Cortes Currents

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The old Surge Narrows store, on Read Island, closed its doors in 2007. A Strathcona Regional District staff report sates, “since that time the building and its associated boardwalk, floating dock and fuel shed have been left in a state of disrepair.” Last November, the SRD board applied for a $2.2 million grant to revitalize the property and was turned down. Now it looks the Surge Narrows Store Revitalization project is going forward.

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BC’s Minister of Municipal Affairs, Selina Robinson, recently met with representatives from the SRD.

Regional Director Jim Abram wrote, in the September 2020 issue of Surge Currents, “This year staff and the Chair of the Board had three topics for the Board to consider and vote on as the topics to be discussed. I read them prior to the meeting and noticed that there wasn’t a single Rural Area issue on the list! Very upsetting since this IS our local government. So, I did the research and came up with one that I felt needed to go forward and it was directly related to this Minister’s portfolio.”

The Minister subsequently agreed that the Surge Narrows store project should go forward.

So did the Federal Ministry.

The Electoral Areas Services Committee gave its recommendation to the project at their September 16th board meeting.

When the SRD meets again, on October 7th, they will decide whether to send an application to the Canada Infrastructure Program - Rural and Northern Communities grant program.

According to Abram, Read Island already has the grant, “This is just the board endorsing it.”

In Surge Currents, he wrote, “The grant is for $2.2 Million for the Surge Narrows revitalization project which includes an additional wharf and dock, a rebuild of the Surge Narrows Store historic property and dozens of other wonderful projects within the property that we purchased a year or so ago. It will also look at a small seniors' village to accommodate the aging population that does not want to leave: Aging in place!”

Vancouver Coop Radio repost/Cortes Currents -By David P. Ball

Although very few cases of COVID-19 appear to have hit the Downtown Eastside (DTES) so far in the pandemic, an infectious disease expert who's worked in the neighbourhood for many years warns that the coast is not yet clear — and he is studying why there have been surprisingly few cases here.

That's particularly the case because of the disproportionately vulnerable populations that call the area home, with high levels of extreme poverty, illicit substance use and substandard, crowded housing.

Dr. Brian Conway, the medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, is now researching what exactly may account for the low case-count in the DTES, and whether it's luck, better preparation and prevention measures, or something else.

But with marchers in Vancouver marking International Overdose Awareness Day on Monday with two events in the DTES, Dr. Conway said the extreme and "truly tragic" death toll from contaminated opioids that surged during the pandemic is a devastating example of "collateral damage."

More, he said, needs to be done as the province braces for a predicted second wave of the virus as society and schools re-open this month — in particular to ensuring that COVID-19 testing services become available to DTES residents who have less access to transportation and public health information.

Vancouver Coop Radio repost/Cortes Currents -By David P. Ball

Although very few cases of COVID-19 appear to have hit the Downtown Eastside (DTES) so far in the pandemic, an infectious disease expert who's worked in the neighbourhood for many years warns that the coast is not yet clear — and he is studying why there have been surprisingly few cases here.

That's particularly the case because of the disproportionately vulnerable populations that call the area home, with high levels of extreme poverty, illicit substance use and substandard, crowded housing.

Dr. Brian Conway, the medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, is now researching what exactly may account for the low case-count in the DTES, and whether it's luck, better preparation and prevention measures, or something else.

But with marchers in Vancouver marking International Overdose Awareness Day on Monday with two events in the DTES, Dr. Conway said the extreme and "truly tragic" death toll from contaminated opioids that surged during the pandemic is a devastating example of "collateral damage."

More, he said, needs to be done as the province braces for a predicted second wave of the virus as society and schools re-open this month — in particular to ensuring that COVID-19 testing services become available to DTES residents who have less access to transportation and public health information.

Max Thaysen/Cortes Currents - The Klahoose First Nation is challenged by low salmon numbers resulting in a lack of traditional food, social and cultural resources. In this episode of Cortes Currents, we hear from Klahoose fishery and resource manager, Tina Wesley, and Tla'amin Nation community educator and language person Koosin Pielle

Max Thaysen/Cortes Currents - The Klahoose First Nation is challenged by low salmon numbers resulting in a lack of traditional food, social and cultural resources. In this episode of Cortes Currents, we hear from Klahoose fishery and resource manager, Tina Wesley, and Tla'amin Nation community educator and language person Koosin Pielle

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) may be on its way to acquiring a $244,000 to reduce wildfire risk in rural areas. Close to $76,000 of this could go to a variety of projects on Cortes Island, more than $52,000 to Quadra and Read Islands and more than $50,000 each to Electoral Area’s A and D. The Electoral Areas Services Committee passed a recommendation that the SRD send application to 2021 Community Resiliency Investment grant program.

This matter will go before the SRD Board at their October 7th meeting.

The Union of BC Municipalities deadline for applications is October 9, 2020.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) may be on its way to acquiring a $244,000 to reduce wildfire risk in rural areas. Close to $76,000 of this could go to a variety of projects on Cortes Island, more than $52,000 to Quadra and Read Islands and more than $50,000 each to Electoral Area’s A and D. The Electoral Areas Services Committee passed a recommendation that the SRD send application to 2021 Community Resiliency Investment grant program.

This matter will go before the SRD Board at their October 7th meeting.

The Union of BC Municipalities deadline for applications is October 9, 2020.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - While the number of confirmed COVID cases in Vancouver Island and the rest of the province continues to rise, data from the BC Centre for Disease Control shows there have been no new cases in North Island - which includes Courtenay, Campbell River, and the Discovery Islands, as well as communities further north - for at least a week. There has been only one new case throughout this entire region since September 10th and this would appear to be the only case still classified as "active."

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - While the number of confirmed COVID cases in Vancouver Island and the rest of the province continues to rise, data from the BC Centre for Disease Control shows there have been no new cases in North Island - which includes Courtenay, Campbell River, and the Discovery Islands, as well as communities further north - for at least a week. There has been only one new case throughout this entire region since September 10th and this would appear to be the only case still classified as "active."

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - Your brain - the organ central to your nervous system - is a fascinating and complex machine. There are many MANY fascinating things to learn, far too many for one talk. So, in The Brain 101 we will start with learning the four key threats to the brain; what they are, how this relates to your day-to-day life and why it is useful to understand them. As well learn tips for self regulation to improve the function of your brain, even in when it’s a challenge.