Podcasts about regional district

A Sermon for Rogation Sunday St. James 1:22-27 by William Klock I was out on my gravel bike this week, riding the trails through Merville and Black Creek and down to Williams Beach.  At one point I had to stop to take a picture.  I was riding down this narrow corridor with walls of little yellow flowers on both sides.  It was really beautiful.  But just a short way down the trail I ran into a big group of people cutting it all down.  I had a stop and wait for a minute so they could get their cart off the trail.  One of the women asked how my ride was going.  I said I was having a great ride.  It was a beautiful day.  I pulled out my phone and showed her the picture I'd just taken of the trail.  I thought it was beautiful, but she scowled at it.  “We'll get there tomorrow morning,” she said, “Ugh!  Vile stuff, but we'll get it!”  (And, sure enough, when I rode through again a few days later the walls of scotch broom were gone.)  I was kind of disappointed, but I'm sure the “broom busters” were happy, because they really, really, really hate scotch broom. The funny thing is—I notice this most places they cut it down—is that when they're done, there's usually still scotch broom as far as the eye can see—on the other side of a fence.  It's like that where I was riding my bike.  They cut it all down on Regional District property, but they can't touch the private property on the other side of the fence.  And later in the summer, I'll be riding my bike down the trail and in the heat of the day I'll hear the seed pods popping open and scattering their seed on both sides of the fence.  And next year the scotch broom will be back.  To me the whole thing seems pointless, but these folks envision an island scoured clean of scotch broom and so they come back year after year after year to cut it down wherever they can get to it.  Even though that island scoured clean of broom will never be. As I rode later in the week and saw the trailsides devoid of broom, but acres and acres of yellow flowers on the other side of the fence it got me thinking about the theme of our Eastertide scripture readings.  (I know, you think I'm just out there riding my bike, but I'm out there praying and meditating on scripture and putting sermons together in my head.)  We began Easter with the theme of hope.  Jesus' resurrection meant something to the disciples.  It wasn't just a miracle.  It was the evidence, the proof that God's new creation had begun and that Jesus is king.  That's what lit a fire under them to go out and announce the good news to Jerusalem, to Judaea, Samaria, and to the whole world—even though it eventually got them all killed.  This theme of resurrection life carries all through Eastertide and we meet it here again today.  We could run with either the Gospel or the Epistle, but I'm going to go with the Epistle—this lesson from St. James that begins with those familiar words: Be people who do the word, not merely people who heart it and deceive themselves.   Brothers and Sisters, the good news of Jesus' resurrection from the dead ought to give us a vision of the world set to rights—of sin and death defeated and cast forever into hell, of no more trials and no more tears, and of new life with nothing to separate us from the presence of God.  When we look at the mess and the darkness around us that hope might sound crazy—like an island scoured clean of scotch broom—but the fact is that God has done the hard part already.  He gave his son to take up our flesh, to die, and to rise to life again.  The rest is just his people—us—going out to preach and to do that good news and to let his word and his Spirit spread and grow his new creation.  So don't just hear the word.  Go out and do it.  Don't just long for God's kingdom, go out and be it. It also helps to understand that for the Jews, speaking Hebrew, to hear and to obey were inextricably linked together.  The Hebrew word for “hear” is a call not just to the ears, but to the heart, and to hear is to respond, whether it's for the Lord to hear the cries of his people in their bondage and to come to their deliverance or for Israel to hear the word of the Lord and to take it to heart and do it.  When Moses and the Prophets announced, “Hear the word of the Lord!” it wasn't just a call to listen, but to obey—to do.  We have a word in English that we don't use anymore that is very similar: hearken.  Don't just hear, but take note, take what you hear to heart.  Do it. Brothers and Sisters, words are important—and the word of God especially so.  As I've said so many times, God's word brings life.  By his word he created life in the beginning and when we were mired in sin and in slavery to death, he heard our cries for deliverance and sent his word again, this time in human flesh, in Jesus, to die and to rise from death so that we might know life again.  This is at the core of Easter and so, these last two Sundays of Eastertide we read from St. James' epistle about the power of God's word to bring us life and to transform us.  But first he contrasts God's word with our words, which are so often spoken in anger or spoken, not to heal or to give life, but to hurt.  This is in the first chapter of James.  Our Epistle begins at verse 22, but I want to back up a bit into last week's Epistle, to verse 19.  Here's what James writes: So, my dear brothers [and sisters], get this straight.  Every person should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.  Human anger, you see, doesn't produce God's justice.  (James 1:19-20) “Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”  How many times would that have saved you a world of hurt if you'd only heard and obeyed? Now, there can be a place for anger.  So often we get angry because the world isn't what we know it should be.  Sometimes—a lot of the time—that's just our pride being hurt or our selfishness being tweaked, but when we see real wrongs being done, when we see real injustice in the world, there is a place for just and righteous anger.  Godly anger over sin and injustice is often precisely what we need to get us up and out into the world to help the needy or the hurt, to stand up for the defenceless, or otherwise to speak out and to work for wrongs to be righted.  St. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:26, “Be angry” but then there's an “and”, a big “and”: “and do not sin.”  Deal with what needs dealing with and “do not let the sun go down on your anger,” because that “gives opportunity to the devil”.  If you're angry because your pride has been hurt, put a stop to it right there.  Swallow your pride and move on.  If you're angry because something is truly wrong, use that anger productively to set things right, but do not sin in the process.  Two wrongs won't make things right.  And righteous or not, don't let your anger fester.  Deal with it one way or another, because simmering anger is fodder for the devil and for all sorts of sin.  We all know that from experience.  Let your anger simmer and before too long you're thinking about payback and revenge and neither of those things have any place in the Christian life.  That was our lesson two Sunday's ago: As he has vindicated Jesus, so the Father will one day vindicate us.  We don't need to vindicate ourselves. In short, James says, “Human anger doesn't produce God's justice.”  In other words, your anger is not what will set this broken world to rights.  I know it always seems like it will at the time, but it won't.  Just consider: You think your anger will set things right so you lash out at that other person.  And now what are they thinking?  They're thinking the same thing: All the situation needs is a little bit of their anger to fix it so they lash out at you.  And all it all does is make everything worse.  Brother and Sisters, James reminds us to instead be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.  God is the one who will bring justice to the world and right the wrongs.  If we have been wronged, God will vindicate us.  The best thing we can do is to respond with the gospel and the Spirit.  Where the world is broken, where relationships are broken, we should be asking ourselves how we can bring to bear the things that God's Spirit gives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Our anger won't help God make things right.  And so James warns: So put away everything that is sordid, all that overflowing malice, and humbly receive the word which has been planted within you and which has the power to save your lives.   Do you see what he did there?  More often than not, when we get angry, it's because our pride has been hurt and that kind of anger tempts us to lash out—it tempts us to respond to a hurt or a wrong with some kind of sin.  Insults, brawling, that sort of thing.  In contrast, James says that when our pride is threatening to take control of us, we need instead to meekly receive—to hearken to—the word that God has implanted in us.  If this were St. Paul, he'd be reminding us to put off the old man and to put on the new.  The pride and anger are the old man talking, but in Jesus and the Spirit God has made us new.  James puts it in terms of the word by which God has forgiven us and made us a new creation.  I think James had Isaiah 55:10-11 in mind when he was writing this.  That's where the Lord, through the Prophet, says: For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven          and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout,          giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;          it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,          and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.   This is one of my favourite passages in all of Scripture.  When I get frustrated with my own sin and my own shortcomings and my own failures to be faithful to God, I remember what he says about his word here.  And as a pastor, when I'm discouraged with ministry and when it seems like nothing is happening or people aren't maturing or when I see sin and shortcomings and failures to be faithful in the church, again, I come back to what the Lord says about his word here and I go back to the word, because God's word is the source of life.  Nothing I can do will bring the life of God to myself or to other people—only his word can do that—and he promises through Isaiah that his word always accomplishes what he purposes and it always succeeds in that for which he sends it forth.  So I preach his word to myself and I preach his word to you and trust him to cause it to bear fruit in me and in you, because he says that that is what he will do.  God's word is life. So, Brothers and Sisters, don't let God's word go in one ear and out the other.  James writes, “Be people who do the word, not merely people who hear it and deceive themselves.”  Don't just listen to the word.  Don't just read it.  Hear it, Brothers and Sisters.  Hearken to it.  Do it.  If it helps, read your Bible with your finger in your ear to remind you not to let it go in one ear and out the other.  These are God's words and they are life!  Too often we come to church and hear the word or we sit down at home and read the word, but we don't actually hear it, we don't let it sink in, we don't let it take root like a seed, and so we don't become doers of the word, letting it make a difference and transform us.  If we just let the word go in one ear and out the other we're in danger of deceiving ourselves.  We think, “I've read the Bible or I've listened to it in church and I've done my duty,” but Friends, if the word doesn't take root in our hearts and minds, if it doesn't make a difference, we miss out on the life of God.  He promises that his word will accomplish what he purposes—that it will make a difference, that it will bring new life—but first we have to hear it, not just listen, but hear it, take it in, obey it, and let it change us. James uses an illustration here.  Look at verses 23-25: Someone who hears the word but does not do it, you see, is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror.  He notices himself, but then he goes away and quickly forgets what he looked like.  But the person who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and goes on with it, not being a hearer who forgets but a doer who does the deed—such a person is blessed in their doing.   You walk past a mirror, have a look, then walk away and forget.  In one ear and out the other.  That's not how we should approach God's word.  And how do we know if we're really letting God's word take root and grow in us?  We know it's growing in us when we go from being mere hearers to being actual doers of that word.  When we don't just know in our heads that truth is important, but when we stop telling lies, when we stop misrepresenting people, and speak the truth.  When “love your enemies and do good to them” goes from being something in your head to something you actually live out.  When love your wife or submit to your husband translates into loving your wife or submitting to your husband in real and practical ways.  When the Lord's Supper goes from being something you eat to something you live out in your interactions with your brothers and sisters in the Lord, showing love and living in the unity Jesus has given us.  When we confront the injustices of the world, not with anger, but with the gospel and the life of the Spirit. And notice how James makes this point.  He takes us back to his own roots.  He was a Jew.  He was circumcised into the Lord's covenant people when he was eight days old.  He grew up living torah, because he was one of the covenant people and that's what covenant people did.  That's how they were faithful to the Lord in return for his faithfulness to them.  And they learned the torah, the law, by reading and studying God's word.  And as much as Jesus changed everything, he didn't change the fact that the Lord continues to live in covenant with his people.  Jesus established a new covenant, but it's still a covenant.  And the Spirit has given a new law, but it's still a law.  God's people are still called to be different from the world.  As he marked out the Jews with circumcision and called them to live according to the torah, so he marks out the people of Jesus with baptism and calls us to live the law of the Spirit—what James calls the “perfect law, the law of liberty”.  Faithful Jews were doers—keeping the sabbath, eating clean foods and not eating unclean foods, all of that.  Some people think that Jesus has freed us from all of the doing, but it's really just the opposite.  Jesus calls us to even more and better doing, the difference is that instead of pointing to a list of laws written on stone and saying “Do that”, he fills us with God's own Spirit, gives us his own example of love at the cross, rises from the dead and gives us a foretaste of his new creation and says “Do that in the power of the Spirit”.  And this new law, instead of burdening us, actually ends up freeing us from all those things that used to weigh us down: anger and filthiness and wickedness and replaces it all with the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control as the Spirit and the word work in us to redirect the affections of our hearts from sin and from self to love for God and love for each other. And so James sums it up in verses 26 and 27, writing: If anyone supposes that he is devout, and does not control his tongue, but rather deceives his heart—such a person's religion is futile.  As far as God the Father is concerned, pure, unsullied religion works like this: you should visit orphans and widows in their sorrow, and prevent the world leaving its dirty smudge on you.   God's word and God's Spirit will transform us.  It doesn't happen in an instant, so we have to be careful here.  Our expectations for a new Christian aren't the same as they are for a mature Christian, but still, a Christian will show the transforming work of God's life-giving word in his life.  And so James says that if you think you're religious—note that “religion” isn't the bad word some people make it out to be today.  Religion is our service to God.  There's good religion and there's bad religion as we'll see in a bit.  So if you think you're serving God but you don't have a bridle on your tongue—that's not the only thing that might show this, but since James has been talking about anger and sinful words, this is the example he uses here—if you speak hateful and hurtful and untrue things, you've deceived yourself.  You've been letting God's word go in one ear and out the other.  You haven't actually heard it and so it hasn't taken root and it's not growing in your heart.  It calls into question your profession of faith and your place in the covenant.  We enter the covenant through faith in Jesus.  And we show our membership in the covenant by doing the word, by living the law of the Spirit.  And if you aren't living the law of the Spirit, well, it begs the question: Are you really a member of the covenant?  Is your faith in Jesus real?  Because a Christian without the fruit of the Spirit, a Christian who is worldly and doesn't bridle his tongue, well he's like a Jew who isn't circumcised and who labours on the sabbath.  He's a contradiction. In contrast, true religion, real service to God looks like this: visiting orphans and widows and keeping yourself unstained by the filthiness of the world.  James could have listed any number of things here, but he's certainly practical and these are things that stood out in the First Century and made people take note of Christians and the Church.  It was a dog-eat-dog world, but the Christians took care of each other and they took care of the poor and vulnerable, because that's what love in action looks like and because that's what new creation looks like.  And in a world of filth, where culture was crude and vulgar and religion often involved ritual drug use and prostitution, God's people stood apart—much as the Jews of the old covenant had stood apart.  Jesus' people, transformed by word and Spirit, should stand as beacons of his new creation, by our lives and by our proclamation, lifting the veil on what God has in store for this broken world. So Brother and Sisters, be Easter people.  If you have believed that Jesus died and rose from the dead to forgive our sins and to make us part of his new creation, prove it.  Really be Easter people.  Immerse yourselves in God's word and hear what he has to say.  Don't let it go in one ear and out the other.  Let it sink in and take root and grow.  And then be the new creation that God's word will make us if we give it the chance.  As he promised, he will make us the firstfruits of his new creation—and that, Brothers and Sisters, is how he is setting the wrongs of this world to right.  Not by our anger, but by his word and by his Spirit. Let's pray: O Lord, from whom all good things come: Grant to us, your humble servants, that by your holy inspiration we may think those things that are good, and by your merciful guidance put them into practice; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Today's location-specific episode features Texas.  We explore the overview of the housing guiding document called Texas Property Code Chapter 92.  Each of my location-specific podcasts is set up the same way answering the same four questions:  1) What are the basics of the Texas Property Code Chapter 92, 2) What are the nuances of this location – what is different that stands out?, 3) Some guidance about abandoned items left behind by a tenant in a rental inTexas, and 4) Where to get help in your local area in Texas.  This episode is NOT all inclusive – you must research further in your specific area including your County, Regional District, Parish, City or any other Governing Body that involves your rental location, but today's episode will get you started!

