Cortes Currents

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Jane Newman calls the exhibition, that she is bringing to the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery, ‘Ordinary Magic.‘

“What I find that I'm trying to do, since I've been living on Cortes for the last five years, is express the energy of the land, or the energy of nature. I'm very much connected to the leaves and the birds and the ocean and even the underworld of the ocean. I'm trying to see it, feel it, hear it, sense it — in every way. I really try to re-express that. It's very challenging. I don't feel like I'd ever express it as beautifully as it is,” she explained.

“I'm trying to breathe new life into forgotten, overlooked and discarded items. I've got a vast collection of rusty metal and wire and some natural objects from the land like shells and tree branches and stones and all manner of detritus that I found in junk stores or at dump sites and things like that. With that work, I really feel like I'm just trying to sort of resurface the magic of these ordinary things that have been overlooked and discarded and give them a new life.”

Newman has been working on this current exhibition for the past two or three years. It was originally scheduled for the gallery’s 2020 season, then cancelled because of the pandemic.

She and her partner Brian live on a two acre property, where Newman has been collecting rusty metal for years.

Brian helped her rehandle some of the garden tools used in this exhibit.

Newman also developed a new mixed media technique. She reformatted some of her paintings and printed them on art media paper. Then she reworked the images with stitching, paint, water crayons or pastel—, etc. Newman also incorporated natural objects, like leaves from the garden — photographing, printing and reworking them.

She is very excited about the gallery once again hosting receptions.

“I was worried that maybe even this year, I would not be able to have an opening reception. It's such an important part of the process for artists, but also such a lovely occasion to showcase the work in a celebratory fashion,” said Newman.

The day she started setting up the exhibit, three people dropped by the gallery to ask ‘What’s going on?’

“People are really looking for things to go to and things to experience here on Cortes,” exclaimed Newman.

There will be free food and non-alcoholic beverages at her reception but she will be charging $4 for a glass of wine.

The Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery is now an incorporated society.

“This year, for the first time and for my opening, we're required to apply for a permit for $100 and actually have this training, which is another $20 to have a server. We have to have a cordoned off area where alcohol can be consumed out of doors,” she explained.

“Putting on an exhibition is a relatively expensive endeavour, which I totally am embracing and love. The process is fantastic, but I decided it would be really helpful for me if I could recoup some of the costs of the permit.”

The Gallery is open from 6 to 9 PM on Fridays and from 2 to 6 PM on Saturdays and Sundays.

Ordinary Magic will run until Sunday, July 10.

The next reception will be Friday, July 15, when KIra Macduffee and Majie Lavergne bring ‘Sacred Dreamscapes’ to the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery’s 2022 Season kicks off at 6 PM on Friday, July 1, with Jane Newman’s solo exhibit ‘Ordinary Magic.’

This is also the first season in which the gallery has a manager.

Bianca Lee explained, “The gallery manager gets to see behind the scenes of the artists presenting their work and that's kind of special. You go to the gallery and see everything in its finished state, but I get to actually see what happens as they're setting everything up. I was doing that today as Jane Newman was bringing in all her works and deciding where things would go.”

She is really looking forward to the return of Friday night receptions.

“It's very exciting for the artist, and for everyone to see the unveiling of their work. There's a special energy about those nights. I'll get to see all my neighbours again, who've all been in hiding for the last two years. It will spark a lot of interesting conversations and a lot of interesting connections with people,” said Lee.

“Sometimes you know somebody as an acquaintance and you have no idea the talent that they have, or the special interest that they have, or the interest that you might share and never have known about. So I'm looking forward to getting to know people on a deeper level.”

This will be the first reception in two years.

“Now that we have been denied that opportunity, we'll appreciate it in a new way,” chirped Lee.

The food and beverages will be outside, where people can talk to the artists and socialize.

Lee believes this will also cut down on the number of people in the make viewing area and make it more intimate.

“You can go outside and talk to the artist and talk to friends and neighbours and go back in if you want to look at a piece again. I just think it expands the space a bit more.”

‘Ordinary Magic’ opens on Friday, July 1st. This show has been delayed for two years because of COVID. Jane Newman has been an artist for close to 40 years and has a huge collection to draw from. She uses found objects in her artwork, which will also be exhibited in the Cortes Museum’s ‘Art in the Garden’ series.

Kira McDuffy and Maji Laverne will be bringing ‘Sacred Dreamscapes’ to the gallery on Friday, July 15th. McDuffy is a psychotherapist who lives on Cortes Island. Her friend Laverne is a professional artist, who visits every summer. There is a lot of personal symbolism in their work.

