Podcasts about Quadra

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Social Venture Institute Hollyhock took place on Cortes Island last week. 115 entrepreneurs, representatives of social-purpose organizations and other interested participants from across North America and as far away as Germany, converged on the remote island retreat centre. The energy was electric. Speaking as someone who has lived on Cortes for 16 years, I had no idea such an incubator for transformative ideas existed in our midst. Social Venture Institute (SVI) Participants spent five days listening to recognized experts and participating in business problem solving sessions, a marketplace of Ideas to share their venture, peer coaching circles, skill building workshops and one-on-one coaching. There was also time for swimming, walking through the forest with a local naturalist and visiting the Klahoose village. And, of course, visitors to Hollyhock consistently praise the food. Mike Rowlands (SVI, Producer): “It's the biggest program we run at Hollyhock, and it's been described in a bunch of different ways. Some people call it summer camp for adults—which it is. That description speaks to the collegiality and comfortable tone we try to create. “For years, Joel Solomon (the founder of SVI) called it a ‘help-each-other festival' because, ultimately, the idea is to bring this group of people together in something that feels like a community. Over the next few days, we want everyone to become comfortable asking one another for help. “Every social entrepreneur—every entrepreneur—needs all kinds of help, from the initial idea and startup phase through to however much the business grows. How do they maintain a positive outlook? How do they increase the positive impact they're delivering? And how do they balance that with the dollars and cents required to remain profitable? “Fundamentally, however, it is what Joel described for years as an intergenerational, cross-sectoral peer experience. ‘Intergenerational' means the youngest person here is, I think, 18, and the oldest is around 70. We have people working in food and health, as well as quite a few consultants who advise across a range of sectors. We have people working in technology and all sorts of other fields. They can learn from one another if we create the right conditions. “It's an intergenerational, cross-sectoral peer dialogue. When you're standing in the food line next to a guy in a hoodie, you don't know whether he's here for the first time or has been coming for years. You don't know whether he's just beginning to develop a new business or runs a global organization—and that's the point. We're all very casual and comfortable here. “It flattens the hierarchies you might expect to encounter because of socioeconomic differences, particularly in business. It makes all the ideas, insights and wisdom in the room more accessible.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - In this morning's interview, Mark Vonesch talks about the challenges, challenges and lessons during his first term as Regional Director of Cortes Island. There was only enough time to briefly touch upon his hopes for the future, if reelected on October 17, which means a second interview will soon follow.  Mark Vonesch: “We've got three people running for regional director, two new people running against me, and I think this is going to invigorate the community to think about local government and what it means. I love campaigning. I love talking to people, so I'm really excited.” Cortes Currents: What was the biggest issue during your first term?

