Cortes Currents

Roy L Hales/ CKTZ News - In the midst of heat wave that is breaking temperatures across British Columbia, the BC Wildfire Service is imposing a ban on any open fires, including campfires, fireworks, tiki torches, outdoor stoves, sky lanterns, burn barrels and more in the Greater Campbell River Area (which includes Cortes, Read and quadra Islands). 

This prohibition will remain in effect until noon on Oct. 15, 2021, or until the order is rescinded.

The provincial weather forecast calls for record-breaking high temperatures throughout B.C. this week and follows a spring of lower-than-average precipitation in the southern half of the province. These conditions are expected to persist in the coming weeks.

Campbell River set a new record - 39.6°C - on Sunday. Powell River and Comox set new records, of 38.4 and 38, Monday.

The heat wave has resulted in 65 deaths in Vancouver, 25 in Burnaby, 20 in Surrey.

“ The current heat wave is a reminder that time is running out. B.C.’s lack of climate action has severe consequences that are already being felt today. We need immediate policy change guided by what science shows is needed to save life as we know it.” said Jens Wieting, Sierra Club BC’s senior forest and climate campaigner.

BC’s emissions have risen at least 27% from 1990 until 2019, the last year we have publics records for. During this same period, the European Union’s emissions dropped 28%.

“If B.C. truly wants to become a climate leader, the province must follow the example of those countries that are setting climate targets based on what is needed to safeguard a livable climate, not wishful thinking. Meeting science-based targets will require stopping all new fossil fuel development, ending fossil fuel subsidies and phasing out the use and production of fossil fuels as quickly as possible.”

Photo credit: Boy on beach by Monica Gozalo on Unsplash

Roy L Hales/ CKTZ News - Twincomm is partnering with CityWest, in their work towards bringing fibre optic to Cortes Island and the surrounding communities. They have signed an agreement in principle.

In a press release, issued yesterday, Twincomm stated, “with CityWest may be the best possible solution for Twincomm, our customers, and our team having the support and services CityWest has to offer.  Their experience in smaller, remote communities in northern BC, including the west coast, and their aligning mission and values will be an asset to the communities Twincomm currently serves.” 

Over the years, Twincomm’s customer base has expanded from Cortes Island, west to Quadra Island, east to Lund, as far south as Texada Island and the island communities in between. 

After 18 years with Twincomm, Dino Tsakonas has left the company and, as of Monday, June 28, works for City West.

Colleen Dragseth is now the General Manager.

Everything else remains much the same.

Twincomm will continue to provide the people within its service area internet connection and tech support.

Their rates actually improved in 2021 and Twincomm doesn’t foresee any upcoming changes. 

(Other news in podcast)

Illustration credit: Internet by x61.sh via Flickr (CC BY SA, 2.0 License)

Roy L Hales/ CKTZ News - Local naturalist George Sirk just completed the Cortes Island 2021 Birdathon.

>>> Only possible during a two month period

“We only get about two months of great singing here,” he explained.

“When you hear a bird singing, that means it is on its territory, whether it is an acre, five acres or twenty acres of land. When we listen to our Robins or beautiful Swainson Thrushes, they are on territory. The males are usually the ones that sing. Females are either incubating, or the birds will share incubation. It depends on the species, but they will live on that one acre until they have raised their young and they have fledged.”

Sirk describes his travels around the island as a breeding bird census. For example, the Olive-sided Flycatcher that he hears will remain on territory until its young fledge.

“You get an idea where everything is nesting: singing birds do not wander around the island …” he explained.

The singing starts petering out in July and is really scarce by August.

“The birds are still here. The babies are fattening up. They’re fledged and flying around, but they are quiet,” said Sirk.

This makes taking a bird census much more difficult, because you would have to see the birds.

They are also no longer on territory.

Lots more in the podcast

Photo credit: Breakfast for a Robin by Eric Sonstroem via Flickr (CC BY SA, 2.0 License)

Roy L Hales/ CKTZ News - TELUS most likely did not anticipate any Cortes Island reactions when it sprayed herbicides over its property in Mansons Landing.

“I was just outraged. In this day and age, who is going out there and spraying their whole property, every square metre of it, with poison. And why weren’t we notified?” said Cortes Island naturalist George Sirk.

According to the notice on their fence, TELUS used two substances

(1) VP 480 is for selective weed control and the producer warns "May cause an allergic skin reaction. Causes eye irritation"  and also "Material is moderately toxic to aquatic organisms on an acute basis"

(2) Banvel VM is a commercial herbicide  which the producer states “controls deciduous and coniferous brush species and broadleaf weeds in pasture and rangeland, and non-cropland areas, such as roadsides, hydro, pipeline and railway rights-of-way, airports, military bases, wasteland and similar non-cropland areas, as well as broadleaf weeds in established turf.” It should not come into contact "with skin, eyes, and clothing" and is "toxic to aquatic organisms and non-target terrestrial plants."