David Ellington's show ‘Falling Boundaries’ opens on July 29th. His family has been on Cortes for generations and he lived here before moving to Victoria to pursue a career in photography. The theme of his show is the relationship between the land and our colonial past.

The Annual Members Show opens on August 12th. Every artist is invited to submit two pieces of art.

“There's no theme this year, so we'll get a wide variety of work. That's really a way to engage the membership and also encourage people who maybe don't have enough work to do their own solo show, but they are able to share what they are working on and make connections with other artists in our community and get some encouragement and feedback,” said Lee.

Judith Williams show, ‘Water/Colour: a mirror of water’ opens on Friday, August 26th.

“This is a show about water. It has been 11 years in the making. Water from Bute Inlet was collected to paint with. There was a major landslide in November 2021. And what caused the landslide was interesting and horrifying. There are seven permits pending for water extraction and 18 hydroelectric systems. The paintings are minimalist and there's a cabinet to engage people with rich historical background, including photographs” - Judith Williams

Roy L hales/ Cortes Currents - Another logging confrontation may be coming on Quadra Island.

On Novermber 15, 2021 a little group of Quadra Island grannies, calling themselves the friends of Hydcinthe Creek, shut down Mosaic’s logging operations in Tan Creek.

“We said they could take out the logs that they've already cut. My goodness, they got so many first day and a half before I found them and we stopped them. This was cutting the headwaters above the headwaters of Tan Creek that goes into Mud Lake and coho spawn in the bottom,” said Eileen Sowerby.

She emailed that, “The lower reaches of Tan Creek are a nursery for

coho fry, but, due to the creek drying up in the summer in recent years

we have had to rescue the fry from creek puddles and move them to the

lake.”

Mud Lake feeds into Hyacinthe Creek.

 

“I think mosaic waited for us to die off because the average age of the four grannys was 73, but I am still able.”

She expects Mosaic to return.

“Mosaic are huge. They are the largest private landowners in BC. They own 8% of Cortes Island, I'm sure you know that, and it's different there because they own the land. This is just a tree farm license,” explained Sowerby.

In May, the logging giant signed a harvesting agreement the We Wai Kai First Nation and Roga Contracting to form a new company, Way Key Ventures.

“They're going to train We Wai Kai to log and sell them thousands and thousands of dollars worth of equipment to do it. To me, it doesn't matter hho's doing it, the survival of the coho come first. So if I have to, I will blockade with my Cedar hat on and my blanket,” explained Sowerby.

She was referring to the ceremonial hat and blanket the Homalco First Nation gave her last month. Sowerby and two of her friends had been the title holders of 47 acres on Read Island.

They never considerd the land it theirs. It was originally purchased for a project that did not work out. Twenty-five years later they decided that as Read Island is part of the traditional territory of the Homalco First Nation, they would give it back. The Homalco responded through a special celebration at their centre in Campbell River, which was where Sowerby and her friends were given ceremonial hats and blankets.

She has been watching Mosaic and its predecessor, TimberWest, log the Hyacinthe Creek water shed for over 20 years.

“They're very, very nice about it and very polite, but the Creek is drying up and in 2021, for the first time in my memory, was absolutely dry,” said Sowerby.

She believes there are three reasons for this: climate change, a new road through the wetlands and logging.

“The lack of water is due to probably mostly climate change, but we can stop the logging. There's no way that continual logging will help salmon in any way.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Current - At approximately 11:30 PM on Tuesday, June 21, Quadra RCMP received a report of a single vehicle motor vehicle accident on Cortes Island.

Their subsequent press release states, “The driver was pronounced dead on scene and the passenger was transported to the hospital with serious injuries. The passenger is currently in stable condition. Speed is believed to be a factor in the collision. The investigation is ongoing.”

Cortes Currents received a tip that the passenger was taken to Campbell River Hospital and the incident occured at the corner of Thunder Road.

Proceeding to the alleged accident site, there were four plastic cones close to to the intersection of Thunder and Gorge Roads. The bark was scraped off several of the trees beyond this and debris was scattered on the ground.

A credible source, who does not wish to be identified, said he had known the deceased man for three months and he had come to Cortes to work.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District’s rural Directors responded to the Housing Needs Report at the Electoral Areas Services Committee meeting on Wednesday, June 15.

Sandy Mackay, of M'akola Development Services, gave the Directors a presentation.

“We began earlier this year and continued throughout winter and spring of 2022. The study was extensive. It included a selection of key informant interviews, which I believe almost all of you participated in, as well as a community survey that garnered responses from 437 households. Which is, to be frank, quite remarkable given the size and geographic spread of your regional district,” he began.