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents: About 200 Campbell River residents turned out to the ‘Rally for Our Community' outside of city hall at 5 PM on Thursday, September 24, 2026. City council met an hour later. With an election a little more than three weeks away, they suddenly pivoted and announced that staff is looking into the possibility of 'saving' Simms Creek. The crowd had five concerns: Stopping WestUrban's plan to build 200 units alongside Simms Creek, the last urban forest between the sea and Campbell River's Beaver Lodge Lands. Plans to pave over Pinecrest Park to provide 370 additional parking spaces for the new Strathcona Gardens hockey rink. The expansion of the urban containment boundaries to the north and south of the city. The  Quinsam Heights Transportation Study's suggestion that the ETR, which is currently a bicycle path, be open to vehicle traffic. The possibility that Campbell River could host an I data Centre. Gloria Heisterman, who organized the rally, explained: "We were very, very happy with the turnout and what really made me happy was the individual signs, that people brought and took the time to make. One of my favorite signs was by some young people, and it said, "Creek, not concrete. Protect Sims Creek wetlands." When I spoke, I talked about how the name special interest group seems to have gotten a bad name lately, and as well as NIMBY, not in my backyard. I said, "You know, if everyone took care of their own backyard, then this world would be a better place." "Current city councilors were there at the beginning. Sean Smythe actually spoke, and honestly I can't recall what he said. Elle Brovold, the city manager, was there, and they were handing out little brochures. The title is Current Topics and Where to Find More Information. Everything that was on our agenda was spoken to. So obviously we got the city's attention. "I've spoken to many people who have sent emails of concern about different issues and never heard back, and that was actually part of the reason for the rally. Then lo and behold, when we look at the council meeting highlights for September 24th, 2026, on it, it says, "Mayor and council updates Simms Creek land acquisition proposal." Andy Speck, who is running for mayor, was among the crowd. He would later write on his facebook page, "The community gathered at City Hall Thursday for a peaceful rally, and it was great to meet so many of you. What stood out most was the incredible range of people, young and old, from all walks of life. The energy was incredible. While green space was the focus, the deeper frustration I heard was clear: people feel Mayor and Council aren't listening." He stated that the residents behind the rally to Save Simms Creek, the ERT, and Pinecrest Park are not misinformed. They have done their research and their concerns need to be heard. "If Council wants to rebuild trust, it needs more than another fact sheet. It needs greater transparency and meaningful public participation." Inside city hall, council immediately went into a closed session. When it was over, City Manager City Manager Elle Brovold annnounced the possibility of purchasing the controversial building project on Simms Creek: "This is a rise and report from the in-camera meeting. So it was a motion, moved by Councilor Sinnott and seconded by Councilor Lanyon and voted unanimously, and I'll just read it now. It's just for reference, this has already passed. That staff report back on options and potential funding sources for the city to acquire and protect the environmentally sensitive lands at 1650 Gallarno, Zero Alder Street, including acquisition of all or a portion of the lands, considering partnerships, conservation covenants, or other protection mechanisms."

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - A provincial election has been called. Neither the NDP nor the Greens have selected a candidate for this riding yet. In this morning's interview, we speak with Anna Kindy, the Conservative Party candidate and incumbent MLA. Anna Kindy: "Eby has a majority government with two years left in his term, and this seems very self-serving and cynical, to be honest. British Columbians are having municipal elections, and this is very disrespectful to the municipalities as well. They asked Eby not to call the election, and he went ahead anyway. What's the point here? I think people will see through it. It's not a good move."

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Campbell River residents will be holding a ‘Rally for Our Community' outside of the city hall at 5 PM on Thursday, September 24, 2026. The future of some of the city's greenways may be at stake. In this morning's interview Gloria Heistermann, who is organizing the rally, and Barb Round, of Save Sims Creek, explain some of the issues involved.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Mansons Hall was going through a difficult time in 2022. All of the experienced staff had left and the board was new. That's when Jade Jordan was the manager. As she relates in a post to the Tideline, she found herself asking, 'What exactly does the Hall Manager do?' So she talked to community members and went through the files 'trying to understand how everything worked and why. It turned out to be an incredible experience.' If elected as Regional Director, she plans to bring a similar approach to the position. She has deep roots on Cortes Island. Her grandfather, the late Joe Jordan, was the first to move here. Jade was six when her father, John Jordan followed. In this morning's interview, she talks about her connection to Cortes and why she wishes to be the Director.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Weather permitting, Earth Chat takes place in the courtyard beside the Cortes Natural Food Co-op, in Mansons Landing, every Friday from noon to 2 p.m. This is the third year Maureen Williams has been there, from spring through fall.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Fire Department successfully passed the tests needed for Superior Tanker Shuttle Service accreditation. Some Cortes Island residents in Whaletown and the south of the island will probably see their home insurance bills reduced by hundreds of dollars. Where and how much is up to the individual insurance companies, and it will be months before we see the final numbers. Some parts of the island like Squirrel Cove, Mary Point and the Olmstead Road area that will not see any change, at least not yet. While monetary savings is an important topic, achieving Superior Tanker Shuttle Service (STSS) accreditation is also a significant milestone in the Cortes Island Fire Department's development. Fire Chief Eli McKenty was on the ferry when Cortes Currents caught up to him for further details.

