Cortes Currents

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District awarded the contract for Cortes Island’s Garbage collection to VEM Contracting, which has held this contract for more than a decade.

Four companies were asked to submit quotes for a 3-year contract, with a potential 2-year extension, if agreed upon by both parties.

VEM Contracting was the only company that responded and the SRD Board approved their contract at their March 10, 2021, board meeting.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District awarded the contract for Cortes Island’s Garbage collection to VEM Contracting, which has held this contract for more than a decade.

Four companies were asked to submit quotes for a 3-year contract, with a potential 2-year extension, if agreed upon by both parties.

VEM Contracting was the only company that responded and the SRD Board approved their contract at their March 10, 2021, board meeting.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The public zoning meeting for the Gowland Harbour Views development, on Quadra Island, could be on hold until next August or September - assuming the pandemic is under control by then.

This project was originally brought to the Strathcona Regional District in the summer of 2010 and, over the years, has undergone a number of changes to address issues raised by Quadra Island Regional Director Jim Abram.

Land owner and applicant, Rick Schellinck. wants to developing 51 residential lots, a campground, marina and two waterfront parks in Gowland Harbour.

His application was considered at this year’s January 13th, February 10th and March 10th meetings of the Electoral Areas Services Committee.

1:34:18 - meeting in sept 134:54

>>> Problems with the Gowland project

At the March 10th meeting, Director Abram mentioned a number of problems. Over the years, the amount of green space being given to the community has decreased from 15 to 10 acres. There is no archaeological study. The project would most likely bring another 50 cars to Quadra Island and, at times ,there are already two or three ferry waits on the ferry.

He added that “The big issue, that is being thrown at me probably at least a dozen times a day, is the fact that people want an in-person public hearing.”

The internet is very poor on Quadra and no residents logged into two of the island’s three virtual zoning meetings

Regional Director Brenda Leigh, whose internet connection failed and was attending by phone, agreed, “.... these virtual meetings, they are a disaster, I can’t hear half of what’s going on.”

Cortes Island Regional Director Noba Anderson said, “I’m not comfortable delaying everything indefinitely.”

There has been considerable back and forth on this project for more than a decade.

Anderson said she did not feel comfortable with the amount of “reaching into the detail of this that the committee feels it has the license to do. Ultimately, it is up to the applicant to put an application forward for consideration.”

Further discussion of the Gowland Harbour Views development was deferred to the next EASC meeting, on April 14th, because of technical difficulties.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The public zoning meeting for the Gowland Harbour Views development, on Quadra Island, could be on hold until next August or September - assuming the pandemic is under control by then.

This project was originally brought to the Strathcona Regional District in the summer of 2010 and, over the years, has undergone a number of changes to address issues raised by Quadra Island Regional Director Jim Abram.

Land owner and applicant, Rick Schellinck. wants to developing 51 residential lots, a campground, marina and two waterfront parks in Gowland Harbour.

His application was considered at this year’s January 13th, February 10th and March 10th meetings of the Electoral Areas Services Committee.

1:34:18 - meeting in sept 134:54

>>> Problems with the Gowland project

At the March 10th meeting, Director Abram mentioned a number of problems. Over the years, the amount of green space being given to the community has decreased from 15 to 10 acres. There is no archaeological study. The project would most likely bring another 50 cars to Quadra Island and, at times ,there are already two or three ferry waits on the ferry.

He added that “The big issue, that is being thrown at me probably at least a dozen times a day, is the fact that people want an in-person public hearing.”

The internet is very poor on Quadra and no residents logged into two of the island’s three virtual zoning meetings

Regional Director Brenda Leigh, whose internet connection failed and was attending by phone, agreed, “.... these virtual meetings, they are a disaster, I can’t hear half of what’s going on.”

Cortes Island Regional Director Noba Anderson said, “I’m not comfortable delaying everything indefinitely.”

There has been considerable back and forth on this project for more than a decade.

Anderson said she did not feel comfortable with the amount of “reaching into the detail of this that the committee feels it has the license to do. Ultimately, it is up to the applicant to put an application forward for consideration.”

