Cortes Currents

Roy L HaLes/Cortes Currents - Though the number cases is still rising, there are still fewer deaths and and hospitalizations in the second wave of COVID 19. There were 968 new cases reported in British Columbia last week. The majority were in the Fraser and North Coast Health Regions. Vancouver Island continues to report the lowest numbers in the province and there were only two new cases in North Vancouver Island last week.

Comparing weekly maps released by the BC Centre for Disease Control yesterday and a week before, we find: two new cases in North Vancouver Island; eight in Central Vancouver Island and six in Southern Vancouver Island

Photo credit: Quadra Island by Pierre Mariotta via Flickr (CC BY SA, 2.0 License)

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The two incidents are unrelated. On October 8th, a homeless shelter in the forest behind the Vineyard Christian Fellowship Church in Campbell River caught fire. The blaze started in the structure’s homemade fireplace. Neither of the two occupants were injured, but RCMP Cst. Maury Tyre said the fire easily have spread to nearby buildings. The day before this, the Campbell River Mirror reported that the homeless encampment at Quinsam road will soon be served with a notice to vacate.

Police Reports

“ … There have been reports of domestic assaults out there, we’ve found stolen property out there, we’ve found kids that are listed as missing intoxicated out there and from a risk management standpoint, unfortunately, it’s a location that did have some issues,” Tyre explained.

The most alarming incident, in the friction between Campbell River’s homeless population and members of the surrounding population, took place in the early hours of September, 22nd, 2020. A 20 year old homeless male was set on fire as he slept underneath the highway bridge. He “managed to shed his burning clothing and made his way to the parking lot for help.” The man was treated for “severe burns to his back” and, when he returned to his sleeping place, found “some of his possessions had been removed.”

Residents of Quinsam Road Camp

They are probably the most impoverished members of Campbell River’s homeless population, which numbers between 80 and 100 people.

In a recent interview with Cortes Currents, Sue Moen from the Campbell River Coalition to end homelessness explained that, according BC Housing, homeless people “ … are precariously housed, or couch surfing, or aren’t paying rent directly to a landlord. They may be sharing a room, but their name isn’t on the rental agreement. They don’t know if they’ll have housing for the next thirty days … Also, there are a lot of people who are living in vehicles, RVs, and some even in campsites.”

There are about 20 people currently living in the encampment on Quinsam Road.

Moen told the Campbell River Mirror that people camped at Quinsam Road “have nothing except their camping stuff.”

Constable Tyre agreed, “People are just trying to survive the best way they know how and in this case it’s not a sustainable option.”

Nunn’s Creek Park

They will be given the option of camping in Nunn’s Creek Park, where a city bylaw says they must pack up all of their belongings and leave every morning by 9 AM. Failure to do so could result in a loss of the few possessions they have.

Photo taken from RCMP press release of homeless man set on fire on September 22nd.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The two incidents are unrelated. On October 8th, a homeless shelter in the forest behind the Vineyard Christian Fellowship Church in Campbell River caught fire. The blaze started in the structure’s homemade fireplace. Neither of the two occupants were injured, but RCMP Cst. Maury Tyre said the fire easily have spread to nearby buildings. The day before this, the Campbell River Mirror reported that the homeless encampment at Quinsam road will soon be served with a notice to vacate.

Police Reports

“ … There have been reports of domestic assaults out there, we’ve found stolen property out there, we’ve found kids that are listed as missing intoxicated out there and from a risk management standpoint, unfortunately, it’s a location that did have some issues,” Tyre explained.

The most alarming incident, in the friction between Campbell River’s homeless population and members of the surrounding population, took place in the early hours of September, 22nd, 2020. A 20 year old homeless male was set on fire as he slept underneath the highway bridge. He “managed to shed his burning clothing and made his way to the parking lot for help.” The man was treated for “severe burns to his back” and, when he returned to his sleeping place, found “some of his possessions had been removed.”

Residents of Quinsam Road Camp

They are probably the most impoverished members of Campbell River’s homeless population, which numbers between 80 and 100 people.

In a recent interview with Cortes Currents, Sue Moen from the Campbell River Coalition to end homelessness explained that, according BC Housing, homeless people “ … are precariously housed, or couch surfing, or aren’t paying rent directly to a landlord. They may be sharing a room, but their name isn’t on the rental agreement. They don’t know if they’ll have housing for the next thirty days … Also, there are a lot of people who are living in vehicles, RVs, and some even in campsites.”

