Cortes Currents

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - While the Green party has shown promise in the past, especially on Vancouver Island, this has yet to translate into votes on election day. So my biggest question for Nic Dedeluck, the candidate for North Island riding, is why should we vote Green? 

Nick Dedeluck: “The Green Party is running candidates in 69 ridings, but we have six ridings that we are really hopeful will actually get elected. Getting six green MLAs voted in would be really positive for BC politics and holding the other parties accountable to moving forward  in a way that's better for our environment.” 

“We’re not going to form a government, and we're quite aware of that, but the more green MLAs that we can get elected,  the better it's going to be for BC. We can work better together with the other parties and the Green Party is well known for holding the other parties accountable to proper action for the needs of the communities rather than for big business. The Green Party is a party that has a four pillar platform that includes thriving people, resilient communities, a flourishing natural world, and good governance.” 

Cortes Currents: Tell us a little about your life before running in this election.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - A small group of people turned out to hear an overview of FOCI’s Western Screech Owl Project at Mansons Hall on Friday September 27, 2024. Participants listened to different owl calls, examined owl feathers and learned why putting up nest boxes is important. The speakers were the two biologists from Madrone Environmental who wrote FOCI’s final report. Cortes Currents interviewed the lead author, Roxan Chicalo, afterward.  

“What gets me up in the morning, when I'm working at these species at risk, is thinking about balanced ecosystems. Everything is working together to create the ecosystem that supports our lifestyles as humans. In my mind, every animal and plant has a role that they play,” she began.

“Screech owls are a small avian predator. They eat  anything from amphibians to small mammals to fish, insects, slugs,  all sorts  of different small animals in the ecosystem. As a predator, they  keep a check on those prey species populations so that they don't get out of control, and they also support biodiversity. If one of these prey species booms in their populations, they might start to compete against  other populations of other animals. We might see that we're having more extinction events.  That's why we should care to  promote a balanced ecosystem and support that.” 

Cortes Currents: How scarce are Western Screech Owls?  

Roxan Chicalo: “There's not a whole lot of recent data regarding population estimates for Western screech owls. So first I would like to talk about the two subspecies that exist in British Columbia.  There's the Megascops kennicottii kennicottii subspecies, the coastal subspecies.  They go  up to the south coast of Alaska, and  all the way down the coast to northern Oregon.  Then we have an interior subspecies,  the MacFarlane's Western Screech Owl. Their range is just  a little bit into the Kelowna-Okanagan area.  Today I'm mostly talking about the coastal subspecies that we would have on Vancouver Island and the Discovery Islands.  The most recent population estimate from the COSEWIC report is about 2,000 individuals left in the wild and the range is between 1,500 to about 3,000.” 

“This data is heavily skewed from where these surveys have taken place.  There's so many areas along the coast that are inaccessible or really expensive to access. A lot of the surveys were in Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island around Victoria, a little bit on the Sunshine Coast, but not much further north than that.” 

“There have been some long term studies, specifically from the Christmas bird counts. Where they started documenting their owl counts in 1983, they detected an owl about one hour per hour survey time. I think the most recent estimate, a COSEWIC report from 2012, found about one owl for every 10 hours of survey effort.” 

“So there's been about a 20 to 30% decline in the 15 years prior to 2012 and it's suspected that that decline has continued, maybe have stabilized a little bit. Nobody really knows, but there are recent efforts by the government to conduct an inventory of what is happening now with those populations.” 

Cortes Currents: Has the Screech Owl been driven out of areas like southern Cortes Island by human development and predation from larger owls?

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - There was a Truth and Reconciliation ceremony at Gorge Harbour on Monday, September 30. It consisted of sacred songs and sharing experiences, as well as Chief Steven Brown’s perspectives on how the Klahoose are reclaiming their present and their future.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - 338Canada’s latest projection for North Island Riding, taken on September 30, shows the Conservative party of BC having just taken the lead in the popular vote. Nineteen days from the election, they may currently be supported by 47% of the electorate as opposed to 42% for the NDP. The media website uses data from recent polls and the riding’s history. They have covered 13 general elections and, so far, 338Canada claims to have successfully identified the winner in 1,657 electoral districts 89.9% of the time. That said, this is essentially a ‘point in time’ analysis and yesterday showed these two parties virtually tied.