Today's location-specific episode features Province of Manitoba.  We explore the overview of the housing guiding document called Manitoba Residential Tenancies Act.  Each of my location-specific podcasts is set up the same way answering the same four questions:  1) What are the basics of the Province of Manitoba Residential Tenancies Act, 2) What are the nuances of this location – what is different that stands out?, 3) Some guidance about abandoned items left behind by a tenant in a rental in Province of Manitoba, and 4) Where to get help in your local area in Province of Manitoba.  This episode is NOT all inclusive – you must research further in your specific area including your County, Regional District, Parish, City or any other Governing Body that involves your rental location, but today's episode will get you started!

Today's location-specific episode features Vermont.  We explore the overview of the housing guiding document called Vermont Title 9 Chapter 137 Residential Rental Agreements.  Each of my location-specific podcasts is set up the same way answering the same four questions:  1) What are the basics of the Vermont Title 9 Chapter 137 Residential Rental Agreements, 2) What are the nuances of this location – what is different that stands out?, 3) Some guidance about abandoned items left behind by a tenant in a rental inVermont, and 4) Where to get help in your local area in Vermont.  This episode is NOT all inclusive – you must research further in your specific area including your County, Regional District, Parish, City or any other Governing Body that involves your rental location, but today's episode will get you started!

Today's location-specific episode features Nebraska.  We explore the overview of the housing guiding document called Nebraska Landlord Tenant Act.  Each of my location-specific podcasts is set up the same way answering the same four questions:  1) What are the basics of the Nebraska Landlord Tenant Act, 2) What are the nuances of this location – what is different that stands out?, 3) Some guidance about abandoned items left behind by a tenant in a rental in Nebraska, and 4) Where to get help in your local area in Nebraska.  This episode is NOT all inclusive – you must research further in your specific area including your County, Regional District, Parish, City or any other Governing Body that involves your rental location, but today's episode will get you started!

We just bumped up our podcast library overnight!  Today's episode is a summary, about the 10 location-specific episodes we added into the My Life As A Landlord Library, which are LIVE NOW.  The summary today features British Columbia, Hawaii, Ontario, Washington State, New York State, California, Texas, Nebraska, Vermont and the Province of Manitoba.For each of these locations, there is an entire podcast dedicated to each State or Province.  In each one we explore the overview of the housing guiding document for each location, answering the same four questions:  1) What are the basics of the State or Province or Territories' Tenancy or Housing Document, 2) What are the nuances of this location – what is different that stands out?, 3) Some guidance about abandoned items left behind by a tenant in a rental in each State or Province, and 4) Where to get help in your local area in that State or Province.  Today's episode is NOT all inclusive for any of these locations, mind you – you must research further in your specific area including your County, Regional District, Parish, City or any other Governing Body that involves your rental location, but today's summary episode will get you started!

Today's location-specific episode features California.  We explore the overview of the housing guiding document called California Tenant Protection Act.  Each of my location-specific podcasts is set up the same way answering the same four questions:  1) What are the basics of the California Tenant Protection Act, 2) What are the nuances of this location – what is different that stands out?, 3) Some guidance about abandoned items left behind by a tenant in a rental inCalifornia, and 4) Where to get help in your local area in California.  This episode is NOT all inclusive – you must research further in your specific area including your County, Regional District, Parish, City or any other Governing Body that involves your rental location, but today's episode will get you started!

Today's location-specific episode features New York State.  We explore the overview of the housing guiding document called New York Real Property Law.  Each of my location-specific podcasts is set up the same way answering the same four questions:  1) What are the basics of the New York Real Property Law, 2) What are the nuances of this location – what is different that stands out?, 3) Some guidance about abandoned items left behind by a tenant in a rental in New York State, and 4) Where to get help in your local area in New York State.  This episode is NOT all inclusive – you must research further in your specific area including your County, Regional District, Parish, City or any other Governing Body that involves your rental location, but today's episode will get you started!