There are about 20 people currently living in the encampment on Quinsam Road.

Moen told the Campbell River Mirror that people camped at Quinsam Road “have nothing except their camping stuff.”

Constable Tyre agreed, “People are just trying to survive the best way they know how and in this case it’s not a sustainable option.”

Nunn’s Creek Park

They will be given the option of camping in Nunn’s Creek Park, where a city bylaw says they must pack up all of their belongings and leave every morning by 9 AM. Failure to do so could result in a loss of the few possessions they have.

Photo taken from RCMP press release of homeless man set on fire on September 22nd.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - “ … The challenge is the economics that is going to come home fairly quickly. We’ve had too many people off business; off work. The bills are building and we must address that,” said BC Liberal candidate Norm Facey, in the only interview he granted Cortes Currents.

“I’m not saying we’re going to run in and balance the budget – because we’re not. We are going to run in and take care of people. We’re going to make sure that services are extended. We’re going to reduce costs. We are going to make sure that people come first and we get a recovery that includes everybody, not just a few.”

Interviews with the Green, NDP and Liberal candidates, plus a lot more.

Photo credit: Accounting by Foam via Flickr (CC BY SA, 2.0 License)

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - “ … The challenge is the economics that is going to come home fairly quickly. We’ve had too many people off business; off work. The bills are building and we must address that,” said BC Liberal candidate Norm Facey, in the only interview he granted Cortes Currents.

“I’m not saying we’re going to run in and balance the budget – because we’re not. We are going to run in and take care of people. We’re going to make sure that services are extended. We’re going to reduce costs. We are going to make sure that people come first and we get a recovery that includes everybody, not just a few.”

Interviews with the Green, NDP and Liberal candidates, plus a lot more.

Photo credit: Accounting by Foam via Flickr (CC BY SA, 2.0 License)

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - There were a lot of Discovery Island Items at the SRD (Strathcona Regional District) Board meeting last week.

Cannabis on Cortes Island

Cortes Island’s zoning bylaw is being amended.

“I’m looking to be able to allow cannabis production and sale, pretty much in alignment with the existing provincial and federal regulations without requiring site specific zoning. but delighted to work with staff to bring something back for the public’s consideration,” said Regional Director Noba Anderson.

Quadra Island Items

Quadra Island is talking a different approach and Quadraponics Cannabis property is one of three whose applications for rezoning have just been approved.

The others are the proposed BC Ferries berth in Quathiaski Cove and new firehall in Heriot Bay.

Heriot Bay Tru Value foods has been given a commercial development permit for a new recycling depot and gardening centre .

There has been a lot of talk about extending the SRD’s fire protection to north Quadra Island lately.

“We have been mulling this over for around a year, I believe. One lady has kept writing to us for services to north Quadra. Problem is they don’t have a fire service on north Quadra. While the survey that they got back said everyone want to have a fire service, nobody wants to pay,” explained Regional Director Brenda Leigh.

The SRD board decided that no further public consultation be undertaken until more than 50% of property owners and 50% of property values petition in favour of a fire service for North Quadra.

Quadra Island Conservatory and Quadra Island cat rescue have both received grants in aid for $1,500.

Read Island Items

There were also two Read Island items.

The Surge Narrows Community Association recently purchased a 20 acre parcel which they intend to become parkland. The SRD approved an application for this parcel to be tax free.

The SRD is also applying for a Rural and Northern communities grant to renovate the old store, boardwalk and floating dock at Read Island.

“We’ve already gone through this with staff, the ministries and all the people we have to apply to. This is just the finalizing part of it, officially at the board table. That’s why it is here. It has already happened. We have already met with Minister Selina Robinson at UBCM. This was one of the three topics we talked about,” said Regional Director Jim Abram.

He added, “This is hopefully going forward. I believe the deadline … is the end of this month, October 30th and after that we will receive some kind of notification as to whether we got it or not. IT is for $2.3 milllion, so it is a big deal.”

Giving EASC authority over grants in aid

Lastly, the Electoral Areas Services Committee (EASC) is seeking the authority to decide who will receive a grant in aid in the SRD’s rural areas.

Up until now, they have made recommendations but the final decision is made by the SRD Board.

Given the ongoing friction within EASC, Director Anderson said Cortes Island would prefer to stay with the SRD Board.