Further discussion of the Gowland Harbour Views development was deferred to the next EASC meeting, on April 14th, because of technical difficulties.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The public zoning meeting for the Gowland Harbour Views development, on Quadra Island, could be on hold until next August or September - assuming the pandemic is under control by then.

This project was originally brought to the Strathcona Regional District in the summer of 2010 and, over the years, has undergone a number of changes to address issues raised by Quadra Island Regional Director Jim Abram.

Land owner and applicant, Rick Schellinck. wants to developing 51 residential lots, a campground, marina and two waterfront parks in Gowland Harbour.

His application was considered at this year’s January 13th, February 10th and March 10th meetings of the Electoral Areas Services Committee.

1:34:18 - meeting in sept 134:54

>>> Problems with the Gowland project

At the March 10th meeting, Director Abram mentioned a number of problems. Over the years, the amount of green space being given to the community has decreased from 15 to 10 acres. There is no archaeological study. The project would most likely bring another 50 cars to Quadra Island and, at times ,there are already two or three ferry waits on the ferry.

He added that “The big issue, that is being thrown at me probably at least a dozen times a day, is the fact that people want an in-person public hearing.”

The internet is very poor on Quadra and no residents logged into two of the island’s three virtual zoning meetings

Regional Director Brenda Leigh, whose internet connection failed and was attending by phone, agreed, “.... these virtual meetings, they are a disaster, I can’t hear half of what’s going on.”

Cortes Island Regional Director Noba Anderson said, “I’m not comfortable delaying everything indefinitely.”

There has been considerable back and forth on this project for more than a decade.

Anderson said she did not feel comfortable with the amount of “reaching into the detail of this that the committee feels it has the license to do. Ultimately, it is up to the applicant to put an application forward for consideration.”

Further discussion of the Gowland Harbour Views development was deferred to the next EASC meeting, on April 14th, because of technical difficulties.

Manda Aufochs Gillespie. Folk U - Memories of Christmas Past. December 18th and 25th.

Today’s show is in collaboration with Jane Newman and the Cortes Island Museum and Archives. I am already anticipating when we will tell tales of Christmas 2020 as one of our memories of Christmas past. The Museum and Archives are working to archive and memorialize the Pandemic of 2020.

Jane Newman reads a story from Gilean Douglas written in her cabin in the Caribou Country about the unexpected pleasures of spending the holiday alone, from the book Writing Nature, Finding Home by Jill Milton and available for sale at the Cortes Island Museum and Archives shop.

Gary Cork. Gary found his way from Toronto via travels in Mexico and Guatemala to BC. Where he got involved in food coops, alternative communities, and helped start Edible Island in the Comox Valley. Along the way he also became an acupuncturist. He and his wife Elinore moved to Cortes in 1998. Gary tells a story about meeting Roald Dahl and then shares a poem about him and then a story from the Archives about what it takes to bring a dog home for Christmas when one lives boat access only.

Monica Nawrocki hails from the urban bustle of downtown Mansons Landing. She is the author of three books and literally thousands of to-do lists. She earns her living as a substitute teacher at the Cortes Island School, happily impersonating someone different every day. I also know Monica as one of my all-time favourite authors, especially of young adult books and as an adult that reads hundreds of young adult books, I consider myself a good judge. It’s an honour to have you in the studio with me Monica who reads a story from the archives about a Christmas past on Cortes Island.

Listen in on these readings via podcast!

Manda Aufochs Gillespie. Folk U - Memories of Christmas Past. December 18th and 25th.

Today’s show is in collaboration with Jane Newman and the Cortes Island Museum and Archives. I am already anticipating when we will tell tales of Christmas 2020 as one of our memories of Christmas past. The Museum and Archives are working to archive and memorialize the Pandemic of 2020.

Jane Newman reads a story from Gilean Douglas written in her cabin in the Caribou Country about the unexpected pleasures of spending the holiday alone, from the book Writing Nature, Finding Home by Jill Milton and available for sale at the Cortes Island Museum and Archives shop.

Gary Cork. Gary found his way from Toronto via travels in Mexico and Guatemala to BC. Where he got involved in food coops, alternative communities, and helped start Edible Island in the Comox Valley. Along the way he also became an acupuncturist. He and his wife Elinore moved to Cortes in 1998. Gary tells a story about meeting Roald Dahl and then shares a poem about him and then a story from the Archives about what it takes to bring a dog home for Christmas when one lives boat access only.

Monica Nawrocki hails from the urban bustle of downtown Mansons Landing. She is the author of three books and literally thousands of to-do lists. She earns her living as a substitute teacher at the Cortes Island School, happily impersonating someone different every day. I also know Monica as one of my all-time favourite authors, especially of young adult books and as an adult that reads hundreds of young adult books, I consider myself a good judge. It’s an honour to have you in the studio with me Monica who reads a story from the archives about a Christmas past on Cortes Island.

Listen in on these readings via podcast!

Manda Aufochs Gillespie. Folk U - Memories of Christmas Past. December 18th and 25th.

Today’s show is in collaboration with Jane Newman and the Cortes Island Museum and Archives. I am already anticipating when we will tell tales of Christmas 2020 as one of our memories of Christmas past. The Museum and Archives are working to archive and memorialize the Pandemic of 2020.

Jane Newman reads a story from Gilean Douglas written in her cabin in the Caribou Country about the unexpected pleasures of spending the holiday alone, from the book Writing Nature, Finding Home by Jill Milton and available for sale at the Cortes Island Museum and Archives shop.

Gary Cork. Gary found his way from Toronto via travels in Mexico and Guatemala to BC. Where he got involved in food coops, alternative communities, and helped start Edible Island in the Comox Valley. Along the way he also became an acupuncturist. He and his wife Elinore moved to Cortes in 1998. Gary tells a story about meeting Roald Dahl and then shares a poem about him and then a story from the Archives about what it takes to bring a dog home for Christmas when one lives boat access only.

Monica Nawrocki hails from the urban bustle of downtown Mansons Landing. She is the author of three books and literally thousands of to-do lists. She earns her living as a substitute teacher at the Cortes Island School, happily impersonating someone different every day. I also know Monica as one of my all-time favourite authors, especially of young adult books and as an adult that reads hundreds of young adult books, I consider myself a good judge. It’s an honour to have you in the studio with me Monica who reads a story from the archives about a Christmas past on Cortes Island.

Listen in on these readings via podcast!

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The City of Powell River, qathet Regional District and Tla’amin Nation, along with Lift Community Services and First Credit Union, have begun work on Phase I of the Regional Poverty Reduction Strategy. This includes a community well being survey, which will be conducted between March 15 and April 15, 2021.

The online survey is accessible through Participate Powell River. 

A 2019 report concluded that one in four children and youth in Powell River and one in six seniors have experienced poverty.

The average person receiving disability assistance spends 82% of their income on rent

Indigenous people and people with disabilities are twice as likely to experience poverty and children in single parent families are three times more likely to experience poverty than those from two parent families.

The survey is meant to identify challenges and opportunities to reducing poverty in Powell River.

Regional Social Planner, Kai Okazaki, said,  “By engaging multiple agencies and stakeholders, we can make a collective impact to improve the well-being and quality of life in our community.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The City of Powell River, qathet Regional District and Tla’amin Nation, along with Lift Community Services and First Credit Union, have begun work on Phase I of the Regional Poverty Reduction Strategy. This includes a community well being survey, which will be conducted between March 15 and April 15, 2021.

The online survey is accessible through Participate Powell River. 

A 2019 report concluded that one in four children and youth in Powell River and one in six seniors have experienced poverty.

The average person receiving disability assistance spends 82% of their income on rent

Indigenous people and people with disabilities are twice as likely to experience poverty and children in single parent families are three times more likely to experience poverty than those from two parent families.

The survey is meant to identify challenges and opportunities to reducing poverty in Powell River.

Regional Social Planner, Kai Okazaki, said,  “By engaging multiple agencies and stakeholders, we can make a collective impact to improve the well-being and quality of life in our community.”