Cortes Currents

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - Thanks for joining us on July 17, 2026 for the third week of our Village Commons Music Series, a simultaneously live and live-broadcast show, happening on Fridays from 1 - 2:30pm on the new Pavilion stage. This week it poured with rain! The SCCA generously lent the Manson's Hall deck so we could all stay dry and cozy. Host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Owyn Pengelly, Denise Wolda, and Basil Aerie Thomas - 3 amazing local musicians in-the-round! The Village Commons Music Series is produced by Jemma Hicken, Sean Coyote, and Bryan McKinnon. It is made possible by the Cortes Island Community Foundation, Cortes Community Radio, and FolkU. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 3 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - A couple of weeks ago, Cortes Currents ran a story about an emergency preparedness workshop offered on Cortes Island by SRD staffer Sarah Rosen. In the course of that workshop, volunteer firefighter Mike Brown and Fire Chief Eli McKenty made some comments about wildfire risk on the island, which they saw as the biggest potential emergency islanders face. In early July, I conducted an in-depth interview with Eli, in which we discussed wildfire risk in greater detail. I had a lot of questions: Why and how has this risk intensified over the last 20 years? How is our fire department responding to the growing hazard? What can Cortes Islanders do to protect themselves and their homes?

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - Thanks for joining us on July 10, 2026 for another week of the Village Commons Music Series, a simultaneously live and live-broadcast show, happening on Fridays from 1 - 2:30pm on the new Pavilion stage. Host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Ann Vriend (AV) from Edmonton. The Village Commons Music Series is produced by Jemma Hicken, Sean Coyote, and Bryan McKinnon. It is made possible by the Cortes Island Community Foundation, Cortes Community Radio, and FolkU. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 3 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 - There are a lot of would-be customers who were not connected to CityWest for various reasons. In Tiber Bay and Red Granite Road, for example, the problem was allegedly that the route was across solid rock. I do not know why some of the customers in the southern tip of Cortes (like Siskin Lane and South Point Road) were not connected, only that there were a large number of them. I'm also aware that CityWest customers in the Whaletown area have recently been connected. Are there parts of Cortes that, for one reason or another, you will not be able to service? The Cortes fibre project is being built in phases, so not every eligible property is connected at the same time. As each phase of construction is completed, additional homes become eligible for service. While some areas present more complex engineering or construction challenges than others, our goal is to make fibre internet available to as many residents as possible. This is an aerial fibre build, which allows us to reach the vast majority of homes on Cortes Island. There may be a small number of properties in particularly remote or difficult-to-access locations that won't have service. Residents may notice that one neighbourhood is connected while another is still waiting. That's a normal part of a phased infrastructure project. We appreciate the community's patience as construction continues. Q: I heard rumours of a grant to enable you to finish the job. Is there any truth to this rumour and, if so, will it be enough to connect all of Cortes Island? Or are parts of the island too difficult to connect? Yes. In 2021, CityWest entered into a funding agreement to bring fibre internet to households on Cortes Island. In January 2026, that agreement was amended to provide funding for an additional 186 households that were not included in the original scope. The additional funding allows us to expand the network and reach significantly more residents than originally planned. Construction will continue in phases as engineering, permitting and build work progresses.

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - And the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery is currently hosting an exhibition by three local artists: Melanie Boyle, Karen McDarmid, and Jane Newman. They have just opened a joint show called The Shape of Solace. It opened a few days ago, drawing a crowd of over 100 people, and will continue through July twenty-sixth. Gallery hours are Fridays from six to nine PM and Saturdays and Sundays from two to six PM. The exhibition also involves some related events:  an Artists' Talk on July 17th from seven to eight-thirty PM, a Collage Writing Workshop on July 19th from noon to two PM, and a Solace Show-and-Tell on July 24th from seven to eight-thirty PM. The three artists arrived on Cortes by quite different routes. Karen and Jane's friendship goes back decades, to years when both lived in Banff. Karen says that "a series of misadventures" landed her on Cortes in early 2020. At that point in her career as a counselor, thanks to COVID, a job contract fell through -- and a month-long stay with her friend Jane on Cortes turned into staying for good. Jane had made her own move to the island a few years earlier, in 2017. After four decades of a life shaped by the Rockies she found a new relationship with wilderness, trading the inland mountains for the coastal ranges. She made a good landing on Cortes, and eventually became the museum director. Melanie's path was a bit more circuitous. Raised in Vancouver and Prince George, she spent twenty years in Michigan raising her own family before circling back to the BC coast -- literally, by means of a BC Ferry circle ticket. The island drew her in, and she settled on Cortes a little earlier than her fellow artists, in 2014. One day she met Jane walking her dog on the beach, started volunteering at the Cortes Island Museum, and later became its managing director herself when Jane moved on from that job. The artists are three friends who took three different paths to the same small island. But this is the first time all three have shown their work together. Until now, each had only exhibited solo or -- in the case of Karen and Jane — together, but a while back, in Banff

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - I was the only male among eighteen female writers at a retreat called Tapping the Stream. One of the things that set this program apart was the relaxed atmosphere in which widely recognized writers mixed with would-be authors. Personally, I might have totally frozen up had I known more about the company I was with. (That came as a series of surprises, which continues as I google their names.) Instead, we got to know each other as people as we all worked to improve our craft. This was only one of three programs during the week I was at Hollyhock.  Coming To Hollyhock As preparation, I interviewed Chief Executive Director Katia Sol, who has just finished the 18 month transition from her old life in California. The trips back and forth are largely over. "We just arrived back on the island a few weeks ago, and I'm really excited to be here now for the indefinite future." 

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - While lineups appear to have virtually disappeared since Island Nagalis took over the BC Ferries Cortes–Quadra run, there are often three-ferry waits at midday for people sailing between Quadra Island and Campbell River.

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents - The new West Coast Pipeline will closely follow the existing Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMX) route. BC has been promised billions of dollars through a new prosperity agreement, and Prime Minister Mark Carney has stepped back from Canada's emissions targets because they are too divisive. In this morning's broadcast, two experts provide their insights into these matters. Jennifer Lash is a former senior analyst with Environment and Climate Change Canada and ran as a Liberal candidate in the 2025 election. She endorses the Prime Minister's actions. Ian Sanderson, a senior analyst in the oil and gas division at the Pembina Institute, explains his reservations.

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents - The Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) is set to run a busy, engaging summer calendar in 2026, beginning with sold-out programming launched Monday, June 28. Early highlights included “Misty Isles” and “The Secret Shelf Exploration,” a guided intertidal snorkel-style visit where participants explore a rich marine environment while learning about local ecosystems. Although that first event is already fully booked, it reflects the organization's strong community interest in hands-on nature learning. Looking ahead, FOCI's summer events continue to blend local expertise with conservation-focused education. A “Moss Magic” session on July 4, led by Dan Tucker, introduces the hidden world of mosses, liverworts, and lichens. Later in July, “Gumbooting the Lagoon” returns as a low-tide walk at Manson's Lagoon, done in partnership with the museum and featuring local history insights from Melanie Boyle. They also aim to try new experiences, including “Moths by Moonlight” (August 15), a moth-trapping event that attracts moths with light traps and allows participants to observe and learn before releasing them unharmed. Beyond events, FOCI's work in 2026 is equally active on the ground. They recently completed their third annual Big Beach Clean-Up, collecting 2,570 kilograms of garbage through community participation, partnerships with Klahoose Aquaculture and waste management, and sponsorship support. The organization is also collaborating with Cortes Island School on renewable, creative land-based education projects—like willow-based pollinator fencing and the living green willow dragon sculpture. Meanwhile, they maintain and improve regional parks and access points, support habitat restoration with BC Parks (including broom removal on the spit), conduct eelgrass surveys, prepare European green crab trapping with DFO to protect eelgrass and native species, and invite ongoing volunteer and donation support to sustain this breadth of impact.