The other EASC directors agreed to this.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - There were a lot of Discovery Island Items at the SRD (Strathcona Regional District) Board meeting last week.

Cannabis on Cortes Island

Cortes Island’s zoning bylaw is being amended.

“I’m looking to be able to allow cannabis production and sale, pretty much in alignment with the existing provincial and federal regulations without requiring site specific zoning. but delighted to work with staff to bring something back for the public’s consideration,” said Regional Director Noba Anderson.

Quadra Island Items

Quadra Island is talking a different approach and Quadraponics Cannabis property is one of three whose applications for rezoning have just been approved.

The others are the proposed BC Ferries berth in Quathiaski Cove and new firehall in Heriot Bay.

Heriot Bay Tru Value foods has been given a commercial development permit for a new recycling depot and gardening centre .

There has been a lot of talk about extending the SRD’s fire protection to north Quadra Island lately.

“We have been mulling this over for around a year, I believe. One lady has kept writing to us for services to north Quadra. Problem is they don’t have a fire service on north Quadra. While the survey that they got back said everyone want to have a fire service, nobody wants to pay,” explained Regional Director Brenda Leigh.

The SRD board decided that no further public consultation be undertaken until more than 50% of property owners and 50% of property values petition in favour of a fire service for North Quadra.

Quadra Island Conservatory and Quadra Island cat rescue have both received grants in aid for $1,500.

Read Island Items

There were also two Read Island items.

The Surge Narrows Community Association recently purchased a 20 acre parcel which they intend to become parkland. The SRD approved an application for this parcel to be tax free.

The SRD is also applying for a Rural and Northern communities grant to renovate the old store, boardwalk and floating dock at Read Island.

“We’ve already gone through this with staff, the ministries and all the people we have to apply to. This is just the finalizing part of it, officially at the board table. That’s why it is here. It has already happened. We have already met with Minister Selina Robinson at UBCM. This was one of the three topics we talked about,” said Regional Director Jim Abram.

He added, “This is hopefully going forward. I believe the deadline … is the end of this month, October 30th and after that we will receive some kind of notification as to whether we got it or not. IT is for $2.3 milllion, so it is a big deal.”

Giving EASC authority over grants in aid

Lastly, the Electoral Areas Services Committee (EASC) is seeking the authority to decide who will receive a grant in aid in the SRD’s rural areas.

Up until now, they have made recommendations but the final decision is made by the SRD Board.

Given the ongoing friction within EASC, Director Anderson said Cortes Island would prefer to stay with the SRD Board.

The other EASC directors agreed to this.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Many scientists believe we have seven years to avert the worst ravages of the impending Climate Crisis. Even if they are wrong, it is clear that British Columbia must transition to cleaner energy sources. Should the BC government continue to pay out close to $1 billion a year in fossil fuel subsidies and tax cuts?

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Many scientists believe we have seven years to avert the worst ravages of the impending Climate Crisis. Even if they are wrong, it is clear that British Columbia must transition to cleaner energy sources. Should the BC government continue to pay out close to $1 billion a year in fossil fuel subsidies and tax cuts?

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Statistics released by the BC Centre for Disease Control show that our area is relatively COVID free.

These are found on a series of maps, and a weekly report, released on Thursday, October 8th.

One of the maps shows the number of new COVID cases in the previous fourteen days. While there were 19 reported on Vancouver Island, only three were in the region stretching north from Courtenay.

Another map gives the total number of cases, since the outbreak began, in Northern, Central and Southern Vancouver Island. There have been 71 in North Island, only two more than last week.

Local Health Areas

The BC Centre for Disease Control releases the cumulative data for every Local Health Area in British Columbia every month. The most recent, which shows the number of cases reported as of September 30th, was updated yesterday.

It breaks Northern Vancouver Island into four areas. Comparing the data with previous maps, we find:

There were 4 new cases in the Comox Valley during September

Another case was reported in Vancouver Island North, which includes the communities of Port McNeill, Port Hardy and Coal Harbour.

There were no new cases in Kyuquot, Zeballos and Tahsis, and the rest of Vancouver Island West, since August. A single case has been reported in that region.

There have been no new reports in the Campbell River area, which includes Cortes, Quadra and the rest of the Discovery Islands, since July. At that point there had been a total of 12 cases since the pandemic entered our area.

This detailed breakdown ends on September 30th and, as mentioned earlier, there have been at least two more cases reported somewhere in northern Vancouver Island.