Cortes Currents

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - t has been three weeks since Anna Kindy was sworn in as the Conservative Party MLA for North Island riding.

We actually had a long phone conversation shortly after her election, but this has been a very busy time for Ms Kindy and so we agreed to do the interview on December 3, yesterday. 

As I didn’t get an opportunity to interview her during the election, it's probably best to start at the beginning. 

“As an MLA,  I represent everyone in this constituency. It doesn't matter if you voted for me or not, I represent you and I'll do it to the best of my capacity.  I have to look at what the issues are in my riding and how to address them,” she said.  

Cortes Currents: Why did you  run for office? What was the inspiration?

Anna Kindy: “It wasn't in the cards a few years back, like two or three years ago. I wasn't even thinking of running for the office, but I was seeing so many things going sideways.  I've  always been politically aware, so I decided to stop complaining and do something about it. So I threw my hat in.”

Roy L Hales/COrtes Currents - There's a wildfire mitigation operation underway in the Community Forest near Squirrel Cove.

"This is something that we've been working on since 2018.  It was identified as a priority in the 2020 Community Wildfire Protection Plan.  We received funding for a prescription, then we got funding to do an archaeological assessment, as required by law in the Tla'amin First Nation and then this year we obtained funding through the Forest Enhancement Society of BC to actually do the work.  I'm just really excited to see it happening because when you see an overgrown plantation like this,  it feels really good to be able to reinvest in the land base to leave a better forest for the future generation and reduce the wildfire risk in this neighbourhood," explained to Mark Lombard, General Manager of the Cortes Forestry General Partnership.

Cortes Currents: How big of an area are we talking about?

Mark Lombard: "This project is 6.5 hectares and then the Coulter Bay project is 9.8 hectares. So a total of 16.3 hectares this year, out of 3,800 hectares in the Community Forest. So it's just a drop in the bucket really, but they're in neighbourhoods.”

Bruce Ellingsen,  a founding Director and thought leader of the Cortes Community Forest movement, added, "One of the justifications for mitigating the possibility of wildfire is because of the adjacency to neighbourhoods and other residences."

Mark Lombard: "Your residential neighborhood in Squirrel Cove is all uphill from here."

Bruce Ellingsen: "That's the way fires go, it's uphill usually."

The Cortes Forestry General Partnership's first cutblocks were in Larsens Meadow during 2015. They started working in Squirrel Cove the following year.  

Bruce Ellingsen: "It's the intention of the partnership to cut below the annual incremental growth of the whole forest on the Community Forest land base so that it gradually ages while we're still cutting a modest amount.

Over time, they intend to harvest increasingly larger trees that are much more efficiently processed by Cortes Island’s local mills.

We met at the gate, outside of the remediation area.

Mark Lombard: "The hemlock are almost all dying out here. This stand was 'space improved' 20 years ago. They would have left a little bit of hemlock, and we're seeing it die out.  There's one hemlock there and one hemlock there,  they're both dead.  There's another one right there that's broken off."

"The stand that we're working in is maybe 10 years younger and it hasn't been spaced and pruned. It's really overgrown. The fir are not doing as well as in this plantation. We're forced to leave a little bit more balsam and a little bit more hemlock and certainly we're trying to leave cedars wherever we can because it's hard to grow cedars. It's nice to see the cedars doing well, but the balsam has a beetle in them so  it's a real balancing act of trying to leave a decent stock knowing that quite a few of the trees we're going to leave are probably going to die just like these ones. We just don't want to leave a whole bunch of stuff in our wildfire risk reduction project that is going to be dead in 10 years or 20 years.”

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On November 29, 2024, host Manda Aufoch’s Gillespie was joined by Klahoose council member and political science major Johnny Hanuse, to lead a conversation about indigenous governance. Tune in for a discussion of decolonization, politics, tradition, and community.

Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - A Strathcona Regional District (SRD) motion that might have taken Gas Tax funding away from its rural areas was narrowly defeated at the Wednesday, November 27, Board meeting.

