17 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Cortes Island's wildlife coexistence programs can be traced back to human/wolf conflicts in 2009. Local biologist Sabina Leader Mense reached out to Bob Hansen, then wildlife-human conflict specialist with Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. The Cortes Community Wolf Project is modelled on the Wild Coast program that Hansen had been running in the Pacific Rim for more than a decade. Hansen and Conservation Officer Ben York helped Sabina write 'Learning to Live with Wolves on Cortes Island,' a five-point primer which FOCI endorses and posts throughout the community. Hansen returned to Cortes at Sabina’s invitation, for the first time since 2011, on February 3. He gave a workshop on electric fences and a demonstration on using bear spray at Linnaea Farm. There were also a lot of ‘wolf stories’ and new information. Hansen talked about the dynamic lives that wolves lead; lives influenced by prey abundance, distribution, seasonality and where in their breeding cycle they are: mating, denning, rearing pups. There is no predicting when/ where wolves will be at any given time; i.e. no management of wild wolves. We can only manage ourselves! Bob Hansen: “They're (the wolves) studying us way more than we're studying them. If they're around a lot, they're going to know exactly where you are and exactly where the dogs are at all times that they're anywhere close to you. They spend every day of their lives trying to figure us out and file away our reactions when we encounter them. They've created their own culture of coexistence, they behave the way we teach them to behave. They'll be teaching their pups how to coexist.” Sabina Leader Mense: “My real takeaway from what Bob has said just over the last couple of days that he's been here, is the onus is really on us to behave in ways that do not put wolves at risk.” Bob said “the wolves take their cues from us.” So no interactions with wolves; no gawking to look or take a photograph; keep wolves wary of humans at all times. The Cortes Wolf Primer states, “when you encounter them (wolves) in a residential area i.e. near your home, your neighbour's, the community halls, stores, schools etc, wave your arms to make yourself look bigger, shout loudly and use noisemakers. Let the wolves know, in no uncertain terms, that they need to respect you and you will not tolerate their presence in this place!! Use your most aggressive body language; take on the alpha role.” Bob Hansen: “That’s what we call hazing. You're teaching them to stay wary. If they stay wary, they're going to stay alive. If they lose their wariness, then anything could happen.” Cortes Currents: Do you have any idea how many wolves there are on Cortes right now. Sabina Leader Mense: “We have identified 7 adults with their pups of the year. They won't all stick together with the pups anymore. The pups are old enough, they're hunting with groups of adults. There will be four wolves here, two there, three here. Maybe that's what we're seeing with single day sightings coming in from Squirrel Cove, Whaletown, and the south end.” Bob Hansen: “What we've seen over the years is that when the prey (even a good sized black tailed deer) tends to be smaller, two wolves can clean it up in a couple of days. Even a single wolf can take down a deer given the right situation. So they don't need to travel as a large pack.” "If it wasn't for the cameras, we wouldn't realize that there's a large pack, but they now have cameras in some of the spots where they socialize and rendezvous. They'll go off and hunt and then they'll howl and come back together at a rendezvous site. They'll get reacquainted and then they'll go off in their separate directions again. If they aren't socializing and aren't sleeping, they're traveling and hunting."

Desolation Sound - CIA On Folk U Radio- Mp3

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 11:43:00 +0000

Cortes Island Academy/Folk U - What really matters most in the world? How will we help inspire the next generation of truth-seekers and truth-tellers? At the Cortes Island Academy we believe in the passion and skills of the people and wild places of this place and are proud of our youth who learned along side our community and shared their growing skills through journalistic podcasts, Elder Documentaries, Field Guides and unsung hero posters (the one here is by artist Zella Aufochs). This week on Folk U Radio CKTZ 89.5 FM (1 p.m. Fridays, repeats on folku.ca/cortescurents.ca/cortesradio.ca) youth journalists interview neighbours and regional experts on the issues of the day in our communities in their Audio Series called Desolation Sounds. Friday February 2nd features: The Way of the Wolves by Dylan Harvey Understanding Dyslexia by Zella Aufochs One Thousand Nine Hundred and Four by Rowan Joiner And the Cortes Forestry General Partnership by Salix Webb We hope you will tune in! You can listen to the CIA youth podcast series, Desolation Sounds, anytime at https://cortesislandacademy.ca/podcasts/ Watch the breathtaking and moving CIA/ReelYouth Elder Films at https://cortesislandacademy.ca/films/ Get your own pocket Biodiversity Field Guide for Cortes (e.g. edible berries, local fungi, marine species, seaweeds, mosses, and more!) at https://cortesislandacademy.ca/biodiversity-project/