Roy L Hales /Cortes Currents - Filipe Figueira felt the urge to paint for decades before bursting onto the local art scene with a solo exhibition at the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery. That was two years and many paintings ago. Since then, Filipe has exhibited in Sooke, and was one of the contributors to a show organized by the Federation of Canadian Artists on Granville Island. In March, he had a residency in Portugal and his exhibition 'In Positive Space' is currently on display at the Gibsons Public Art Gallery.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Rainbow Ridge Affordable Housing Project will soon be connected to the electrical grid. Traffic on Beasley Road was reduced to a single lane last week while underground electrical service was installed beneath the road. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was also held recently, so Cortes Currents spoke with Sadhu Johnston, executive director of the Cortes Housing Society, for an update. Sadhu Johnston: "We're sitting here at Rainbow Ridge in the community building, which is now complete. That really feels like a great accomplishment for this community." "We held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the building just a couple of weeks ago. It was a really fun event, with about 150 or 200 people attending. One of the children who will be living in that building over there cut the ribbon, along with our founder, Sandra Wood, Chief Kevin Peacey from the Klahoose Nation and Mark Vonesch, our Regional Director." "It was a really nice opportunity to stop and say, “Wow, we've got a community building here. We now have laundry facilities, offices, water and a guest bedroom. That feels like a real step forward." "We also have three residential buildings that are now out of the ground. One has been occupied since July 1, with two families living in it. It's really great to have people living on the property after so many years of the community talking about using this land for housing." "Our second duplex is nearing completion, and the residents will be moving in on October 1. It will be our second occupied building and will also house two families. Each of these families has children, so in about three weeks, we'll have five kids living on the property." "We're across the street from the school, and the skate park, new multi-use courts and trail are all right here. It's a great location for families and children." "The next building will open on January 1, 2027. There is a two-bedroom unit where a mother and her child will be living. We also have a one-bedroom unit that we are currently in the process of leasing." "There has been a lot of progress in getting these buildings up and occupied. For the most part, we've been operating on solar power and batteries because we haven't had a BC Hydro connection." "We're very enthusiastic about getting BC Hydro connected to the property before winter because the solar panels produce less power when it's rainy and cloudy. We really want to go into the winter with BC Hydro connections to each of the homes." "As you can see from all the trenches around here, we're very much in the middle of getting everything ready. We've just cut through Beasley Road and installed all the connections beneath it." "In the next few days, all the metering and connections should be completed. We'll then be ready for BC Hydro to run the wires through the conduits and connect us to the grid."

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - UBC partnered with Hornby Island to run Seaweed School, a program that allowed high-school-aged students to remain in their community for an additional year instead of attending high school in Courtenay. Through fieldwork with UBC instructors and biology undergraduates, students learned to identify, study and monitor local seaweed species. This is more than an academic excersize. According to Dr. Bridgette Clarkston, “Seaweeds are the forests of our oceans—the primary producers of ecosystems, providing oxygen, food, carbon sequestration, and more.” Yet these vital underwater forests are under threat: “Most of the big canopy-forming kelps have perished over the last few decades, likely due to rising temperatures.” The research conducted by Seaweed school is adding to our knowledge of local seaweeds. In today's program, we speak with Dr. Clarkston, a co-creator of Seaweed School and an associate professor of teaching in UBC's Department of Botany, and Seaweed School alumna Ava Zielinski.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents: It has been a year since Rob Everson and his daughter Keisha mailed political leaders in North Island copies of their booklet 'Cultural Erasure: The Impact of Colonization - Past, Present and Future. Everson is the Hereditary Chief of the Gigalgam Walas Kwagut around Port Hardy and the Pentlatch people from the Cowichan area. On Wednesday, August 26, Chief Everson gave the SRD Board a brief explanation of the political and legal challenges facing Indigenous peoples in British Columbia today. This is a highly edited and abridged version of that talk. 

