Cortes Currents

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Cortes Community Forest Co-operative’s 2024 AGM will be from 7:30 to 9 PM on Mansons Hall on Wednesday October 9th. 

Together with Klahoose Forestry, they make up the Cortes Forestry General Partnership. Mark Lombard, General Manager for the Partnership gave Cortes Currents an overview of their operations this year and plans for the future:

Mark Lombard: “We’ve really  got pretty good support from the community. Our emphasis is barely logging, our emphasis is building value for the community, training and firewood for seniors and  logs, local mills. We're the lightest touch logging operation in the province by a mile and a half.”

“Log prices are really low right now. There's potential concerns about a recession in the U S or globally or whatever reasons and because prices are low, we're not planning to do any logging right now.”  

Cortes Currents: So where were you working this year?

Mark Lombard: “This spring we built 480 metres of road in the Gorge Harbour operating area and the log sales went all to local mills on the island. Seven loads went to the Klahoose Sawmill, Blue Jay Lake Farm sawmill,  Ellingson Woods  and Ron Wolda. They got the logs that they needed and the log sales paid for the road. We didn't have to buy capping for the road because we recycled the capping off of the spur road for the firebreak block.  We basically paid for the road, which is a long term investment access into the land base. We did a new faller training. Two Cortes Islanders did the falling and got their training to become fallers.  Then the logs went to the mills and all the firewood went out as a community firewood day for mostly seniors and people in need.”

“So there was a lot of benefit, even though there wasn't a big so-called profit. There wasn't any financial profit from building the road, but  it paid for itself. So that is pretty good value creation.” 

Cortes Currents: Do you find that the community forest has kept the local mills busy? 

Mark Lombard: “I think all of the mills  have gotten the majority of their logs from the community forest  since about 2015/2016.   We haven't always been able to quite supply them with everything that they need because it takes a lot of community consultation,  planning and  announcements.  All the T's have to be crossed and I's dotted to be able to cut one tree.  It's the same amount of work if you want to go cut a whole bunch of trees. So it's tricky to just cut one logging truck load or two logging truck loads.”  

Cortes Currents: Tell us about the community forest’s role in the development of a superior tanker shuttle service.

Mark Lombard: “Sure, the community forest  moved two tanks from the Whaletown Fire Department to the Gorge Harbour area, to the new logging road, and the two tanks from the Manson's Fire Department were moved to the Coulter Bay Logging Road, and those were areas that were considered gaps on the island.”

“The nearest tanks to Coulter Bay previously were at the Whaletown Fire Hall and the nearest filling station for the Thunder Road neighborhood was Anvil Lake. So by getting those tanks in, we improve our performance for the Superior Tanker Shuttle Service, which if we can get  a certain amount of water shuttled to a fire, we can actually qualify to get our insurance lowered on the island.”

“The two fire halls got  big new tanks, and then two additional tanks went to the south end of Cortes. So now we've got a lot better coverage of the island with having moved these tanks into the community forest,  which I was really happy to be able to work on with Fire Chief Eli McKenty and Shaun Koopman, Protective Services Coordinator for the Strathcona Regional District (SRD).” 

“We have a few announcements, mostly around wildfire risk reduction work in the community forest this fall.”

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - It’s been a busy season for Marnie’s Books.

Marnie Andrews explained, “It's really fun to have a bookstore on Cortes Island. There's some amazing readers here. I get so many of my titles because friends come in and recommend what they've been reading. There's a lot of regular people, but I think a lot of people came west because of all the wildfires. It's been a great bookstore season, people are reading like crazy. They want real books.”

A young customer named Devran was perusing the contents of a nearby shelf, “It's very nice to have a bookstore on the island. I can walk in, look at the books and pick what I want. I also like that I can order books from here.”

Cortes Currents: How long have you been coming here?

Devran: “Since I moved here, which was around ten years ago.”

Another regular, local Naturopath Maureen Williams, added, “Marnie is a great curator of wonderful books. She has read everything on her shelf, and she always has the perfect recommendation when I'm looking for something special.”

So Cortes Currents asked Marnie, “Can you give us some recommendations on books to read?”

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - There was a familiar face behind the Wild Things Seafood booth at Manson’s Friday Market last week. In addition to being our former Regional Director, Noba Anderson’s family has a connection to Cortes Island that stretches back to 1978. So Cortes Currents asked Noba about the new business she is undertaking with Peter Schmidt.

“It's Peter's passion, there's no doubt about that. Peter owned his first fishing boat when he was a teenager off Saturna Island and has been fishing on and off with his own boat in younger years, and then on other people's boats more recently. So last year he was out on a tuna boat and took his payment in fish rather than money and had it processed. You can't just sell tuna, so then he bought some other things and went on the road last winter,” she explained.  