Today's location-specific episode features Washington State.  We explore the overview of the housing guiding document called Washington State Residential Landlord-Tenant Act.  Each of my location-specific podcasts is set up the same way answering the same four questions:  1) What are the basics of the Washington State Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, 2) What are the nuances of this location – what is different that stands out?, 3) Some guidance about abandoned items left behind by a tenant in a rental inWashington State, and 4) Where to get help in your local area in Washington State.  This episode is NOT all inclusive – you must research further in your specific area including your County, Regional District, Parish, City or any other Governing Body that involves your rental location, but today's episode will get you started!

Today's location-specific episode features Province of Ontario.  We explore the overview of the housing guiding document called Ontario Residential Tenancies Act.  Each of my location-specific podcasts is set up the same way answering the same four questions:  1) What are the basics of the Ontario Residential Tenancies Act, 2) What are the nuances of this location – what is different that stands out?, 3) Some guidance about abandoned items left behind by a tenant in a rental in Province of Ontario, and 4) Where to get help in your local area in Province of Ontario.  This episode is NOT all inclusive – you must research further in your specific area including your County, Regional District, Parish, City or any other Governing Body that involves your rental location, but today's episode will get you started!

Today's location-specific episode features British Columbia.  We explore the overview of the housing guiding document called British Columbia Residential Tenancy Act.  Each of my location-specific podcasts is set up the same way answering the same four questions:  1) What are the basics of the British Columbia Residential Tenancy Act, 2) What are the nuances of this location – what is different that stands out?, 3) Some guidance about abandoned items left behind by a tenant in a rental in British Columbia, and 4) Where to get help in your local area in British Columbia.  This episode is NOT all inclusive – you must research further in your specific area including your Regional District, City or any other Governing Body that involves your rental location, but today's episode will get you started!

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) will be meeting with the Cortes Housing Society to discuss the possibility of making a short term loan to help bring power, water and sewage to some lots in the Rainbow Ridge affordbale housing project. While the SRD created a Housing Service earlier this year, it has yet to requiistion any funds and the request prompted some discussion at the Wednesday October 30 Board meeting. Regional Director Mark Vonesch, of Cortes Island, made the motion “that the Regional District work with the Cortes Housing Society to develop a plan for a short term loan through the Regional Housing Service so that the Cortes Housing Society can develop a part of its land with power, water, septic, and road access to facilitate long term lease agreements and thus create affordable housing opportunities on Cortes Island.” The seconder, Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney of Area C, asked, “I'm curious from staff the likely timeline on the report and if it would be returned in time for the Board to consider the request inclusion in the 2025 financial plan.” To which Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch replied, “I don't know what kind of model they're looking at in terms of a lease. The motion says a short term loan. I don't really know what that means. I can bring something back as preliminary to high level thoughts about what the society has in mind and bring that to the board, hopefully before the end of the year, there's only two meetings left before the end of the year.” Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott added, “I'm just curious about staff capacity and coming in with an innovative thing. I would prefer if the Cortes Housing Society wanted to do a delegation present to us and explain to us how they've exhausted their options, including going to B. C. Housing, which seems to me the place you go for this type of funding and shows that they've met the requirements and how they're going to provide housing that goes within the requirements for the provincial funder. I'm not sure if I would appreciate our staff working on this right now. We have a lot of other things that we need to get through.” “When we create a housing service, does it include the power to grant loans?” CAO Leitch: “Well, that's also tricky. I don't know if it's just even through the service to grant loans, but I'm going to say it's highly unlikely that the regional and district would offer a loan to society without any security, that would create a significant amount of liability.” “I'm not saying that's what they're asking for. I haven't had any discussions, but let's say they needed 3 million loan through the regional district, that would create a great deal of risk and vulnerability to the regional district if there is no secured asset to that loan. I don't know what the payback terms of that would be, are we talking about security? I don't know.” Director Vonesch attempted to clarify the matter, “Obviously the land would back any loan and the initial discussions that I've had is looking for a million dollars put power, water and sewage into 10 lots, sell those to 10 lots in a long term lease for let's say a hundred thousand that would pay back the loan.”

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - In 2020, the Strathcona Regional Regional District SRD entered into a core funding agreement with the Southern Cortes Community Association  (SCCA) and Whaletown Community Club to support Mansons and Gorge Halls. Up to $80,000 a year could be used from Cortes Island's property taxes. This agreement is due to expire on March 31, 2025. Staff is proposing that the new agreement include a new paragraph stating “The Regional District may contribute funds for capital expenditures at its sole discretion.” This would, for example, allow the SRD to use Gas Tax funding to finance renovations or purchase new equipment. This is a grant and would not cost Cortes Island taxpayers any money. In all other respects, the terms and conditions of the original agreement would carry on into the next. At the Wednesday October 30, 2024 SRD Boad meeting, Regional Director Mark Vonesh of Cortes Island moved The new contract will include the phrase allowing the SRD to use additional sources of funding for capital expences.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Community Foundation just published Cortes Island's Vital Signs report.   “ When I started with the Community Foundation a few years ago, I  was already in the community, trying to make things happen. In particular, I tried to make things happen in the most grassroots  small nonprofit ways possible, but often in the area where I saw that there was a lot of need. Very quickly, I was in the process of writing grants and trying to figure out how to bring in those resources that I knew were out there somewhere,” explained Manda Aufochs Gillespie, Executive Director of the Cortes Foundation.  “We're all being taxed the same as someone who lives in the city more or less, but when you look around, we don't have transit and fancy bike lanes and we don't have subsidized housing like the cities have. So I said, I know that there's money out there. There must be a way to bring some of that money here to Cortes. One of the things I realized very quickly is that we did not have data related to Cortes. Volunteers on the island would be like, ' we clearly have a housing crisis' but how do we try to express that because no one believes that rural communities at the time had a housing crisis.  By and large, the data that was available to us had us lumped in with the entire Strathcona Regional District, including Campbell River.” “If you look at child vulnerability rates in Campbell River, they're looking at available childcare spots: What kind of resources are going into after school programming for the youngest? What kind of early literacy programs there are? What kind of food bank supports are available for families with young kids?”  “When we tried to see how our young kids were doing, there was basically nothing.  I would be talking to Desta Beattie, at the family services on Cortes, and she would say, 'I cannot get them to give us funding for a head start program, because I cannot show them that we have any particular need.'”   “When I started working with the Community Foundation, a few years ago, I learned about  Vital Signs and Vital Signs are usually done by community foundations with a lot more resources. Community foundations told the stories of needs and opportunities specific to their communities because  a community foundation's job is to help bring the resources that a community needs to thrive and bring the knowledge of how best to leverage those resources into the hands of the community.” “I was like, 'we need to start with understanding what the opportunities are,  what the needs are and what an amazing thing that this Vital Signs tool exists.'  The Vital Signs tool is largely just a framework for looking at the health of the whole community.” “It has taken us a number of years to be able to come up with enough capacity and financial wherewithal to do it. I was told recently by one of the people who helped us with this project that we are, as far as she knows, the smallest community foundation to ever do a Vital Signs of this size.” “We specifically tied our Vital Signs into the release of the Campbell River Vital Signs. That beautiful community foundation offered to support us in a number of ways. One of the biggest ways was that they gave us a page in their print document because we are many thousands of dollars away from having the resources to do our own print document.” “We have this page that's going to thousands of people in and around the Campbell River area, including our representatives that sit on the Board for the Regional District and other government officials who make funding decisions for us. They get to see one page about Cortes, amongst the other things, and a link to our whole report, which is on our website.”

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Community Foundation is helping to review Grant-in Applications again. As in the past, the Strathcona Regional District Board will be dispersing a pool of approximately $25,000 to Cortes Island Social Profits. The average grant award is in the range of $1000 – $5000 and will be dispersed by end of 2024. This year's Grant-in-Aid funding will prioritize projects supporting Arts, Culture or Environment. Any non-profits or charitable societies who wish to participate sust send their applications in by midnight on Friday, October 21. Manda Aufochs Gillespie, Executive Director of the Community Foundation explained, “We are working to assist Regional Director Mark Vonesch and the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) with reviewing the grant and aid applications for this year. Most of the nonprofits on Cortes are quite familiar with the fact that we have a bit of our tax money that comes back to us for assisting community groups on the island.” A volunteer jury of community members goes through the applications and makes a recomendation on who should receive funding, and how much. Manda Aufochs Gillespie: “The parameters of both who is eligible and the kinds of things eligible are set by the Regional District. The SRD does not allow organizations that are getting funding from other other tax districts or other text funds from the island , for instance, the Fire hall, Manson's Hall, the Whaletown Community Club Hall (Gorge Hall). None of them are allowed to apply through these funds. The Regional District doesn't want to see organizations that are funded through higher levels of government applying through these particular grants either. They also don't like to see operating grants come through these.” Cortes Currents: So no one can apply for core funding. Manda Aufochs Gillespie: “We would highly encourage that people do not apply for core funding. I just wanted to say right now, when I go to work with other community foundations, this is where community foundations are going. We believe in core funding absolutely 100%. If there was only one thing that I could do as a community foundation, it would be core funding. It's the most important kind of funding. The restrictions and extra burdens that are put on organizations that are working so hard, the endless rat race of applying for grants and trying to come up with new projects when you can't even pay your existing staff, I think is really unfortunate.” “These funds are largely project related funds this year. We have determined that we're going to be looking at projects that prioritize arts, culture and environment.” “We chose that area of emphasis because we looked at all the funds that we've been able to help adjudicate through our community granting process over the last couple years. They include over $440,000 that we've helped adjudicate through federal grants, the most recent of those grants were for the Prosperity Fund and the prosperity fund prioritized projects. This is also the third round of Grants in Aid that we've helped with.” ‘We said, 'Whoa, there was not a lot of emphasis on our arts, culture and environment in any of those rounds.' So that's the priority.”

