Cortes Currents

On the morning of Friday, February 7th, the RCMP moved in to raid the second of four camps along the gravel road that passes through the Wet'suwet'en Nation, Gidimt'en Territory. The RCMP were enforcing a court injunction that prohibited anyone from blocking access to anyone working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline. I was a legal observer for that raid – a collector of information for the purposes of legal defense.

When you talk about Cortes Island’s population, most of us think of humans but there is an even larger avian population. The Cortes museum has been taking an annual Christmas Bird Count since 2001. There were 38 participants this year. Most were in five groups, but there were also a number of people who reported birds visiting feeders, or parts of the island not on the established routes.

When you talk about Cortes Island’s population, most of us think of humans but there is an even larger avian population. The Cortes museum has been taking an annual Christmas Bird Count since 2001. There were 38 participants this year. Most were in five groups, but there were also a number of people who reported birds visiting feeders, or parts of the island not on the established routes.

About forty Cortes Islanders attended a public meeting on February 15th at Manson's Hall, to discuss local governance models and alternatives.

About forty Cortes Islanders attended a public meeting on February 15th at Manson's Hall, to discuss local governance models and alternatives.

"Convincing a stone to be something else is no small task; it's heavy, it's dusty, it's dirty and it's my labor of love", says stone sculptor Julie Glaspy from Quadra Island. Chosen to represent Canada at the 2020 International symposium in Nepal, Julie talks to CKTZ about her journey in shaping stone to be something else: a granite heart two feet tall, or a small rose quatrz necklace, or her beautiful bowls.

"Convincing a stone to be something else is no small task; it's heavy, it's dusty, it's dirty and it's my labor of love", says stone sculptor Julie Glaspy from Quadra Island. Chosen to represent Canada at the 2020 International symposium in Nepal, Julie talks to CKTZ about her journey in shaping stone to be something else: a granite heart two feet tall, or a small rose quatrz necklace, or her beautiful bowls.

On February 8th 2020, Cortes Currents was pleased to welcome Adam McKenty of CCEDA as the first guest on our new live talk show component. CCEDA (Cortes Community Economic Development Association) is the new name for the organisation formerly known as CIBATA (Cortes Island Business and Tourism Association). Its 6-member board includes three members from prior CIBATA boards.

On February 8th 2020, Cortes Currents was pleased to welcome Adam McKenty of CCEDA as the first guest on our new live talk show component. CCEDA (Cortes Community Economic Development Association) is the new name for the organisation formerly known as CIBATA (Cortes Island Business and Tourism Association). Its 6-member board includes three members from prior CIBATA boards.

Recent events have shown that the Regional District system does not always work well in a remote island like Cortes. Some whisper it’s time for Cortexit. Our Regional Director says we should work within the existing structure. It would be very expensive for a community this small to go it alone. She added,0:57 “A minority of very active voices has been very effective in undermining my credibility at the Regional District and yet if what I brought to the District was backed by a community council it would be harder to marginalize.” In this morning’s program we go to Cambridge, Vermont, to explore how an even more democratic system of government would work here.