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - tTanya is also committed to the Women's Centre's participation in Truth and Reconciliation on Cortes Island.   The two priorities that we've put forward since becoming a nonprofit are creating kind of a mental emotional wellness team agenda, and reconciliation. And that's a spot where volunteers of any gender could participate and help out. We want to find opportunities to show that we're devoted to reconciliation, and figure out how can we do that in accessible ways, in ways that involve community more I'm hoping that we can do some indigenous film nights in the fall.  Last January we did a reading challenge, and this is something that we intend to do every winter now — and the challenge is to read a book by an indigenous author. And, you know, that could expand in ways to come in the future. Maybe we'll make it actually like a book club. Tanya said that the Centre does have some indigenous Access Members and she feels there's some potential for it to serve as a bridge between the settler and first-nations communities.  Not all of our members arenecessarily here because they're going through trauma! Women are a lot of the time here because they want the warm space, and their trailer's not that warm in the winter. Or because we've got internet or they can print up colored posters for their, events or offerings that they're putting out in community, you know? But yeah, we definitely have indigenous members. And I feel that Cortes as a community could do more on the level of reconciliation.  I just think that it could be something that's more of a working part of our community and something that we do on a more regular basis, and that the settler community should be putting together. Centre

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - This is the second of three broadcasts about the COrtes Island Woomen's Centre

De Clarke? Cortes Currents - Some seven or eight years ago, longtime Cortes residentTanya Henck perceived a need for more support for women on the island struggling with various issues — domestic violence, sexual harassment, housing insecurity, poverty, mental health, social isolation — and launched the idea of a Women's Resource Centre. Joined by a few other island women, she rented a space in the Mansons Hall building and formed a partnership with North Island Transition Society. In 2019, the Centre opened — just in time for the Covid pandemic. Since then, the Cortes Island Women's Resource Centre has served island women in many capacities. In an interview with Tanya in late May, we discuss recent organisational changes (the Centre is now a BC Non-Profit Society in its own right), current programming and services, the level of need on the island for those services, the ongoing relationship with North Island Transition, and Tanya's plans for expanded services and projects in the coming year.

Roy L Hales /Cortes Currents - The radio version of this story opens with a short clip from the documentary NameSake in which Dr Evan Adams welcomes viewers to Tla-amin territory. Then he adds,  "A lot of people who live here now don't know us. They forget that all of this used to be ours, and that this city is still in our territory."  NameSake will be playing in the House of the Klahoose People, on Cortes Island, at 2 PM on Monday, June 29. It is about the Tla'amin People's connection to the ancestral village site that was taken away from them and renamed Powell River. Then they asked the city to change its name back to  Tiskʷat. The film was screened at Hot Docs in Toronto, the DOXA Festival in Vancouver and will be shown at the Victoria Film Festival this coming July. In this morning's interview we talk to Dr Evan Adams, who just welcomed you to Tla'amin territory, and Executive Producer Claudia Medina.  Claudia joined us during the second half of the interview. She is a qathat based filmmaker and editor, who works through her production company EnMedia. She has directed and edited for APTN and has been involved in this project from the onset.   Dr Evan Adams is a physician, currently serving with the First Nations  Health Authority and National Circle for Indigenous Medical. He's also an actor and one of the two Directors of NameSake. In the film, he guides viewers through history, memory and present conversation.   Cortes Currents: Tell me how NameSake came into being?  Dr Evan Adams: “The conversation between the city of Powell River and the Tla'amin Nation has been growing for a few decades. In fact, we thought we had quite an exemplary relationship. But then, when we started talking about our objections to the name Powell—would the city consider changing their name?—that started a series of meetings that were quite acrimonious.” “We were not ready for that kind of reaction, and we were not ready for that kind of negativity. People were yelling at us. We thought we were talking about a name change, but they were saying things like: ‘There's no such thing as Indigenous knowledge. Those residential school graves are empty. Survivors are exaggerating.' And lots of other really racist generalizations—racist rhetoric—that we didn't know were going to be part of every single meeting. So we just started recording it.”

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents - The SRD Board unanimously passed a resolution that Cortes residents will vote on whether to fund the island's youth and senior organizations at the upcoming October 17, 2026 election. Regional Director Mark Vonesh explained, “There was a little bit of a rush because I realized that, in order to get this onto the referendum—which I think is the fairest way to consult with the community—it needs to go through a process. It goes to the board, a draft bylaw is created, the draft bylaw is reviewed, and then it goes to the Inspector of Municipalities for approval. That comes back to the referendum at the election. The time period for this one was tight. It basically had to happen in the month that I introduced it, but the beauty of it is that we've got four months to talk about it.” “I'm going to be holding a public meeting in the Fall, before the election, so we can come together and talk about it, and so I can share information that I have about the services. We'll also make it available online, so it's really accessible for people.” “The two new services that passed the board today, unanimously, are about providing funding for programming on Cortes.” “We know that youth and older people on Cortes are important to the future—and the past—of our community. By supporting them, it's going to make Cortes a better place to be. As a youth worker and someone who's worked with seniors all over Canada doing nonprofit work, I know the impact that the organizations on Cortes are already having.” “We're looking at $35,000 for each of the services, which really isn't a lot of money, but I think it could go a long way toward filling some gaps and strengthening what we're already doing on Cortes for younger people and older people.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Sixty percent of the respondents to a recent Angus Reid poll said the province is on the wrong track. If there were an election today, they gave the Conservatives an 11-point lead. This is similar to what 338Canada's projections have been showing for the past month. Yet nearly 90% of the poll's respondents also said they know little or nothing about the new BC Conservative leader, Kerry-Lynne Findlay. In this morning's interview, we discuss these matters with Anna Kindy—MLA for North Island—and also play a clip from Kerry-Lynne Findlay's Twitter feed. Cortes Currents: Firstly, what do you think of the BC Conservative Party's recent surge in the polls?  Anna Kindy: "Well, it doesn't surprise me, to be honest, because we've been going in the wrong direction for a long time. When you're looking at the fiscal mess that we're in as a province right now, Premier Eby came in with a surplus, when he became premier, and here we are with $13.3 billion of deficit this year." Cortes Currents: She is referring to the province's operating deficits. According to the Vancouver Sun, “When Premier David Eby took over in 2022, B.C. was on track to post a $5.7 billion surplus for the 2022–23 fiscal year.” Instead, the government spent that money trying to address problems like the housing crisis, homelessness, and the opioid crisis. Since then, Eby's government has consistently prioritized issues like these over the budget. Aside from the two COVID years, B.C.'s previous premier, John Horgan, generally posted balanced budgets. Personally, I'm more concerned about total provincial debt, which is roughly five times larger today than it was in 2001. Under the BC Liberals, it almost doubled—going from about $34 billion in 2001 to around $65 billion by 2017. It has almost tripled under the BC NDP, moving from about $65 billion in 2017 to an anticipated $183 billion this year. Kindy correctly stated that most of the growth under the NDP occurred while David Eby has been premier. This year, the government expects to spend on interest charges. Apologists for government spending point out that provincial revenues have also grown— from $28 billion in 2001 to an anticipated $88 billion this year. Thus, as long as the economy remains strong, BC is in a better position to service a large debt. Comparing the government's expenses to those of a typical homeowner: operating surpluses and deficits are like monthly cash flow, while debt servicing is like a mortgage payment—and total provincial debt is comparable to a mortgage. Anna Kindy: “We're doubling our total deficit, and our interest payment this year alone is over six billion—and that would build a lot of care homes and hospitals and fund a lot of services that we need. That's just the interest. The interest is the third biggest portfolio. “That fiscal mess translates to having to cut back on a lot of things. So I mentioned about care homes being canceled, Burnaby Hospital expansion being canceled. I'm seeing things in the healthcare domain getting worse. The affordability crisis is continuing—in terms of being able to afford your groceries, your rent, getting ahead—especially for young people and seniors. “Even with this budget, seniors were hard hit. Not only with the cancellation of long-term care homes, but you know how seniors can borrow against their home to survive or to live. Now if they borrow against their home, they'll be paying 2% above prime, compounded interest. So that's a lot for seniors. And there are going to be taxes now on landlines—which who has landlines? Seniors do, and you do, and me. We've got a landline too. Yeah, old school - but we're seniors!" “Things are not going in the right direction in a lot of ways, and that's what's being reflected in the polls. There's a healthcare crisis getting worse, an affordability crisis, fiscal mismanagement, and still safety issues.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - There have been a lot more killer whales and Humpback whales in our waters lately. According to a new study from UBC, the inside waters off Vancouver Island are critical habitat for West Coast Transient, or Bigg's killer whales. The return of Humpback whales has been heralded as a success story, and there are now also reports of gray whale sightings. Last week, Cortes Currents interviewed two of the scientists involved in this research. Emma Shaparski from Straitwatch Emma Shaparski is a Quadra Island resident, coordinator for Straitwatch Quadra, and one of the organization's vessel operators. She holds a B.Sc. in Geography, with honours, from the University of Victoria, where she specialized in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to enhance understanding of cetacean habitat use. She was out on one of the boats when I found her, but agreed to an interview the following evening. “Our study area extends all the way down to Powell River and all the way north to Kelsey Bay. This is my sixth season on the water doing research in this area. We have a field season that runs from early June to the end of September, but I work year-round doing all the data analysis, report writing, and that kind of thing.” Taryn Scarff, Lead Author of the UBC Study Taryn Scarff is the lead author of the UBC study currently making headlines in the news. “As part of my Master's Degree at UBC, I looked at the abundance and distribution of transient killer whales in what I call the inside waters of Vancouver Island.”

