Cortes Currents

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - Episode 3: Co-op and Community

"We make quite an effort to get as much local produce in as we can. And there are, I think three bigger farms that supply us: Big Fir Farm, Linnaea Farm, and Wildflower — Sarah’s farm. And Hazel, our produce buyer, works hard together with the farmers to figure out who’s who’s growing what, and make it equitable, what she will buy from them. Because often, of course, everyone’s lettuce is ready at the same time and so on."

"There’s a big effort to get the local produce in. It’s a great seller. Everyone loves it! We’re all just waiting for it to come in. And along with the produce, we also support other island vendors, artists, with consignment. I pulled the numbers on what we paid out to local produce and other vendors, and it’s $150,000 last year — that went from the co-op directly into the hands of Islanders. for their products." — Mary Lavelle

Well, the co-op has the benefit of owning the land that it’s on. Granted we have a mortgage that we’re paying, but we’ve been able to support some local businesses. We’ve got Marnie’s Bookstore, we’ve got the Harbor Authority, and a massage therapist on the property, that are our tenants.

And so we have a small but steady income from those three — and quite a bit of land [unoccupied] to consider how we want to grow. How we can continue to support entrepreneurs and small business owners who would be able to bring their own infrastructure and locate themselves right there in the heart of Manson’s. — Amy Robertson

In the final episode of this series, we consider the Co-op not just as an individual business struggling to remain solvent in face of the challenges of island commerce and tourism, but as an integral part of the wider community and a promoter of micro-enterprise. We talk about the local farmers and gardeners who sell their produce through the Co-op, and the importance of local produce to the store and its customers. Island artisans and craftspeople also sell their work at the store; and Mary reveals that in an average year, the Co-op pays out $150K or so to local artisans and producers.

We consider the Co-op in its role as a commercial landlord, renting to business tenants under separate roofs on its property. We consider a possible long-term vision of the property as a hub for micro-business. Thinking now about the future, I ask Amy and Mary if they have plans for 2023; and we discuss the evolution of the space where (before Covid) the Co-op operated a much-loved cafe. We also learn about the Co-op’s intention to make itself less vulnerable to climate extremes by renovating its ageing, damaged HVAC systems. Amy and Mary agree that the business cannot afford to undertake this major capital project without financial support from the membership, so a capital campaign is planned for this Spring.

We discuss other ways in which members can support the Co-op, including the annual drain of Co-op revenues by bank charges associated with credit card purchases. Mary tells us that the business loses as much as $30,000 per year due to these bank charges.

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - Episode 2: Challenges

I’ve done the math for myself. When I arrived in 2004, I thought it was a great idea to go off [island] and shop for food and come back. And very quickly I realized I was spending my entire day in ferry lineups, and rushing from shop to shop, and that I would have to make a heck of a lot of savings to pay for that time, if I was even to think about paying my own time at all… or valuing my own time, because there are other things I could be doing. — Mary Lavelle

I think finding good employees, good committed employees that live on the island full-time, has always been a challenge. I know that when we were looking for a new general manager, I was losing sleep at the thought of having applicants from all over Canada apply to Cortes… and then even if they were a great candidate, knowing that it would be be very difficult to find a place for them to live. — Amy Robertson

In Episode 2, we engage with the less rosy side of business life on Cortes: the many challenges of running a small retail grocery store on a small two-ferry island in a tourism economy. We discuss the yearly boom/bust cycle of tourism; the cost of transportation and the vagaries of ferry service; and the chronic housing shortage that makes staff recruitment and retention so difficult.

We revisit the trying “Covid years” — which were very hard on so many small businesses — and find out that the Co-op did surprisingly well during that period. The reason? More islanders shopped locally instead of going to Quadra or Campbell River. This leads us into a discussion of shopping on vs off island, and the trade-offs. We also consider the impact of climate change: in the summer of 2022, a severe heat wave stressed the store’s refrigeration equipment to the breaking point. The resulting failures were costly in every sense, and contributed to a downturn in revenue for that year. We ask how the Co-op can become better prepared for extreme weather events.