Much more than just an 'Electric Fencing Workshop' on Cortes Island

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 15:54:50 +0000

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Bob Hansen’s Electric Fencing Workshop was delightful. The ‘talk’ he gave at LInnaea Farm, on February 3, was permeated by stories of animal behaviour as well as visual aids. “I've been involved in 50 plus electric fencing projects in our region over the last six years. Everywhere that electric fences have gone in, that resolved the conflicts that were occurring,” Hansen explained. His environmental career started out in Jasper National Park 40 years ago. He is a specialist when it comes to human wildlife encounters. He has worked for Environment Canada, Adventure Canada, and has just completed his sixth as the WildSafeBC Community Coordinator for the Pacific Rim. While that is on the other side of Vancouver Island, Bob Hansen has a long relationship with Cortes. “It is a real pleasure for me to be back on Cortes after so many years. 2009 was the first time Sabina got ahold of me and said, 'you have to come over here.’” (Laughter) Aside from the words ‘I do’ and ‘help’ it’s difficult to understand what local biologist Sabina Leader-Mense replied, but Hansen understood. “I really appreciate having had that connection. It's so cool, all the work that Cortes has done over the years to co-exist and it's clear that that the commitment's there. I use Cortes all the time as an example in the education that I do. Check out Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) and their primers. Check out what's happened here.” “WildSafeBC used to be called BearAware, but in 2014 it was abundantly clear that there was a lot more wildlife that people were living with than bears. So they reimagined the whole program to include all wildlife. There's around 30 community coordinators working in over 100 communities. It really is fascinating how various communities have different sets of challenges in terms of coexistence, and the organization is really remarkable in the services it provides across the province. For the most part, all of those services and resources are free.” “The real true solution for conflict is preventing the conflict from happening by managing the attractants. Being aware of how attractive things like bird feeders are. That little block of suet there has about 6,000 calories. For a bear to get an equivalent amount of calories from salal berries, it would have to eat 15 kilograms of salal berries. Just before hibernation, they're trying to eat 20,000 calories a day. That's why you need to take down your bird feeders during bear season.” The remainder of Hansen’s talk was about electric fencing.

Museum Valentine's Day 2024 12m35s

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 12:50:54 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - The Cortes Museum and Archives is collaborating with Folk U to offer two events in honour of Valentine's Day, on the theme of Love Letters. On February 11th (Sunday) from 1-4pm, Jane Newman will host a "love letter writing workshop" featuring both writing and collage art. On February 14th from 7 to 8:30pm, Oriane Lee will host an evening of love letter readings, including some from the Museum archives. Both events are free, though donations are always welcome. People interested in participating in the readings on the 14th should contact jemma@folku.ca. Roy Hales interviewed Melanie Boyle (the Museum's Director) and Jemma Hicken (the event organiser) about their collaboration to offer the community a new Valentine's Day event.

Developing The Human Potential At QXMC

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 11:33:00 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Klahoose Wilderness Resort’s 2023 tourist season ended in October. This is the time for refurbishments in preparation for the reopening next May. The need to provide a back-up for the resort’s micro-hydro system became obvious during last summer’s drought, and a propane generator has been installed. Additional storage space has been added. Gorge Harbour Marina has been upgrading for the past year, and hopes to have a grand reopening this coming spring. These are some of QXMC’s physical improvements but, in a recent interview with Cortes Currents, the conversation quickly turned to an overview of the Klahoose development company’s personnel goals for 2024.   “ Like in every business, we want to generate revenue and we want to keep our costs low, so that at the end of the day we can generate a profit. That profit is obviously used to extend our businesses and to make sure that they last in the long run,” explained Marco Bedetti, General Manager of QXMC.   “On the other hand, a very important focus is to generate employment. We are trying to prioritize Klahoose First Nation members, to give them the possibility to work here. But we would also like to extend this and be able to provide as much training as possible so that they can grow in these companies and they can start to manage, say the Gorge Harbor Marina or the sawmill or any other LP that we're running nowadays.”