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents - At the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery: Meinsje's Uncanny Puppets and Sublime Paintings The “Uncanny and the Sublime” exhibition opens at the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, June 19, and runs until July 5. In this morning's interview, exhibiting artist Meinsje Vlaming discusses her puppets and paintings. Meinsje: "I've been involved with the Academy of the Wooden Puppets. That's a two-year education online by Bernd Ogrodnik, a German teacher, master puppeteer, and carver who lives now in Iceland. That's one of the good things that happened with COVID: we have a lot of things online now, and we don't have to go there. “Bernd put together a program on carving puppets—from the beginning, very simple puppets, to a very, very complicated marionette. Of course, being a puppeteer, that had my interest. So I enrolled.” “Well, actually, I first applied for a grant. I got it, I enrolled, and I started carving. I got all these puppets that are not really related, and I haven't put them in a puppet show, but it would be nice to hang them on the walls in a gallery and display them.” “So we thought about that, and then it's like, well, I don't have enough to fill the gallery. And then I also enrolled with a wonderful painter teacher, Michael Orwick, whose style is really resonating with my own style—my own work. So I thought, ‘Why don't I put those two together?' - But how do you connect the wooden puppets with the paintings that are about light?" “If you look through my work, it's very diverse—there's a lot of different styles and trying out styles. But the thing they all have in common is the light. So I took two elements from two different disciplines and tried to connect them. What they have in common is painting and puppets—then I started to dive a little deeper into what they have in common, which is the sublime in the paintings.” “The Romantics, the Tonalists, the Luminists—they've all used that. I personally think light is the most sublime thing on this planet. It's in paintings, and it's connected to the spiritual.” “That's how I came to decide: ‘Let's put puppets and the paintings together into the show.' And that works—I think, I hope.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - At their June 11 meeting, the Electoral Areas Service Committee (EASC) heard a staff report on tiny home initiatives in the Regional District of Nanaimo. This followed an ongoing discussion that began with a motion from Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney of Area C last November. Director Mawhinney: “I noticed that in other regional districts, temporary use permits are being used for a variety of purposes—potentially to permit tiny homes as long-term temporary accommodation, if you want to call it that. “I couldn't find a policy, or even an application form, for a temporary use permit at the SRD. I'm wondering if we could have a report on our current policy on temporary use permits, and also how they're used in other regional districts.” John Rice (Regional Director of Area D):“I'm curious about the use of temporary use permits. My understanding is that the province is already moving toward new legislation for small-footprint homes. I believe that the Cowichan Valley is accepting them, so I'm not sure why we want to explore temporary use permits if the province is moving to make this more legal anyway. I could be wrong.” Director Mawhinney: “Well, I haven't heard that—that's great news. The reason I was interested in temporary use permits as a potential solution for housing is because I've witnessed in my community that someone is willing to offer a place for a tiny home to be used as a home temporarily, and then they have to tell the tiny home owner they can't live there because their home insurance won't permit it on their property. “I've been wondering whether a temporary use permit—typically available for up to three years, with the possibility of renewal—could provide more legal assurance for insurance companies. That, in turn, might expand the possibility of providing non-traditional housing options in our electoral areas.” Gerald Whalley (Regional Director of Area A): “So, just to confirm—are these smaller than a typical mobile home?” Director Mawhinney: “I think they often fall under the RV category because they're on wheels. They aren't always on wheels, but they often are. Mobile homes are on wheels—that's why they're mobile. But I think mobile homes are often moved and then the wheels are removed and the unit is anchored to the ground. It just seems like there are a lot of questions that staff could answer.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The story of fossils left during the last glacial period is currently on display at the Cortes Island Museum. They are Buchia mussels, Belemnites, and Ammonites—creatures that lived in the Chilcotin region at the same time as the dinosaurs. The rocks containing their fossils were relatively undisturbed for nearly 130 million years. Then, during the last glaciation period, fragments broke off and were carried to Cortes, Read, Sonora, and other Discovery Islands. In this morning's interview, Christian Gronau, a retired geologist and Cortes Island resident, tells their story.

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On Friday, June 5, Manda Aufochs Gillespie welcomed three women from neighbouring islands to Folk U Radio. In the interview that follows, Renate Harvey and Renée Desautel from Sonora Island and Sheila Hollanders from Read Island talk about their lives, families, communities and hopes for years to come.