The situation was not as bad in Area A, but the study found that housing prices had risen beyond the reach of most buyers throughout much of the Strathcona Regional District, and especially on Cortes and Quadra Islands. 45% of the renters who responded to the survey could not afford to pay their rent. This situation was exasperated by the growth of the short term rental movement, especially Airbnbs, and the large number of summer homes that remained vacant throughout the year.

Jim Abram, the regional Director for Quadra Island, thanked MacKay for his excellent presentation, adding that part of the problem was all the red tape imposed by senior government.

He cited two examples from Quathiaski Cove:

The two years it took to build the 16 unit Quadra Island Seniors Housing Society project.

After 5 years of discussion and three years of development, plans forQuathiaski Cove have ground to a stop because Vancouver Island Health is demanding a new water system.

“That puts it on our shoulders to come up with the money, come up with the approvals, and which basically means a hell of a lot more advocacy and lobbying to the provincial government to try and make these things happen. They're in control! So we've got the left hand not knowing what the right hand's trying to do properly,” he said.

Regional Director Noba Anderson said that the situation is similar on Cortes Island. They raised $1 million, purchased 50 acres and formed a non-profit society to provide affordable and seniors housing. After building four units, Cortes Community Housing needs more funding to proceed and BC Housing doesn’t apper to have it.

“Even if we were to get those funds, it is so astronomically expensive to build to their standards per square foot it's bordering on criminal,” she said. “Not only is there a massive, massive rental housing crisis, but we don't have a place for our fire chief, our doctors, our ferry workers.”

Anderson added, “I'm quite frustrated with our own lack of ability to actually even do the things that you're recommending. I haven't read every detail in the report, and I certainly will dig into it more.To be honest, looking at your recommendations was quite disheartening because even though theoretically we can, I don't know in practice, they're gonna work. If out of all of this Gut wrenching reality that you've demonstrated so beautifully we can find a couple of places that the regional district could actually take action on, I'd really appreciate that.”

McKay promised to identify some low hanging fruit that the Regional District could act on.

The other two Directors had a different perspective on the housing crisis.

Regional Director Brenda Leigh does not believe there is such a thing as affordable housing, ‘it is whatever the market will dictate.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced a two-year renewal of licences for marine finfish aquaculture facilities outside of the Discovery Islands. 

“I have mixed opinions about the announcement. I think there's some good things and there are some not so good things,” said Stan Probosczc, senior scientist with the Watershed Watch Salmon Society. “They received a license for two years based on these conditions and those conditions are rules that the salmon farms need to follow. Part of the problem is, we actually don't have a copy of those rules yet.”

He has seen draft copies.

Probosczc identified the spread of parasites from farmed to wild fish as a key concern.

“We really know through observation over years and years, that the industry really isn't able to control the parasites on their farms. So that's something we're really gonna have to watch.”

He added, “I think this is good progress towards their federal promise to transition the industry out of British Columbia by 2025. I think the industry probably will not like this decision. It's gonna make their industry quite a bit more uncertain.”

Ruth Salmon, Interim Director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association, said, “While we were encouraged that the licenses had been renewed, significantly longer term licenses are really needed to encourage further investment in innovation and technology.”

She said that while the government says is it is looking looking for investment in innovation, short term licenses do not encourage investors.

“We remain committed to work with government, including our First Nation partners and their voices have been heard in this. That's very encouraging. I think together we can secure a bright future for salmon farming in British Columbia.”

“I think it's a positive first step because it gives us an opportunity to work with both levels of government including first nations, our partners that we work with on a path forward. So I think industry is encouraged by that.”

Details of a draft plan framework for transitioning from open-net pen salmon aquaculture will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

In its press release yesterday, DFO explained, “The transition plan will rely on input from the Government of British Columbia, First Nations, industry, local governments, stakeholders, and British Columbians. Consultations will run until early 2023. The feedback received during these consultations will be instrumental in the development of the final transition plan, expected in Spring 2023.”

While the press release uses the phrase ‘transition from open-net pen salmon aquaculture’ in three places, Ruth Salmon is encouraged by the fact it does not actually state the farms must move onto land.

“They talk about a transition plan that involves innovation and reduces interaction with wild salmon. They don't actually say ‘land.’ So I think until we see that that framework and how they're defining transition. I think we probably can't assume what it might look like,” she explained.

On April 22, a federal court ruled that former Federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bernadette Jordan breached the rights of B.C. salmon farmers to procedural fairness when she ordered them to phase out operations in the Discovery Islands by June 2022. 