FOCI: Maintaining Mansons Landing Provincial Park

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 21:57:05 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) has been helping BC Parks maintain Mansons Landing Provincial Park since 2016.  “ We've been doing various improvements over time. That included removing broom from the Spit, signage to help interpret what's down there and also fencing to prevent erosion. We've just finished two new sections of fencing,” explained Helen Hall, Executive Director of FOCI.  "One is at the end of the Spit to stop further erosion. The banks are very fragile and the existing fencing wasn't enough to stop people climbing down the banks. There has been a long history of First Nations usage of what is now the park, and my understanding is that a large part of the Spit is actually midden. It has archaeological interest. You can see all the shells in the sand on the banks very clearly when you walk along the beach. We want to keep the Spit intact. I'd say a significant portion of the erosion is caused by people climbing down onto the banks."  "The other piece was some fencing next to the parking lot. That's been put in largely to try and protect what's called coastal sand ecosystem. If you go onto the beach, you'll notice this grassy looking plant community, which is actually quite rare in BC and it's also very fragile. The plant you see all year round, which looks very grassy, is called Dune Wild Rye. There's also Beech Pea, Silver Burr Weed, and Gumweed. We're just hoping that people stay out of that area and stick to the trails."  "Around 2017 or 2018, we put up a sign explaining about the coastal sand ecosystems. In the summer BC Parks will be putting up a little bit more signage about the plants , to try and encourage people to stay out of those areas."  "We've been working with BC parks to protect that area now for six years."  "When we started in 2016, it was heavily shaded by Scotch Broom. Our very first task was to remove the Broom, and we go back every winter. We've got one coming up now in March. We do a Broom Bash with the community to cut back any regrowth.” "I should just add all of the work we're doing there is funded by a grant we get from BC Parks."

Preparing for a Grand Reopening of the Gorge Harbour Marine Resort

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 23:59:34 +0000

Roy L Hale/ Cortes Currents - After a year of extensive renovations, QXMC hopes to fully reopen Gorge Harbour Marina Resort this Spring. “We are getting closer to hopefully a grand opening on May 31st, where we can provide a resort that is worthy of its name,” explained Marco Bedetti, General Manager of the Klahoose First Nation management corporation. “The majority of septic issues have been dealt with. We're still working on the AX100 system, which separates the treatment of the laundry facility and the guest toilets versus the rest of the property.” “Regarding the water systems: We are very close to receiving a GARP assessment from VIHA, which will then allow us to set up the new well to our main distribution and allow us to use the new well. The reason for this big project was just due to high salinity in the old wells, which were overused over the years.” “The pool and hot tub are going to be open as soon as we can. When I say ‘can,’ it really involves our homework, which is now to provide a pool safety data sheet that is comprehensive, but also for Island Health to come by and finally give us the operating permits to run it.” “The store is running as always. We are actually going to be hiring more people, not only because of the summer months, but because we are opening a new store in Squirrel Cove. What better than to train them here at the Gorge and have them ready to go when the doors open over there.” “Up at the main roads, where Trude’s Cafe used to be, we had to clean up. The buildings were very old, the area fairly swampy, so in the first phase of the project we made sure that we could see the land and make decisions upon that.” “We are putting in 21 RV sites down below, but we still want to guarantee staff to have a place to stay. We decided to move the staff trailers on that upper part of the property. We flattened the land out. We're putting in electric, water and sewer services. We will have 8 RVs that are available for staff.” “The domes are a new feature. The geodesic domes are where we will allow guests to have a glamping experience. They have arrived. We have them in storage. The pads are poured. We're just waiting for a little bit of drier weather to be able to pull the cables and then the water lines to the domes themselves. Then we're going to start setting them up and furnishing them. So we'll have them ready to go by May.” “There's a lot of things to make sure that are complete by the season start, but I'm very positive that we'll get there.”

