Cortes Currents

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - There was much more than artwork in the ‘Sacred Dreamscapes’ exhibit at the Old Schoolhouse Gallery in July. Both of the artists, Kira MacDuffee and Majie Lavergne, are psychotherapists who have described their work as depictions of their ‘inner worlds.’ I was off island at the time, but requested an interview. MacDuffee consented to describe her pilgrimage when I returned.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - In the third of a series of interviews leading up to the October 15 election, Area C candidate Robyn Mawhinney describes some of the challenges emergency services face on Quadra Island.

“Every month on Quadra island, there are multiple days where there are no paramedics available and as well as no after hours emergency ferry,” she explained.

While BC Emergency Health Services is pretty tight lipped about the shortage, Mawhinney has friends who are paramedics and has learned of whole weekends when there are no paramedics available.

“I have a friend who had an emergency in the woods and when he called 9 1 1. They told him that they couldn't come and get him. He’d have to find his own way to the hospital. I don't have a stat on how many days. I think it probably changes every month, but it's definitely a significant number of days,” said Mawhinney.

Cortes Island was facing a critical shortage of paramedics last year, but the situation appears to have resolved after Emergency Services increased the number of scheduled on-call paramedics to four.

Mawhinney described a different scenario on Quadra:

“What I understand about the paramedic situation on Quadra island is that there are some very wonderful individuals who have homes here and have chosen paramedic as their employment, but the number of folks that live on the island does not meet the need for paramedics on the island. We need folks from off island to come here and support us.”

“It really circles back to the housing issue because there could be more paramedics on Quadra if housing was more affordable, but it's not. People that live on a paramedic salary are probably not gonna be able to afford to live here.”

While finding housing will not solve all the problems in the BC ambulance service, Mawhinney said this is one component that the Regional Director and Quadra Island community ‘can work towards.’

The housing crisis is also impacting ferry service between Quadra Island and Campbell River. At the June 15 SRD meeting the current regional director, Jim Abram, said BC Ferries was not able to find accomodation for the crews that would man the new hybrid electric ferries meant to operate between Quadra Island and Campbell River. There is also a petition with 2,265 signatures on change.org calling for a restoration of after hour emergency services to transport ambulances to Campbell River. It states that this was available for 40 years, but recently cancelled.

“The housing crisis, if you wanna call it that, or the housing situation is playing a big role in our after hours ferry availability as well because, the folks that do work for fairies are often able to be called out to an overnight emergency, but they have rules about how many hours they have to have off before they can work again,” explained Mawhinney.

“So if there aren't enough ferry employees that are on the island, it's gonna affect the scheduling for the next day and keeping our ferry running. Then they're not going to be able to do a call out at two in the morning.”

A month or so ago, one of Quadra’s paramedics posted a warning, for people having late night health issues at night, on Facebook. She advised them not to wait and see if it gets better, catch the last ferry to Campbell River. It was not certain that the ferry will respond to a 2 AM call, and they might end up waiting in an ambulance until the first ferry at 6 AM.

“That is a pretty significant message from one of our local health providers,” said Mawhinney.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -Robyn Mawhinney identified housing as the #1 issue in this upcoming October 15 election.

“There are already two levels of government, federal and provincial, which are working on housing. I'm not sure that we can ever completely solve it, but it's really important that we tackle it and there's many small shifts that could happen,” explained the candidate for Regional Director in Area C.

“We're going to require community engagement and community buy-in so that we can agree what type of development is adequate and appropriate for our community. We really need to be mindful of local resources, the diverse economic needs of our community and maintaining our unique rural nature.”

While funding for affordable housing comes from the Provincial and Federal government, Mawhinney outlined steps communities can make:

Cooperative housing models, land trusts, seniors housing clusters.

‘How can we integrate tiny homes into our island?’

‘Float houses are a historic piece of coastal culture.’

“My mom and her seven siblings were raised on a float house in Blackfish Sound. Once upon a time, I lived on a float house in Gowland Harbour. Right here in Quathiaski Cove we have a waterfront location with access to the sewer system. Yes, it would require community meetings and changing our community plan, our village plan, but it would provide a place for legal long term live aboard homes.”

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U -

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Cortes Currents learned that Jason Johnson was going to be Qathen Xwegus Management Corporation’s (QXMC) new General Manager back in June, but at that time he was busy finishing up as Sayward’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Around the time Johnson took over the helm of the Klahoose First Nation’s economic development corporation, I was on vacation for three weeks. We finally sat down on Monday to talk about Johnson’s first five weeks at the helm of QXMC.

His wife is still at home in Sayward, while Johnson lives in an RV on Cortes Island for five or more days a week.

Johnson said a former work colleague with Destination Canada brought the job opening to his attention.

“I looked at it and I thought, ‘Wow! There's so much growth with the organization and so many good things going on that it was hard to pass that one up,’” he said.

Johnson described his first week as a very action packed introduction to QXMC’s operations. He was quickly introduced to Klahoose Forestry, Aquaculture and the Water Taxi before focusing on the two resorts.