De Clarke / Cortes Currents - My assumption is that we will, at some point in time, see a fire on Cortes of a severity that will flabbergast the population. It may not happen this year, and it may not happen in 10 years, but the conditions are getting very, very bad. That is what Mike Brown, volunteer fire fighter and long time Cortes resident, had to say at the May 3rd meeting on Emergency Preparedness in the Pioneer Room. At that thinly-attended meeting, SRD emergency services staffer Sarah Rosen gave a presentation on emergency preparedness for individuals and households. As part of her presentation she reviewed potential emergencies in our local area. Cortes Island is fortunate to be sheltered from tsunamis; earthquakes are rare in BC; the island has no rivers to flood or dams to burst (unlike Campbell River, where the hydro power dam is currently undergoing seismic safety renovations). The island has no hazardous chemical plants or huge fuel dumps. The one serious disaster-grade risk to the Cortes community is wildfire.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Eric Denis grew up in Quebec and is the technical operator of machines at Island Sea Farms. Melissa Steblyk comes from Alberta, is a substitute teacher at the Cortes Island School, and also manages the Gorge Marina. Last May, they launched a moped rental business called Cortes Cruiser in the Gorge. It didn't start out that way. Melissa Steblyk: “Eric's got three kids, and his oldest is almost 16. We were thinking a scooter would be a great option for him when he gets his license.” Eric Denis: “In March, we bought that first bike. It was one of those Yamaha BWS—just a little bit of a beater. It was for my kids, so it was like, ‘We'll fix it up.'” The Vision for Cortes Cruiser Melissa Steblyk: “We bought one, and then we were like, ‘Why don't we buy another one? Maybe we could rent them out.' People are constantly asking, ‘How do we get around the island? We want to see Cortes. We want to experience this.' I was like, ‘I don't know what you can do. You can hitchhike, if you'd like.' Then the idea dawned on us. We're at the Gorge—we have a setup here. I work at the marina, I can promote it through word of mouth right there, and we can really see it going somewhere.” Cortes Currents: They approached Marco Bedetti, manager of The Gorge Harbour Marina, with the idea of renting out their mopeds at the resort. Eric Denis: “Marco's a good friend. I've known Marco since I moved here, when he was working under Bill Dougan and Tammy Allwork back in the day. I worked at Island Sea Farms as well. I'm a liveaboard—I've been living here at the Gorge for the winters. I'm out of the dock for the summer, but I come back for the winter.” Melissa Steblyk: “I've been working at the Gorge. I've been at the marina for the last two years—this is going to be my third year. I have a good working relationship and friendship with Marco, and I understand the need people have, especially coming in on a boat. “He said, ‘Okay, if you guys want to do this, you need to come up with a business plan. You have to sell me on this a little bit if we're going to bring you into it.'” Eric Denis: “For people who come by boat, it gives them a good opportunity to visit the rest of the island.” Melissa Steblyk: “Go to Squirrel Cove, check out the food truck there. Drive over to Manson's, enjoy the beach, check out the lake, and then go to the co-op—Bertha's—and have a snack. And maybe take that down to Smelt Bay. Those are the main things we recommend.” Eric Denis: “So we came up with a good plan, and he set me up really well at the Gorge.” Melissa Steblyk: “I'm not saying we're tied to the Gorge—we're still a separate entity—but we're located here.” Getting Started Cortes Currents: They decided to purchase five mopeds. Eric Denis: “We started researching, and we went for some 49cc automatic Honda Ruckus scooters. They've got Honda reliability.” Melissa Steblyk: “We wanted something that still looked great, ran well, and we knew it could handle the island.” Eric Denis: “We set up a trailer close by the Gorge staff area. I have the five bikes over there and a little bit of a shop so I can maintain them.” Cortes Currents: When did you rent the first moped out? Eric Denis: “The May long weekend during Seafest. A couple from Campbell River came by jet ski, wanted to do some house hunting. They just went, ‘Oh, this is easy.' Then they went on a cruise for a couple of hours.” Melissa Steblyk: “We hadn't even posted yet—we were still trying to figure out how they found us. They might have just been walking by. We didn't have everything fully organized, but we were close enough. They saw us, and that was our first rental.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -  At their May 27 meeting, the Strathcona Regional District Board approved a motion to provide the Cortes Island Food Bank with close to $24,000 for its new outlet in Manson's Landing. Mark Vonesh (Regional Director, Cortes Island): “I'd like to move that a financial contribution of up to $23,425 be approved from the Electoral Area B Community Works Fund to the Cortes Island Food Bank Association to support construction of a food security hub, subject to finalizing a funding agreement between the association and the regional district.” The minutes state that Michael Lott of Gold River seconded the motion, but the voice in the audio sounds more like Robin Mawhinney, Regional Director for Area C. Mark Baker (Chair of the SRD): “Discussion? All in favor. Motion is passed.” The money comes from federal gas tax revenues, which in BC are administered by the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM). A similar motion was turned down on October 2, 2025, because the funds would go to a third party. As Chief Administrative Officer David Leach explained at that time:
“The challenge is, again, these are UBCM resolutions. It's not an SRD asset. So is this a priority within the regional districts? Do you have any other regional deficiencies that you could use this money for yourself? That's the challenge. It qualifies, but it's to a third party.” Some directors were concerned that granting money to a third party could be interpreted as meaning the SRD did not have any applicable projects of its own. The Union of BC Municipalities later advised the SRD that funding for the Cortes Island Food Bank be eligible as cultural infrastructure if it was included in board-approved planning documents. This interpretation is based on the precedent set by communities using gas tax funds to enhance community centers that host programs such as emergency shelters and food services, thereby contributing to food security outcomes. SRD staff responded by incorporating the project into their 2026 to 2031 financial plan. Beatrix Baxter, president of the Cortes Island Food Bank, emailed, "We were thrilled to get the news that our funding request was approved. This was funding we were hoping to get last year as we faced the loss of our former food storage location and needed to make emergency renovations to the shipping containers at the Village Commons. Unfortunately, due to questions about whether a nonprofit can count as a beneficiary of that particular infrastructure funding, we weren't able to access that funding last year. We're so grateful to our regional director and to the SRD board, C-CAO and CFO for their work in negotiating an effective strategy so those funds are available to, so those funds are available to us this year." "We hope other nonprofits on the island will work with the regional director to use this strategy to fund future projects. We're continuing to work on the shipping containers, adding a roof between the structures and improving accessibility. We're excited to show the public everything that we've been working on at our open house later this summer. It's been a huge effort, and we couldn't have done it without the support of the SRD, our regional director, Food Banks Canada, and our amazing local donors who consistently show up to support our work. The need in our community is growing, and we're very glad to be working on eradicating hunger with the support of our local government."

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - On May 3rd, Sarah Rosen from the Strathcona Regional District came to the Pioneer Room at Mansons Hall to talk about emergency preparedness… and there were about eight people in the room. As Sarah herself said, the biggest emergency preparedness risk on the island might just be that so few of us are thinking about it. [I'll admit that I've been procrastinating — not getting around to producing this story — and it might be because the subject is a little uncomfortable when you know that you yourself are not prepared. But avoidance and procrastination are exactly the problems that Sarah came to address, and she says being prepared might not be as daunting as you think.] Sarah Rosen speaks at the Pioneer Room, May 3rd 2026 — photo by Roy Hales With just three questions: should I stay, should I go, how do I know? I'm gonna walk you through how you could prepare for everything. Three Essential Questions In the first week of my job, I was given an amazing insight by one of my former coworkers, the basis of these three questions: Should I stay? Should I go? How do I know? And what I learned from her is that basically there's only two types of disaster and emergency in terms of how you actually wanna prepare for them: situations where you need to stay put or shelter in place, and then situations where you need to evacuate (and typically you need to evacuate fast). Sarah works for the Emergency Services section of the Strathcona Regional District. She travels to communities across the region to offer these workshops, and her job is to make emergency preparedness feel manageable rather than overwhelming. So she structures everything around those three core questions. My sense is that some people feel so overwhelmed by the scope of all the disasters that can happen that they choose consciously or subconsciously to just not even kind of open their minds up to the preparedness process, and I really understand that. Like if, if you have this sense of like, you know, a wall of fire bearing down on your home or a catastrophic earthquake, and that's what's in your mind when you're thinking of preparedness, it's pretty easy to feel powerless in the face of that.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - After serving at the Quadra Island Medical Clinic for eight years, Dr Steve Hughes will soon be retiring. That puts the island in a difficult spot and inn this morning's interview Marc Doll, Chair of the Quadra Island Foundation, explains how his organization and the clinic have teamed and raised more than $50,000 towards finding Hughes replacement. Marc Doll: "Dr. Hughes, who I believe is the doctor for several people on Cortes as well, is retiring. He's stretched out his retirement as far as he can. Come September, he will be doing the official retirement, which puts that clinic, which is anchored by a doctor, in a stressful position." "The Quadra Island Health Society, which was formed last time a doctor left that clinic, has been searching for a doctor for some time now, and it's been a rough rough ride. It's hard to find doctors willing to come to specialized clinics in rural settings. So they decided, as a board, to reach out to a professional healthcare recruiter. That comes with a pretty hefty price tag, at least from my perspective, and the decision was to go to the community to find the funds to hire a recruiter to bring a doctor, to the island to keep that clinic open." "So about two weeks ago, they came to us to ask us if we would engage in a project for them to hire a recruiter. We sat down as a board, decided it was within our charitable purposes, set up the fund, and let it be known to the community that this was happening. We expected it would take a couple of months to find that amount of funds, and it was less than two weeks before we actually exceeded the target." "Now the recruiter is at work, and we keep bringing our fingers crossed that this process will work and bring a doctor to the island." Cortes Currents: Do you have any idea how long it would take through the process to find a doctor? Marc Doll: "Well, that's the $10,000 question, right? Can you find somebody?" "And if you find somebody, is it somebody that will be a fit for that particular office 'cause, as most people know, that office isn't just simply a doctor's office. It saves us from having to go to Campbell River for every blood test. There's a community health nurse running out of that office, and a lot of other things." "So it's probably not as simple as just finding any first-year doctor that's willing to go there." "We have to be optimistic. We know that we've had doctors leave this island, in the last few years. Every time, even though it, took six, seven, eight months longer than you would expect, we managed to always fill those gaps. It helps that both quadra is an amazing community, beautiful place to live, easy access to Campbell River." "So all those things are benefits, but there are dozens of communities and probably hundreds of offices across British Columbia that are short doctors at this point." Cortes Currents: Is there anything you would like to add? Marc Doll: "Just a big thank you to everybody on the islands that stepped up, put their money forward to make this make this program a success and hopefully the program itself will be a success. Then I think a word of appreciation to the hard work of the volunteer board of the Health Society and the volunteer board of the Quadra Island Foundation that put in a lot of hours to get to this point."