Arts on Cortes

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 21:38:33 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/Folk U - On January 26, Manda Aufochs Gillespie was joined by artists and organizers Bianca (art gallery), Melanie (museum), Rex (love fest + coffeehouses), and Meinsje (art gallery). This was a lovely conversation about personal practice, the role of arts and culture in remote communities, the importance of everyday art, and upcoming events + opportunities for greater collaboration. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Part 4, Anderson vs SRD 10m14s

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 15:11:58 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - [00:00:00] DE: And this is the fourth and final installment of our special feature on the recent decision of the appellate court of BC in the matter of Anderson versus SRD. That court vindicated Noba Anderson in her five-year struggle with Strathcona regional district over two issues: the right of elected representatives to independent legal counsel, and the obligation to indemnify board members for their legal expenses. [00:01:02] DE: Previously in this series, we've talked a little bit about how this finding by the panel of judges at the appellate court is… is wonderful. And at the same time, it's not really perfect closure. It feels a little bit unsatisfying. There's still so much secrecy at SRD; we’ll probably never know the details. We'll never really understand the process that led to this epic struggle in the courts… all of these impacts on our community… this very large amount of taxpayer money that's been wasted as a result. And regional districts remain largely unaccountable to their constituents, as Cortes Islanders discovered. [00:01:42] DE: So. Noba to what extent did this whole experience affect your opinion of the regional district system? How good a fit is it really, for a rural island, such as ours?

Anderson vs SRD Appeal 13m34s

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 15:03:31 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - : In this third episode of our special feature we're talking to Noba Anderson about the decision recently handed down by the appellate court of BC. The panel of three judges ruled decisively in Anderson's favour in her dispute with the Strathcona regional district. The district had refused to honour their indemnity bylaw and cover her defence costs during a very poorly founded litigation to remove her from office — and subsequently, had censured her for revealing in-camera information to her legal counsel. [00:01:05] DE: So Noba, we were talking last time about how SRD may have to blow a lot of taxpayer money on paying the legal costs of this… attempt to get rid of you, back in 2018, 2019. But apart from those costs, there are a few consequences for them — and absolutely none for the anonymous instigators of this entire drama. So I have this sense that while, as you said so eloquently, kindness and truth may have triumphed in the end… justice hasn't exactly triumphed here. There's no requirement for SRD even to apologize. And you can hardly be reinstated — because you've already left office. [00:01:52] Noba: Yeah, I was censured and removed from my ability to sit on external committees, and well, okay, so that censure is repealed. Well, I'm not going to go sit on a bunch of committees now. [laughs] I'm done with that. So, no, materially, there isn't much difference, now that I'm not in office anymore. [00:02:10] DE: So this decision, you know, satisfying though it may be, doesn't deliver much benefit to you personally. [00:02:18] DE: Do you think that this judgment is beneficial to the Cortes community? [00:02:23] Noba: Well, I hope that it will relieve some of the rightly-induced fear of running for elected office. I mean, I would not have run for elected office if this was still hanging! Why, why would I put myself in such a vulnerable position without the backing of the organization that I've been elected to serve? So I think just at that fundamental level of… making sure that potentially elected politicians on Cortes are supported financially, legally. But beyond that, no — there's no sweetness in this justice. It's a… it's a very bitter pill. [00:03:14] DE: I guess, as we were saying earlier… it might bring more closure, it might be more beneficial to the community, if the secrecy of it all could somehow be overcome. If we even knew for sure how all of this craziness came about. [00:03:30] Noba: I can't go so far as to speak publicly about who said what and what really happened and in camera and out of camera — and not because I'm not legally in the right to at this point, but because that would bring about defamation suits against me probably, from people who are litigiously minded. [00:03:51] Noba: But what I will say generally is that the spirit at the Regional District Board in those days was absolutely toxic. And they wanted me gone. And that speaks to, you know, a number of things. It speaks to a regional district system that is so far from understanding the constituents in various portions of the district; just by its very nature, the people at that board don't understand the constituents on Cortes. [00:04:27] Noba: And I don't understand the constituents in Sayward, and don't know the nuances. So it speaks to a fundamental flaw in the governance system that we have. And it also speaks to the ability of a small group of people to — over time, with concerted effort — really poison the pot. And it speaks to a young, female, progressive, non-simpering person in a very patriarchal, Jurassic environment — being a hard row to hoe. [00:05:05] Noba: And it wasn't fun. I was there for 14 years and a lot of it was really, really Not Fun.