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - Local family folk band, the Awakeneers, joined host Manda Aufochs Gillespie on Friday, September 4, 2026 to listen to their new album, Live at the Duncan Showroom, which was released in summer 2026. Tune into 89.5fm CKTZ to hear the album, song by song, and listen to the band give background and tell stories about each tune! Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @ CKTZ 89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The new Canada's Changing Climate Report, from Environment and Climate Change Canada, states the global average temperature rise since the pre-industrial era is currently on course for  2.7°C. Even if the world were to adopt net zero policies it will not be possible to limit the rise to less than 1.8°C.   The situation is worse in Northern latutudes. "Since Since 1970, Canada has warmed nearly twice as fast as the global average, and the Canadian Arctic has warmed three times as fast as the global average." Canada's average temperature has warmed by 2.0°C and is on course to reach 5.0°C. The situation will be worse in northern Canada, where the rise could reach 10.0°C. Even if Canada were to stop expanding oil and LNG production, stop building pipelines, and reduce its emissions to net zero, it no longer appears possible to limit the increase in the country's average temperature to less than 3.5°C.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - At its August 26 meeting, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board approved the wording of four measures to be put before voters during the October 17, 2026, local election. The most controversial, originating from Campbell River and its allies, was for residents of Campbell River, Electoral Area D, and Quadra Island to say whether they thought Quadra Island residents should help pay for Campbell River's Strathcona Gardens recreation complex. The other questions pertaining to wood-chipping services on Cortes Island and in Electoral Area C, as well as services supporting seniors and youth on Cortes Island. The wording of all four measures was approved.

Immanuel McKenty / Folk U - Thanks for joining us on August 21st, 2026 for the 8th and final 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. Stand-in host Immanuel McKenty was joined by Paul Wolda, Cory, Cyrus, and Sean Coyote who played an in-the-round show and swapped songs and stories. Thanks to Francis McKenty for the live sound this week! 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.

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U Radio - On July 20th 2026, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by climate activist Max Thaysen and Fire Department chief Eli McKenty to talk about wildfires and what we're doing on Cortes to prevent and prepare. 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.

In the 255th BlockTalks we speak with Mamadou Kwidjim Toure, CEO & Founder of Ubuntu Tribe to understand the role of tokenization in democratizing wealth creation.Links:https://utribe.one/https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwidjim/https://x.com/UtribeOnehttps://x.com/MamadouTribeOneBlockDrops Partner: Quadra TradeSome companies offer services. Others build the infrastructure an entire market runs on. Quadra is the second kind. Liquidity, routing, risk and reporting in a single institutional layer, so banks and digital-asset providers can operate with the sophistication of the world's largest players, with efficiency and full compliance. Quadra will be at FEBRABAN Tech, August 24th to 26th, in São Paulo; booth A1. Come find us. https://quadra.trade/Drive Local Adoption with BlockDrops Deep Dives Are you a global infrastructure provider expanding into regulated, high-growth markets? BlockDrops Deep Dives are bespoke, multi-month market entry campaigns engineered to put your technology directly in front of local banking and VASP executives. Stop fighting standard ad-read noise and build an institutional content engine.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Twenty-five-year old Emily Lowan was declared leader of the BC Greens on September 24. 2025. She is believed to be the first member of generation Z elected to office. Lowan was one of the three speakers in a session Activate 2026 dedicated to 'Winning Campaigns: Stories & Tactics of Victories.' She credited her success to the aggressive recruitment of youthful members, which close to doubled the size of the party. When the votes were counted, close to 61% went to Lowan on the first ballot. Despite her youth, the press release announcing her election states that Lowan had already "spent over a decade building campaigns for climate justice, Indigenous solidarity, and democratic reform. She has led high-impact campaigns at Climate Action Network Canada, published critical climate research, worked at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives' Corporate Mapping Project, and successfully fought for fossil fuel divestment as a student union leader." I approached Lowan during the break that followed her presentation at Hollyhock's Olatunji Hall. The next session was about to begin, but she graciously agreed to an interview.  