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On Friday, May 29, 2026, Chief Kevin Peacey of the Klahoose First Nation came to the Cortes Radio station, where he was interviewed by Manda Aufochs Gillespie.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - At the May 27 SRD Board Meeting, Mayor Kermit Dahl of Campbell River accused Regional Directors Mark Vonesch, Robyn Mawhinney and Gerald Whalley of bullying Regional Director John Rice:     “For example, when Director Rice was outvoted on a development in Area D by three electoral area Directors who wanted to show him, ‘Stay in line or else we'll show you.' They could stop him from succeeding in moving Area D forward.” This is not the first time Campbell River Directors have made this allegation. Directors Rice and Whalley also discussed the matter in the chatter from the opening of this Board Meeting's YouTube video. It is difficult to make out what Director Rice was saying, but Regional Director Whalley clearly states he was supporting Area D's Official Community Plan (OCP): Director Rice: "The point being that ... ( his words were lost in the surrounding noise)." Director Whalley: "Well, I don't agree with that and that's fine." Director Rices's reply is muffled. Director Whalley: “No, we were trying to support your community plan because it included 2 hectares and you had 1 hectare; that was wrong. Then the community plan was revised, and I said, ‘Okay, now it's right,' and now that's history.” It was relatively easy to find the application they were talking about. A search of SRD minutes found 16 applications since February 2023; 15 of these passed the first time through. In all but one of these15 cases, there were no opposing votes. The accusation of 'bullying' arises from the rezoning application associated with Bylaw No. 519, submitted by Peter Zaschke and seven other Area D residents, which was turned down at the October 11, 2023 Board meeting. As it was held in Kyuquot, there is no YouTube recording. This was an electoral-area-only decision and far from the situation Mayor Dahl described. Directors Rice and Vonesch voted for the application, while Mawhinney and Whalley opposed it. When the topic was reintroduced at the November 8, 2023 Board meeting, Director Whalley explained that his opposing vote was cast in support of Area D's Official Community Plan (OCP): "It says, new lots shall have an average minimum lot size of 2.0 hectares. Just that simple. Applicants wanted lot sizes of 1.0 to 1.3 hectares. In my view, that wasn't right."

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents - Mark Vonesch was removed from his position as vice chair of the SRD through a non-confidence vote, and Campbell River director Susan Sinott elected in his place. The voting followed what is becoming a familiar pattern: with the five Campbell River directors and their allies voting to remove Vonesch, while the directors from Gold River, Tahsis, and electoral areas A, B, and C supported him. The Alleged Plot It was preceded by a roughly two-hour-long in-camera session, after which Campbell River Mayor Kermit Dahl addressed the meeting. Mayor Dahl: "I gotta say, Wow! I've watched the Strathcona Regional District meeting from April 29th and I think 'Wow' best describes the performances of the day. Some were Gemini Award worthy. From listening to directors talking about strategically quorum busting, Directors Whalley and Vice Chair Director Vonesh plotting a strategic walkout to collapse quorum at 3 hours and 4 minutes into the YouTube recording. I can listen to it, watch it and it's clear their intention. I encourage anyone from the public listening or watching this meeting to do the same."

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Food Bank has a new Executive Director. Filipe Figueira retired last November, and Angelica Raaen has been at the helm since then. In this morning's interview, she responds to five myths about food banks and also talks a little about her new role. Angelica Raaen: “I think it's really important that the stigma around food banks and food assistance be addressed, and that everyone who needs to access the food bank—or could use help—feels comfortable doing so. We're here if anyone needs us.” The Myths #1: Is it true that everybody misuses the food bank? Angelica Raaen: “No, that's not true. People tend to underuse the food bank. They usually exhaust all of their other resources first before reaching out, and the stigma surrounding food bank use tends to make people wait even longer. They may feel they don't deserve it, think other people need it more than they do, or worry about what community members might think.” #2: Why don't they just go out and get jobs? Angelica Raaen: “A lot of people who use the food bank already have jobs, but minimum wage often isn't enough to cover the cost of living. Some people also face extra expenses that they can't manage with their income alone. For those who don't have jobs, there can be many barriers to employment, such as disability, intermittent work, seasonal work, or other challenges. You never know someone's full story or what they're going through.” #3: Can't they just learn how to budget their money? Angelica Raaen: “Telling people to budget their money assumes they have extra money left to budget. So much of people's income is taken up by rent, medical bills, clothing, and other essentials. For Canada's lowest-income earners, shelter alone now consumes two-thirds of their disposable income. That leaves only one-third for everything else: food, transportation, clothing, medicine, and so on. The total ends up being 123% of their income, which is obviously more than they have. No amount of budgeting can fix that deficit.” #4: Aren't food banks part of the problem? If you didn't have this crutch, people could take steps to leave food insecurity behind. Angelica Raaen: “Food banks have a very high turnover rate, which shows that people use them and then, in many cases, no longer need them. Having that extra time or financial relief can help people free up energy to address health issues, settle into a new living situation, or earn credentials for a job. Food banks allow people to take those steps and move out of whatever difficult situation they're in.” #5: If we didn't have food banks, wouldn't society have to address the problems that cause hunger in the first place? Angelica Raaen: “It's part of our mandate as a food bank to recognize that food banks aren't a long-term solution to hunger—we're just a band-aid for a much bigger problem. We know food banks aren't a permanent answer, but they are definitely a necessary emergency service. All the food banks I know of are working to address the underlying causes of food insecurity, mostly by advocating for government policy change.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Inspirations: An interview with Ruby Singh Juno-nominated musician Ruby Singh recently returned to Cortes Island, both as a facilitator for the CASE Youth Leadership Conference at Hollyhock and to give a concert at Manson's Hall. In this morning's interview, he talks about his many forms of artistic expression, inspirations, and relationship with Cortes Island. Ruby Singh: "I find inspiration in a lot of different ways. I feel like we are all just small tendrils of creation, so the act of creation and the act of creativity are among the most natural ways of being. Other artists really inspire me. I am deeply inspired by ancestry and futurity at the same time, so finding ourselves where we are in this timeline of inheritance from our ancestors, and what we are thinking about leaving here when we leave. Long timelines really inspire me, and deep time is a very inspirational thing. I get a lot of inspiration from my community, from the people around me, and from this more-than-human world that surrounds us." Cortes Currents: What brought you to Cortes? Ruby Singh: "Years and years and years ago, I think it was Mook and Monique who invited our band to come up and play. It might have been the late '90s, maybe even '98, and we played over at the Gorge. We had a band called Sapna. Who was the fantastic woman who ran that bakery there for a long time? Truda baked us a cake on our first arrival, and then after the gig we were shuffled off over to Channel Rock, spent some time there, and instantly felt the gorgeousness of this place. In the '90s and 2000s, a few of us went to Carrington Bay and camped out there for a while because it was so beautiful." "We're looking back over 25 years now. Every August I'm usually back, because that was when we were doing the youth camps. I love coming here in August and just being here, close to the water and the forest, and having a great summertime on Cortes." Cortes Currents: I was reading the bio the Cortes Island Academy provides for the CASE Youth Leadership Summit. Tell me how your work is at the intersection of social justice, the arts, capacity building, and systemic change. Ruby Singh: "I have worked in social and ecological organizing and education for over 20 years—working within education systems, within detention centers, and within universities and colleges, running workshops. There's really something powerful about being able to express our stories and have them listened to. That moves into an idea of agency and being able to move in the world. My artwork has those things at the basis of creation, but I am also just coming off working with all the young people today."