Part 2 Anderson vs SRD Decision

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 14:51:32 +0000

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - And today we continue with part two of our four-part special feature — on a decision rendered last week by the appellate court of BC, which amounted to a vindication of one time Area B regional director Noba Anderson after five years of conflict and litigation with the Strathcona regional district. [00:00:53] DE: In this episode, we'll go into a little more detail about this whole question of the censure, and the right to informed counsel, and why this is so important. Why was it so outrageous that SRD voted to censure a sitting board member for talking to her lawyer about in-camera information? [00:01:16] Noba: I didn't think that sharing information with my lawyer was a breach of confidence. And in fact, I thought that it was absolutely foundational to the whole legal system. [00:01:27] Noba: It's quasi-constitutional. One needs to be able to share everything with one's lawyer. The privilege — the client/solicitor privilege — that an individual has with their lawyer, is far stronger than any in camera confidence that the board has. [00:01:46] DE: Well, yeah. As, as I understand it, Attorney/client, client/solicitor confidenti

QXMC Squirrel Cove Project On Track To Open Later This Year

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 10:56:42 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - QXMC, the Klahoose First Nation Management Corporation, is currently on track to open a combined grocery store and gas station in Squirrel Cove later this year. “If all goes well, fingers crossed, we will be doing test runs in late 2024 and then a grand opening towards the end of 2024,” explained Marco Bedetti, General Manager of QXMC. He expressed the fact these are not firm dates, “We want to make sure that operationally everything is running right. We have to hire staff, we have to make sure that all our services in the store and outside of the store run smoothly. I don't know if we'll open for the public right away, or just try a couple of days or weeks operationally without opening to the public before we say, 'Hey, let's cut the ribbons.” This is part of a much larger development that will also include more than 30 camp sites, or RV sites, and some cabins along the beach. Marco Bedetti: “The priority is to build a grocery store/gas station for the Klahoose First Nation. The location that was decided is where we did the clear cuts, at the curve before the government dock. Obviously we had to do some work as far as digging wells, which now have been done. We're working through the GARP assessment to make sure that any water treatment that we have to do is up to code with Island Health, or in this case the First Nation Health Authority.” “The First Nation Health Authority is involved, furthermore we have Vision Quest creating the project for us.” “We're talking about the architectural design of the store, but before we get into any building, we need to make sure that the water that is flowing on the side of the road has the right flow, that the culverts are installed.” “We need to grade the property because it's on a slope and it would be hard to build that way. It has a lot to do with creating the right environment to put up the building and the services that we want.” CC: You’ve doubled the size of the clearing. Marco Bedetti: “Yes, in the summer there are a lot of vehicles parked next to the road. We're augmenting traffic on one hand, with the store, but also with the RV sites. We want to make sure that it's safe. So the decision was that on the lower part of the property we will create a parking lot so that we can safely have people park their vehicles in the right spots.” CC: Do you have any updates regarding the next phase of this project? Marco Bedetti: “The plan is definitely to go towards tourism in the form of RV sites, tent sites, possibly cabins. It's not a priority yet.We want to make sure there is a store available, there is gas service available, there is electrical vehicle charging available. Once that is complete, we'll go over to really defining how many RV sites we want. Or do we want to try geodesic domes? Or how many cabins are we building? It will be definitely in the direction of tourism, or camping.” You have been listening to an interview about QXMC’s Squirrel Cove site, with with General Manager Marco Bedetti,

Cortes Matters At The SRD Board This Month

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 13:13:08 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - There have been a number of Cortes Island matters at the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) this month.   Mark Vonesch, the Regional Director for Cortes Island, is now the Vice Chair of the Electoral Areas Services Committee (EASC). Cortes Island’s Dog Control Service Bylaw is on its way to the Inspector of Municipalities for approval. Linnaea Education Centre and Mansons Hall have both applied for Federal Gas Tax funding to purchase a heat pump and were denied. Director Vonsech is looking for ways to support them.