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The audio version of this story opened with Sixfoot Johnson playing 'Action is Expensive.' This is a band whose local roots are so deep they could be called a Cortes Island Institution. Dana Trueman, Garden Stein and Greg Osoba have been playing together for 24 years. Their final concert for this year will be the Gorge Harbour Marina from 7 to 9, on Friday August 21. Greg Osoba:  “Our music is super diverse because all three of us are songwriters, and we all have our own styles. My stuff tends to be somewhat rocky and poppy. Dana's is a bit more folk-rock, with a bit of country. Garden's can sometimes be almost swampy, like Louisiana soul." “When people ask us to describe what we do, first of all, 90% of our music is original. We're always introducing new material, but we like to describe ourselves as swinging, original, psychedelic, surf, alt-country rock. That covers all the different fields, because people who come to our shows understand that it's all danceable — every single song. But it often contrasts from one song to another: the feeling, the tempo, the mood, the style. It really varies, which I feel very happy about.” Cortes Currents: What gives you a passion to play? Greg Osoba: "When I recited that poem at Love Fest, there was a line in there about ‘being present, sensing mood, need, the inexplicable.' It's very difficult to put into words what the visceral and emotional feelings are when you are playing music with other people and you sense that something very, very special is occurring." “It's such a cliché to say ‘magical,' but it truly is. With our music, since we leave quite a bit of room for improvised solos, the songs aren't just rote. They're never precisely the same way twice, and I just love that. It's really a form of jazz when you get to improvise, intuit the moment, and see how that comes through you. “You hit the nail on the head for me. It is my passion. Playing music is certainly what drives me.” Cortes Currents: What brought you together? Greg Osoba: It wasn't my idea. I got invited to join the band. I think it was our drummer Garden Stein's idea, but there were other people involved early on. “The idea was to form a band to get ready for something he was staging at the Gorge Hall, many years ago, called the Battle of the Bands. We just started working on five or six tunes together for that.” Cortes Currents: How did you get the name Six Foot Johnson? Greg Osoba: “Our rhythm guitarist, harmonica player, songwriter, and singer, Dana Trueman, has a stage name he's been using for decades: Dannfver Johnson. He's over six feet tall. That's how it was explained to me when I was away one winter, and the other three band members at the time said, ‘Oh, we're changing our name from Mixed Greens to Sixfoot Johnson.' They said it was sort of a play on Dana's stage name. “Now it's kind of funny, because at the Gorge Marina show, this past July, people asked, ‘How come you call yourselves Sixfoot Johnson?' As we were just getting the show underway, Dana pointed to Garden, the drummer, and said, ‘See him? He's got two feet.' Then he pointed to me: ‘Greg, bass player, he's got two feet. I've got two feet. That makes six feet — Sixfoot Johnson.'

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Harvey McKinnon has been one of North America's leading fund raisers for the past four decades. He's the author of six books and the producer of a wide variety of award-winning documentary films that have been aired on the BBC, CBC, ABC and PBS. He's also been a keynote speaker at conferences from Australia to Norway. Given the familiarity that he was received at Hollyhock,  I suspect this was not the first time he was there. Never-the-less, I know him from two presentations he made at Activate 2026: the 'Save the CBC' campaign and a workshop on 'How to Use Words and Language to Win Campaigns and Raise More Money.' For this morning's broadcast I asked Harvey two questions:  Why was his 'Save the CBC' campaign so successful?, and How should we approach a government who sees extreme weather events increasing in number and size, but still maintains Canada should ramp up oil production as quickly as possible?    