“When you're joining at peak season, particularly when it comes to the resorts, you're jumping in on very busy times with lots going on. In the case of Gorge Harbour, as an example, some great volume, but also some, dated infrastructure and things that need a bit of care and attention,”

he explained.

“You’re also getting to know a whole brand new team and the dynamics of that team. And so I always take the first couple of weeks to be a sponge and learn how things are done.”

He interviewed all 59 of his colleagues at the Marina, to obtain an in depth perspective of the potential and challenges of that operation.

That was at the very beginning of his tenure.

Johnson sketched out his previous employment in the podcast above:

CAO for the Village of Sayward

General Manager for Nootka Marine Adventures (two floating resorts, one roadside and a couple of properties under development)

Director of Food and Beverages at the Vancouver Aquarium

Regional Manager with Northland Properties

“I'm putting together five year plans now for both resort operations and looking forward to working with the board on what that may look like,” he said.

“A lot of planning is going to go into place come October, November. Those shoulder months where we can really spend some time and really plan things out.”

QXMC purchased trailer units for the staff at Gorge Harbour earlier this year and they will soon be moving to a more permanent location.

“We are also exploring moving some of the community infrastructure. The gas, the groceries, that sort of thing closer to the road. That is something that is going to require a lot of planning, a lot of engineering.”

There are also some buildings in the lower part of the resort “that at some point will either need a lot of love or a lot of replacement.”

Some finishing touches are also needed at the Klahoose Wilderness Resort, especially kitchen operations and staff housing.

“So lots of work in the off season for both resorts.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Quadra Island designer, print maker and graphic artist Robyn Mawhinney will be running for Regional Director in Electoral Area C (Discovery Islands and Mainland Islets) on October 15, 2022.

The incumbent Jim Abram, who has been a director since 1988, recently announced he will not seek another term.

Mawhinney explained, “I have been speaking with a lot of neighbours and community members, and I have heard that it is time for generational change. I am deeply committed to this area, the community and the land. And I want our community and Area C to continue being led by islanders, with island values.”

She was born in Black Creek and moved to Quadra Island 28 years ago. Mawhinney raised her children on Quadra, built a farm, and has worked on a variety of professional and passion projects.

She served on the boards of several local organizations. Mawhinney was an instigator of the Quadra Island Fall Fair and oversaw the activities of over a hundred volunteers. She also served on the board of the Quadra Island Childen’s Centre.

“I call myself a rural community enthusiast because I really appreciate the community that we have and the energy that it has. There's lots of ways to be engaged,” said Mawhinney.

“I am currently on the trails committee, which is great because I also call myself a lover of the wilds. I do really love forests and outdoors, and I find soul medicine in the forest and I love building trails. Making them even better or creating trails for folks to have opportunities to access the wild switch can increase people's understanding and love of those places.”

After completing a Tourism Management Program at North Island College, Mawhinney went on to work for several local companies. She has been the in-house designer and marketer of the Heriot Bay Inn and currently sits on the executive as secretary. She has also brought her creative touch to local companies like the Gathering Place and Tantrum Seafood.

“I think that working as a designer, I've learned that collaboration yields better results. And I will be bringing that philosophy with me into my role as director, if I get it,” stated Mawhinney.

She added, “Many folks probably know me as  Robyn Discothistle. That's the name that I've been using for my art practice for quite a few years, and also most of my social media handles.”

Mawhinney sells her prints through the internet and at the Quadra Island Farmers Market.

She said the top three issues people mention are housing, emergency services availability, and community engagement.

“I've heard from many folks that they would appreciate more engagement and communication with the directors so that it can feel like we are making community based decisions.”

“Something that I'm very keen to do, if, or when I am elected would be to establish an Advisory Planning Commission. It's something that is already happening on Cortes and also in Area D. I really appreciate the concept and of an Advisory Planning Commission. I've talked to people that are surprised that's even an option. I think that as a director, having community input would be really helpful and it really connects with a diverse spectrum of Islanders to give input on development or land use decisions. It's really important for our community to be able to be engaged in that way.”

Q/Why should we vote for you?

“I'm prepared to take on challenges and stand up for what's right. I have a lot of energy and enthusiasm and commitment to this community. I've lived here for a really long time, and I'm really deeply committed to our community area, the land and the land.”

Upcoming broadcasts with Robyn Mawhinney will deal with:

- Quadra Island’s housing crisis

- emergency services

Mark Vonesch/ Cortes Currents - The Electoral Areas Housing Needs Report identified an immediate demand for 75 rental and 40 retail units on Cortes Island.

In a previous interview, Mark Vonesch from the Cortes Community Housing Society, said, “I hear stories of people having to quit their jobs because they can’t find housing for the summer. I know people that are living under a tarp. I know seniors that are living in a tent.” 

However a quick scan of the real estate pages turns up three homes, for between $890,000 and $2.7 million, and it will probably be at least a year before Cortes Island’s affordable housing development will be ready. When Rainbow Ridge finally does accept tenants, it will meet a little more than a quarter of the current rental need.

