Cortes Currents

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents -The wireless vs fibre optic debate is about to heat up on Cortes and Quadra Islands.

TELUS intends to erect cell phone towers on both islands during 2022, and the Connected Coast project will wrap up this fall.

>>> Last Mile Schedule

Cortes Island Regional Director Noba Anderson outlined the last mile schedule for cable:

“In the next week or two you’ll be receiving communications from the Strathcona Regional District about the roll out of this last mile fibre optic connectivity to your home. The intention is that mid June through July, they will be doing ‘house-drops.’ Bringing it from your pole, or the end of your driveway, literally to your house, like your hydro or telephone.”

“It will be optional, but free. You don’t have to connect up to it. If you want the house ‘house-drop’ now, you can connect up to it next year, or in ten years, or never.”

“Over the course of the later summer/fall, we’ll be running the wires down the public road system.”

Anderson added, “I would like to get all of that infrastructure in and all the funds received from senior government before we have cell phone towers, just so there isn’t any concern about us being considered ‘served’ for internet connectivity and for whatever reason some of the funding revoked.”

>>> The wireless vs fibre optic debate

She expects the wireless vs fibre optic debate on Cortes to be “a really hot one that I don’t look forward to being in the middle of.”

“Some people think cell phone connectivity is just basic safety. Lives are lost because of it (not being in place), businesses require it and it is paramount to civilization. Others believe that the 5G that will come with these towers is cancer causing. It is everywhere in the world and lets have a pocket of sanity where that doesn’t exist.”

“I know that beliefs are held very strongly on both sides of that continuum and so I want a very significant and meaningful consultation where TELUS shares with us what they are intending on those towers, and where people have an opportunity to be heard and hear each other. If, indeed the community wants cell phone towers, I will support it and the Regional District will support it.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Now that most of the fish farms have closed down, sea lice numbers in the Discovery Islands have plummeted 95%.

“Most of the salmon farms are empty; All of the one south of Chatham Point are. Sea lice levels have plummeted over 95%. The Pink and Chum Salmon look gorgeous. This is due to the MInister’s decision and the seven First Nations who prohibited her from restocking the salmon farm,“ said independent biologist Alexandra Morton, who returned home to Sointula Friday afternoon.

Cortes Currents first learned of that there was no longer a sea lice problem on Wednesday, May 26th, when Angela Koch of Sierra Quadra gave the Strathcona Regional District Board a report from the Okisollo channel, which separates Quadra from Sonora and Maurelle Islands.

“On Sunday I talked to a couple of people who monitor, they test the smolts for sea lice every year. They said they’ve seen a 95% reduction in sea lice. So last year each smolt that they caught had an average of 9 sea lice on them. This year, there was a total of 9 sea lice on 50 fish,” she said.

These findings follow on last years report that the number of sea lice in the Broughton Archipelago, where fish farms are closing down, was significantly lower than areas where fish farms are still active.

“Those are my numbers,” said Morton.

Since April 1st, Morton says she has examined over 1,000 fish in the Discovery Islands and another 400 to 500 in Nootka Sound and Esperanza on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, “where the story is very different.”

“Last year, 50% of the farms went over the 3 adult lice limit. This was a limit that was set in 2003, by the Provincial Government, to protect wild salmon. The sea lice outbreak was horrendous. The sockeye had an average of 9 lice per fish, which we know from the DFO’s own research would have had profound impact on them,” she said.

Morton cited a 2018 study by Dr Simon Jones and two other scientists from the Pacific Biological station in Nanaimo, “which found that when young sockeye get infected with sea lice, basically they couldn’t keep the salt out of their bodies. They had a huge glucose spike, which is a serious stress response.”

One of the areas that Morton visited was the Okisollo channel which separates Quadra from Sonora and Maurelle Islands.

“One of the things that I realized now, with the farms all out of the Okisollo Channel, which is a very short body of water with a narrow ending at both ends, is that all three Norwegian companies were operating in that little body of water. There were four farms.This is the highest density of salmon farms anywhere on this coast and it is the only place where all three companies decided to operate side by side. You could not have picked a worse place because millions of salmon from the Fraser River funnel through those waters,” said Morton.

“I’ve been doing this work on and off since 2005, with the incredible assistance of Jody Erickson and Farlyn Campbell from Sonora island. Those two are incredible fishermen. They have these nets that we use to collect the fish. Sometimes we look at them alive’ sometimes we have to freeze them. In any case, I have looked at a lot of fish since 2005: a thousand this year, hundred last year. The difference is so obvious, there is no mistaking it.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Now that most of the fish farms have closed down, sea lice numbers in the Discovery Islands have plummeted 95%.