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - Lately, Cortes Islanders have been frustrated by the number of large trucks appearing in the ferry lineups in both directions on the Quadra/Cortes run. In particular, the number of gravel-hauling truck/trailer rigs has been the subject of comment and complaint. These oversize vehicles take up as many as five regular car spaces, and when combined with the usual number of food delivery trucks and Quadra Builders' regular hi-ab flatbed runs, some feel the “commercials” are taking up more than their share of deck space. Certainly the morning lineups on Quadra, inbound to Cortes, are very long indeed and contain many heavy trucks. When the gravel trucks head for Cortes with a full load, they also weigh so much that the ferry may reach its weight limit before the car deck is filled, thus further displacing passenger cars from much-coveted ferry space. Residents say there have been an unusual number of gravel truck/trailer trips recently due to some major construction activity on the island. I travelled from Quadra to Cortes on Friday morning May 22nd, and (wisely) put my car in the line-up at Heriot Bay the night before. Even at 8pm on the previous night there were already two gravel haulers lined up. By 8am they had been joined by two large refrigerator trucks, a large flatbed, and two pieces of heavy earth moving equipment moving under their own power. These oversize and overweight vehicles took up at least three quarters of the ferry deck on that first inbound run, leaving a substantial overload behind. The situation is not ideal, but some BC Ferries staff believe relief is in sight. One BC Ferries worker told me that when the new Island Class ferry takes over the Cortes/Quadra run this summer, the “truck problem” will improve: Not only will the new boat have more deck space, I was told, but it has a much higher weight limit as well. The Island Nagalis will transition to Route 24 between Quadra – Cortes Island by summer 2026, replacing the Tachek and increasing vehicle capacity from 26 to 47 and passengers and crew space from 150 to 399.  The unpopular gravel truck/trailer rigs making so many daily trips in recent weeks may help to win community support for the controversial Whaletown quarry expansion proposal currently being reviewed by provincial ministries. Almost all Cortes Islanders acknowledge that it makes good sense to use local gravel and free up more ferry deck space for passenger cars, yet many remain critical of what they see as the disproportionate scale of the proposal and its lack of environmental review. Most recently, FOCI has gone on record as opposing the proposal as currently submitted. With some island builders choosing not to use Whaletown gravel due to quality issues or a preference for dealing off-island, and with construction projects apparently increasing in scope, islanders can only hope that the BC Ferries staff are right -- that the Island Class ferry will offer enough of a capacity boost to make sure passenger vehicles get their share of deck space.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - We're coming up to the 90th anniversary of the Vancouver Island Regional Library. In this morning's interview Beatrix Baxter, the new Circulation Supervisor at the Cortes Island branch, talks about the library, her love of books and how they are going to celebrate on Saturday, May 30th. Beatrix Baxter:  “The Vancouver Island Regional Library was established in 1936, and it started off with six library branches, 28 sub-branches, and seven van routes. Now we're up to 39 library branches and our online branch, which we say is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, because you can go online anytime." “All 39 branches share what we call a floating collection. We all each hold part of the collection. When a library customer goes online to put a book on hold, the call goes out to all the branches that might have a copy of that book. The first one to respond sends the book off, and it goes through our system and ends up here on Cortes, or wherever the person is requesting it from. “I don't know how many books we have, but more than five million items are circulated annually. That's books, magazines, video games, DVDs, TV shows, audiobooks — it's everything that we have, which is actually quite a lot.” Origins of the Cortes Island Library Narrator: The first Cortes Islands Library is actually one year older than the Vancouver Island Regional Library. Beatrix Baxter: "The first library that Cortes had was started by the Whaletown Women's Institute in 1935. They were gifted or negotiated the use of the Farmers Institute building, which we now know as the Louise Tucker Library. That's our longest running library. The Whaletown School had a library at some point." "When Manson's Hall underwent a major renovation in 1980, they expanded it to include the space for the post office and the play school and the library. So we were up in the top floor of Manson's Hall for many years." Cortes Island Joins the Vancouver Island Regional Library System "May Ellingsen ran things over there before the museum was established. She used to keep all of her famous photo albums at the library. I don't know when it became part of the Vancouver Island Regional Library, but she was instrumental in making that happen." “In 2009–2010, a structural engineering assessment of the building found that it was no longer safe to house the weight of the books in that room. There were simply too many books. There was a lot of community engagement at the time. A lot of people were really concerned that we weren't going to have a library.”" The Move to Linnaea “They were looking for a new location for at least a couple of years, and in 2012 they made a new arrangement with Linnaea to use the space that had been the former Linnaea school. The building was renovated, and by November 2013 the library had moved into the new space and was open to the public again. “We added a self-checkout machine, which made lineups shorter — one of the concerns residents had about the old location. We've also gotten more hours over the years, which is great. We changed our hours in September, adding an extra evening and another daytime shift, so you're more likely to be able to drop by and find that the library is open.” Narrator: Jude Marentette was the circulation supervisor when the library moved from Manson's Hall to its present location in the Linnaea Education Centre, but she retired last fall. Beatrix has been the librarian since December 2025.

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents - There have been a lot of concerns that the MOU with Alberta represents a step backward when it comes to reducing climate-change-causing emissions from big industry and advancing clean energy. In this morning's interview, Jennifer Lash, who was both a senior adviser at Environment and Climate Change Canada and a Liberal candidate in the last election, shares her perspective on these issues. Jennifer Lash: “I went through a bit of an existential crisis when the MOU was announced. That was a hard moment for me. I've spent many years arguing against pipelines and arguing for carbon pricing, but I had to step out of the old way I was looking at climate. I had to step into a new way of looking at it, one that took more into consideration the current global crisis we're in and the political situation.” “We've labelled what climate success looks like in one way, and we're shifting now. I really encourage people to take the time to try to understand what it is this Prime Minister is doing and to see the value in it before jumping to the conclusion that it's bad — and not just in terms of direct emissions reductions, but in terms of the long-term ability to work together as a country to address this very serious problem.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - A new UBC led study of 111 peer-reviewed papers found that forests and biodiversity are better, or at least equally, protected if they are managed by Indigenous Peoples. Between 2005 and 2012, vegetation loss in native areas of the Brazilian Amazon was 17 times lower. In Australia, 60% of the nation's 1,574 threatened species were found on Indigenous lands. In the United States, Indigenous lands harbour more mature trees and higher tree volume. Close to two-thirds of the articles noted that Indigenous Peoples were themselves threatened, and some offered suggestions to either provide resources or strengthen their tenure over the land. While little of the material dealt with British Columbia, lead author William Nikolakis has worked with First Nations in the Interior and was prepared to comment.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The 2026 New Forest Act Roadshow will be coming to our area next month. The Sentinel Educational Foundation and Watershed Sentinel magazine are the sponsors of the Vancouver Island leg of its tour. Jennifer Houghton, Campaign Director of the New Forest Act Proposal, will be speaking at the Campbell River United Church at 7:00 on Thursday, June 11, and Quadra Island Community Centre at 7:00 on Saturday, June 13.  Jennifer Houghton:  "Right now we're seeing a decline in timber supply, mill closures, degraded lands, degraded watersheds, rising disaster costs, and less stable communities. The current system isn't even protecting the future of forestry itself. Ecosystem decline is a serious problem across BC, and the whole structure of forestry needs to be replaced. That's why we've developed a legislative proposal to restructure all forestry in BC." "It's a proposed replacement of BC's current forestry legislation, including the current Forest Act, the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Private Managed Forest Lands Act. Right now, BC's forestry laws are built around maximizing timber extraction. The New Forest Act framework is a citizen-developed proposal to shift forestry towards ecological limits, stable communities, and long-term ecosystem function, instead of short-term liquidation."  "It's based on a simple framework. Protect what still functions, restore what's been damaged, and harvest carefully where the land can actually support it. Our goal is not to end forestry. The goal is to stop destroying the systems communities depend on: water, slope stability, biodiversity, and long-term timber supply itself." 

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The community orchard at the Rainbow Ridge affordable housing complex officially launched with a tree-planting ceremony on Earth Day. In this morning's interview, permaculture designer Witney Vanderleest discusses her role in the project, the process of planting the first 35 trees, and what the community can expect to see as the site evolves. 

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Daniel Lapp is the headliner for this year's Lovefest, which returns to Linnaea Farm on Saturday, August 8, 2026. He has played on over 100 albums and performed across Canada, the United States, Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Finland, and Germany. Daniel is also a winner of the BC Fiddler Championship and is the Artistic Director of the Victoria Conservatory of Music. Benji Coey, who is organizing Lovefest, said, "This year I'm very excited to have booked Daniel Lapp, who is a nationally renowned folk and jazz musician. He's going to bring Adam Dobray—who the folks on the island are familiar with—a world-class guitar player, and Richard Moody, one of the country's best fiddle players. Those guys are going to do an extended set. When you get that sort of talent coming through, you have to give them room; you've got to give them time to play, and it's going to be a really mind-blowing set." "We're also going to have the return of Pablo Cardenas with his 'Latin explosion,' so we're going to have some good, vigorous dancing to all kinds of great rhythms. I actually had him last year, but the reason I brought him back is because he only had a short set last year. It was a really energetic, exciting show; the crowd responded terrifically and I thought, 'That's a great taster, but let's get him back this time to really hammer it home.'" "We have a really good lineup—a diverse mix of material—quite a bit of folk really going back to the roots of the festival." "Amy and Rick Bockner will be doing a full set. They didn't play last year, and Rick is part of the heart of the island music scene and, of course, Lovefest. It's going to be a really special occasion to have him and Amy playing a set. I think the island will be very receptive to seeing that beautiful family playing together, celebrating their love, their family, and the music." Cortes Currents: Any other acts that you wanted to mention? Benji Coey: "I won't mention too many right now. There are one or two confirmations which are still coming through, so I shan't release too much more. Daniel Lapp is definitely the big-ticket item. If you haven't heard of Daniel Lapp before, I suggest you go online and check him out. He is a highly regarded musician, multi-award nominated, and a very nice bloke." Cortes Currents: So when will this be happening? Benji Coey: "That's on August 8th at Linnaea Farm. Tickets will go on sale in June and you can, of course, buy them from the Friday market. We hope for another great event and a really good turnout. It's going to be, as ever, a really friendly, enjoyable, laid-back event with some high-energy moments and some beautiful reflective moments. Just those moments when you sit back, feel the early evening roll in, listen to the music, and feel grateful that this talent is coming all this way to entertain us."