“Then I started  getting a few things from his supplier and went to Denman and Hornby islands last winter, just once a month kind of thing.  We teamed up more considerably this spring and summer season.”

Cortes Currents: How did you come up with a name for your enterprise?

Noba Anderson: “Wild Things Seafood? -  Peter came up with it. It speaks to the fact we only carry wild products, only BC products and that great old book ‘Where The Wild Things Are,’ just a little bit of play.”  

“We set up in the Comox Valley for May and June, but we either didn't do enough marketing or whatever. It didn't really pan out as fast as we needed it to.”

“So we pivoted and we've been  selling on six Gulf Islands every week all summer. Hornby,  Denman, Gabriola, Salt Spring, Pender and Maine, and then the odd little place in between and then having one day to  recharge and regroup and restock. So we direct source as cash flow and storage allows.”

Cortes Currents: So you sleep on the road?

Noba Anderson: “When we're on the road, we sleep in the fish truck.  We carry four big freezers full of product, generators, and rope to the front bumper. It’s a traveling fun show a la Pete for sure.”

Maureen Williams/ FOCI - In early July of 2024, a small group of Cortes Islanders, supported by Friends Of Cortes Island (FOCI), screened the film “How to Boil a Frog” for the community. The film is about the five-pronged problem life on Earth is currently facing — overpopulation, a war on nature, wealth disparity, peak oil, and climate change—and offers five actions that can help—boycott Exxon, change your “life” bulb (reduce consumption), a change of heart, one kid per couple, and kick some ass. This article is the first in a series focused on each of these five solutions from the film, and more.

Sadhu Johnston/ Cortes Housing Society & Folk University- Tune in on September 20th for another collaborative monthly housing forum presented by the Cortes Housing Society and Folk University. Themed “Rural Modular Housing”, this forum featured guest panelists Michelle Mazzotta (Viva Kiwi), Ken Sharpe (Supermod), and Salik Khan (Rohe Homes). This is a recording of our September forum, hosted over Zoom, with over 45 people in attendance. Hear us chat about different kinds of modular homes, pricing, benefits and challenges, and the possibility of using them to combat our housing crisis.

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 - The Union of BC Municipalities 2024 Convention is in Vancouver this week. Local government and First Nations leaders from across the province are participating. One of the delegates is Mark Vonesch, the Regional Director for Cortes Island, who spoke to Cortes Currents via ZOOM as he was heading out on the ferry last Friday. 

Mark Vonesch: “I’m on my way to a gathering that happens every year.  All the municipalities, all the regional districts, the counsellors, the electoral area directors, and mayors are invited to a five day conference where we do workshops. We learn from each other. We hear speeches and  we have a lot of meetings with the provincial government. We have a five or six meeting set-up through the regional district to meet with different ministers of the provincial government and advocate for everything from housing to our roads.”

“Hundreds of millions of dollars flow through UBCM to municipalities and regional districts through the provincial government. It's one of the main lobbying organizations connecting regional districts and municipalities to the provincial government.  There's hundreds of resolutions that get voted on and then become priorities to UBCM executives and staff. Throughout the rest of the year, those are advocated for and policy is suggested and pushed forward to the provincial government.”

“One of the big things we're pushing for is getting a rural housing stream through the provincial government. Right now, all the housing grants are  done through one category. We believe there needs to be a separate category for rural places, because our needs are different. The ways we build are different, and it should be a different category.”

“That's one of the things we're pushing for, but it's a real opportunity for me to get in front of provincial ministers and staff and advocate for the needs of Cortes and the needs for the Strathcona Regional District. It's an opportunity for me to network and work with my colleagues in the regional district, other board members, and create more unity on our board as we move forward on our priorities. It's a chance for me to  make connections with other politicians across the province that are trying to get good things done, and learn from each other.”

“I don't want to have to reinvent the wheel on ideas.  A big part of getting together is learning from each other, having conversations with other politicians that are looking at similar issues, and what they've done. A lot of times we can duplicate that.”