“Most of the salmon farms are empty; All of the one south of Chatham Point are. Sea lice levels have plummeted over 95%. The Pink and Chum Salmon look gorgeous. This is due to the MInister’s decision and the seven First Nations who prohibited her from restocking the salmon farm,“ said independent biologist Alexandra Morton, who returned home to Sointula Friday afternoon.

Cortes Currents first learned of that there was no longer a sea lice problem on Wednesday, May 26th, when Angela Koch of Sierra Quadra gave the Strathcona Regional District Board a report from the Okisollo channel, which separates Quadra from Sonora and Maurelle Islands.

“On Sunday I talked to a couple of people who monitor, they test the smolts for sea lice every year. They said they’ve seen a 95% reduction in sea lice. So last year each smolt that they caught had an average of 9 sea lice on them. This year, there was a total of 9 sea lice on 50 fish,” she said.

These findings follow on last years report that the number of sea lice in the Broughton Archipelago, where fish farms are closing down, was significantly lower than areas where fish farms are still active.

“Those are my numbers,” said Morton.

Since April 1st, Morton says she has examined over 1,000 fish in the Discovery Islands and another 400 to 500 in Nootka Sound and Esperanza on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, “where the story is very different.”

“Last year, 50% of the farms went over the 3 adult lice limit. This was a limit that was set in 2003, by the Provincial Government, to protect wild salmon. The sea lice outbreak was horrendous. The sockeye had an average of 9 lice per fish, which we know from the DFO’s own research would have had profound impact on them,” she said.

Morton cited a 2018 study by Dr Simon Jones and two other scientists from the Pacific Biological station in Nanaimo, “which found that when young sockeye get infected with sea lice, basically they couldn’t keep the salt out of their bodies. They had a huge glucose spike, which is a serious stress response.”

One of the areas that Morton visited was the Okisollo channel which separates Quadra from Sonora and Maurelle Islands.

“One of the things that I realized now, with the farms all out of the Okisollo Channel, which is a very short body of water with a narrow ending at both ends, is that all three Norwegian companies were operating in that little body of water. There were four farms.This is the highest density of salmon farms anywhere on this coast and it is the only place where all three companies decided to operate side by side. You could not have picked a worse place because millions of salmon from the Fraser River funnel through those waters,” said Morton.

“I’ve been doing this work on and off since 2005, with the incredible assistance of Jody Erickson and Farlyn Campbell from Sonora island. Those two are incredible fishermen. They have these nets that we use to collect the fish. Sometimes we look at them alive’ sometimes we have to freeze them. In any case, I have looked at a lot of fish since 2005: a thousand this year, hundred last year. The difference is so obvious, there is no mistaking it.”

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District Board decided to not support the DFO decision to remove open net pen aquaculture from the Discovery Islands.

This was virtually a foregone conclusion, even before Cortes Island Regional Director Noba Anderson put forward a motion of support at the May 26th Board meeting. Five of the SRD’s 14 Directors come from Campbell River, where fish farms are one of the city’s key first dollar industries. Campbell River Mayor Andy Adams and Director Charlie Cornfield have already spoken in support of this sector. The industry also has hatcheries in Sayward and Gold River, whose mayors have spoken on its behalf.

“I will not be supporting the motion. We have not been consulted, not been involved and not been engaged in this process what-so-ever. We have repeatedly said we want to be engaged by them and they failed to do it,” said Cornfield.

“This decision was not based on science. The Minister (of Fisheries) said so in her letter. It was not based on science, it was not based on expert recommendation but was to obtain social license and that was from the honourable Jordan - and I use the term honourable very lightly.”

Regional Director Brenda Leigh added, “How can you take a hard position on supporting the closure of these fish farms, when you are still asking to be consulted?”

Cornfield stressed the fact that the people employed on fish farms are the SRD’s constituents.

“They are all of our people. It’s their families and their children.It is their people who use our schools that give us the quality of education we want. They give us all our recreation facilities. They are the taxpayers who pay for all of this, pay for our salaries and they are the ones being put at risk. I do not care if you live in an electoral area, or inside a municipality, those constituents are there. It is our duty to stand up and make sure their interests are represented,” he said.