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) is applying for a grant to develop plans for walking, cycling and rolling (skateboard, roller skates etc) infrastructure on Cortes Island and in Area D.  The Ministry of Transportation refers to these as active means of transportation and has made Active Transportation Network Planning Grants of up to $50,000 available to communities with populations under 25,000.  If their applications are successful, the SRD plans to match the funding with money obtained through the Community Works Fund (better known as the Gas Tax).  Mayor Michael Lott of Gold River read out the motion at the SRD Board meeting of Wednesday, September 15, 2024: “I'd  also like to move that an application be submitted to the 2024/25 Active Transportation Network Planning program for grant funding to develop an Active Transportation Network Plan for Electoral Area B; and that the Regional District commit to overall management of the grant if the application is successful; and that, if the application is successful, 50% of the project funding be approved from the Electoral Area B Community Works Fund to a maximum of $50,000.”  He also read the motion for Area D, which was virtually identical. Both motions passed with no opposing votes. Mark Vonesch, the Regional Director of Cortes Island (Area B), responded, “I  just want to thank staff for bringing this forward. Active transportation is definitely an issue on Cortes. People are wanting some movement on that. So I welcome this grant application and to be able to support it through the Gas Tax funding as well.”  John Rice, Regional Director of Area D said, “I'm wondering if we could tie this into the traffic study that Area D has been doing because this is also quite important to that traffic study.”   CAO David Leitch asked, “Do you have line of sight that it's going to be done by 2025?”  Director Rice: “My understanding is I think we'll be getting an update on it in November.” Campbell River Director Doug Chapman wanted to know, “How does that dovetail into the transportation study the Regional District is currently undertaking.” CAO Leitch: “This is an active transportation. This is different from the regional transportation that we're looking for because active transportation is different forms of transportation like, cycling lanes, walkways and pathways, and as opposed to the regional transportation that we're looking at, which is likely buses.” Director Rice: “When is this funding going to be available if successful?  A staff member responded, “They announce the awards in April of 2025.”

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) wants a list of School District 72's properties on Cortes Island and Area C. As Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney pointed out, in a letter to the other rural Directors, some of them ‘may be a good fit for a housing project.' Mawhinney proposed that the SRD ask for a list.   At the Board's August 21 meeting, Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott made an amendment to Mawhinney's motion:  “I'm going to say that a letter be sent to School District 72, inquiring whether or not there are lands available for either  the school district to develop for housing, or over which they have an interest, that they own or have a license of occupation or right of access that they'd be interested in disposing to the Regional District.”

Regional District keeping an eye on the Pitka Creek wildfire

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Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - At the May 22 meeting, Director Mawhinney informed the board, “the Area C Advisory Planning Commission met and discussed this Kanish Bay application and the following Upshur Road application. They also heard a delegation from one of the applicants. The Advisory Planning Commission did not support either covenant discharge application. The Advisory Planning Commission provided an additional motion, which supports maintaining the covenants for 520 Upshur Road and 1731 Kanishbu Drive as legal agreements freely entered into by the Regional District and landowners, recognizing that maintaining these covenants causes less land to be available for housing than would otherwise be the case.” The minutes of the Area C Planning Comission show that, in both cases, 7 out of 9 comissioners voted against removing the covenants. Director Mawhinney moved, and Director Whalley seconded, motions that the application to remove both covenants be denied. These carried with no opposing votes. Rick Schellinck has been trying to obtain approval to develop his property in Gowland Harbour since 2011. There has been a great deal of opposition from the surrounding community. The most recent application was to create 51 residential lots, a campground, marina and two waterfront parks. After 11 years of delays, the proposed Gowland Harbour Views development was finally allowed to have a public meeting on April 20, 2022.  The Regional Director at that time, Jim Abram, reported all but 8 of the 546 submissions made at that meeting were in opposition. All four Regional Directors subsequently voted against the project, effectively killing that version of it. Now Schellinck is back with a proposal to rezone 64-hectares so that he can create a subdivision of twenty-two 2 hectare rural residential lots, a 5 hectare Agricultural Land Reserve parcel, and two small Regional District Parks.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Vancouver Island Regional Library increased its operating budget for 2024 to $38 million. That is 15% more money than last year. Executive Director Brent Hyman explained that this increase is necessary because the library's  previous management did not budget properly and more money is needed for wages, benefits and leases. He has been giving presentations to the library's funding partners. He has already spoken in Victoria, Nanaimo, and some of the other regional districts. Six of the library's 39 branches are in the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) and he gave a presentation at the SRD Board's March 27th meeting.  
“For the SRD,  the total levy breaks down to about $67 per capita.  Much like the school act, that doesn't necessarily mean everybody's using the service. Unlike schools in the region, that serve about 5 % of the population, we're serving about 33% for significantly less funding than schools,” he explained.   
Cortes Currents: True, but there is also a significant difference in usage between a student attending school for more than 9 months of the year and someone who drops-in to the library a few times. 
Hyman pointed out, “We do benchmarking, in preparation for this type of presentation and we look at comparator populations.” 
He said there is a library in Campbell River, which is contributing about $700,000 below the average funding amount. It also serves Electoral Area D, which is paying $30,000 less than norm. The library on Quadra Island serves Area C, which also provides about $30,000 less. There are libraries in Gold River, Sayward, Tahsis and Cortes Island, all of which pay about $16,000 below the average amount. Heyman claims Electoral Area A and the village of Zeballos, which do not have library branches, should also be providing another $16,000. 
The Regional District's rural inhabitants use the library more than their urban counterparts. Close to ¾ of the SRD's population lives in Campbell River, but only 54% of the circulation goes through that library. Less than 6% of the SRD's population is in Area C, but 22% of the region's circulation is through the Quadra Island branch. Another 6% goes through the Cortes Island branch. Similar statistics are reported from the Sayward, Gold River and Tahsis branches. 
However one of the biggest funding shortfalls comes from the federal and provincial governments.  
Brent Hyman: “Local government levies are about 94% of our budget. That's been true since the 1980s. The province is down to 4%, but has a lot to say about what it thinks it should get out for 4%.” 
“Why is it in Canada that the level of funding from both the provinces and the feds lag below the G8 averages? And so there are a number of recommendations in the report, primarily to federal and provincial governments about seeing critical infrastructure and treating it as such and funding it as such.” Image credit Open book - Photo by Jonas Jacobsson on Unsplash

Host: Trudy Klassen (live from the BC Natural Resources Forum) segment 1: Chris LaPorte, EnviroFrac; Chris O'Reilly, BC Hydro; Shannon Watts, Canadian Propane Association segment 2: Prince George Mayor Simon Yu; Roly Russell, MLA Boundary Similkameen, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development segment 3: Kurtis Blaikie-Birkigt, Tree Time Services segment 4: Tim Joyce, Local Rental Solutions; Sarah Weber, BC Natural Resources Forum segment 5: Jerrilyn Kirk, Area G Director, Regional District of Fraser-Fort George --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/boomercasts/message