Consequently, DFO will now conduct consultations with First Nations communities and current licence holders in the Discovery Islands on the future of salmon farm licences in this area. These consultations will inform a final decision expected in January 2023.

If the licenses are renewed, one of the first farms to go operational could be at Raza Island, just off the northern tip of Cortes. Cermaq Canada has reassembled the site and is poised to put its nets back into the water.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The fate of a proposal to develop 51 residential lots, a campground, marina and two waterfront parks on Quadra Island may finally have been decided.

The public meeting for Rick Schellinck ’s proposed Gowland Harbour Views development was originally scheduled for July 28, 2011 and, after eleven years of delays, finally occured on April 20, 2022.

The controversial project may have finally been voted down at the SRD Board’s June 15 meeting.

As Gowland Harbour is on Quadra Island, the decision was left to the SRD’s four Regional Directors. They voted against it.

Regional Director Jim Abram explained that 8 of the 546 submissions for this project were in favour of it, all the others said no.

“We’ve never got numbers like that!’ he explained. “The people of Quadra island have spoken clearly that they do not want this proposal to proceed.”

Cortes Island Director, Noba Anderson said, “I concur that Quadra spoke very clearly on this one.”

Regional Direcror Brenda Leigh added, “It was there reasons for objecting that I really took to heart. Quadra just can't handle the amount of pressure that this development would pose for them in numerous areas, such as infrastructure, ferries … and traffic. They're all concerned about things that would really impact them on Quadra. I really took it to heart and I'm ready to vote on this.”

After that, the discussion turned to how could this proposal be brought to an end in a manner that made it impossible for the developer to resurrect it.

Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch said once the third motion for a project is defeated, it is dead.

Leigh pointed out that at the previous board meeting, a defeated motion was reconsidered and passed.

Leitch explained, “ That was a decision of the directors. You can reconsider anything. So if you defeat it and make a rescinding motion, you can rescind that. I would suggest putting the motion on the floor and voting as you will.”

All four Regional Directors then voted against the proposal, which is effectively dead - in its present form anyway.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) will be holding its 2022 convention in Whister on September 12 -16. Local governments tradionally seek interviews with high level provincial officials. The interviews can be up to 15 minutes long and cover up to 3 topics. The SRD chose their topics at the Wednesday June 15 Board meeting.

Regional Director Jim Abram suggested that they talk about putting more funding into affordable housing.

Cortes Island Regional Director Noba Anderson, added that there was a need for more funding for community based, or local government based, or a collaboration between social profit and local government, resilience planning.

“I think we would be very well advised to support community efforts to do deep adaptive resilience planning,” she said

Chair Brad Unger said he’d like to sit down with the Premier to discuss forestry and aquaculture concerns.

These have been divisive issues in the past. Fish farms and forestry are two of the three economic pillars of Campbell River. Several other Directors are supportive, but there are also Directors who take a more ‘environmental’ approach.

Anderson proposed that this topic be dropped from the list.

Mayor Martin Davis of Tahsis agreed, “We do have some fairly different viewpoints. I advocate for large scale forestry reform. I want to see pieces of land taken out of the Tree Farm License so that we can create community forests from them. That will require major policy changes, which may be coming anyway. I'm not sure if everybody would be in agreement on all that. Also I do want to see the old growth strategy push through to a good resolution.”

Three of the Campbell River Directors, who have long supported the forestry and aquaculture sectors, spoke up.

Colleen Evans said, “I think this board has been clear in terms of support for industries that are driving the North Island economy. We had a presentation yesterday from both the forestry and the aquaculture industry, which is science based statistical information about the impact on the island.”

Charlie Cornfield declared, “I won't support a motion that doesn't address forestry, whether it is in favor or in opposition. This board is made up of many different communities and many different residents. It is important that we reference all of them and don't back away.”

To which Mayor Andy Adams added, “We know that there are diverse opinions and views on the board. While we certainly respect the differences of views, once a motion is made, that is the will of the board and it moves forward. And I would, with that, ask that the question be called.”

The motion before the board was whether to drop fish farms and forestry from the list of topics to be discussed with the province

The hybrid virtual/in-person vote itself was confusing. It had to be taken twice, with much discussion throughout the process, but the final result was clear.

Five Directors (Jim Abram, Noba Anderson, Gerald Whalley, Kevin Jules and Martin Davis)voted in favour of dropping forestry and aquaculture from the list of topics to be brought before Premier Horgan and the MInister of Municipal Affairs.

Seven Directors voted against removing them: Andy Adams, Charlie Cornfield, Colleen Evans, Ron Kerr, Director Dahl, Brenda Leigh, Martin Baker and Brad Unger

the board passed a motion “that a request be made with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and the Premier to discuss the following topics:

Interministerial cooperation;

Community based/social profit resiliency planning; and

North Island forestry and aquaculture concerns.”