Campbell River Director Ron Kerr said he supported the men and women working in the aquaculture industry and their families.

Ironically, the two directors with fish farms in their areas, Regional Director Jim Abram of Discovery Island - Mainland Inlets and Mayor Martin Davis of Tahsis, - both spoke in favour of the motion to support the DFO.

Abram pointed out that the aquaculture sector came into being in his area, adding that if the SRD wants to be part of the discussion they should vote in favour of the motion to support the DFO’s decision.

Mayor Martin Davis of Tahsis said he wished this motion was to phase out fish farms throughout the SRD.

“In my community we depend of sports fishing. We’ve seen severe declines since fish farms have come into this area. The sea lice outbreaks and algal outbreaks are well documented” he began.

“Because we depend on sport fishing, we are losing work here because of the actions of fish farms on our side of the waters. So it is a bit disingenuous to say we are losing jobs everywhere. Your actions here are actually harming us.”

Cortes Islands Director Anderson acknowledged the fact that that fish farms are an important part of the economy, especially in Campbell River.

“What I am seeing is that this decision has been made and I do not expect it will be reconsidered. I would like us to be in a position of cooperation with the Federal Government, to assist in any possible way we can with this transition - in support of the industry, in support of our economy, in support of (wild) fish, tourism - the whole sector,” she said.

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District Board decided to not support the DFO decision to remove open net pen aquaculture from the Discovery Islands.

This was virtually a foregone conclusion, even before Cortes Island Regional Director Noba Anderson put forward a motion of support at the May 26th Board meeting. Five of the SRD’s 14 Directors come from Campbell River, where fish farms are one of the city’s key first dollar industries. Campbell River Mayor Andy Adams and Director Charlie Cornfield have already spoken in support of this sector. The industry also has hatcheries in Sayward and Gold River, whose mayors have spoken on its behalf.

“I will not be supporting the motion. We have not been consulted, not been involved and not been engaged in this process what-so-ever. We have repeatedly said we want to be engaged by them and they failed to do it,” said Cornfield.

“This decision was not based on science. The Minister (of Fisheries) said so in her letter. It was not based on science, it was not based on expert recommendation but was to obtain social license and that was from the honourable Jordan - and I use the term honourable very lightly.”

Regional Director Brenda Leigh added, “How can you take a hard position on supporting the closure of these fish farms, when you are still asking to be consulted?”

Cornfield stressed the fact that the people employed on fish farms are the SRD’s constituents.

“They are all of our people. It’s their families and their children.It is their people who use our schools that give us the quality of education we want. They give us all our recreation facilities. They are the taxpayers who pay for all of this, pay for our salaries and they are the ones being put at risk. I do not care if you live in an electoral area, or inside a municipality, those constituents are there. It is our duty to stand up and make sure their interests are represented,” he said.

Campbell River Director Ron Kerr said he supported the men and women working in the aquaculture industry and their families.

Ironically, the two directors with fish farms in their areas, Regional Director Jim Abram of Discovery Island - Mainland Inlets and Mayor Martin Davis of Tahsis, - both spoke in favour of the motion to support the DFO.

Abram pointed out that the aquaculture sector came into being in his area, adding that if the SRD wants to be part of the discussion they should vote in favour of the motion to support the DFO’s decision.

Mayor Martin Davis of Tahsis said he wished this motion was to phase out fish farms throughout the SRD.

“In my community we depend of sports fishing. We’ve seen severe declines since fish farms have come into this area. The sea lice outbreaks and algal outbreaks are well documented” he began.

“Because we depend on sport fishing, we are losing work here because of the actions of fish farms on our side of the waters. So it is a bit disingenuous to say we are losing jobs everywhere. Your actions here are actually harming us.”

Cortes Islands Director Anderson acknowledged the fact that that fish farms are an important part of the economy, especially in Campbell River.

“What I am seeing is that this decision has been made and I do not expect it will be reconsidered. I would like us to be in a position of cooperation with the Federal Government, to assist in any possible way we can with this transition - in support of the industry, in support of our economy, in support of (wild) fish, tourism - the whole sector,” she said.

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District Board is speaking against a new ambulance service initiative that could cripple services in rural communities like Cortes Island, Sayward, Tahsis and Zeballos.

BC Health Services has sent out a letter stating they intend to create 170 new ambulance service positions across the province.

What they did not say is they are cutting the pay for paramedics on standby back to $2 an hour.