All of the grass within their compound, and for a foot or so outside the chain link fence, is dead.

At this point, no Mansons Landing residents are known to have received prior letters of notification.

TELUS did not publish notices on the Tideline, Cortes Marketer, Cortes Currents, Cortes Radio or any other local media outlet.

Nor has TELUS responded to Cortes Currents queries about the affair.

Cortes Island naturalist George Sirk discovered the incident and gives us an overview of the environmental impacts, in his own unique manner of speaking.

As the ‘dead zone’ extends a foot beyond TELUS’ fence, Sirk asks if this is public land and did TELUS’ permit include spraying on it?

What about the snakes, spiders and other insects on TELUS’ property?

“It is peak nesting season for all the birds. Right across the street from the street, there is a White Crowned Sparrow. The White Crowned Sparrow is a seed eater. It would probably go in there and get the seeds that are being cut down. Or the insects that are there: the ones that survive if this stuff kills insects. And it is not just the Sparrows, there are other birds in the area. The Swanson Thrushes, for instance, are beautiful singers and would feed through that area. So here we are nesting season and they are spraying!” said Sirk. “That is ridiculous, in 2021 to spray in nesting season!”

Cortes Island School, Medical Centre and the Cortes Senior’s village are just up Beasley road.

“In their notice it says they sprayed at 1 PM. So did they notify the school to make sure that the kids did not go outside? You may say 300 or 400 metres, that’s a long way - no, it is not a long way. Beasley is a wind tunnel, going right up the road,” said Sirk.

There may also be drainage issues.

“Right at the edge of the property is a whopping big ditch. The water comes Bealey Road and right past their property. So just a few beyond the sprayed area is that ditch. Where is that ditch going? Across the property on the other side of Rexford Road and into the ocean. What’s down there” the clam beds, the oyster beds and all the marine life that is there as well…” said Sirk.

TELUS intends to erect a cell phone tower on this site: so are they going to build a foundation for it? If so, what are they going to do with all the contaminated soil? What about any residue left behind?

(There is much, much more in the podcast.)

Photo of TELUS' notice (posted inside the fence) - Roy L Hales photo

Roy L Hales/ CKTZ News -As of noon on Thursday June 24th, there has been a partial fire ban in the Greater Campbell River area.

Categories 2 and 3 fires are now prohibited in our area. Type 3 is an industrial burn, that would be piled up with a machine. Type 2 is smaller and mostly associate with backyards.”

“Campfire are still going to be allowed … but we are asking the public to be extremely cautious. A campfire cannot be more than half a metre by half a metre (18 x 18 inches). It has to be on mineral soil. You have to have a fuel guard around your campfire. You cannot leave your fire unattended and must have tools or 8 litres of water on hand to put your campfire out. The fire pit must be cool to the touch before you leave the area,” said Julia Caranci of the Coastal Fire Centre, BC Wildfire Service.

The fire danger risk went form to to moderate, and in some areas even high, in just a little over a week.

“The forests are getting dry and stressed. We want people to know because they may not be aware just how quickly that change has happened in just a little over a week,” said Caranci.

There are no fire areas in our area at this time. The closest fires are in Hope and there is also a small fire in Ucluelet.

“Our forecasters and predictive service specialists are saying the end of June and beginning of July are going to be warmer than seasonal in many parts of the province, In the Southern half of BC, the forest complexes are beginning to reach elevated drought conditions, with high temperatures and low relative humidity values. These conditions can contribute the potential for worsening wildfire conditions, when ignition happens,” explained Caranchi.

She added, “All of the fires we have had so far this season has been human caused and every human caused wildfire is preventable. So we are asking the public to be extremely cautious so that we do not have more human caused fires.”

Roy L Hales/ CKTZ News - Twenty businesses and organizations are recommending that the federal government not renew BC’s fish farm licenses, when they come up for renewal next year.

BC is the only West Coast jurisdiction that allows fish farms. There are no open net fish farms in Oregon. They have been banned in California, Alaska and Washington state.

A total of 109 federal salmon farm licenses, held by MOWI Canada West, Cermaq Canada, Creative Salmon and Grieg Seafood, which will expire between June and September 2022.