Anderson vs SRD appeal Part 1 21m06s

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 11:10:34 +0000

DE Clarke/ Cortes Currents - On January 24th the BC Court of Appeal made known its decision in docket CA47620, the case of Anderson vs SRD. The three-judge panel found unanimously against SRD and in favour of Anderson. They found that SRD was wrong in refusing to indemnify Anderson’s defence costs during a litigation against her in 2019, and wrong also in voting to censure her in that same year. In this four-part special radio feature we’ll be revisiting the five-year history of this legal decision, and interviewing Noba Anderson about its significance — not just for Cortes island, but for all of BC.

The Story Behind 'Keepers Of The Land'

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Sat, 27 Jan 2024 14:10:30 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The audio version version of this story begins with a solitary male voice raised in a seemingly ageless First Nations chant. Then Doug Neasloss, elected chief counselor of the Kittisoo Xia Xias First Nation, states, “We’ve always had the responsibility to steward, that’s what we are doing.” The clip was taken from Deirdre Leowinata and Tavish Campbell’s documentary ‘Keepers of the Land.’ They spent two years working with the Kitasoo Xai Xais in Klemtu, more than 350 miles north of Cortes and Quadra Islands.   Deidre explained, “It’s one of these really magical places where they still have some resources that they have historically used for a lot of their cultural practices and for the food that sustains their community. They're a remote community of 350 people right now, and they're pretty isolated from the rest of the world. They really heavily rely on the natural resources around them to survive and to continue their cultural traditions.”   In another clip, Vern Brown, a Kitasoo Xia Xias youth leader, stated, “We really have to start advancing everything that we do. We need to do it better. We need to manage salmon better. We need to manage fisheries better. We need to manage the forest better. This is my home and this is my backyard. And we have a community full of KItasoo and Xia Xias people. Every one of those families within the community have particular chiefs and title all throughout the territory.”   “There's a lot of things in the past that my grandparents couldn't have imagined today. There's a lot of steps that we've taken as far as being a small little First Nations community in Canada. There's a lot of things that we've achieved by working together. That's one great thing about this community is that we can work together.”   ‘Keepers of the Land’ was a finalist at the Jackson Wild Media Awards and was given a Special Jury Mention at the 2023 Banff Mountain Film Festival. The Cortes Island Academy hosted a virtual screening on January 19, after which Manda Aufochs Gillespie emailed Cortes Currents: “‘Keepers of the Land’ was incredible. The videography was beautiful and prescient and seemed so close that it felt as if I could reach out and touch the Spirit Bear, or the salmon swimming upstream. To think that these incredible film makers are in our very own backyard makes the story of their triumph even more spectacular.” Deirdre Leowinata: “I've lived on Sonora Island since 2020, but my partner, Tavish, who is our cinematographer, has lived on Sonora almost his whole life. That's why I ended up here. “   Manda Aufochs Gilespie email: “They also shared how each of them got their start in film making. Tavish, like many small islanders, found his way into it very nontraditionally by starting as a commercial boat driver who got to know these lands and waters and people by living in and among them. Deirdre studied film/communications and ecology in university and it instilled in her a passion for story-telling. It was meaningful for the students to see different pathways into the career and to see the very skills they are learning put to work in such a powerful documentary.”   This film is one of Sierra Quadra’s winter 2023/2024 offerings and will be shown at the Quadra Community Centre at 7:20 PM on Saturday, February 3, 2024. Deirdre Leowinata and Tavish Campbell will be there to talk about their experience working with the Kitasoo Xia Xias First Nation and answer questions.   Cortes Currents: How did this film come into being?