Mayor Julie Colborne of Zeballos has written a letter of protest to Adrian Dix, the Minister of Health, informing him that this is not a living wage and wili cause a reduction of services in rural communities where paramedics are on standby more often than responding to calls.

While this program may work in larger communities, Colborne described the result as catastrophic in Zeballos. They maybe losing their unit chief, who has not received word as to whether he still has a job under the new system.

“Paramedics are making decisions to guard the livelihood of their families. They may be accepting positions elsewhere,” she said.

If Zeballos cannot find enough paramedics, it will need to call on Port Hardy, which is an hour and a half away, for help.

“It is paramount for us to stand up for the communities that are even further than us. This is going to do a great deal of damage to communities like Kyuquot Checleset (KCFN). So I have done extensive talking with KCFN, MLA Michele Babchuk, just trying to spread the word that this is not an increase in service,” said Colborne.

A paramedic has been coming out from Vancouver to help serve Sayward, but this will not continue now that her wages have been cut back to $2 an hour.

“We’re going to have half of our shifts not covered. This is going to be a huge problem for Sayward, as it is for Zeballos and other small communities,” said Mayor Mark Baker.

Regional Director Noba Anderson said she has been hearing similar stories from ambulance attendants on Cortes Island.

“We have had a lot of people train up under the existing system . If they are only receiving $2 an hour, they are not going to keep up with their training and they are not going to keep up with the ambulance service.So, as far as I can tell, this is actually a massive reduction in service,” she said.

“I would like to see some proactive lobby on behalf of our region as a whole, our rural communities as a whole, to the appropriate parties, to see if there is any way of rolling back or having accommodations made for communities this won’t serve.”

“We have the same issues here. We are on the verge of losing service and personally I have never understood how somebody could be paid $2 an hour, which is far below minimum wage. It is going to affect all the small communities,” said Mayor Martin Davis of Tahsis.

Anderson made, and Davis seconded, the motion that was subsequently passed by the SRD Board, “That the chair request a meeting with our MLA, the Ministry of Health and affected rural communities within the SRD.”

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District Board is speaking against a new ambulance service initiative that could cripple services in rural communities like Cortes Island, Sayward, Tahsis and Zeballos.

BC Health Services has sent out a letter stating they intend to create 170 new ambulance service positions across the province.

What they did not say is they are cutting the pay for paramedics on standby back to $2 an hour.

Mayor Julie Colborne of Zeballos has written a letter of protest to Adrian Dix, the Minister of Health, informing him that this is not a living wage and wili cause a reduction of services in rural communities where paramedics are on standby more often than responding to calls.

While this program may work in larger communities, Colborne described the result as catastrophic in Zeballos. They maybe losing their unit chief, who has not received word as to whether he still has a job under the new system.

“Paramedics are making decisions to guard the livelihood of their families. They may be accepting positions elsewhere,” she said.

If Zeballos cannot find enough paramedics, it will need to call on Port Hardy, which is an hour and a half away, for help.

“It is paramount for us to stand up for the communities that are even further than us. This is going to do a great deal of damage to communities like Kyuquot Checleset (KCFN). So I have done extensive talking with KCFN, MLA Michele Babchuk, just trying to spread the word that this is not an increase in service,” said Colborne.

A paramedic has been coming out from Vancouver to help serve Sayward, but this will not continue now that her wages have been cut back to $2 an hour.

“We’re going to have half of our shifts not covered. This is going to be a huge problem for Sayward, as it is for Zeballos and other small communities,” said Mayor Mark Baker.

Regional Director Noba Anderson said she has been hearing similar stories from ambulance attendants on Cortes Island.

“We have had a lot of people train up under the existing system . If they are only receiving $2 an hour, they are not going to keep up with their training and they are not going to keep up with the ambulance service.So, as far as I can tell, this is actually a massive reduction in service,” she said.

“I would like to see some proactive lobby on behalf of our region as a whole, our rural communities as a whole, to the appropriate parties, to see if there is any way of rolling back or having accommodations made for communities this won’t serve.”

“We have the same issues here. We are on the verge of losing service and personally I have never understood how somebody could be paid $2 an hour, which is far below minimum wage. It is going to affect all the small communities,” said Mayor Martin Davis of Tahsis.

Anderson made, and Davis seconded, the motion that was subsequently passed by the SRD Board, “That the chair request a meeting with our MLA, the Ministry of Health and affected rural communities within the SRD.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Two days into BC’s new restart plan, the BC Centre for Disease control has released a new chart which shows that the daily rate of infection rate throughout most of Vancouver Island is less than 1 per 100,000 during the week ending on Monday, May 24th.