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -Former Regional Director Jim Abram may have been confusing the proposed SRD Housing Service with a Federal grant program when he criticized it during an interview with CKTZ News.  
Abram claimed that building permits are required under the new housing initiative, and the islands are ‘going to get nothing, most likely,  other than, you know, a little  less money in your pocketbook because it's going to go into your taxes.'  
He also spoke against the ‘affordable housing bandwagon': ‘There's only so many people that you can accommodate with your existing infrastructure.' 
Mark Vonesch, Regional Director for Cortes Isand, responded, “The points that he's making that have alarmed a lot of people, in my opinion very unnecessarily, and are not based on the facts. The housing service is about developing a  way for us to requisition a small amount of tax from people. The average property on Cortes is going to pay $31.80 maximum per year.  For 2024, right now it's at zero. We have nothing planned.  It's going to be used for us to collectively pool our money to make housing happen.” 
So let's look at some of Abram's facts.   
CC: Is there any requirement for building permits under the proposed SRD housing service? 
Mark Vonesch: “The short answer is no, the Regional District Housing Service has nothing in it that says we have to have building permits.” 
“What Jim's referring to as far as building permits, is the Housing Accelerator Fund. So this is one grant  that the Regional District has applied for. Part of the requirement of the grant is having a way to measure new housing builds and the internal measurement for that is traditionally housing permits.”  
Regional Director Robin McWhinney of Area C mentioned the confusion between the Accelerator fund and proposed SRD housing service, in her December 12th Directors Newsletter. Even if the SRD application is approved. Cortes island, Area C and Area A will not be able to obtain Accelerator funding  because we do not use building permits.” 
(This is a grant and unrelated to the SRD housing service, which is seeking to raise startup capital through our property taxes.)   
CC: So why don't we use building permits? 
Mark Vonesch: “My sense is Cortes does not want a building permit. We have some of the best builders around on our island, and they are building to the code, whether we have building permits or not.”  
Robyn Mawhinney: “I haven't heard from any residents on Quadra Island who are in favour of adding another level of local government oversight and fees that  would be associated with building service and building permits and building inspections. Creating a new bylaw or service is a lot of work for staff and for me and for the community to attend community meetings and weigh in on things like that. It's not something that I'm pursuing unless I hear a reason why we should be, and I haven't heard one yet.”  
Abram also claims that Cortes and Quadra  islands have reached their capacity in terms of population. 
Mark Vonesch: “That's a fine statement to say. Somebody else could say we haven't reached our capacity, but what data are you actually looking at to make that statement?”  
“One of the things that I'm moving forward on, together with the Cortes Housing Society, is looking quite seriously at 'what is our capacity?' First of all, starting with the base, what is the health of our aquifer? What is the health of our watershed?  Where can we have more development that's going to be sustainable in the long term? And how can we do development in a way that is ecologically sensitive, that recognizes our imprint on the land but also produces housing.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Two hundred and sixty-five people (265) filled out responses to the Cortes Island Housing survey which was carried out by the Cortes Community Housing Society and Regional Director Mark Vonesch. While this is only about 30% of the adult population, their answers provide a clear picture of the current housing situation, as well as specific areas where the majority of the population appear to support change. 
 “Other housing surveys they've done in the past have just broken over 100, so people are really engaged around this issue,” explained Vonesch. “40% of the people who responded to the survey have been here for over 20 years, which is significant.  The people that have been here for a long time and seen a lot of changes over the years and seen the way that Cortes is going and where it's at now and where it has been.”  
According to the press release accompanying the Housing survey, 175 of the respondents were property owners. 56% of them own their property outright, but half of those with mortgages have higher payments than they can reasonably afford. 82 of the respondents were renters, 42% of whom are paying more than 33% of their income on housing. This is more than what CMHC states is affordable and they're regarded as ‘at risk.' The remaining 8 respondents were ‘unhoused.' 
 Mark Vonesch: “Probably two thirds of the people that filled out the survey also wrote a paragraph or five in the comment section saying ‘here's my answer, but here's the specifics of why I said that.'  We thought about releasing all these comments right now, but I think it's really important  to protect people's privacy and we want to do it in a sort of thoughtful way that captures the essence of what most people are saying, but doesn't make people feel vulnerable as they're sharing the vulnerable things.”  
Cortes Currents: What were the key points that the majority of the population already appears to agree we should act on? 
Mark Vonesch: “67% of the people said that they would support an empty homes tax on Cortes. Only 18% said ‘no.' What would that tax look like? Is it even possible? How is it done? Can we do it in a Regional District way? Do we have to lobby the government? There's lots of details to work out, but this is showing that a large proportion of people think the idea is a good thing.” 
 “We asked, 'Do you support Cortes opting into BC government legislation so people can only operate short term rentals on land that includes their primary residence?' This would mean that if you live in Victoria and you buy a property on Cortes, you can't just Airbnb it out. Either rent it out long term, or not at all. 21% of people said ‘no' to that, almost 16% were ‘unsure' and 63% said ‘yes.'”  
 “‘Do you support Cortes opting into BC government legislation allowing greater density on lots currently zoned for single family homes?' 261 people answered this question; 72% of them said yes.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) wants to set up its own housing service. They hope to raise up to $10,000,000 for applicable projects and non-profits. This is to be administered through loans, which developers must pay back, but would initially be funded through property taxes. The SRD will be seeking your approval through an Alternate Approval Process. If 10% of the electorate (i.e.- 3,456 people) notify the SRD that they are opposed to this new service before 12:00 noon on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, it will be considered defeated and the SRD will have to consider other ways of raising the money. A recent report from the CMHC estimates that in order to restore affordability, Canada will have to build 3.5 million housing units by 2030. 
Meanwhile in the SRD, 45% of the renters who responded to last year's Housing Needs Report stated they were paying more than they could afford for shelter. They were said to be ‘at risk' of homelessness. This was brought home by Campbell River's recent Point In Time count, in which 33% of the city's unhoused population reported they lost their homes because they did not have a sufficient income.  
Last August, Senior Manager Aniko Nelson told the Board that if they set up the proposed housing service, “We will  enable ourselves to champion housing related projects throughout the region, as opposed to being that local government which is unable to assist those that are working so hard to provide affordable housing and below market housing throughout the region.” Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney, of Area C, subsequently told Cortes Currents, “The Regional Housing Service and borrowing bylaws would afford opportunities for the Strathcona Regional District to partner with local housing societies across the Regional District. The SRD can work to address specific challenges, such as workforce, housing and social housing issues. Each project would be individually examined and measured by the board.” Aniko Nelson: “It would enable partnerships with First Nations, which are looking to provide housing throughout the region right now. There's First Nations that are currently purchasing land. It would enable us to work together with those First Nations to provide that housing. It would allow us to work with other not-for-profit agencies that are providing housing and working towards applications to support funding for those initiatives and it would also enable us to provide opportunities for provincial lobbying.” Robyn Mawhinney: “In a Regional District, everything is siloed in services. If there isn't a service, there isn't a way for the regional district to approach a subject or work on a specific item. One of the benefits of having a Regional Housing Service would be that the Regional District is able to access Federal funds such as the Housing Accelerator Fund. The SRD was able to apply for a Housing Accelerator grant because it could show it was working towards setting up a housing service. That decision was made at the August 16, 2023 Board meeting. Cortes Island Director Mark Vonesch said,  “I support the creation of a Regional Housing Service. Looking at our campaigns eight months ago, a lot of us ran on the fact there's a lot of need for housing in all of our communities, including Cortes.” 
At that time, the proposed loan limit was $6 million. Director Vonesch suggested that be raised to $10 million:

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The #1 complaint the Cortes Island Fire Department received this summer was that some people continued to use chainsaws despite the drought and the possibility of sparking a wildfire. Interim Fire Chief Eli McKenty said this occurred in multiple locations across Cortes Island. He explained the current regulations are ‘too fuzzy' to enforce and a possible solution may be adding chainsaw use to the proposed Cortes Island Open Burning Bylaw currently before the Strathcona Regional District Board. The topic came up during an interview with Cortes Currents last week. Chief McKenty was praising the community for the manner in which they were adapting to the threat of wildfires:  “I think that people's awareness of wildfire risk and their efforts at mitigating that through FireSmart preparedness continues to grow. I think that's super important. Also, I think we've had fewer burning complaints this year than some years, which is good and indicates that people are being careful and aware of the dangers. So all of that's very encouraging.” This prompted Cortes Currents to ask, “What about people using chainsaws during the summer?” 
EM: “That's a tricky one and I have had more phone calls on that topic than anything else this summer.” “It is regulated by the province under the B.C. Wildfire Act, we actually don't have any jurisdiction at this point over either open burning or chainsaw use. The regulations around it are fairly complex, and unfortunately, there's a certain amount of room for interpretation too. I have had quite different interpretations from two different people at BC Wildfire, because I've phoned for clarification on a number of occasions.” “Basically, there's a list on the BC wildfire website of high risk activities, which includes chainsaw use and clearing. The language around where the chainsaw can be used is a little bit fuzzy. In addition, where you can use it is based on the fire weather index at whatever you determine is the most relevant weather station for your area.  We have weather stations. There's one on Maurelle Island, which I think is geographically the closest, but it's not very representative of the weather on Cortes. There's also Powell River, Quinsam and Theodosia Inlet.”  “Then there's other complications around how many days the fire danger rating has been in its current state, and those determine how long of a fire watch you have to have. That's very complex, and it's primarily written for industry, although it does seem to apply to private property as well.” 
“I would like to have a lot more clarity about it.” 
“One of the things that's in discussion at the Regional District right now is the possibility of having our own Open Burning Bylaw. We had a situation, I think it was in July, where the province briefly lifted the campfire ban on Cortes because the bulk of the area that we're grouped in with had had enough rain that the danger was reduced, whereas we hadn't had any rain. People were quite legitimately concerned that we were allowing campfires when we really shouldn't have been.” “The solution to that is if we have our own local bylaw that supersedes the provincial regulation and we can regulate it ourselves if we choose. If the Regional District passes a bylaw enabling that, I believe that chainsaw use could also be included, but that's something that the community would have to consider, whether that was something that they would like to have locally regulated.” If the SRD adopts chainsaw regulations, they would most likely only apply to the part of Cortes Island within the Fire Protection Area. This does not include the northern part of the island, the southern shores of Gorge Harbour, Tiber Bay or Tla'amin First Nation land.

This is a different episode, recorded within the smoke-filled Okanagan Valley. It has not been an easy time here lately and this podcast is a little window into that time when smoke clogs the valley and fires dominate the news. Some of the links mentioned in this episode:CBC Kelowna - Daybreak with Chris WalkerCastanet NewsBC Wildfire Service MapJancisRobinson.com article by Arnica Rowan Niche Wine Co. Other links:Regional District of the Okanagan and Similkameen EOC Support the showContact me at sipsterswinepodcast@gmail.com!Purchase copies of "The Sipsters Pocket Guides" here!Support the Sipsters Podcast by subscribing!Read Sipster's ICONS (Because sometimes more IS more.)Find us online at Sipsterswinepodcast.ca. Thank you for listening!