Neighbourhood Concerns about the ‘Cortes Airport’

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 09:33:54 +0000

Roy L Hales/ COrtes Currents - In June 1999, James and Dianne Hansen built an air strip in the southern tip of Cortes Island. According to the deposition that John Woolley later made to the Supreme Court of British Columbia, “the majority of the neighbouring property owners, including himself, have strongly objected to the development and operation of the airstrip.” They were concerned about ‘excessive noise,’ potential accidents, ‘environmental hazards resulting from the storage of fuel and the impact of the operation of the airstrip on water quality and bird habitats.’ The most serious opposition came from the Comox-Strathcona Regional District, which stated the airstrip contravened its zoning laws. However Transport Canada approved the strip and after a long legal battle, in 2005 the courts decided that the Hansens ‘shall be entitled to maintain and operate their airport.’ That was 18 years ago, but a number of Cortes residents are concerned about the work currently underway on the airstrip. Mike Manson emailed Cortes Currents several pictures of a Deere excavator, a freshly plowed earth track and a pile of gravel. There are rumours that Vancouver real estate developer Mo Yeung (Michael) Ching, who acquired the property in 2013, intends to pave the airstrip so that it can service jets and/or helicopters. A Facebook post claims that emissions free electric jets are coming to Cortes Island. “They won’t need to pave the airstrip but they will put in a landing pad and an airplane hanger.” Neither of these stories has been confirmed. Cortes Currents attempted to reach Judy Kemchand, who allegedly manages the property, but she has not returned phone calls. The ‘Cortes Airport’ (CC19) is lot #1 of Strata 1269. There are 21 other properties. When John Woolley and David Geoffrey Nikleva deposed against the Hansen’s airport in 2003, they were acting on behalf of Strata 1269. On January 19. 2024, Carl Simpson, the current Chair of Strata 1269, told Cortes Currents that he is aware of the rumours that work is being done on the airport, but could not confirm or deny them. He stated the Board had granted Lot #1 permission to build a new access road, adding they had no reason to deny the request. Some of the pilots who previously used the ‘Cortes Airport’ left posts on the OurAirports website. One, dating back to the Hansen era, states: “I recently completed a water improvement contract for BC Parks at Smelt Bay adjacent to Hansen airfield, bought gravel from Jim and Diane, got to know them a bit, very nice folks, real salt-of-the-earth people. Watch out, 4 hours will pass and you'll still be drinking coffee, hearing great stories from Jim and Diane. The guy has a nice new little Hitachi excavator and an old Cat dozer, that airstrip is getting better and better. Have fun flying here.” When Michael Ching attempted to subdivide his 160 acre lot in 2015, it consisted of an airstrip, a gravel pit, a small lavender farm. An article in the Campbell River Mirror states, “Judy Khemchand, manager of Acre Lavender Farms, said Ching has planted 9,000 plus lavender trees, put in 30 fruit trees, a well, an automated irrigation system, has a lavender processing building under construction, and employs up to 14 workers during peak season. He wants to expand the operation, which could mean five to eight more jobs, but Khemchand said Ching needs the subdivision of the parcel property.” Carl Simpson informed the SRD that Strata 1269 was concerned about the use of a strata lot for exclusively non-residential purposes. "On March 10th (2015), the Strata Corporation presented the owner of Lot #1 a list of questions to which it seeks answers, so that the owner-members have a clear understanding of the impacts of the proposed subdivision. To date, the owner of Lot # 1 has not responded to our enquiry," he wrote. That was 8 years ago, Mr Ching has not informed his neighbours about his current plans for Lot #1 either.

SRD receives go ahead to establilsh a housing service

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 20:18:19 +0000

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Island - The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) received the go-ahead to establish a regional housing service and authorize loans of up to $10 million on an ‘as needed’ basis. While the SRD can raise funding for projects through property taxes, this money must be repaid once the projects start receiving rents. This matter was brought before the board at their January 24, 2024 meeting.  At their November 8, 2023 Board Meeting, the SRD Board approved using the alternate approval process to seek the electorate's approval. If a minimum of 10% of the electorate - i.e. 3,456 people - had advised the SRD they were opposed, the motion would have been considered defeated, but the ‘no’ vote was only 392. When asked, Senior Manager Thomas Yates advised the board where the opposing votes came from:   - there were 111 approximately from Campbell River, - 81 from Cortes Island, - 66 from Quadra Island, - and 133 from the Sayward area.   Director Doug Chapman of Campbell River moved that No. 515, being Regional Housing Loan Authorization Bylaw 2023, be now reconsidered, finally passed and adopted. Regional Director John RIce, of Area D, provided the Sayward is in Area A, whose Regional Director, Gerald Whalley, cast the only opposing vote.  “I, just fot the record, I’m going to vote against this. It’s the will of my constituents. The vast majority of them opposed it. So it's appropriate that I would oppose,” he explained.   Chair Mark Baker called the vote, “ All in favour? Opposed? One opposed, Director Wally. The motion is carried.”