The only places with a greater than 1 per 100,000 rate of infection are: Greater Nanaimo and the Comox Valley, where the rate is 3, and Langford/Highlands were it is 2.

There were 15 active cases in the Comox Valley during the week ending on Monday, as opposed to 18 the previous week.

This is the only Local Health Area in Northern Vancouver Island currently listed on Island Health’s school exposure. There is a cluster in Highland Secondary school in Comox, and potential exposures listed on eleven days between May 3rd and 17th.

The trend, everywhere on Vancouver Island except Greater Nanaimo and the Saanich Peninsula, is that numbers are now falling.

For the first time in months, the number of active cases on Vancouver Island has been under 100 so far this week.

Half of Vancouver island, especially in the North and West, appeared to be COVID free during the week ending Monday, May 24th.

The daily infection rate was less than 1 per 100,000 in Greater Campbell River, where the number of active cases dropped to 2 during this period, from four the week before.

Both Vancouver Island North and West appear to be clear of COVID 19.

In Greater Victoria, the numbers have fallen from 16 to 11 and the daily infection rate 1 per 100,000

We are now in phase one of of the restart plan.

Personal gatherings of up to 5 people, or another household, are now permitted indoors.

Up to ten people can meet outdoors and, if they have a COVID Safety plan, there can be more organized meetings of up to 50.

Recreational travel is permitted throughout Vancouver Island, but only essential traffic can cross to the Mainland.

If the number of case counts and hospitalizations continues to fall, BC will move to phase two of the restart plan once the 65% receives its first vaccination. Province wide travel will be permitted and outdoor personal gathers of up to 50 people. This is expected to take place in June, the earliest possible date being the15th.

Assuming that everything goes well, we could be back to something resembling a pre-COVID normal by September.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Two days into BC’s new restart plan, the BC Centre for Disease control has released a new chart which shows that the daily rate of infection rate throughout most of Vancouver Island is less than 1 per 100,000 during the week ending on Monday, May 24th.

The only places with a greater than 1 per 100,000 rate of infection are: Greater Nanaimo and the Comox Valley, where the rate is 3, and Langford/Highlands were it is 2.

There were 15 active cases in the Comox Valley during the week ending on Monday, as opposed to 18 the previous week.

This is the only Local Health Area in Northern Vancouver Island currently listed on Island Health’s school exposure. There is a cluster in Highland Secondary school in Comox, and potential exposures listed on eleven days between May 3rd and 17th.

The trend, everywhere on Vancouver Island except Greater Nanaimo and the Saanich Peninsula, is that numbers are now falling.

For the first time in months, the number of active cases on Vancouver Island has been under 100 so far this week.

Half of Vancouver island, especially in the North and West, appeared to be COVID free during the week ending Monday, May 24th.

The daily infection rate was less than 1 per 100,000 in Greater Campbell River, where the number of active cases dropped to 2 during this period, from four the week before.

Both Vancouver Island North and West appear to be clear of COVID 19.

In Greater Victoria, the numbers have fallen from 16 to 11 and the daily infection rate 1 per 100,000

We are now in phase one of of the restart plan.

Personal gatherings of up to 5 people, or another household, are now permitted indoors.

Up to ten people can meet outdoors and, if they have a COVID Safety plan, there can be more organized meetings of up to 50.

Recreational travel is permitted throughout Vancouver Island, but only essential traffic can cross to the Mainland.

If the number of case counts and hospitalizations continues to fall, BC will move to phase two of the restart plan once the 65% receives its first vaccination. Province wide travel will be permitted and outdoor personal gathers of up to 50 people. This is expected to take place in June, the earliest possible date being the15th.

Assuming that everything goes well, we could be back to something resembling a pre-COVID normal by September.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Kai Harvey of Cortes Kayaks is feeling optimistic as BC enters phase one of its new restart plan.

“We definitely have a lot of bookings from Campbell River and all up and down Vancouver Island. No one from off island has booked yet. It is nice to know that people want to travel locally, so we will be able to get by and I feel optimistic about that,” she said.

“We have two trips for Cortes youth in the works this summer, which will be really fun. Hopefully other Cortesians will want to come paddling as well. We have a local discount.”

This is her third year of business.

Photos courtesy Cortes Kayaks