Welcome to the Cross Border Interviews, Today's guest is Cariboo Regional District (BC) Director Steve Forseth *************************************************** Visit www.crossborderinterviews.ca for more details and a list of all the links mentioned during this interview. The Cross Border Interview Podcast was Produced and Edited by Miranda, Brown & Associates Inc © 2023

Welcome to the Cross Border Interviews With Chris Brown, Today's guest is Thompson - Nicola Regional District (BC) Director Usoff Tsao ******************** Visit www.crossborderinterviews.ca for more details and a list of all the links mentioned during this interview. The Cross Border Interview Podcast was Produced and Edited by Miranda, Brown & Associates Inc © 2023

Gregory Penn has been in the solar industry since 2014. He's recently achieved the most installs in a single quarter AND the most installs in a year(2022) in the companies history at Sunrun. He is determined to set all of the records and to be the G.O.A.T. of the industry. Tune in to hear more about his disciplined mentality and how he continuously motivates himself to reach his highest potential.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - SRD staff have been instructed to prepare studies on residential waste collection, the legal status of short-term rentals and roadside parking on Quadra Island. These topics arose at the Electoral Areas Services Committee (EASC) meeting on May 10th. Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney made the following motions, all of which were seconded by Cortes Island Director Mark Vonesch. “The reliability and costs of solid waste collection services on Quadra Island is causing some islanders to wonder about alternatives. Within the Stratcona Regional District, some electoral areas such as Cortes Island and the Sayward Valley have solid waste services provided by the SRD,” Mawhinney explained. “I'm curious about the costs of such a service for Quadra Island. Has a study looking into this ever been done before? And what are the steps needed to investigate this?” Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) David Leitch replied, “To my knowledge, I don't think we have since this Regional District's been in existence. So I think the answer is no.” To which Mawhinney replied, “I would like to move that staff prepare a report on options for residential waste collection on Quadra Island.” The next question pertains to the legality of short-term rentals “Strathcona Regional District's 2022 housing needs survey for Area C detailed that short-term vacation rental numbers have exponentially increased. In 2016, there were 54. By 2021 there were 177. Interestingly, the 2022 housing survey details that 86% of the short-term vacation rentals in Area C are entire dwellings, which leads me to wonder what the legal status of short-term vacation rentals is within Area C,” said Mawhinney. “I understand that short-term vacation rentals may fall under the home occupation provision of the Quadra Island zoning bylaw. Not withstanding that I would like to move that this committee receive a report on the legal status of short-term vacation rentals in area C and avenues for managing their growth.” Mawhinney also wanted information about how to deal with problematic vehicles parked along Quadra Island roads.  “There are several incidences of long-term parking of vehicles including commercial vehicles on Quadra's roadsides. Until recently, the Ministry of Transportation was able to check insurance and uninsured vehicles could be removed,” said Mawhinney “However, ICBC is no longer providing expiry date tags, so Ministry of Transportation has no way of knowing if a vehicle is rightfully insured or not. The Quadra Island zoning bylaw has parking provisions for off-street parking. What I'm curious about is how or what the process is now for removing non-conforming commercial vehicles from roadside parking.” “Summer is coming. Quadra's roads are significantly busier and long-term parking of wide vehicles in some cases is impinging on traffic and active transportation safety. I would like to move that a report be prepared on the legalities of commercial vehicle roadside parking, long-term roadside parking, and how these matters would best be managed or enforced.” EASC passed all these motions and SRD staff will prepare the reports

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - On May 16, Mark Vonesch, Regional Director for Cortes Island issued a press release stating, “I'm excited to let you know that the provincial government has approved Cortes Island's short term rental tax application. Starting on July 1st, tourists will pay an extra 3% on their short term rental bookings and the funds will be collected by the provincial government and sent to the Cortes Housing Society on a monthly basis to contribute to the development of Rainbow Ridge rental housing.” “This is the first time in BC history that a community is using the tax entirely for housing and the provincial government had to amend their legislation to make it possible.” The application was made by the Cortes Community Housing Society, whose Executive Director Sandra Wood explained, “The issue has been that once a place becomes discovered by tourists, a lot of homes and cottages that used to be providing year round rental accommodation to locals become part of the Airbnb or other vacation rental sites. The owners of those properties can make more money from tourism rentals than they can from long-term rentals to locals.That has created a shortage of housing on Cortes and many other islands.” According to the 'Collecting Stories of Where We Live Survey,' last Spring, at least 159 Cortes Island residents were either living in ‘unstable' conditions, or homeless. The Strathcona Housing Needs Assessment found that 150 Cortes households are paying more for rent or mortgages than they can afford. Vonesch wrote that the housing crisis was one of the big challenges that led to his decision to run for the position of Regional Director.   “We need to figure out ways for the free market to offer up more rentals and support development that makes land affordable for young people and families who are currently renting and can't afford to compete with tourist land prices.” One of his first acts, as incoming Regional Director for Cortes Island last November, was to seek SRD support for an application for a 3% tax on short term rentals.  “This is a tax that  affects all short term rentals on Cortes, whether you do that through Airbnb or other online platforms, or you rent your place out privately. It also applies to the ‘hotels' on Cortes, which are the Gorge Harbour Marina, the Cortes Island Motel and Hollyhock. In order for this application to be submitted, you need at least 50% support from the ‘hotels' on the island. We were really fortunate to have Hollyhock, the Gorge and the Motel all sign on. Part of my argument to the Regional District is, ‘Look, there's the support from 100% of all the ‘hotels' on Cortes!”  The new SRD Vice Chair, Ron Kerr, was enthusiatic about the project, “I think this is an opportunity to really show what this board can do and not drag things on, but try and move them forward.” Incoming Area C Director Robin Mawhinney agreed, “I love it. I wanted to add that I believe that the Cortes Island Housing Society is doing great work. They have land, a plan and community support. I fully support this community initiative. I think it's an inspiration and a model, and I believe that a letter of support from the board fits within our Strathcona Regional District vision statement, which is to lend support to individual community initiatives.” At their inaugrial meeting, on November 9, 2023, the SRD Board unanimously voted to write the letter of support which accompanied the Cortes Community Housing Society's application to the provincial government. Vonesch's press release explains that, “For short term rental operators using AirBnB or VRBO, this tax will automatically be collected by the online platform when customers book their stay, so there is no action required from you. For those not using these online platforms, and making more then $2,500 from their short term rental, you must register to collect PST and MRDT.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - British Columbia's Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC) is the Provincial government office tasked with providing support to BC's fire services through fire investigation, collecting statistics, fire prevention and establishing standards for fire service training. It is based in Saanichton and operates through numerous Local Assistants. At the request of the Cortes Island Fire Department, the Strathcona Regional District Board is recommending that Fire Chief Eli McKenty be appointed Local Assistant to the Fire Commissioner for Cortes Island. This matter came up at the Board's May 10 meeting. Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch explained, “It traditionally has to be someone in the local area. Cortes is clearly an island, it, it wouldn't make sense for anyone off island. Historically that assistant has been the Fire Chief. There is an interim Fire Chief there right now, and they're requesting that person be appointed as the local area Fire Commission.” Mark Vonesch, Regional Director for Cortes Island, said, “I would like to move that the Regional District recommend to the office of the Fire commissioner, that the Fire Chief Elijah McKenzie be appointed as the Local Assistant to the fire commissioner for Cortes Island.” Regional Director John Rice seconded the motion, which carried with no opposing votes.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Fifteen years ago April Point Developments submitted a subdivision application for phase one of, what was at the time, a three-phase development proposal for a 134 acre parcel on Quadra Island. This application triggered a requirement that the developer dedicate close to 7 acres as parkland. The matter was thought to have been finally settled last summer, when the SRD Board accepted April Point's parkland dedication offer - but the developer made some revisions. There were more questions than answers when this matter came before the SRD Board on May 10. When no one offered to discuss the matter, Chair Mark Baker (MB) called what turned out to be a premature vote. “All in favour … Opposed .. seeing none, carried in electoral areas only that the revised proposal for Parkland dedication from April Point Developments be accepted, as outlined on May 10th, 2023. Report from the CAO.” CAO David Leitch (DL) pointed out, “We don't have a mover on the motion.” MB: “Oh, we don't have a mover on the motion yet, sorry. So we have electoral areas only. There's a motion.” None of the rural DIrectors responded. DL: “There's no mover of the motion yet.” MB: “Then the motion is defeated, is that not correct? Technically, it has never been made.” DL: “So this comes from the Electoral Areas Services Committee, that had supported the motion, correct?” April Point is in Area C, and after a pause Robyn Mawhinney, the Regional Director of Area C, expressed her hesitation. “I notice that this report doesn't contain the previous iterations of the report that, generally, reports carry along with them. This is an updated version of an application for a park proposal, but there were no previous iterations of the park proposal included in the report. I was curious if somebody from staff could explain to me the material differences between this iteration of the proposed park and earlier versions, as to the size and the walkability. I noticed that most of it is a wetland which are critical for percolating water into the aquifer, and I appreciate that the wetland is being preserved as a park,” she explained. “I am curious how this trail will be built, and also maintained. And I'm further curious if a group such as Quadra Island Trails Committee, which is an active group on Quadra Island with much experience designing lines of trails, if they've been consulted or if there has been other ground truthing from staff or locals, or if it has been mainly from the proponent and designer, who is in Vancouver.” Senior Manager Aniko Nelson replied, “I can't speak to why the previous reports weren't attached to this report, but in any event the size of the parcel that is being proposed is the same as previously. There's a small pinch point which has been created, as part of additional surveying and a current road sighting and a bluff.” “The proposal has been amended slightly, to allow that road and bluff to be outside of the park area. The area 2.78 hectares remains the same as does the overall trail length of 1,430 metres.” “There's no proposal at this time to construct trail, as this is a requirement for park dedication only. The Regional District is not in the position to require development of trails at this time. This is outstanding park dedication as part of a previous subdivision, and a current covenant that is on title requiring them to provide this park dedication prior to any further developments in the area.” RM: “I was just curious because the maps really highlight a lot of trails and you're talking about 1400 meters of trails, but then you're also saying that there is no requirement for the trails to actually be built.”