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - A little over two weeks ago, Laurel Dault, Director of Impact at Hollyhock, invited Cortes Island non-profits to take part in the Activate program as her guests. A number of us wanted to go, but in the end, I believe only three local residents actually made it. We joined more than 60 activists, non-profit leaders, digital media workers, and progressives for an incredible five-day experience that went beyond a smorgasbord of ideas to include everything a Hollyhock experience has to offer. Normally, I would cover this event in a single broadcast, but there were simply too many interviews that need a space of their own. So I decided to write a series of stories, starting with one about the Activate program. Laurel Dault explained:,“Activate is about bringing together people who are working every single day toward human rights, justice, climate, more-than-human rights, and giving them a space to learn from one another, to share their challenges, to develop their skills, to rest, and most importantly, to develop a network of people who support each other day to day and year-round.” “The wins that these participants are having in their day-to-day lives, and the losses that they're having, impact every single human in this country and potentially even the world. They're working in politics. They're working in policy. They're working in how people show up. At this time of wildfires, we have, I think, 20 climate organizers here this year. what better thing could we be doing with this place, these facilities, and our skills in convening than serving those folks who are trying to solve problems that impact not only every Canadian, but every single person on the planet?”

Jemma Hicken/Folk U - Thanks for joining us on August 14th, 2026 for the 7th 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. Stand-in host Jemma Hicken was joined by Katie Welch & Jodi Peters, Dude Lenon, and Louis Belcourt, who played an in-the-round show and swapped songs and stories. Listen in for 4 musicians talking about their creative process, their breakfast routines, how they made Cortes home, and a few singalongs. 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 - Saru Jayaraman, the President of One Fair Wage, is one of those people who it is easy to overlook, until she starts talking. Suddeny this outwardly quiet little woman is transformed into a torrential stream of passion. Everyone in the recent Activate program, at Hollyhock, was transfixed when she screamed 'F_____ Democrats!' on behalf of the 14 million restaurant workers in the United States. The Democrats have made promises, but have failed to deliver ANYTHING to increase wages for the poorest working sector in America. That was the moment I realized her message was applicable to Canada. Why are so many poor Canadians voting for parties whose policies are causing extreme weather events, like this year's wildfires, while essentially enriching American shareholders? Yes, I'm talking about the oil sands — which not only increase our emissions, in turn contributing to extreme weather events like wildfires, but  over 70% of the profit goes outside the country and mostly to the USA. I wish I had recorded Saru's address, but my audio from meetings is usually mediocre. She agreed to be interviewed in the lawnchairs outside the lodge.

In the 253nd BlockTalks we speak with Cairon Clarke, Co-Founder of Zynta, to learn about the payments landscape in Africa.Links: Website: zynta.comX: https://x.com/zyntafinanceLinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/zyntafinance/IG: https://www.instagram.com/zynta_financeBlockDrops Partner: Quadra TradeExistem empresas que oferecem serviços. E existe infraestrutura sobre a qual um mercado inteiro é construído. A Quadra é a segunda. Liquidez, roteamento, risco e reporting em uma única camada institucional, para que bancos e PSAVs operem com a sofisticação dos maiores players globais — com eficiência e total conformidade. A Quadra estará na FEBRABAN Tech, de 24 a 26 de agosto, em São Paulo, no estande A1. Venha conhecer. https://quadra.trade/Drive Local Adoption with BlockDrops Deep DivesAre you a global infrastructure provider expanding into regulated, high-growth markets? BlockDrops Deep Dives are bespoke, multi-month market entry campaigns engineered to put your technology directly in front of local banking and VASP executives. Stop fighting standard ad-read noise and build an institutional content engine.

Jemma Hicken/ Folk U - Thanks for joining us on August 7th, 2026 for the 6th 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. Stand-in host Jemma Hicken was joined by Amos Mercier, Good Enough Dave, and Mike Desj, who played an in-the-round show and swapped songs and stories. Listen in for 3 songwriters sharing about their process, their favourite grandparents, and even a few dinosaur facts. 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.