Immigration in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and Discovery Islands

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 13:25:52 +0000

Roy L Hales. Cortes Currents - On the surface, one might ask how relevant an article about immigration is to people living in the Discovery Islands. The vast majority of us either came from more urban parts of British Columbia, and/or are the descendants of an earlier wave of immigrants. Many non-Indigenous Cortesians trace their roots back to the era when most immigrants were ‘British,’ European or from the United States. There are undoubtedly many reasons why this predominantly ‘white’ population is now found in more rural areas. Some of us are the descendants of the first settlers in this area, others sought a more rural lifestyle and many moved here because of real estate values. According to Statistics Canada, a new wave of immigration has become the principal driver of our nation’s population growth. “Over the past 50 years, the share of new immigrants from Europe has declined, with the share of new immigrants who were born in Asia (including the Middle East) increasing. Over time, Asia has become the top source region of new immigrants, and this trend continued in 2021. The share of new immigrants from Africa also increased.” 23% of the people listed in the 2021 census were born outside of Canada and more than half of them came here for economic reasons. A significant number ‘were selected through skilled worker programs.’ Only 15% of the immigrants who arrived between 1980 and 2021 were refugees. (This number may change as the climate crisis and global political tensions worsen.) British Columbia’s transformation to a more international population is largely occuring in the Lower Mainland. According to the 2021 census, 60.27% of the inhabitants of Richmond, 51.26% of Vancouver and 48.97% of Surrey are immigrants. A large proportion of them came from Asia, (as did the parents or grandparents of much of the Canadian born population). The next largest ethnic block of immigrants was Europeans, followed by people from the Americas (North, Central or South) and a significantly smaller number of Africans. The latest wave of immigration has reached Vancouver Island, but in much smaller numbers. According to the 2021 census, immigrants made up 26.02% of the population in Victoria and 16.2% in Nanaimo. As was the case in the Lower Mainland, the biggest ethnic group was Asian. There was a decided ethnic shift further north on the island. Only 13.64% of Courtenay, 12.65% in the Comox Valley and 10.49% of Campbell River residents were born outside Canada. More than half of them came from Europe. This is also true of Powell River, where 12.79% of the population are immigrants. There were smaller numbers of people from Asia, America (North, Central and South) and Africa in all of these cities. The percentage of people born in the United States increased in the Discovery Islands. 19.22% of the population of Area C (Quadra, Read and most of the other Discovery Islands) were immigrants. 175 came from the United States, 155 from the UK and 125 from other parts of Europe. There were also 20 Latin Americans, 20 Asians and 10 Africans. The majority of immigrants on Cortes Island came from the United States (100 out of 195). Other significant ethnic blocks were 40 from the UK, 30 other Europeans, 15 from Asia and 10 from South Africa. (These numbers are slightly out of sync because Statistics Canada rounds numbers off to the closest multiple of 5.) Overall, the 2021 census found that 18.48% of Cortes Island’s population was born outside of Canada. While the percentage of immigrants in the Discovery Islands is higher than the surrounding cities of Campbell River, Courtenay and Powell River, more of them come from the United States and the percentage of immigrants is still significantly lower than the Canadian average of 23%.

Intergenerational Perspectives on Climate

roy.hales9.gmail.com — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 12:15:20 +0000

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - Carrie Saxifrage, Tianna Hope, and Kiera Tsakonas joined host Manda Aufochs Gillespie for the January 19th FolkU Friday session. An intergenerational conversation about the climate crisis, this episode touches on the importance of human connection, mitigation and adaptation, generational differences in needs and interpretations of environmental changes and response, and empowering environmental futures. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.