Recorded by Roy L Hales

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Around 100 people packed into Mansons Hall on May 7, 2026, for a community meeting on the proposed expansion of the Island United Quarry on Cortes Island. While most appeared to be opposed to the project in its current form, some added that Cortes Island needed a smaller quarry more in line with the island's needs Neither Howard Nielsen, who owns Island United, nor his wife were present. Regional Director Mark Vonesch explained, " It's their 50th wedding anniversary and they're on a trip."  Mike Moore, who MC'd the event,  added, "First of all this is a meeting that is for information. We'll have a question and answer period at the end of a few little presentations. It's not a protest by any means. No profanity (audience chuckles); no derogatory comments. We're here to look at the Island United Quarry expansion in Whaletown."

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - As North America navigates the transition from traditional fossil fuel-based energy to renewable alternatives, various regions are exploring solutions like Distributed Energy Resources (DER). In this morning's interview, Catherine Jefferey from Clean Energy Canada discusses a program designed to reduce costs for Ontario ratepayers by an estimated $1.8 billion to $3.5 billion annually. The discussion also covers progress in utility-scale battery storage, Canada's adoption of renewables, and the prospects for transitioning away from fossil fuels.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The radio version of this story opened with a clip from  the 'Inky Dinky' round of a recent Benji's Pub Quiz night in Mansons Hall, Cortes Island. An Inky Dinky is a two-word phrase. Both the words have two syllables, and they rhyme, like Inky Dinky.  "So what?" asked show host Benji Coey. "Well, I'm going to give you a riddle and you're going to come up with an Inky Dinky as the answer. For example, if I said to you, Riddle me this: A church tower made out of human beings." What might I be looking for?" A number of excited voices piped up: "People; steeple."  Benji: "A people steeple. Good job. The people are the human beings, they normally are, and a steeple is a church tower. Good. Now, this is a creative thinking round, teams. If it's a good answer, write it down, and as ever, we will talk about all of the answers together, like normal people on Cortes island."  What the audio does not show is that every table in the Hall is occupied. They are filled with beer, nachos and all the other treats associated with pubs, but more importantly each table belongs to a team. They aren't supposed to have more than 5 members, but some include children and have 7. The teams have given themselves names like A Brick in the Wall, The Troublemakers, and Maya.  Someone asked, "Do you get higher marks for novel answers?"  Benji: "If it's a novel answer, you'll be rewarded with laughter and  great admiration from your colleagues, which is better than points."  All conversation ceased as Benji continued: "Right, here we go: here's your first Inky Dinky tonight. Riddle me this one, teams: Sweaty relaxation for all of the animals? Sweaty relaxation for all of the animals?" That was just one of the many dozens of puzzlers participants sought to unravel. Benji's Pub Quiz has become quite the event here on Cortes and, it turns out, in a lot of other places as well. In today's interview we sat down with Benji Coey to find out why.  

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U -

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - SRD staff are currently preparing a bylaw that will reduce the residential waste collection charge on Cortes Island from $112 to $86, effective this year. This change has been in development since last year, originating from a shift in the SRD's administrative policy. Staff estimate that $121 per user is required to fully fund the service, so the shortfall this year will be approximately $25,000. However, the service currently possesses $103,000 in reserves to cover such gaps. At the April 28, 2026 Board meeting, Regional Director Mark Vonesch expressed his support for the move, stating: "I just want to remark on the low cost and appreciate staff for working with our local contractor to do this. Efficient use of government resources to get services done is really important, and I am glad to see this part of it. Thank you." Solid waste collection on Cortes Island is performed by VEM Contracting. There are currently 681 registered users. While residents are not required to put out garbage for collection, every household on Cortes Island contributes to the service through their property taxes. 

Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents - Bringing Campbell River's Tyee Legacy to Vancouver's DOXA film festival A documentary about Campbell River's historic Tyee fishing culture will be screened at Vancouver's DOXA Film Festival on Thursday, May 7. In this morning's interview filmmakers Jevan Crittenden and Nate Slaco talk a little about 'In Tyee Country,' and how it came into being.  Jevan: "When we started this project we expected certain things and a lot of those assumptions were accurate, but there were some surprising things that came up. To me the community aspect is the surprising thing. Peter Wipper talks about having a greater sense of community and home in Campbell River than he does in his own hometown, and he credits that to the community that's come up around the Tyee Club. It really is a tight-knit group." Cortes Currents: Where is he from?  Jevan: He's from Nanaimo. (Note: Peter Wipper was hired by the city of Campbell River in 1989 and went on to hold several high level administrative positions before retiring in 2021.) Nate: "Making this film, we really tried to make Campbell River a character in itself and showcase the beauty of that area. I'm hoping that when people watch it, that really comes through. Even if you're not into fishing, being out on the water at that time of year is a beautiful thing." Cortes Currents: "Where are you both right now?" Jevan: "We're both in Vancouver." Nate: "I was actually born in Campbell River. My dad was in forestry, so I lived there until I was five before he was transferred to just outside Vancouver. So, there is a personal connection there as well." Jevan: "Nate and I met when we were 13 years old. We grew up making videos together; it became a passion for both of us. Fast-forward many years, and we got interested in fishing during the pandemic. Nate's dad had some contacts at the Tyee Club and mentioned it to us as we were getting into the sport. We very quickly realized there was an interesting film to be made about this community." Nate: "The whole premise behind the club—using these traditional fishing techniques—is visually intriguing. When we started meeting members, we realized there are a lot of personalities and a lot of passion there. It also branches off into other hobbies, like collecting tackle or woodworking projects. Beyond that, there is a deeper level of understanding regarding what has changed in the last hundred years with fish populations." Cortes Currents: "Tell me about the moment you decided you were going to make a movie." Jevan: "A friend of ours moved to Campbell River in 2022, and I helped her move. Through Nate's dad's contacts, we set up meetings with club members Jeremy Maynard and Norm Lee over coffee. Those meetings confirmed what we suspected: there was a story to be told here with compelling characters and a complex world involving ecological questions." Nate: "We shot for three years and took probably a year to edit. It was also a good excuse to 'write off' fishing! Jevan and I went there every summer for three years to fish on the Quinsam River for Pinks and other species. Combining our passions for filmmaking and fishing was a great motivator."

Roy L Hales/ Beach Clean-up - The 2026 Cortes Island Beach Clean-up is underway. Helen Hall, Executive Director of the Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI), explained: "The campaign will start on May 1st and run until the end of the month. We're working in partnership with Comox Strathcona Waste Management and Klahoose Aquaculture. We will be placing large 'super sacks' at seven different locations around the island: Hanks Beach Regional Park The Recycling Centre Hollyhock Beach Mansons Landing Government Dock Hayes Road Beach Access Red Granite Beach Plunger Pass Beach Access (Seavista Road) "We are encouraging people to pick up any garbage they spot during their beach walks and place it in these super sacks. They will be available for the entire month of May, and we will collect them at the end of the month." "Klahoose Aquaculture will be hosting an Ocean Legacy bin—a large blue metal bin similar to the ones at the recycling center. All collected garbage will be brought to that central location." "On Saturday, June 6th, we are also offering residents the opportunity to drop off any beach garbage they may have collected at home. We will sort the waste into different categories on that day." "We collect a variety of items, including buoys, oyster trays, and rope. Once sorted, the waste is placed in the bin and transported off-island by Comox Strathcona Waste Management to be recycled." "This is our third year running this program. Last year, we collected over 1,000 kilograms of garbage, which was an amazing result. It was particularly inspiring to see people bringing entire truckloads of debris they had collected themselves."