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - Episode 1: How It All Works

"I first moved to Cortes in 1998, and there were a group of us that worked with Jude Marentette to bring quality organic food onto the island. And in 2003, the co-op was looking for a location and ended up in the building where they are now — with some assistance from many community members. And I had a shift, one day a week in 2004 — on Thursdays — and I would get paid $8 an hour in retail food." — Amy Robertson

So we have a lot of people who take a lot of responsibility, a very dedicated core group of people who take part in decision makings, who bring all their opinions and their thoughts to the manager. And we meet monthly, to discuss each department and the organization as a whole. –Mary Lavelle

In Episode 1, we present a brief history of the Co-op: from its humble beginnings in 2003 as a buyer’s club, to its formal incorporation in 2004, through its 2014 success in purchasing the parcel it had rented for years from the School District, and up to the present day. Then we talk a bit about what the Co-op is, legally speaking, and how it’s governed. We discuss the org chart, management structure, and the Co-op’s very modest executive compensation factor. We find out what benefits the Co-op offers to its members and to its staff. We discover how the Co-op’s business model diverges from the norms of the corporate world. If you know very little about the Co-op and how it’s organised and run, this episode is a good introduction to a Cortes Island institution.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - There was a mudslide behind Hillside Place, at 738 South Island Highway in Campbell River at approximately 7:45 last night.

A City of Campbell River press release stated the residents of Hillside Place and the adjoining condominum apartment building, Beechwood Manor, have been evacuated.

“No injuries have been reported at this time and the surrounding area is secure. The City fire department and Campbell River RCMP responded to the incident. The City will continue to monitor the site overnight.”

According to the the Campbell River Mirror, the condos sit fit at the foot of a ridge and there have been previous slides.

Scott Kratzmann, of the Campbell River Fire Department, told the news outlet, “A pair of parkades came down in the back. It is a mess. Residents have been evacuated for the evening and an engine will remain on the scene for about another hour.”

A temporary reception centre was set up in the Campbell River Baptist Church, 260 S Dogwood Street.

Acting City Manager Drew Hadfield explained, “City crews have assessed and continue to monitor the landslide. I’d like to reassure residents that the situation is stable and thank the public for their patience as we respond to this incident.”

The City will issue an update this morning.

The public is being asked to avoid both buildings, do not call 911 for information or updates and follow the directions of local authorities.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Three years ago, Area C received funding to develop an Integrated Community Plan (ICSP). COVID intervened and it wasn’t until last August that a 14 member advisory group was assembled. The resulting draft plan was presented at the Wednesday, January 11, meeting of the SRD’s Electoral Area’s Services Committee.

“It was a very quick process and, we really appreciate all the efforts that went into it. The task force was convened in August and by November the task force, the consultant and the SRD planner had come up with a draft proposal, which was then circulated to the community, and that draft was commented on by the community but subsequently, because there was a very short timeline, some amendments were made to the document that was subsequently published and what you're receiving today,” explained Lannie Keller, a Read Island resident and team member.

Back for further discussion

Nick Robinson, from Quadra Island, said, “We got back just over a hundred questionnaires and at that point the ICSP was amended without involvement of our community advisory group.”

Lannie Keller: “Our request is that you will look at the four small but significant changes that are requested and the task force is unanimous in making that recommendation.”

After close to 50 minutes of discussion, much of it after Robinson and Keller had left, Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney said the task force should have a chance to state their case.

“I really appreciate the thoughtfulness that the task force brought these four minor recommendations that they would be more comfortable seeing in the final document. And I would really like it if the task force could have a chance to discuss those alterations or suggestions with the consultant. How do I say that as a motion?” she said.

Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch replied, “It sounds like you would like to defer the comments from the delegation back to the task force and the consultant.”

“That’s right,” said Mawhinney.

At which point newly elected Chair Gerald Whalley asked, “Do we have a seconder?”

Director John Rice seconded the motion, which carried.

In the vote that followed, the committee agreed, “That the comments regarding the ICSP be referred back to the task force and consultant.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The 2023 season for Manson’s Friday Market kicked off on January 13.

“I come here every week that it's open. I put my face in here, sometimes not for very long, but I always walk around and see what's happening. It's a social occasion. I was hoping to see Thaddeus here. I wanted to buy one of his pre-rolls,” said Andy Vine, a former Director of the Southern Cortes Community Association (SCCA) which looks after Mansons Hall. “This winter is going better than previous winters. There's more vendors.”

Cortes Currents: Are you talking pre-covid years as well?

