Cortes Currents

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - In a recent interview, Campbell of River’s  general manager of community development, Ron Bowles, described how COVID is impacting the city on three levels: as a city, as businesses and as individuals.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - A new UBC study suggests that Global warming could significantly reduce the areas where salmon can be farmed off the West Coast. The studies lead author,  Muhammed Oyinlola said that up to 84% of the area suitable for fish farming could be lost. We need to act now: either move fish farms on land or further out to sea. I asked Linda Sams, Sustainable Development Director of Cermaq Canada, for Cermaq’s response.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - A new UBC study suggests that Global warming could significantly reduce the areas where salmon can be farmed off the West Coast. The studies lead author,  Muhammed Oyinlola said that up to 84% of the area suitable for fish farming could be lost. We need to act now: either move fish farms on land or further out to sea. I asked Linda Sams, Sustainable Development Director of Cermaq Canada, for Cermaq’s response.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Covid’s impact on local tourism has been devastating. While there was a rush of visitors in August, Kirsten Soder, Executive Director of Destination Campbell River, says it will not be enough to carry some businesses through the winter. However some businesses are faring better than others.

Reports from two Cortes Island businesses as well as Destination Campbell River.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Covid’s impact on local tourism has been devastating. While there was a rush of visitors in August, Kirsten Soder, Executive Director of Destination Campbell River, says it will not be enough to carry some businesses through the winter. However some businesses are faring better than others.

Reports from two Cortes Island businesses as well as Destination Campbell River.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - BC health officials announced 139 new cases of COVID on Thursday, September 10, 2020, at which point there were 42 people in hospitals and 14 of these receiving critical care. The number of confirmed cases among members of the Tla’amin Nation, who attended a funeral and wake in Powell River, has risen to seven. COVID statistics for Northern Vancouver Island are much lower.

The BC Centre for Disease Control releases more localized data every Thursday.

While there have been nine new cases on Vancouver Island, in the week since September 3rd, only one of these is from the area north from Courtenay. There isn’t a single COVID patient in any hospital on Vancouver Island.

The last report specific to the greater Campbell River area, which includes Cortes, Quadra and the rest of the Discovery Islands, is for confirmed cases up until July 31 of this year. There were 12 cases at that time, most of which have now recovered.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - BC health officials announced 139 new cases of COVID on Thursday, September 10, 2020, at which point there were 42 people in hospitals and 14 of these receiving critical care. The number of confirmed cases among members of the Tla’amin Nation, who attended a funeral and wake in Powell River, has risen to seven. COVID statistics for Northern Vancouver Island are much lower.

The BC Centre for Disease Control releases more localized data every Thursday.

While there have been nine new cases on Vancouver Island, in the week since September 3rd, only one of these is from the area north from Courtenay. There isn’t a single COVID patient in any hospital on Vancouver Island.

The last report specific to the greater Campbell River area, which includes Cortes, Quadra and the rest of the Discovery Islands, is for confirmed cases up until July 31 of this year. There were 12 cases at that time, most of which have now recovered.

Max Thaysen/Cortes Currents - Friends of Cortes Island (also known as FOCI) Streamkeepers are increasing the salmon spawning potential of James Creek. Last weekend saw the first of many days of work moving gravel from the bridge over James Creek, down the Grandmother grove trail to five different locations in the creek bed.

The spawning locations receiving gravel were chosen by FOCI Streamkeeper Captains Cec and Christine Robinson with guidance from Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Community Advisor Stacey Larson and Dave Ewert, a retired hatchery manager now living on Cortes.

Max Thaysen/Cortes Currents - Friends of Cortes Island (also known as FOCI) Streamkeepers are increasing the salmon spawning potential of James Creek. Last weekend saw the first of many days of work moving gravel from the bridge over James Creek, down the Grandmother grove trail to five different locations in the creek bed.

The spawning locations receiving gravel were chosen by FOCI Streamkeeper Captains Cec and Christine Robinson with guidance from Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Community Advisor Stacey Larson and Dave Ewert, a retired hatchery manager now living on Cortes.

According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, as of September 3rd there have been 64 confirmed COVID cases in the North Island region this year. Only 4 were still active. None of these were critical. They did not indicate if there are still any active covid cases in our area, which includes Campbell River, the Discovery Islands and Mainland Inlets, but there have been at least 12 this year.