Unedited audio from the Apr 29 SRD Meeting

De Clarke / Cortes Currents - This article addresses misstatements or deficits in the Management Plan document regarding streams and fish. The document states that "There are no permanent or ephemeral watercourses or wetlands located within the tenure. No water will be discharged to the environment during or post-operation. An unnamed creek runs 15m to the east of site […] There are no aquatic disturbances that will result in any fish habitat being affected by the development. " Local Streamkeepers Christine and Cec Robinson are not so sure. They feel that the Management Plan misrepresents the situation on the ground in the quarry area. Cortes Streamkeepers have been monitoring and collecting data on Cortes streams and fish spawning patterns for 40 years. This is what they have to say about the quarry expansion.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Ecotrust Canada will be giving a home energy workshop at Mansons Hall on Saturday, May 2, at 1 PM.  Max Thaysen, from the Cortes Climate Action Network, explained,  "We've got some folks coming over from Ecotrust to talk about heat pumps and help people get some rebates going so they can potentially get 100% of heat pump install and purchase costs covered by some grants that are available. You can just contact them if you want, but if you want to learn about the program and see if it's a good fit for you, there's an in-person meeting coming up." Michael Anthony Lutfy, Ecotrust's program manager for our area, emailed that since last year, "We have worked with over 50 Cortes Island households, in large part thanks to our Cortes Island partnerships." He went on to list the organizations that were either involved or are provided funding: Cortes Climate Action Network, Cortes Housing Society, Cortes Community Forest Cooperative, Cortes Community Foundation, the Support Our Seniors Society Better at Home Program, the Cortes Community Health Association Family Support Program, and Strathcona Regional District (SRD)." In a previous interview, Lutfy said, "Once you register for our program, you'll get an email from me asking for very basic information about your home, like the age of your home and the heating system you have, After that, you will receive a phone call from me and we'll go through more questions about your home. You explain what your desires are, what challenges you're experiencing around your energy bill, and then I can help guide you toward the right rebates and the right renovations or retrofit so that you can achieve that goal."  "We support households from the beginning of the process all the way to the very end when it comes to selecting contractors, following through with the rebates, ensuring that they received what was expected from the contractor. And we do financial planning, reminders, everything and anything a household needs to complete the process." Question: Are you selling anything? "We do not sell anything. Our objective is just to ensure that people are making an informed decision. I do not receive commission. I do not receive any form of financial compensation from contractors, and we do not provide leads to contractors either. We are working for the households while we help connect you with the right contractors because there are eligibility requirements around the rebate system with which contractors are allowed to use."  Max added, "One of the reasons why we're excited about heat pumps is that they can help people transition off of other more polluting forms of heating. So it's great to do all the things, make your house really efficient. From a climate perspective, which is where I'm coming from, the most important thing is switching from dirty forms of energy to cleaner forms of energy."

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Dr Teresa Ryan is a Tsimshian woman who combines the ancestral knowledge of her people with the cutting edge research coming out of the Mother Tree Project. Her association with Dr Suzanne Simard began when she applied for a postdoctoral fellowship in what is now UBC's faculty of Forestry and Environmental Stewardship. Simard was one of her four instructors and suggested, "We have to talk. I read your dissertation."  Ryan responded, "You did what?" Reflecting back on that today, she added, "Who would do that? It's 435 pages, but what she found was that I demonstrated how our indigenous social institutions are connected to our heterogeneous mosaic landscapes."  Ryan detailed the obligations for stewardship and explained how they were successfully fulfilled through the potlatch system.  "The missionaries, the early anthropologists and the colonial agents missed these connections, they were more interested in other things.  They had very objective intentions from each of their perspectives, but that actually overlooked the stewardship that was occurring in the forest and with the fisheries and how those stewardship activities increase productivity." The consequences of this oversight have persisted down to this present day.   "Now nobody is taking care of the resources. We're seeing declining numbers in everything, even in the forest industry. You often hear there's no fibre left, that's because it's all cut. The fibre is what contributes to reaching their annual allowable cut, and those numbers are falling because it's been harvested. Fisheries are declining, particularly salmon." She noted, wryly, that scientists have become so expert at collecting data that "we're counting the fish to extinction." Instead of looking at these issues as a whole: "It's all these silos. Forestry taken care of here. The salmon are taken care of here, and orcas: we just look at them."  "That's not the way these systems work. In order for us to have the balance return, we need to have all of these systems functioning." She used the plight of one of BC's best known Orca pods as an example of the interconnectivity of natural systems. "The Southern Resident Killer Whales are at risk, but we're not going to be able to recover the Southern Resident Killer Whales if we don't recover the Chinook Salmon, and we can't recover the Chinook Salmon unless we recover the forest."  "There's some complex things going on in our forests and there's some complex things going on in our waters, whether it's in the rivers, or the snow pack or the ocean. We're impacting those things as humans, but every little bit of learning is helping us to understand that we'll have those things in the future if we do a better job of taking care of them now."  Dr Ryan is one of Dr Simard's closest colleagues and a key figure in her new book: When the Forest Breathes.   "The ideas that are within the Forest Breaths come from decades of investigation into how forests function. What happens in the forest among the plants, among the trees, and how are these things growing? What is the premise behind their growth, and their cycles of renewal?" "It's been amazing to have a look at the forest at this level, particularly through the Mycorrhizal networks below ground. The connections that trees have through their root systems and the whole network below our feet in the forest is what gives us that strength in the forest." "I participate with professor Simard in most of our sites. There were originally eight in the interior Douglas Fir forests, and one at Malcolm Knapp, which was our first coastal forest. In the last few years we've been adding sites on the coast. Cortes Island is one of those sites that are added into the Mother Tree Project."

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Nawel Izard is the host of a popular radio program on Cortes Community Radio and the head of the Polaris Law Collective, whose head office is in Campbell River. She was born in Algeria, but lived almost her entire life in Canada. In this morning's interview Nawel describes her motivations and something of her legal practice.   Cortes Currents:  What motivates you, especially towards law? Nawel Izard: "A deep curiosity to ask questions, but more importantly I want to help people and if knowing where to find things is a way to help people, why not? Service plays into it as well in that I've always hoped that I would end up a lawyer." "It's been my focus ever since that citizenship ceremony moment where I see these lawyers participating in something that felt so grand. Making you go from being an immigrant with no status - to now you are Canadian with the pride and a sense of relief in knowing that you are now transitioned. The change was legal and if you have to be a part of that legal bracket, you were a part of this magical institution that made these types of things happen. I think that's where the hook came in." Cortes Currents: Tell us about the day you decided to be a lawyer. Nawel Izard: "I was five years old at my citizenship ceremony. My parents were put through all of the tests, paperwork, fingerprinting and whatnot. I remember standing on a chair and not really singing. I would really categorize it more as a toddler yelling the Canadian anthem, and was just so proud!" "Watching the team of lawyers do this paperwork, it was like live streaming wizardry to take you from being almost 'non status.' You've left your country and you're not really one of us yet and this ceremony makes you Canadian. I just remember thinking and looking at that female lawyer and saying, she's free. I want to be her. I want that." "As a teenager, I had a very short stray from my lifelong objective of becoming a lawyer. I thought pathology would be really cool and that if I was an autopsy doctor I could always figure out what happened to people. The math component shocked me right back to law. I said, "Nope, I will help people as a lawyer, keep your chemistry for yourselves, and then I carried on." Cortes Currents: How Algerian are you? You don't have an accent.  Nawel Izard: "You could never tell from my voice that I'm a polyglot and English is actually my fourth language. I also speak Algerian, I speak Arabic (and French), but I studied in Canada and I did all my post-secondary education in English." "I'm very close with my family actually, and was just at a cousin's wedding in the summer. They all joke that it's like I never left the village because I'm really down to earth and I love to cook from scratch."

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - Island United's proposed expansion of the Whaletown quarry locally known as “The Pit” became public knowledge via minimalist notifications in local media outlets earlier this month. The application to quadruple the Pit's current footprint seems to be sparking more local controversy as more residents become aware of it. While some residents welcome the quarry upgrade, others are questioning the scale of the proposed expansion and its impacts on environment and community. A public meeting to discuss these issues is planned for the evening of May 7th, Thursday, at 7pm at Mansons Hall. Organisers say they hope that Mr Nielsen or someone else from Island United will attend to answer some of the many questions being raised. This Cortes Currents special feature presents some background information on Island United, plus a closer look at some details of the application documents filed by Island United requesting government approval of the expansion project.