 “We know this is going to be a really close election, so we're rolling up our sleeves and we're not taking anything for granted,” said Michele Babchuk, the NDP candidate and current MLA for our riding.

“I'm just actually in the car pulled over on the side of the road right now. It just came out of a meeting with a local group here. We will be in Campbell River today at the campaign office. As soon as I get back, I will be knocking on doors and out with my team. Another group will be on the phones, putting in the hard work, putting up signs, doing some fundraising. I've been all over the riding all summer, but this week focused in Campbell River.”

“We've heard Mr Rustad talk about not believing in climate science, how the government shouldn't be involved in helping people with housing. We've heard a few conspiracy theories come out, so I am just concerned of what this looks like for the North Island.”

Cortes Currents sent Babchuk, the Conservative candidate Anna Kidney and Green candidate Nic Dedeluk a series of questions about extreme weather events, emissions, the housing crisis, food prices, employment and education in our area.

Dedeluk agreed to an interview which will take place later this week.

Kidney’s campaign manager, Richard Martin, emailed “More than ever, British Columbians are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living as they see jobs, investment and economic opportunity leave our province.  Anna owes it to the people of North Island to speak with them about their concerns on the direction of our province and how we can make it better. In the lead up to October 19, her focus is on engaging with voters directly at the doors.”

So far, Babchuk has been the only one to respond in detail.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The  Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ [pronounced Lee-gwilth-daxw] Nations (We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum and Kwiakah) are asking the province to change several geographic names in the Campbell River area.

They wish to change the name of the Discovery Passage to Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ Passage, the Quinsam River to Kʷənsəm and the Tyee Spit to ʔuxstalis [pronounced Oox-sta-lease].

The Discovery Passage was once called Yaculta Narrows, because the Ligw”itdax peoples charged a toll for canoes passing through. The name Ligw”itdax belongs to a virtually unkillable worm. If it is cut into segment, each part becomes a new worm.

“Kʷənsəm” is a Coast Salish word meaning resting place. The Quinsam River was originally K’omoks First Nations territory and home of their first two ancestors. It is now Lig”itdax territory as a result of a conflict between the two nations which ended with a marriage between noble families.

ʔuxstalis is a Ligw”itdax word which could mean ‘beach on the back side’ or ‘where the land ends.’ There were once several longhouses there and it is surrounded by food-gathering areas. There were crabapples, gooseberries, wild strawberries, medicial plants and fish traps.

On August 19, Trent Thomas from the BC Geographical Names Office informed the city of Campbell River they have until October 25 to ask any questions or make any comments about the proposed changes.

This matter was brought up at the September 5 city council meeting and referred to the Committee of the Whole Meeting on Wednesday, October 8, 2024.

Rpy L Hales/Cores Currents - The Active Transportation Planning grants that Quadra Island is about to receive, and both Cortes Island and Area D are applying for, opens the door to far larger opportunities. 

As Meredith Starkey, Manager of Planning for the Strathcona Regional District (SRD), explained “Active transportation means anything human powered: walking, cycling, and rolling in the sense of skateboarding or some other type of device that you might use to roll." 

"This is the BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant Program that's administered through the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. They have  a sub grant  that is specifically for active transportation network planning." 

"What we have is the network planning grant." 

“We just were directed by the Board to apply for Areas B (Cortes) and D. It's this same grant that we now have for Area C. The province provides  a maximum of $50,000. It's 50 percent grant funded and 50 percent funded by the Gas Tax for us and so in total, it's $100,000 to develop the plan."

"That enables us to do all the foundational background research, the data gathering part, but then also to flesh that out into a full plan. On top of that,  we're able to pull out one high level priority from that plan and do all  the engineering work, the survey, the cost estimates and  concept design work that would need to happen so that we can actually make it shovel ready.  All the groundwork that we need in order to apply for the infrastructure grant,  which is the same fund but a different funding stream within it." 

Cortes Currents: So this grant is the door opener and in the next grant you actually get to do some of the stuff.   

Meredith Starkey: "That is correct." 

Cortes Currents: Is there a financial cap for the second stage?

Meredith Starkey: "The infrastructure portion of the grant is much, much bigger.  I don't actually know the cap on it now, but it's quite substantial."

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) is applying for a grant to develop plans for walking, cycling and rolling (skateboard, roller skates etc) infrastructure on Cortes Island and in Area D. 