On June 23rd, independent biologist Alexandra Morton told Cortes Currents, “Myself, Watershed Watch and Clayoquot Action put out a news release to inform British Columbians that all of the salmon farm federal licenses are about to expire. Most of them are expiring next June and others later that summer. We want to let people know that the same process that happened in the Discovery Islands is going to be replaying in all the First Nations territories where this industry is sited.”

The BC Salmon Farmers Association’s response was to point to their recent press release about the study “Aquaculture mediates global transmission of a viral pathogen to wild salmon.”

Lead author, Gideon Mordecai, told Cortes Current, “Our findings show that salmon farms are, indeed, a source of infection for wild fish. Viruses leave a genetic fingerprint. The genetic fingerprint shows that the same viruses that are on the farms are in the wild fish. All the evidence suggests that the virus is being transmitted from the farm to wild fish. I haven’t seen any evidence that says that’s not happening,” 

In their response, BC Salmon Farmers wrote “Pathogen detection does not equate to disease … Given that there have been no major die-offs, or significantly high numbers of uncontrollable fish health events on farms, it does not stand to reason that BC farmed salmon are spreading highly infectious and harmful diseases to wild populations.”

Lots more in the podcast

Photo credit courtesy Alexandra Morton's website

Roy L Hales/ CKTZ News - On Wednesday June 23, the province of British Columbia recognized Barry Glickman for his role in developing emergency communications within the Strathcona Regional District.

Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said, “I am very happy to congratulate Barry Glickman on receiving the Public Safety Lifeline volunteer award for emergency communications. Barry’s insatiable commitment to radio communications is contagious and he has been a champion and mentor tall those he works with.”

Four of the province’s other public safety volunteers were also recognized.

Barry was on the Board of Cortes Community Radio from 2016 until 2020 and, together with his wife Amanda is responsible for virtually everything we have accomplished in terms of emergency radio communication.

Thanks to their influence, Cortes Radio entered into an MOU with the Strathcona Regional District in 2017.

Working together with Shaun Koopman, Protective Services Coordinator for the Strathcona Regional District, they obtained a packet VHF system and associated tower for the radio station. Barry and Amanda helped install it. These three were also involved in our obtaining a ‘radio in a box.’

From 2016 to 2019, Barry and Amanda were the key organizers of a number of emergency communication training exercises. During this period, they were also travelling to different parts of Vancouver island to train other communities how to use emergency communication devices.

They now live in Campbell River.

Shaun Koopman, SRD Protective Services Coordinator, said “Barry, his wife Amanda and dogs Salty and Murphy are the foundation of our Regional Emergency Radio Communications Team. I cannot even begin to fathom how many hours, kilometers, water taxis and ferry trips Barry has put in over the years to help build our strong regional program, which currently has 40 volunteers”

“Barry freely shares his knowledge even at times of personal difficulty. He is always thinking of a new way to meet today's needs and face tomorrows challenges. His quiet strength helps mold our team and his wicked sense of humor makes the bumps in the road pass that much smoother.” Said Fred Perkins, Emergency Radio Communications (ERC) Team Member. “When working a station, it is a treat to have Barry beside you.”

Roy L Hales/CKTZ News - The following report comes from someone who is not a lawyer, not familiar with legal terminology and will most likely change after written court documents with the correct terminology becomes available.

In a phone- in- session on the une 24, Justice Geoffrey Gaul dismissed BC Supreme Court case S15097, Anderson vs SRD (Strathcona Regional District).

There was not question about Regional Director Noba Anderson’s innocence in the suit that 14 Cortes residents brought against her in January 2019. A previous court found there was no basis for these allegations and it was dismissed

This suit revolved around:

the SRD’s decision to not pay Ms Andersons legal costs

the SRD’s decision to censure Ms Anderson for showing her lawyer confidential SRD documents, while seeking his legal advice

the question of court costs

From the beginning, Justice Gaul made it clear that his role was not to question the SRD’s decisions, but rather to determine whether the process by which they came to their conclusions was reasonable.

The burden of proof that the SRD’s decisions were not reasonable rested with Ms Anderson.

According to the legal petition brought against her, “Anderson took money from her constituents for personal gain and a number of these constituents received gifts and grants in return.” By the time this case reached court, the lawyers from both sides agreed this allegation was without basis. (All 12 examples were shown to be erroneous!)

Justice Gall ruled that this was a personal matter and had nothing to do with Ms Anderson’s conduct as a Regional Director.

He ruled that the process by which the SRD came to this conclusion was reasonable: they looked at the associated documents and discussed them etc.