“One of the exciting things for me at this UBCM is that I've been nominated to be the electoral area representative on the UBCM executive. There's another person running. So I'll also be running a bit of a campaign while I'm down there and we'll see what happens. If I do get in, it's a great opportunity for me  to have a stronger voice with the provincial government to get the things we want to happen on Cortes, but also be a representative  for rural communities. They are often underrepresented because a lot of the population is in urban centers, but a lot of the land base is held in rural communities. Our needs are unique and I want to be a strong voice to represent them.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - There were 45 people on the Whaletown dock when Cortes Currents left half way through the Open House on Monday, September 16. Some were listening to Andy Ellingsen, a Director of Harbour Authority Cortes Island (HACI), talk about the current condition of the wharf and what needs to be done. Others gathered in small groups, eating the free pizza, sharing memories or their perspectives on the matter. HACI has owned the 110-year-old structure since 2009 and now it is in need of extensive repairs.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Community Foundation recently announced that it is giving $105,000 to four of Cortes Island’s essential non-profit organizations. The Cortes Island Food Bank will receive $40,000, Whaletown Community Club - $22,000, Island Death Care Society - $26,400 and  Support Our Seniors $16,600. This money came from the BC Government’s Community Prosperity Fund, which is intended to help local communities address poverty reduction and social inclusion. In today’s interview Christina McWilliam, Co-Chair of the Community Foundation and a member of the granting jury, and Andrea Fisher, Operations Manager of the Foundation, tell us the story behind this grant and why these four organizations were chosen.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Close to 60 Cortes Island residents turned out for the Zoning Bylaw Review Meeting in Manson's Hall on Thursday, September 12th. The following article consists of audio clips of the main speakers, taken at the meeting, and an interview with Regional Director Mark Vonesch the following morning.  

Mark Vonesch: "Leading up to it, I think there was a little bit of tension in the air. ‘What's going to happen?’ ‘How are we going to change our zoning in a way that's good for Cortes and  protecting what we have here, but also making room for more housing  and addressing the housing challenges that we face?’”  

“I think the key takeaway is this is a process that we're still in the middle of. There's still lots of opportunity for input. We've had four meetings leading up to this. Last night's meeting was about presenting the summary of the findings from the previous meetings, and giving us a sense of what the Zoning Bylaw draft is going to look like.”

“The biggest shift, based on the input from the community, is that people are looking to increase density on rural residential lots."

 Annie Girdler, a planner with the Strathcona Regional District (SRD), explained, "We've also added the potential for an additional dwelling unit on lots greater than one hectare. Previously a residential property was permitted a single dwelling and one secondary suite or an additional dwelling unit.  The proposed change is that this property would now be allowed to have a secondary suite AND an additional dwelling unit."

Another proposal is to increase in the maximum size of additional dwellings from about 650 to about 840 square feet.

Meredith Starkey, Manager of Planning and Parks for the SRD, stated, "The secondary units were previously called ‘Granny Flats’ in some places because it's intended for your parents, in-laws or a renter or a couple etc, but our world is changing. There may be more families who want to live in a secondary dwelling. So, that's certainly a possibility."     

Annie Girdler: "We've also added a new provision on clustered housing and how to accomplish that. We've also removed regulations that are not in the SRD's jurisdiction to enforce. Lastly, we've consolidated or removed zones that were either not in use or they were duplicate zones."

"The current Zoning Bylaw is from 2002,  and as a legislated document, there's several requirements under the Local Government Act that a Zoning Bylaw has to meet.  Many of those requirements are new since 2002. So a review is necessary to ensure that our bylaw meets provincial requirements and is legal."

"The goal is to bring the Zoning Bylaw into better alignment with your Official Community Plan (OCP). We'll also be removing or correcting outdated regulations, updating some of the terms with new language that's consistent, and also addressing some of the modern challenges, which we've heard a lot about."

”Our goal for this phase of the project is to hear your feedback as a community. It’ll give us a chance to either confirm that the provisions look how they should, or revise as necessary if we were way off. This revision process will be ongoing, and then we'll move on to the regular bylaw referrals process which will involve consultation with other government agencies, other levels of government, and First Nations.  Once that phase is  complete, we can move on to the bylaw adoption process. At that time we will have a formal public hearing and that will be the last opportunity to provide public input on a draft bylaw."

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Nic Dedeluk, a marine biologist with over 24 years of experience, is the BC Green Party candidate for North Island.

This brings the number of candidates in our riding to three. Michele Babchuk, our incumbent MLA, is once again running for the NDP and Anna Kindy is running for the Conservative party of BC.

Zoominfo states Dedeluk is a Marine Coordinator for the Namgis First Nation, and based in Alert Bay. The ‘Namgis News contains’ references to her work to preserve Chum and Sockeye salmon stocks.

The press release announcing Dedeluk's candidacy cites extensive work with nonprofits and local governments.

In an interview with the National Observer, she mentioned housing, healthcare and the ongoing toxic drug crisis as key issues in North Island.

As a result of staffing shortages, the hospitals in Port Hardy and Alert bay were unable to provide overnight services for a year and emergency patients had to be taken to Port McNeill.

According to data released by the BC Corononer’s Office in August, Greater Campbell River and Vancouver Island North had are among the five worst Local Health Area’s in the province in terms of unregulated drug deaths.

Dedeluk has also expressed support for the removal of fish farms, to help preserve salmon stocks, and preserving highly productive intact ecosystems within the forests.

Close to 20% of the voters in our riding voted Green in the last provincial election,