The Ministry of Transportation refers to these as active means of transportation and has made Active Transportation Network Planning Grants of up to $50,000 available to communities with populations under 25,000. 

If their applications are successful, the SRD plans to match the funding with money obtained through the Community Works Fund (better known as the Gas Tax). 

Mayor Michael Lott of Gold River read out the motion at the SRD Board meeting of Wednesday, September 15, 2024:

“I'd  also like to move that an application be submitted to the 2024/25 Active Transportation Network Planning program for grant funding to develop an Active Transportation Network Plan for Electoral Area B; and that the Regional District commit to overall management of the grant if the application is successful; and that, if the application is successful, 50% of the project funding be approved from the Electoral Area B Community Works Fund to a maximum of $50,000.” 

He also read the motion for Area D, which was virtually identical. Both motions passed with no opposing votes.

Mark Vonesch, the Regional Director of Cortes Island (Area B), responded, “I  just want to thank staff for bringing this forward. Active transportation is definitely an issue on Cortes. People are wanting some movement on that. So I welcome this grant application and to be able to support it through the Gas Tax funding as well.” 

John Rice, Regional Director of Area D said, “I'm wondering if we could tie this into the traffic study that Area D has been doing because this is also quite important to that traffic study.”  

CAO David Leitch asked, “Do you have line of sight that it's going to be done by 2025?” 

Director Rice: “My understanding is I think we'll be getting an update on it in November.”

Campbell River Director Doug Chapman wanted to know, “How does that dovetail into the transportation study the Regional District is currently undertaking.”

CAO Leitch: “This is an active transportation. This is different from the regional transportation that we're looking for because active transportation is different forms of transportation like, cycling lanes, walkways and pathways, and as opposed to the regional transportation that we're looking at, which is likely buses.”

Director Rice: “When is this funding going to be available if successful?

 A staff member responded, “They announce the awards in April of 2025.”

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - At their Wednesday September 25 Board meeting, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board unaminously voted to support a We Wai Kai application for funding to make a feasibility study for the Caddisfly Wetlands Restoration project, south of Campbell River.

This had been a topic of some debate a month ago, when the Board decided to defer making a decision on this project. Salmon once spawned in Caddisfly Creek and if they return, it could trigger a need for setbacks along the banks. This could directly impact building projects in Campbell River, as it is one of the sources of Caddisfly Creek.

As CAO David Leitch explained, “There was some discussion at a previous board meeting about supporting this application and the folks from Campbell River had some hesitancy and anticipation that it possibly would interfere with some development applications they had in the works. We’ve attached some correspondence from the city staff which says there aren't issues and they would support the application.”

Robyn Mawhinney, Regional Director for Area C, responded, “I'm really happy to see this request for resolution of support on the agenda. I am 100 percent in support of a resolution to support the We Wai Kai Nation's application to undertake wetland restoration planning activities for Caddisfly Creek.”

John RIce, Regional Director for Area D, added, “I'm also quite happy to see this back on. I know that for Area D, where Caddisfly Creek is, the wetlands behind it have historically had a problem with high water. I’m hoping that there are a lot of things that can be addressed by this.”

“I also want to point out that it's Area D's Stream Keeper (Greg Roberts) that has been working quite hard on Caddisfly Creek. There's still lots of things to do and I'm very thrilled to see Campbell River supporting this. I think if you're going to be the Salmon Capital of the World, you have to be able to support creeks that could possibly have Coho.”

One of the Campbell River Directors who originally called for deferment, Ron Kerr, made the motion that all the SRD directors supported:

“That a resolution of support be provided for the We wai Kai First Nation’s application to the 2024 Disaster Resilience Innovation Fund Grant Program to undertake wetland restoration planning activities for Caddisfly Creek.”

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The final report on the Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) Western Screech Owl Project will be unveiled at Mansons Hall on Friday. The two biologists who were hired to write it will be giving an hour long talk that starts at 7 PM.

“Western Screech Owls are a beautiful little owl. They used to be one of the most common owls in coastal BC, but they've declined hugely in the last 20 years,” explained Helen Hall, Executive Director of FOCI.