In the last of a series of articles about his running for Regional Director, Vonesch describes affordable housing as the #1 issue on Cortes Island.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Rainforest Trail, near Tofino, is much more than a simple path through the woods. Massive western red cedars and western hemlocks tower over visitors as they follow the twisting boardwalks through an enchanted landscape full of the ferns, lichen and fungi typical of an old growth ecosystem. The oldest inhabitant of this stand is a red cedar that was reputedly a sapling when Marco Polo set off for the Orient in 1271. This means it is about 950 years old today. A series of information plaques transform the +2 kilometre hike into an educational experience.

One of them explains how BC’s rainforest came into being. Giant conifers spread across the landscape 15 million years ago, during a time of global cooling. Prior to that, they were largely restricted to alpine environments. However the landscape was changing. Clouds of volcanic ash blocked out the sun. The rise of coastal mountains changed local weather patterns. Summers were cooler and wet, winters were mild.

Another describes the rich soil, which plays host to the rainforest today:

“The soil — a world of perpetual night where miniature life forms roam a maze of roots, soil particles, and rotting wood. The surface layer, a thick mat of decaying plant and animal matter, is the food bank of the rainforest community. But it doesn’t release its wealth easily. Material rots slowly in this acidic soil and heavy rains carry nutrients deep beyond the reach of many plant roots. Soil fungi thrive in acidic conditions. A thimbleful of soil may contain several kilometres of microscopic fungal threads. These are grazed on by mites and springtails, consumed in turn by larger organisms. The health of the entire forest depends on this ballet of interaction beneath our feet.”

If they are allowed to remain, fallen trees play a vital part in soil creation. Ants and beetles carve out elaborate channels in the bark. Fungi and bacteria follow. The branches rot within five years, the bark sloughs off in ten years. The rotting wood becomes home to a vast variety of organisms, including saplings. Around 10% of the saplings can be expected to grow into trees.

Of course industrial logging changes this scenario. Much of the timber which would have fertilized the forest is removed. A fraction of the nutrients remain in the form of branches and other debris. Instead of living for hundreds of years, trees are harvested when they are between 40 and 80 years old.

According to David Shipway, Vice President of the Cortes Community Forest Cooperative, “In a very young tree, most of the stem is sapwood, whereas in a mature tree, most of the trunk is heartwood. In trees that are now being cut on so-called “economic” rotation silviculture regimes, it’s at best about 50/50. In other words, half the “wood” harvested isn’t even real wood yet, it’s compost. What sort of “economics” does such pre-culminate liquidation really create?”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - According to BC Parks, Campbell River is home to “the only significant stand of old-growth Douglas Fir north of Macmillan Provincial Park [Cathedral Grove].” Yet the city seems to be virtually oblivious to the “towering old growth Douglas Fir and Cedar trees” in the 3.5 kilometre Riverside and Old Growth Loop trails.

While only minutes from downtown, the Riverside and Old Growth Loop Trails are not listed in the ‘Top 10 things to do within one hour of Campbell River.’

A single sentence is devoted to the forest giants in the Best Trails in Elk Falls Provincial Park:

“The old-growth forests in the area are comprised of giant Western Red Cedar and Douglas Fir trees, with many in excess of 60 meters [197 feet] tall and hundreds of years old.”

They scattered throughout this section of the forest.

Elk Falls Provincial Park was created in 1940, ‘to protect rare old growth forests and related ecosystems, as well as the Elk Falls waterfall and the related canyon.’

A large number of the trees along the Riverside and Old Growth Loop Trails are more than 330 years old. Many appear to be much older.

There are five trails in Elk Falls Provincial Park:

A 0.4 km path takes visitors from the park entrance to the Millennium trail.

The Millennium Trail, connecting the Canyon View Trail (and John Hart Generating Station) to the network of trails around Elk Falls.

A 0.2 km path to Elk Falls.

The Riverside Loop Trail runs along the bank of the Campbell River. Visitors pass through large stands of old growth, as they pass Elk Falls, Deer Falls, the Dolphin Pool and Moose Falls.

The Old Growth Loop Trail takes you through even thicker concentrations of old growth

All of these paths are easy walking, but the Canyon View and Elk Falls Trails have extensive stairways.

There are some old growth trees in both the Canyon View and Millennial Trails, but they are not as numerous or as large as those above the falls.

Walking amidst these giants, one can imagine what the West Coast forests looked like before the age of industrialized logging.

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - Is the end nigh? Sara Dent from the Young Agrarians joins host Manda Aufochs Gillespie to discuss the future of farming in Canada, the role of the Young Agrarians, and innovative solutions happening across the country. Tune in Friday July 29th on cortesradio.ca or 89.5FM (repeats Monday at 6:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 6 a.m.) and call with your questions about agriculture in Canada at 250-935-0200 or email in advance to [email protected].

The Young Agrarians is a network for new and young ecological farmers in Canada. Learn more at YoungAgrarians.org.

Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 and Mondays at 6:30 p.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.