Andy Vine: “Yes, I am talking pre-covid years. Sometimes there were only two or three vendors.”

There were 7 booths spread around the hall, with a variety of different foods and goods produced on Cortes.

Andy Vine: “That's nice to see.”

Tammy Collingwood, SCCA’s Operations Manager, explained, “The vendors are what is at the heart of the market. Making the vendors happy, seeing what their needs are and what their vision is, is my goal in moving the market forward. We're hoping to attract more vendors year round. I have a lot of ideas and other people have a lot of ideas, just trying to always make things better. The market is one of the main year-round social events that we have here in Mansons.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -  “So in 1981 the Clash put out their classic single, ‘Should we stay, or should we go?’ And here I am with you, 41 years later asking you the same question. Should we stay with this initiative or should we take no action and leave it alone,” said Shaun Koopman, Protective Services Coordinater for the Strathcona Regional District.

He was telling the Board about the results of a recent survey in the Outer Discovery Islands, but he could have been talking about any of three Area C initiatives discussed at the Jan 11 meeting.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - A number of Cortes Island matters were discussed at the new Electoral Areas Service Committee’s (EASC) Inaugral meeting. This is a special committee made up of the Strathcona Regional DIstrict’s four rural directors and the the first stop, before their concerns are brought before the full board. The initial discussion of Cortes Island’s proposed Grants in Aid, a Whaletown Community Club’s request for a funding to install a wheelchair ramp at the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery and a proposed staff report about derelict boats were all on the agenda today. As expected Gerald Whalley, the only director to have previously served on the Board, was elected Chair. The big news is that Cortes Island Director Mark Vonesch has been elected Vice Chair.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - There have been numerous reports of Pacific White Sided Dolphins in our vicinity this past year. The most recent came from Powell River, where pods of around 200 dolphins were spotted from the shore on December 17th and again on December 28th. One of the reports from Campbell River mentioned more than 100 swimming through Discovery Passage. On their website, Wildwaterways Adventures describes this species in its list of wildlife that fill the Discovery Islands. According to the Times Colonist, “After 100 years of absence, large numbers of Pacific White Sided Dolphins are back in the northern part of British Columbia's Salish Sea.”

Cortes Currents asked independent biologist Alexandra Morton if she has heard reports of them from Campbell River, Cortes or any of the other Discovery Islands.

Alexandra Morton: Absolutely, there’s whale watching vessels down there, I have friends that live down there. I've also seen them there myself. Pacific White Sided Dolphins have definitely been moving throughout the coast.

There's a move to start harvesting them again and try to reduce their populations to protect wild fish.

I don't see the wisdom in that. There's many reasons to harvest things, but we know from so many examples that when you kill the predators, you actually weaken the prey. Predators are so important. They remove the sick, they cleanse the population of pathogens that could reach damaging proportions. They are part of the ecosystem and I think we need to tread very, very carefully about removing predators.

(Morton has a long association with Pacific White Sided Dolphins.)

Alexandra Morton:  When I first moved to the Broughton Archipelago in 1984, nobody had seen Pacific White Sided Dolphins in that area. The old timers weren't aware of this species.

I went to the Broughton Archipelago to study Orca, and to do that I had a underwater microphone piped into first my boat and then the house 24 hours a day.

On Christmas Eve in that year, I picked up their vocalizations on our hydrophone.

I didn't know what they were, and so went out on Christmas Day. I don't think my little boy was particularly thrilled, but anyway, I needed to see what species this was. I found seven Pacific White Sided Dolphins.

In my arrogance, having just arrived in the area as a scientist, I assumed they were lost because Pacific White Sided Dolphins are generally considered an open ocean species where they're seen in groups of hundreds or even thousands.

Over the next 10 years, I either saw them or heard them, or received a report from people about them being there, a couple of times every winter. It was only during the winter months.

In 1994, the number of days that I detected dolphins on the hydrophone, or saw them, or got a report from a neighbour, reached almost 20% of the year. The number of dolphins escalated from that little group of 7 to over 500, even 1,000 on some days.

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Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The results from this year’s Christmas Bird Count are finally in. As expected, the numbers are down. According to George Sirk, this was because of the weather.

"We found: 2,427 individual birds, and 54 species. Now the average is somewhere around 70 species. So back to the whole weather thing as to what knocked it down."