While he agreed that Director Anderson had a right to consult with her lawyer, Justice Gaul said the documents she showed him belonged to the SRD Board. Had she asked their permission, she could have appealed to the court. As she did not ask the SRD’s permission, Justice Gaul ruled they were entirely within their rights to censure her.

Court costs were awarded to the SRD, which has until July 9th to submit a list.

Director Anderson’s lawyers have another week to reply.

It has not yet been determined whether Director Anderson will mount an appeal.

Roy L Hales/ CKTZ News - The old Schoolhouse Gallery reopening, on Cortes Island, will be next month

“Right now we’re just trying to put together a small, but potent and exciting, art experience for the rest of the summer. Everything I am going to tell you is tentative, we’ve only started with the planning, trying to get things going again. So we are anticipating a members show in late July, beginning on (Thursday) July 22nd, said Kristen Schofield Sweet, one of the gallery’s directors.

Schofield-Sweet said that because of COVID, the gallery only had one exhibit last year. “What Matters Most” ran from 2:00 to 6:00 PM, Thursdays to Sundays, September 10th to 20th, 2020.

“It was brilliant. I’m not so sure that the community itself ever got thanked clearly for really stepping up. Everybody had a great time. Nobody crowded in. Everybody wore a mask. Lots of people enjoyed sitting out in the tent in front, kind of supervising the experience,” explained Schofield-Sweet.

This gave the Board confidence when it came to planning a short season this year.

“I think that we’ve learned to self monitor and take care of each other quite brilliantly. So even though it will still be within some relaxed COVID protocols - more than 5 people, you decide whether to wear a mask (depending on whether or not they are still required) - this time the Board’s conversation was really quite lovely. There was this great sense of trust. ‘Oh well. we all know what to do,” said Schofield-Sweet.

They are planning four exhibitions, during a season that will run from July 22nd to September 12th, 2021.

The Gallery will be open Thursdays to Sundays, 2 -6 PM

Anyone wishing to participate is reminded to join the Gallery or Renew their membership, as only members can participate.

You can put up to two pieces of art in the show.

Checks can be sent as an e-transfer to the [email protected]

Schofield-Sweet pointed out, “ this is probably the most mistake ridden email ever because people put ‘Old’ Schoolhouse in front of it, but the email address is ‘school house are gallery’ - no ‘old.’

Artists are asked to mail confirmations - as to whether or not they will participate - by July 8, 2021.

There will not be an opening reception. Food and alcohol, a normal component of pre-COVID receptions, will not be served.

“We have invited three other solo shows to make a small season this year, but none of that is confirmed. So I am not using any names or anything,” said Schofield-Sweet.

She added, “So the 2021 season will be short, but hopefully sweet and powerful. We are asking folk=s who haven’t been involved in the gallery before to participate. Email myself at [email protected] if you want more information about how you might participate: hanging a show; learning how to receive work; sit the gallery, There is lots of things to do.”

There will be an all members and artists meeting in September.

Roy L Hales/ CKTZ News - The Strathcona Regional District is informing Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) that it objects to the limited consultation process TELUS is carrying out for a proposed Cell phone tower on Quadra Island.

The proposed 63 metre tower at 657 Industrial Way would serve the Quathiaski Cove area and along West Road up to Heriot Bay.

On June 4th, TELUS sent out notification packages wrote letters to property owners living within 189 meters of the site. This is accordance with a regulation that they inform property owners within a radius of three times the proposed tower height, measured from the tower base or the outside perimeter of the supporting structure.

They also ran notices in the Birds Eye, Quadra’s weekly Newspaper, on June 9th and 16th.

Brian Gregg of SitePath Consulting promised, “I will acknowledge receipt of comments and questions received within 14 days and address all relevant and reasonable concerns within 60 days. The commenting member of the public will then have 21 days to reply to the response. A summary of all comments received and our responses will then be submitted to ISED.”

This is not the public hearing process used within the SRD.

At last week’s meeting, Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch told the SRD Board, “This is very similar to a resolution and a report that the Board entertained for Cortes Island probably a month ago. TELUS is proposing to install cell towers, as well, on Quadra Island and refusing to really engage with consultation.”

“Myself and the Director have met with Innovation, Science and Economic Development and been informed that, in fact, the community has to provide concurrence in the setting of the cell tower and so we want to, once again, provide our opposition to the cell towers unless proper consultation is conducted throughout the area.”

The Strathcona Regional District Board approved a motion that Chair Brad Unger “write a letter to ISED stating that the SRD objects to the limited consultation process being conducted by Telus and does not support its application for the construction of any cell tower on Quadra Island without first conducting a public consultation process that is supported by the SRD.”

Photo: picture of the site taken from the information package on the SRD website