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District is moving forward with adoption of a regional fire administration support service that would provide assistance to the various fire departments in the Regional District. There was little discussion and no opposing votes at the May 10 SRD Board meeting. Regional Director Gerald Whalley, of Area A, brought forward the motion that will make this immediate, rather than waiting for next years budget. “I move option B that the regional fire administration sports service be established as part of the general administration service of the regional district,” he said. Second” responded Regional Director John Rice of Area D. “Second, Vonesch,” interjected Cortes Island's Director. Chairman Mark Baker noted that ‘Director Rice was quick on the draw,' and thus is recorded in the minutes as the seconder of this motion. Baker called the vote: “All in favor.” “Opposed?” “Seeing none, that motion is carried.”

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - At the regular SRD board meeting on April 26th (minutes), a couple of issues of interest to Cortes residents were discussed. There were new developments in the story of SRD's proposal to centralise rural fire hall administration; this was covered by Roy Hales on Monday. The Board also discussed the “Community Resiliency Investment Grant” and its uses, specifically the provision of wood chipping service for properties with road access, and the local use of those wood chips. Sean Koopman reported to the Board that SRD successfully applied for $300,000 under the Resiliency grant for this year: So on November 23rd, 2022, this board passed a resolution authorizing the Regional District to apply for $300,000 for this grant. While we haven't officially received the grant yet, it is incoming soon, so it's non-officially official. Part of the activities that the board approved were wood chipping for road accessible properties in electoral area A and D. What we started with this grant last year was putting out calls to community organizations for the wood chips that come from this grant — under the UBCM criteria that they be disposed of 100 metres from structures. Although initially those wood chips were available only to community service organisations — not to individuals or businesses — the Board at the April 26th meeting voted to offer wood chips to any applicant willing to come and collect them from a central location. Delivery of wood chips, however, would still only be available to community organisations. Individuals would have to sign a waiver or agreement promising to dispose of them safely and according to those FireSmart guidelines. The Surge Narrows Parents' Association put in a request for wood chips to cover their playground, which was granted. Wood chips are stored and composting on Cortes in several locations; the composted matter will be available to farmers in two or three years. The Seniors' Association is using the chipped wood for their trail maintenance; Linnaea Farm and the Dillon Creek Restoration project have also benefited. Area B Director Mark Vonesch asked why Quadra and Cortes residents were not being offered the chipping service this year, despite SRD's successful grant application. Question — Quadra and Cortes were not not being offered this year. Is that just a matter of sort of like every other year?Different locations based on the budget you're working with? Sean Koopman explained that Quadra has gone over their budget for wood chipping in the last two years, and the situation on Cortes was complicated by SCCA's plans for fire safety improvements at Manson's Hall: Quadra has gone over budget with this amount in the last two years. That's a separate conversation. Cortes, the reason we didn't go for it this year, is this grant can allow for $50,000 per electoral area. And Fire Smart Renovations for community buildings is an eligible criteria. Mansons Hall has about $80,000 worth of project that they want to undertake. They received a grant for $25,000 for that. So talking with Tammy and the SCCA I said, I will max out the SRD's 50,000 [from the Community Resiliency grant]. So if the SRD gets the grant — 50,000 from us, 25 from their grant — then that allows them to undertake those Fire Smart renovations to that important community building. For Cortes, we aim to get back to the chipping next year. This was was a special one time thing in partnership with the SCCA. It appears that SCCA has a major fire safety upgrade planned for Mansons Hall, similar to what's already been done for the Gorge Hall but on a larger scale. In the meantime, it looks like Cortes residents may have access to those stored wood chips — by applying to SRD, filling out some forms, and doing their own pickup and delivery.

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District is applying to have its name added to the list of Regional Districts that can take special votes on urgent matters. This regulation states that the SRD must make reasonable attempts in writing, by phone or electronic means to ‘ensure that each director entitled to vote has the opportunity to do so.' There is no need for a quorum. When necessary, resolutions and bylaws can be passed even if only the chairperson and one other director are voting. The results of this vote are to be reported at the next Board meeting. This regulation currently applies to thirteen Regional Districts, all but one of which are on the Mainland. The only Regional District from Vancouver Island on this list is Mount Waddington

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District is looking into the possibility of offering community-focused non-profits access to insurance. Robyn Mawhinney, Regional Director for Area C, brought the idea forward at the April 12 Board meeting. “I've been asked repeatedly if there would be a way for the Stratcona Regional District to offer access to more reasonably priced insurance for nonprofit groups. I wonder if there are other areas within the S R D where nonprofits have highlighted this concern, and if we might as a board be interested in inquiring with the Municipal Insurance Service of BC (MIABC) to consider offering a product accessible to community minded nonprofits in support of the valuable work they do and I do have a proposed motion when it's the right time,” she said. Senior Manager Thomas Yates responded, “The Municipal Insurance Association has for quite some time had a program, called the Associate Member Program, whereby, nonprofits that do not wish to or can't afford their own insurance can apply through the Regional District. The kicker is that they must be providing a regional district service in order to qualify under the rules that have been in place for a long time. I don't believe those rules have changed, but if it is the wish of the board, we could certainly check that out.” Gerald Whalley, Regional Director for Area A, brought up an alternate route, “Not to detract from your upcoming motion, but in Sayward we have a nonprofit society, Sayward Futures, that works as an umbrella group for every other little society who can't afford their own insurance. They are insured underneath the umbrella of that one. So that might be a model that you could look at.” Mawhinney moved, “I would like to propose this motion, whereas the costs of insurance are continuously increasing and are a costly impediment to community nonprofit organizations, and whereas community nonprofits often rely on grant and aid funding from the regional district to support their operations in the face of rising insurance rates, that the Stratcona Regional District send a letter to MIABC inquiring under their framework for capturing ideas about the possibility of offering access to insurance for community focused non-profits.” The motion was seconded by Cortes Island Director Mark Vonesch and carried with no opposing votes.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The first Rural Islands Economic Partnership (RIEP) Forum was held on Pender Island during 2019. They were forced to hold virtual events after COVID hit, but the 2023 RIEP Forum is an in-person event that will be held on Gabriola Island, April 25-27. “The event is a flagship event for the 18 plus rural islands of BC. The reach is from Bowen Island to Malcolm Island to Salt Spring to Gabriola, to Cortes, and Quadra. Our motto is, no one island can be resilient alone, and together we're stronger and better,” explained Francine Carlin, Chair and Interim Executive DIrector of the Rural Islands Economic Partnership. Kate Madigan was one of the half dozen Cortes Island residents that attended the 2019 RIEP forum and will be returning with 3 others from the CCEDA (Cortes Community Economic Development Association) this year. KM: “Here on Cortes, we meet a lot of our community needs through nonprofits, and those are the people on the ground. We don't have municipal government support. We have the SRD, but it's fairly limited. I just really love listening to other people from the other islands who have the same Issues that we do.” Cortes Island Regional Director Mark Vonesch was invited, but it's unlikely he'll be able to attend. KM: “It's too bad Mark couldn't join us, Noba (Anderson) did go in 2019, but we can get him involved in some of the online events. FC: “I said to him, let's have a Cortes area delegation meet with you, and talk about what's really needed from a Regional District perspective.” “We realize people are traveling from all across BC to come to this event. Many are arriving on Monday night, some are coming Tuesday morning to register, have lunch, and then the actual formal program with the welcome from the First Nation comes in at 1:00 PM. We have an opening around the model of ‘Donut Economics,' which is recognizing that we need to have ecological and social justice in order to achieve our ability to live on the island, on the planet in a regenerative and sustainable way. We have Ben Geselbracht, the Nanaimo City Counselor who brought donut economics into Nanaimo.” Carlin said Nanaimo was the first city in Canada to use Donut Economics as a lens for their decision making around climate adaptation and economic investments. The first evening will conclude with a Sarah Osborne concert. FC: “Wednesday is a very heavy day. We call it the un-conference Conference because it's not your typical ‘talking heads.' It is plenaries, that are all interactive panels which engages the audiences with q and a.” “We are really proud to have Vancity as the presenting sponsor and led by Michelle Laviolette, Director of Indigenous banking. Vancity was very excited about RIEP because RIEP represents the intersectionality of climate adaptation, reconciliation, and economic capacity building from a regenerative lens.” “We have panels that are being sponsored by them around housing lessons learned across the islands, working with indigenous businesses through the lens of reconciliation and the economics of climate change We also have interactive panels on arts vitality, travel as a force for good , circular economy success , government services related to Island Coastal Economic Trust and the BC Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation." “It's a very full packed schedule, and one that is also networking and connecting with Islanders across BC. In terms of just the general ambience of the program, it's basically a grassroots event. There's hardly any corporate or any government presenters. It's all the people who are on the ground doing the work.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - An overwhelming majority of the 50 or so people that turned out (in person or via ZOOM) to the Cortes Island Firefighting Association (CIFFA) AGM on Thursday, Mar 30, were supportive of the fire department. CIFFA has a contract to provide fire fighting services, with the Strathcona Regional District (SRD). A number of attendees questioned the Strathcona Regional District's current idea of setting up of a regional system, with a Fire Chief in Campbell River. “I just wondered if the Regional District has a mandate to provide the level of fire service that Cortes Island has developed for itself over the last 30 years? If they take over our department, is there any saying whether or not they have to provide the kind of fire service that we have here?” asked Aaron Ellingsen. Christine Robinson added, “I think there's no concern about the budget, it's about governance and process. I want to know once we pass the budget, what comes next? How do we get clarity from the SRD as to how we move forward in keeping self-governance on Cortes?” Andy Ellingsen said, “I would hate to leave this call without a clear statement of the importance that I see of keeping the control of our fire department at the local level. I do not see how we can run a volunteer fire department with a Chief that's appointed and answers to the SRD in Campbell River.” This was one of the many supportive comments that prompted a round of clapping and applause. The entire slate of 7 DIrectors proposed by CIFFA was voted in. Sadhu Johnston, the former City Manager of Vancouver who at one point in the meeting was called CIFFA's ‘ringer,' will continue in his new role as President. Chris Walker is Vice President. Lisa Ferentinos is the new Secretary/Treasurer. Wes KIrk, Chris Dragseth, Aaron Ellingsen and Dave Robertson are Directors at Large. Most attendees recognized that there must be an increase in the budget in order to meet the new provincial standards taking effect in March 2024. The budget for 2023, which calls an increase of just under $250 for the average property owner, was approved. Someone did question the budget's pay rises, “You can only pay so much out of your local tax base. Obviously you can't pay your Fire Chief on Cortes the same amount that you might have to in Campbell River. It's a completely different tax base. So how do they work that up?” Interim Fire Chief Eli McKenty replied, “The Chief on Cortes makes less than a regular firefighter in Campbell River. The Chiefs in Campbell River and all the officers are paid vastly more.”  (In a previous interview, Vice President Chris Walker pointed out that CIFFA wants to pay the Fire Chief $90,000 per year and the average firefighter in Campbell River makes $120,000.) Sadhu Johnston explained, “If we look back at the past decade, the spend thrift nature of our operation has kept costs really low and really what it should be doing is going up evenly over time so you don't have this kind of bumpy increase. I think it's incumbent upon the board to be thinking about the next five years and looking at what increases are needed. So we can stay on top of it and not have a big jump in one year — which is really jarring.” “It's something to recognize that training, fuel insurance, all of these costs are going up. We need to project that out and try to be proactive so that taxpayers know what to expect in the years ahead. Typically what a municipality would try to do would be to project those costs over time and try to predict a little bit in advance, which I think we've done well with the fire truck that's needed. The money's been put in reserve so we don't need to pay it all at once. It can be purchased with the money that's been put in the bank over time. That is the kind of approach we want to take with the whole department.”