Unedited audio of Daniela Carmona & Pablo Cardenas' Cuban Soul Explosion

Unedited audio of Rick & Amy Bockner song

UNedited audio of Owyn Pengelly, Denise Wolda & Basil Aerie Thomas, unnamed song

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - I believe I've covered every Love Fest to date, but I invariably bake out between four and five o'clock, which means I've never been there for the big-name acts. So this year, I decided to do things a little differently. I was there at the opening as usual, but left early and returned at five o'clock. In terms of interviews, Benji Coey, Amy Robertson, and Andrea Block provided some insight into the Cortes Island Love Fests, past and present. Speaking of someone who spends a great deal of time in front of a computer, I wanted to hear the story behind The Awakener's song, "Clicking," and I simply had to interview Daniel Lapp.

Unedited audio of Daniel Lapp, Adam Dovray and Adrian Dolan's performance at Lovefest 2026

Unedited audio of Greg Osoba reciting the Well

Unedited audio of Denise Wolda singing 'Feel the Island' at Lovefest 2026

UNedited audio of Rick & Amy Bockner and friends singing Love one Another

Unedited audio of the Awakeneers singing Clicking

Jemma Hicken/ Folk U Radio - Thanks for joining us on July 31st, 2026 for the 5th 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. Stand-in host Jemma Hicken was joined by Rue McDonald, Heather Wolf, and Elizabeth Hodgins, who played an in-the-round show and swapped songs and stories. Listen in for 3 beautiful voices, a dulcimer, a looper pedal, and conversations about the Scottish Gaelic language, starting to play music as an adult, and tour/adventure stories. 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