“They're a species that need attention. In the last three years we've been running a project on Cortes, Read, Maurelle and Sonora Islands to look for Screech Owls and to do what we can to help conserve them. We started the project in 2021. In the spring of 2022, we conducted our first audio surveys, mainly on Cortes Island. Then in 2023, we expanded our surveys onto Read, Maurelle and Sonora Islands. We did pick up Screech Owls in the north of Cortes and one on Read Island. We also went out put up nest boxes around all the islands to try and provide nesting habitats for the owls.”

“In the spring we employed consultants from Madrone Environmental, Roxanne Chilcalo and Alicia Mildner to conduct our final report for us. They looked at all the results. We're really lucky that they're now going to come over to Cortes on Friday and give a talk about the report, what we found on Cortes and to put it into the context of regional work on Screech Owl.”

“They've been working recently on another big project in the Campbell River area. So there's a really good comparison for what we're finding on Cortes. They're also finding a lot of the landscape has been logged. There’s only very small pockets of old-growth remaining and again, they're finding Screech Owls in those pockets.”

“What we're trying to work out now is what is the strategy for making sure they can exist in those small pockets and how do we provide more habitat for them. This is just one indicator species showing that where you have old growth, you still have some really valuable species like Western Screech Owls. Obviously, we don't want to see any more old growth forests cut down, and I think this is just another argument for retaining everything we have, and having a moratorium on logging old growth areas.”

“We're hoping that we can do some more work on Screech Owls going forward. We're just in discussion about that at the moment.”

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Quadra Island Foundation recently distributed $110,000 to four non-profit organizations. In today’s interview the foundation’s Vice Chair, Marc Doll, explains the rationale behind those choices and a little of what he expects the money to accomplish. 

Marc Doll: “There was this recognized recognition of how much this province uses and depends on nonprofits. So the government of British Columbia put together a pool of $25 million, which went to Vancouver Foundation. From the Vancouver Foundation, it trickled down to foundations like the Quadra Foundation, Cortes Community Foundation and Campbell River Foundation.  It was administered at the local level by local foundations, but from a pool of money that came from the British Columbia government.” 

“We advertised - online through local media, press releases etc - to indicate that we had this fund of $110,000 to distribute locally. We were almost triple subscribed, we had about $300,000 in total applications.” 

“So to whittle that down we hired a coordinator, Jennifer Banks Doll, who headed up the grant committee. She was tasked with finding a committee populated by regular Quadra Island citizens and a board member or two. They then went through the grants. We had a way of weighting the grants in terms of what was going to be the most returned to the community and from there allocated the grants to the four successful applicants.”  

Cortes Currents: Tell us a little about each of the successful applicants.

Marc Doll: “There were 4 successful applicants. There was Quadra Circle that received about $54,000. Quadra Circle is an organization on Quadra that serves the seniors population. They have weekly meetings. They offer help to seniors that are housebound, need medical, exercise, or social gatherings. They have quite a portfolio of things that they do, and they were looking to build their capacity through the hiring of a part time Executive Director. The largest allocation went to them.” 

“The Quadra Island Seniors Housing Society received about $30,000. Again, I believe it was for a part time Executive Director. The Quadra Island  Seniors Housing Society was incredibly successful. To be able to build affordable housing on Vancouver Island is an incredible task. They were able to successfully get that done a couple of years ago and I think they're looking at  increasing the number of dwellings on the island.  They have a waiting list  in the dozens and dozens of people for the units that they were able to create. They're looking to future growth and getting paid staff to facilitate that.” 

“The third successful Grantee was the Quadra Island Climate Action Network, which on the island is known as ICAN.  That organization is relatively new. It's been around for maybe five, six years, and their focus is building community capacity with a climate focus, and they've been doing a lot of great work on water,  food security, and a bunch of different high profile projects that they've been undertaking.  They are looking to, again, hire an Operations Coordinator to provide some support  in all those many and varied projects that they're working on.”

“The final successful grantee was the Quadra Island Recreational Society. It was a subgroup within the rec society, which operates the Wednesday lunches and the idea was to increase the capacity of that kitchen to serve  the 100, 150 people that they do every Wednesday during  the shoulder or the slower seasons. There were some kitchen upgrades that were going to enable them to better serve the people of Quadra. So those were the four successful grantees.” 

Cortes Currents: Which sectors of Quadra's population are in the greatest need? I'm thinking of age groups, but there might also be other factors which I haven't thought of.