Every year, the funds collected through Canada’s Gas Tax are used on infrastructure and planning projects across the nation. In British Columbia, the Union of BC Municipalities distributes $280 million to local governments. Municipalities like Campbell River, Sayward and Zeballos are all paid directly, receiving $1.7 million, $79,000 and  $69.000, respectively. Viewed on a per capita basis, every municipality in the SRD except Campbell River receives between two and ten times more Gas Tax funding than the district’s rural areas. However the $543,000 for the Strathcona Regional Discovery’s four rural areas goes through the SRD. Up until now, this money was used ‘solely for their benefit,’ but there has been a push to explore ‘other options’ for this funding.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - By law, the Strathcona Regional District is required to elect a Chair and Vice Chair every year. The SRD Board met on Wendesday November 27 and as the SRD press release states, elected Mayor Mark Baker as Chair for the third consecutive year. What it does not say is that their were two other candidates: Mark Vonesch of Cortes Island and Gerald Whalley of Area A.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - As some of you may have already heard, BC Ferries is going through some changes. They range from a total revamp of the way they have been engaging with the public to that probably won’t effect fares until 2028.

Let’s start with finances. BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez recently informed the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce the cost to build ferries has risen 40% since 2020. Speaking as a customer, my immediate thought was this sounds like there is a fare hike coming.

Jeff Groot, BC Ferries Executive Director in charge of communications, responded “I think that's a fair reaction. There's a couple of things that we're experiencing right now.”

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The 10th Annual Holiday Fair at Mansons Hall will be from 11 to 3 PM on Sunday December 1, 2024.

“Join us at Manson's Hall on Sunday, December 1st, from 11am to 3pm for a 10th annual holiday fair. 30 talented vendors will display their finest wares, including gourmet food. handmade crafts, specialty beauty products, natural remedies, unique jewelry, artisan soaps, textiles, beeswax candles, musical instruments, baskets, baked goods, woodwork and handicraft items. The event also features live music and a delightful lunch,” explained Jennifer Pickrod, the Hall Manager.

Cortes Currents: When was the first Holiday Fair?

Jennifer Pickrod: “I just did some research into our database and it looks like there is a record of some kind of a Christmas fair happening since at least 2004.”

Cortes Currents: Do you get much of a turnout?

Jennifer Pickrod: “We get an immense turnout actually because people seem to be really excited to come out and support their local vendors at this event. And so it's always nice also for them to come and see how the hall is all decorated in Christmas lights and twinkling and it just seems like a festive, wonderful event for the whole community to enjoy.”

Cortes Currents: What does this represent for the vendors?

Jennifer Pickrod: “This represents really an opportunity for the vendors to showcase what they've been working on through the whole year. Many of our vendors only participate in the holiday fair because they have been having a great success at this event, and they see it as an opportunity to focus on something, a project throughout the year, wherein they will work on their crafts and have an opportunity to really showcase them at this very popular event.”

Cortes Currents: Tell me about your vendors.

Jennifer Pickford:

Brig Weiler is our long standing jewelry and crafts and card vendor.

Joy Shipway is going to be having some special holiday treats.

Irene Bleweth will be showcasing her silver jewelry.

We also have Dancing Wolf coming. He's going to be bringing some interesting goods. I'm not sure what, but it sounds very intriguing at this point.

We have the Cortez food bank coming. They're going to be bringing their designer grocery bags.

We've got a chap named Xavier who has silver jewelry as well.

Alana Karen. Who's bringing her homemade soaps.

Heather McKenzie is coming with some crystal jewelry.

Savannah Young is bringing her pottery.

Hilary Else is bringing her elsewhere clothing.

Meredith Bill, has willow baskets, hides various herbal things like soaps, salves, mists.

Tammy Collingwood will be there as well with her homemade cosmetics.

We have Monica Mangetti and Sheldon with their books, watches, watch batteries, and handcrafted items.\

We will have the radio station CKTZ, with their merchandise.

Anastasia will also be there with her glass jewelry.

Melissa Campbell with textiles, beeswax candles, and goodies like that.

Ron Bazaar with his beautiful handcrafted woodwork.

Rod Lee will be there with his bird houses and other woodworks.

Noba Anderson is going to be there with her wild harvested fish.

Karen Paras will be there as well with some beautiful homemade clothing.

We also have Sarah from Wildflower. She's going to be selling some homemade apple cider.

“Of course, there will be a delicious lunch provided by Trevor Bess, who is going to be selling a little cup of his delicious homemade pasta in a soup that people can carry around with them as they're perusing all the beautiful products at the holiday fair.”

“That's just a few of the vendors that you will see highlighted here. We are really excited that the community is so on board with this event. It is always such a pleasure to have everybody come through the door. There will also be some lovely harp playing by Laurel Bohart and we will have some Christmas tunes. It'll just have a general feeling of festivity for everyone to enjoy.”

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - According to the 2024 Interim Housing Needs Report, in the next two years Cortes Island will need another 95 new housing units and Area C will need another 270.

The studies underlying assumptions are that the Discovery Island’s population will continue to grow by 8% over the next few years.

One of the key findings is that “there is a need for housing that is affordable and accessible for those on a fixed income, particularly within the rental market. An aging population presents a greater need for at-home care options and smaller housing units that allow for downsizing. Seniors are also more likely to be living with a disability or activity limitation than other age groups and may have to pay for all household expenses on a fixed income”

Another sector identified in the report was renters who are expected to face continued challenges because the increase to their housing costs will continue to be greater than increases in income. Around 45% of the renters who responded to recent surveys indicated they were paying unaffordable rents. 

This is particularly alarming when you consider that a quarter of the respondents to Campbell River’s most recent Point in Time Count stated had been homeless for less than 6 months and the #1 cause they cited was not enough income to pay rent. 

There are currently 145 rental units on Cortes Island and 250 in Area C.

Three of the comments cited in the report: 

“This is a crisis that needs to be dealt with. The number of folks online that are desperate for housing is shocking. Any renter is at the mercy of their landlord to become homeless.” 

As a small business owner and someone who grew up on Quadra Island, I see the struggle younger generations are going through to find housing. Rentals are increasingly hard to come by and finding property to buy for a young family trying to make a living on the island is not possible. There are younger generations that have grown up on the island and want to stay but just can’t make it without some kind of affordable housing. As a business owner, I am experiencing a lack of labour options because of this.” 

“There is a huge lack of affordable housing on Cortes. People are in a constant search of a place to live; some are elderly, many are young. People live in cars, vans, tents, derelict boats. People request a place to bring a trailer or a trailerable home.”   

By 2041 Cortes Island is expected to need another 241 units and Area C another 633 units.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - When the Cortes Island Foundation released Cortes Island’s Vital Signs Report last month, Executive Director Manda Aufochs Gillespie said she’d like to go into specific sections in more detail. 

"One of the things that really stood out to me is the information around income and work and economy.  This area starts around page 13 in this document and I'm going to be using a lot of words to talk about this, but when you look at the report there's graphs, little quotes and etc. that make it easier to read.”

She suggested inviting Kate Maddigan, from the Cortes Community Economic Development Association (CCEDA), to get another perspective.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -The Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) 2024 AGM is coming up at 5 PM on December 3rd. They are celebrating more than 30 years with their Marine Stewardship program and special partnership with the Watershed Sentinel Magazine. Sabina Leader Mense and Delores Broten will be the guest speakers. 

“That's the second part of the AGM. For the first part, we will be talking about  the work we've done in 2024. We've just produced our 2024 Annual Report and that's bursting at the seams with amazing work that we've been doing over the last year,” explained Helen Hall. executive director of the Friends of Cortes Island.