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Heather Reimer took over as General Manager of Gorge Harbour Marina in February.

Her day usually starts at 6:30 AM with coffee as she looks through the emails that came in throughout the night. Two hours, and several cups of coffee later, Reimer will usually be in the office.

She and her partner Ron Quire are currently overseeing the activities of more than 50 employees:

10 in the Gorge Harbour General Store.

4 in the office

10 in the maintenance department that's taking care of the campground, RV sites and all of the maintenance needs of the property.

10 to 15 working part time and a few full time, in the Floathouse Restaurant.

6 in the marina,

5 housekeepers

3 more employees were hired this week

“Right now we're running at about 50% occupancy. In another week, we will be running closer to 90 -95%,” she said.

They have four rooms in the lodge, 14 RV sites, 90 tent sites and 1,800 linear feet of dock space to oversee.

Reimer works seven days a week, but they aren’t all 10 hour days.

“Some of those days are only four hours. I consider that to be a holiday.”

She likes to take long walks. That gives her a quiet time to think through the day’s challenges.

“I get a lot of problems solved on those walks,” she said. “I am pretty full on all of the time. My priority is the care and feeding of this resort. So it's always on my brain.”

Reimer started working in resorts when she was young and worked her way up the management ladder until 2000, when she was hired by

TYAX Lodge & Heliskiing. They provided heliski holdiays in the winter and mountain biking in summer for up to 100 guests.

She and Quire went sailing from 2010 to 2016.

“We sailed all the way down to the Galapagos and had many, many adventures. The ocean is very much close to our hearts and that was the reason which really drew us to this place,” explained Reimer.

Their 53 foot trawler is currently in Port Townsend, but it will be coming up home to the Gorge. Reimer and Quire intend to explore Desolation Sound and the Disovery Islands.

“I knew some of the principles here at QXMC. They encouraged me to apply for a management position to run Gorge Harbor, and I very happily did so.”.

“Ron is my other half. He's been with me through thick and thin, on the seas and off the seas. We're running this place side by side. We also have another couple here, Lisa Argue and Zoa Scott. They are our assistant managers and we are very much a team in running this place together. I'm more of the spokesperson, but it's very much a team effort not only with them, but certainly with the entire group of employees that we've got here.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Forty-five percent (45%) of the respondents renting homes in rural areas say they pay more than they can afford, according to the SRD Electoral Areas Housing Needs Report.

Statistics from the 2016 census support this. 41% of renters and 9% of home owners in the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) paid more than 30% of their income on accommodation.

“This survey sheds light on an issue that is kind of hidden. People that are living in unstable housing aren't necessarily telling everyone about it because it can be embarrassing. ‘I can't afford the right housing,’ or ‘I'm living in an overcrowded place,’ or ‘I'm having to choose between good food or paying my rent,’” said Mark Vonesch from the Cortes Community Housing Society, one of the key stakeholders in this study.

“I think it's the number one issue affecting Cortes. We're at a point in our history where we can address this or we can just let it slide and go the direction that Hornby has gone, or some of these other islands that no one can afford to live on anymore. They are retirement places, where people come to holiday.”

The housing survey identified retiring seniors as the #1 area of population growth throughout the SRD.

Anecdotal evidence points to a second demographic. During COVID, a large number of professionals also moved to the country and are now working from home.

“Electoral Area D is the largest by population and the fastest growing, increasing 18% since 2011, while Electoral Areas A, B, and C increased 9%, 8%, and 8%, respectively.”

There has also been a dramatic increase in the number of housing units used as short term rentals. In 2016, there were 153 Airbnbs within the SRD. By 2021, this number had grown to 635. This situation is worse in Area C, whose population centre is Quadra Island, and Area B, or Cortes Island.

97 of the 1,663 dwellings in Area C (5.8%) are used as Airbnbs.

34 of Cortes Island’s 804 dwellings (4.2%) are vacation rentals.

Only 37 of the 1,853 dwellings in Area D (2%), south of Campbell River, are used as short term rentals.

13 of the 474 dwellings in Area A (2.7%), which stretches from Sayward to the West Coast of Vancouver Island, are Airbnbs.

While the vacation rental situation has been the focus of much discussion, they draw on only about 4.2% of the housing stock on Cortes Island. Close to a third of the island's houses (253) were vacant when the 2016 census was taken.

This is more than twice the 75 rental and 40 retail units that the housing survey states are immediately needed on Cortes Island.