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - There's a new gallery in Mansons Landing every weekend this summer. Lee Gass and his wife, Lucretia “Lu” Schanfarber, are Quadra Island residents who are well known on Cortes. They have owned the house where the Lee Gass Gallery is located for decades. The sculptures inside are made of bronze, stone, and wood, but they also tell the story of Gass's life. A series of five female busts enshrines his feelings for Lu. A Love Story Lee Gass: “They are all called Listening to the Wind. That harks back to a day in the Shulaps Range, high up, with glaciers and crags above us and steep slopes below us. Lu and I were sitting under a whitebark pine, listening to the wind. “It was just a wonderful, magical afternoon that changed my life in a lot of ways. We named the sculpture Listening to the Wind to remind us of that day and what it meant to us.” Cortes Currents: “Why is the sculpture's face so pushed in and her shoulders are so pronounced.” Lee: “I don't have any explanation for this other than she's got way more brain than will fit in one skull. “I needed this concavity for design purposes. It started out as a flat, slightly convex face, and it was boring. So I just pushed it in. It gives shadows and accentuates the three-dimensionality of it. “The shoulders: Lu is strong. She helped me unload that 600-pound red marble piece there, the one you can see through the rhododendrons, this morning. I'd rather have her work with me than most men I've worked with.” Cortes Currents: His wife Lu added another layer to the story. Lu: “For almost the last 25 years, it's been a love letter. Lee has created something specifically for me, and as part of our history and our future, it's very grounding. I listen to that voice that says, ‘You're loved.'” Lee: “You make me cry, Babe.” Lu: “That's not hard to do, as I recall.” Cortes Currents: “How did the two of you meet?” Lu: “I happened to move in across the street from him in Vancouver in 1993. I would see him out my bedroom window while I was working in my office. He was carving rocks in his garden, and Listening to the Wind was the piece he was working on that I noticed the most. So I got to watch that piece unfold before I ever even met him.” Cortes Currents: “He said he made this for you.” Lu: “He didn't know that until he met me.” Lee: “I was fully employed, so it took years for me to make one sculpture. The feelings associated with it developed, and the relationship we were beginning developed at the same time.” Lu: “We actually started to hang out together in 1996. Then it took six years for us to decide to put our lives together. The same year we got married was when we bought our place on Quadra." “Two years later, we also discovered we loved Cortes. I came to visit my son Justice and his partner Kirsten. They were stewards at Linnaea, and they had just had a baby, Emmett, who's 26 now." “I thought, ‘Oh, I'd actually like to have a closer relationship with my family, and especially my grandson.'” How Lee Gass Became a Sculptor A bar of soap and the soap shavings beside it are reminders of how Gass became a sculptor. Lee: “When I was five, my mom and I would sit on the back porch with a newspaper between us. This was 1947, and what Mom was doing was making soap flakes for the washing machine and entertaining this little kid who needed something to do. “She could make giraffes and snakes and all kinds of stuff. She said, ‘Just shave the soap like this, Lee,' and a big curl would come off. “I'd try to cut a bear. I'd slip and cut myself. She'd say, ‘Oh, I see you cut your finger again today, Lee. Are you going to use a Band-Aid, or do you just want to suck on it like you did yesterday?' “And I said, ‘Mm, tastes pretty good. I think I'll just suck on it.' “That's how I started.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Despite the fact polls consistently show roughly two thirds of the Albertan electorate want to remain in Canada, Premier Danielle Smith - a former fossil fuel lobbyist whose government not too long ago imposed an outright ban on new renewable energy projects for 7 months - is concerned about her province's separatist movement. She and Prime Minister Mark Carney agree that the best way to preserve national unity is to build more pipelines so that Alberta's oil sector can further ramp up production. As the oil sector is not willing to put up the necessary funding, they also agreed that Canadian and Albertan taxpayers can carry up to 90% of the cost of the proposed West Coast Pipeline. Canada is not the only nation racing to sell its fossil fuel resources while there is still time. The 2025 Production Gap report states that their combined increases are "more than 120% above the median 1.5ºC pathway and 77% above the median 2ºC pathway." According to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, "Current fossil fuel expansion plans would take the world past 3 degrees of warming ..." In this morning's interview, Tzeporah Berman, Chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, talks about the proposed West Coast Pipeline.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The first tenants have been living at Rainbow Ridge for a month, and Cortes Island's affordable housing complex is now offering tours of the site. There were fifteen of us on Saturday, July 24. Most were curious neighbours, but a couple of people asked about rental rates, and there were also a couple of tourists. One summer resident, who does not have a washer or dryer, was very interested in the laundry club that will operate out of the community building. Mark Lombard, the construction manager, gave Cortes Currents an interview after the tour. Work was in progress in a nearby building and construction noises periodically enter the audio.

No episódio de Na Quadra desta semana, Ari Aguiar e Guilherme Guilherme Giovannoni falam do que tem acontecido de mais quente nas trocas da offseason da NBA. Vem com a gente! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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No episódio de Na Quadra desta semana, Ari Aguiar e Leonardo Sasso projetam o Jogo 4 entre Spurs x Knicks na NBA Finals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

No episódio de Na Quadra desta semana, Ari Aguiar e Guilherme Giovannoni projetam o Jogo 1 entre Spurs x Knicks na NBA Finals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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No episódio de Na Quadra desta semana, Ari Aguiar e Guilherme Giovannoni discutem tudo das finais de Conferência dos Playoffs da NBA, com a atuação surreal de Victor Wembanyama no Jogo 1 da final do Oeste entre San Antonio Spurs e Oklahoma City Thunder e também tudo sobre a série entre Detroit Pistons e New York Knicks, que começa nesta terça-feira (19) com transmissão do Plano Premium do Disney+! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

No episódio de Na Quadra desta semana, Ari Aguiar e Guilherme Giovannoni discutem tudo da reta final dos Playoffs da NBA! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ari Aguiar e Guilherme Giovannoni analisam tudo da semana da NBA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices