Cortes Currents

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -

The City of Campbell River thanks the region’s three big fish farm companies for their donations to specialized recreation. 

Grieg Seafood has sponsored programs for adults and youth with disabilities for the past seven or eight years.

When Grieg said they were not sure they could donate as much in 2020, the city asked Cermaq Canada West and MOWI to also contribute.

“They agreed, but Cermaq decided they want to do more. So, they give a little bit more,” said Deb Simpson, a Specialized Recreation Programmer who normally operates out of the Campbell River Community Centre.

These corporate donations were all “under $2,000.”

The only other donation Simpson mentioned was “a healthy snack and drinks for our After School program for youth with disabilities or special needs” provided by Thrifty Foods.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - For the first time in her 13 years as Cortes Island’s Regional Director, Noba Anderson writes that there is so little substantive information in the Strathcona Regional District Budget that she cannot do her job. Anderson made this comment in a report, in which she alleges to have witnessed the erosion of the budgeting process over the last number of years. “This year, I see essentially no room for informed Director input,” consequently she will be voting against this budget.

Anderson continued, “After our last Board meeting, I asked both the Chair of the Board and the Chair of EASC to discuss the matters below with me. Both declined.”

She added that, "By Provincial legislation, it is my understanding that we are supposed to update our core long-range planning documents every 5 years …"

Anderson provided a list of delinquent planning documents:

Cortes Island OCP (Official Community Plan) has not been renewed since 2012

Quadra Island OCP - since 2007

Cortes Island Zoning Bylaw - since 2002

Menzies Bay OCP - since 2000

Area D OCP - since 1996

Menzies Bay Zoning Bylaw - since 1996

Desolation Sound Rural Land Use Bylaw - since 1993

Quadra Island Zoning Bylaw - since 1990

In response to Cortes Currents queries about Anderson’s statements, the SRD’s Communications Coordinator emailed, “The Board will address the report when its received and at that time follow up will be included in the SRD board minutes or online via the recordings.”

However, as you can hear in the podcast above, the Board chose not to comment when it received Anderson’s report.

This is not the first time, in recent years, that Director Anderson has raised concerns or mentioned the SRD’s delinquent long range planning documents.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - For the first time in her 13 years as Cortes Island’s Regional Director, Noba Anderson writes that there is so little substantive information in the Strathcona Regional District Budget that she cannot do her job. Anderson made this comment in a report, in which she alleges to have witnessed the erosion of the budgeting process over the last number of years. “This year, I see essentially no room for informed Director input,” consequently she will be voting against this budget.

Anderson continued, “After our last Board meeting, I asked both the Chair of the Board and the Chair of EASC to discuss the matters below with me. Both declined.”

She added that, "By Provincial legislation, it is my understanding that we are supposed to update our core long-range planning documents every 5 years …"

Anderson provided a list of delinquent planning documents:

Cortes Island OCP (Official Community Plan) has not been renewed since 2012

Quadra Island OCP - since 2007

Cortes Island Zoning Bylaw - since 2002

Menzies Bay OCP - since 2000

Area D OCP - since 1996

Menzies Bay Zoning Bylaw - since 1996

Desolation Sound Rural Land Use Bylaw - since 1993

Quadra Island Zoning Bylaw - since 1990

In response to Cortes Currents queries about Anderson’s statements, the SRD’s Communications Coordinator emailed, “The Board will address the report when its received and at that time follow up will be included in the SRD board minutes or online via the recordings.”

However, as you can hear in the podcast above, the Board chose not to comment when it received Anderson’s report.

This is not the first time, in recent years, that Director Anderson has raised concerns or mentioned the SRD’s delinquent long range planning documents.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - For the first time in her 13 years as Cortes Island’s Regional Director, Noba Anderson writes that there is so little substantive information in the Strathcona Regional District Budget that she cannot do her job. Anderson made this comment in a report, in which she alleges to have witnessed the erosion of the budgeting process over the last number of years. “This year, I see essentially no room for informed Director input,” consequently she will be voting against this budget.

Anderson continued, “After our last Board meeting, I asked both the Chair of the Board and the Chair of EASC to discuss the matters below with me. Both declined.”

She added that, "By Provincial legislation, it is my understanding that we are supposed to update our core long-range planning documents every 5 years …"

Anderson provided a list of delinquent planning documents:

Cortes Island OCP (Official Community Plan) has not been renewed since 2012

Quadra Island OCP - since 2007

Cortes Island Zoning Bylaw - since 2002

Menzies Bay OCP - since 2000

Area D OCP - since 1996

Menzies Bay Zoning Bylaw - since 1996

Desolation Sound Rural Land Use Bylaw - since 1993

Quadra Island Zoning Bylaw - since 1990

In response to Cortes Currents queries about Anderson’s statements, the SRD’s Communications Coordinator emailed, “The Board will address the report when its received and at that time follow up will be included in the SRD board minutes or online via the recordings.”

However, as you can hear in the podcast above, the Board chose not to comment when it received Anderson’s report.

This is not the first time, in recent years, that Director Anderson has raised concerns or mentioned the SRD’s delinquent long range planning documents.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - For the first time in her 13 years as Cortes Island’s Regional Director, Noba Anderson writes that there is so little substantive information in the Strathcona Regional District Budget that she cannot do her job. Anderson made this comment in a report, in which she alleges to have witnessed the erosion of the budgeting process over the last number of years. “This year, I see essentially no room for informed Director input,” consequently she will be voting against this budget.

Anderson continued, “After our last Board meeting, I asked both the Chair of the Board and the Chair of EASC to discuss the matters below with me. Both declined.”

She added that, "By Provincial legislation, it is my understanding that we are supposed to update our core long-range planning documents every 5 years …"

Anderson provided a list of delinquent planning documents:

Cortes Island OCP (Official Community Plan) has not been renewed since 2012

Quadra Island OCP - since 2007

Cortes Island Zoning Bylaw - since 2002

Menzies Bay OCP - since 2000

Area D OCP - since 1996

Menzies Bay Zoning Bylaw - since 1996

Desolation Sound Rural Land Use Bylaw - since 1993

Quadra Island Zoning Bylaw - since 1990

In response to Cortes Currents queries about Anderson’s statements, the SRD’s Communications Coordinator emailed, “The Board will address the report when its received and at that time follow up will be included in the SRD board minutes or online via the recordings.”

However, as you can hear in the podcast above, the Board chose not to comment when it received Anderson’s report.

This is not the first time, in recent years, that Director Anderson has raised concerns or mentioned the SRD’s delinquent long range planning documents.

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U Cortes Currents - In partnership with Cortes Community Radio & Cortes Currents, Folk U Radio offered its first Reporter Roundtable: Fish farms and seaweed production.

The panel: Binny Paul (LJI reporter for Campbell River Mirror), Rochelle Baker (LJI reporter for Cortes and Quadra Islands, National Observer), Roy Hales (editor of Cortes Currents) and Ashley Zarbatany (Folk U Radio's political and climate commentator).

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U Cortes Currents - In partnership with Cortes Community Radio & Cortes Currents, Folk U Radio offered its first Reporter Roundtable: Fish farms and seaweed production.

The panel: Binny Paul (LJI reporter for Campbell River Mirror), Rochelle Baker (LJI reporter for Cortes and Quadra Islands, National Observer), Roy Hales (editor of Cortes Currents) and Ashley Zarbatany (Folk U Radio's political and climate commentator).

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U Cortes Currents - In partnership with Cortes Community Radio & Cortes Currents, Folk U Radio offered its first Reporter Roundtable: Fish farms and seaweed production.

The panel: Binny Paul (LJI reporter for Campbell River Mirror), Rochelle Baker (LJI reporter for Cortes and Quadra Islands, National Observer), Roy Hales (editor of Cortes Currents) and Ashley Zarbatany (Folk U Radio's political and climate commentator).

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U Cortes Currents - In partnership with Cortes Community Radio & Cortes Currents, Folk U Radio offered its first Reporter Roundtable: Fish farms and seaweed production.

The panel: Binny Paul (LJI reporter for Campbell River Mirror), Rochelle Baker (LJI reporter for Cortes and Quadra Islands, National Observer), Roy Hales (editor of Cortes Currents) and Ashley Zarbatany (Folk U Radio's political and climate commentator).

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - “As many of you might have heard, cases are on the rise within the North Island, which includes the Comox Valley and Campbell River. The number of COVID cases in the north of Vancouver Island has more than doubled in just three days. We are asking everyone to increase their vigilance, when it comes to slowing the spread of COVID 19 ,” said Jesse Ketler, Chair of the Comox Valley Regional District.

That was taken from Chair Ketler’s February 24th YouTube news update, when there were 56 cases.

Two days later, on Friday, Feb 26, there were 64.

This is more than a sixfold increase over a ten day period.

The BC Centre for Disease control will inform the public about the Local Health Areas where these cases were found next Wednesday, at which point this data will be five days old.

Their last report, for the week ending on Saturday February 20th, that showed 82% of North Vancouver Island’s active cases were in the Comox Valley and the remainder (18%) in the Greater Campbell River Health area.

Two food industry workers in Courtenay

Thrifty Foods confirmed a staff member at its Cliffe Avenue store in Courtenay tested positive, and this employee has not worked since February 20th.

An A&W staff member, also in Courtenay, has also tested positive. Their last day of work was February 21st.

Six School closures

Six schools are listed on Island Health’s exposure page.

Three are in Courtenay and one in Comox.

On Wednesday. February 24th, the superintendent for School District 71, Comox Valley, sent parents a letter stating that eight members within the district tested positive for COVID-19, and 108 staff and students will be self-isolating for two weeks.

The other two school exposures are at Carihi and Timberline Secondary Schools in Campbell River. The most recent potential exposure dates were February 16th, 17th and 18th at Timberline. Both schools have taken the appropriate actions.