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Two assessments of the Cortes Island Fire Department were released last week. Shaun Koopman, Protective Services Coordinator for the SRD, emailed,“While both reports covered operational aspects, the SRD's audit was more focused on the governance model. The concerns expressed in the consultant's report specifically pertained to the liability exposure that the Regional District incurs from the current governance model.” Cortes Island's Interim Fire Chief, Eli McKenty, describes them differently. Regarding SRD's consultant, Ernie Polsom of FireWise Consulting, he said, “Polsom spent about three hours with us and took a brief look through the files. I said, ‘Over here I have training records, over here I have vehicle records, over here I have financial records. I pulled the drawers out, and waved at them. Then said, I'm at your disposal, ask me for whatever you need, and I'll get it for you.' He hardly asked for anything.” The Cortes Island Fire Fighting Association did not see Polsom's report until the SRD released it last week, but they decided to hire a consultant of their own. Rob Owens of Integrated Emergency & Safety Services BC is a former Deputy Fire Commissioner for British Columbia in charge of operations, fire investigations, fire code inspections and enforcement, wildfire structure protection program and the supervision of the five remote office locations.  “Rob Owens spent about 13 hours with me, spoke to all the other officers who were available and dug through the files and we made photocopies. He read through things, asked for background, and asked a lot of in-depth questions. So from my perspective, Owens' assessment was far more thorough than Polsom's,” explaind McKenty.

Roy Stewart, Q.C. practices law in Prince George and first became involved in public life by being elected as a School Board Trustee in 1981 and remained on that board until 1988. He was chair of the board from 1984. At the same time, he was the Canadian Bar Cariboo Representative on the Provincial Counsel from 1981 to 1987. In 1988 Roy Stewart joined the Interior University Society as a director and became president of that ground-breaking society in 1989. He guided the Society until the University of Northern British Columbia was officially created by Act of the Legislature in 1992. The Provincial Government appointed him as the first president of the UNBC Foundation in 1992 for a three-year term. In 1998 Roy Stewart led a group of lawyers in their quest to have the new Court House developed in Prince George. It is a solid development in the Downtown area. In private practice, Roy Stewart was the solicitor for the City of Prince George for 20 years, until 2001. In that role, he advised the City of Prince George on all matters. In addition, he acted as solicitor for the Regional District of Fraser Fort George, the District of Mackenzie, and other local governments. In 1992-1993, Roy was chair of the Fund-Raising committee of UNBC, and developed a fund-raising plan, entitled North to the Future, which was presented to the Board and adopted by UNBC in 1993. The object of that plan was to create an endowment for academic positions and student support and enlisted the support of communities, colleges, and businesses located primarily in North Central British Columbia. As a director and now as president of the Prince George Symphony Orchestra (PGSO), Roy makes it his mission to get the finances of that organization under control and to develop a legacy fund to stabilize income for the future. He believes the PGSO is the premiere cultural asset of the City of Prince George. ​Roy is a former CITIZEN OF THE YEAR recipient (1990) and has always regarded education as the key to a thriving democracy and has been active in this area all of his life. Roy has been an active member of the Prince George Golf & Curling Club for 46 years and was awarded an Honourary Doctorate of Laws Degree from the University of Northern British Columbia in 2017.

City Councillor Terri McConnachie is running to become the next mayor of Prince George. She officially announced her campaign with a kick-off event at the Knowledge Garden at the Prince George Public Library in September 2022. McConnachie has been a resident of Prince George for over 40 years. She grew up in the Hart area and after graduating from Kelly Road Secondary School (Shas Ti Kelly Road Secondary), she met and married her high school sweetheart, Kevin, and together they have raised three children. Terri was the general manager of the Prince George Exhibition (British Columbia Northern Exhibition) for seven years and built a career in the not-for-profit sector. She is currently the executive officer for the Canadian Homebuilders' Association of Northern B.C., promoting the interests of consumers and representing the residential construction industry which includes trades, builders, renovators, suppliers, and other sector service professionals and businesses. She currently serves as a trustee for the Prince George Public Library, a director for the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George and is a member of the Nechako Rotary Club. McConnachie has been a Prince George City Councillor since 2014, which she says has required her to draw on her leadership experience to support residents and businesses through the wildfires of recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenges that Prince George faces today. Learn more about Terri McConnachie at www.terriformayor.ca Or on her Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/TerriForMayorPrinceGeorge Voters will hit the polls for the municipal election on Oct. 15.

All regions of Manitoba were affected by excess moisture in the month of May, The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says avian influenza has been confirmed in a small flock in the Regional District of Peace River, & Over the last few years, salinity has become a real issue for many Saskatchewan farmers.

Even with more rain and clouds on the forecast for the next few days, that won't stop some people from getting out and camping and enjoying the outdoors.  But the Fraser Valley Regional District is urging the public to be prepared for potential flooding – The sent out a release this week with those details.  Our show contributor Jawn Jang spoke with Jason Lum, the Chair of the Fraser Valley Regional District on what people need to know.

UK introduces temporary ‘windfall tax' of 25% on oil and gas profits – with consumers receiving rebates Marc Lee, Senior Economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives discusses what this means for Canadians  The end of fish and chips?! Rising prices threaten a British tradition – Are Canadian businesses also suffering? Brad MacLeod, Owner and Operator of C-Lovers Fish and Chips discusses the rising costs of staying in business as a Fish and Chip shop  Fraser Valley Regional District warning residents to be prepared for potential flooding from spring freshet Even with more rain and clouds on the forecast for the next few days, that won't stop some people from getting out and camping and enjoying the outdoors.  But the Fraser Valley Regional District is urging the public to be prepared for potential flooding – The sent out a release this week with those details.  Our show contributor Jawn Jang spoke with Jason Lum, the Chair of the Fraser Valley Regional District on what people need to know. The Wrap:  Can social media use be… Healthy? What movie deserves a long-awaited sequel.. And why do most sequels tend to underperform? What is Ellen's legacy and how do we view Ellen DeGeneres? On The Wrap this week:  Leah Holiove, TV Reporter and Radio Host Sarah Daniels, real estate agent in South Surrey; author and broadcaster Topics:  Can social media use be… Healthy? What movie deserves a long-awaited sequel.. And why do most sequels tend to underperform? What is Ellen's legacy and how do we view Ellen DeGeneres?

Mayor Lyn Hall has been an active member of the Prince George community for over 30 years. He first entered local politics in 2001 when he won a seat as a School Trustee on the Prince George School Board. He spent 10 years on the board holding various positions including vice-chair and chair. In 2011, he ran and successfully won a seat on Prince George City Council. As a Councilor, he was a member of several committees and community groups. In 2014 and 2018, he ran successful campaigns for Mayor of Prince George. Mayor Hall and his wife Lorrelle are the parents of twin daughters, both of whom graduated from UNBC and are outstanding soccer players. City involvement: Chair, Select Advisory Committee on Economic Development City of Prince George Finance and Audit Committee Director, Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT) Board Member of the Prince George NDIT Regional Advisory Committee Director, Regional District of Fraser-Fort George and representative to the Municipal Finance Authority Director, Prince George Community Foundation Municipal Finance Authority of BC Board Trustee BC Transit Board Member Past Chair, Northern Medical Programs Trust Chair of Regional District Public Safety and Emergency Management Standing Committee Episode Link:https://bit.ly/LynHallPodcast

Mayor Lyn Hall has been an active member of the Prince George community for over 30 years. He first entered local politics in 2001 when he won a seat as a School Trustee on the Prince George School Board. He spent 10 years on the board holding various positions including vice-chair and chair. In 2011, he ran and successfully won a seat on Prince George City Council. As a Councillor, he was a member of several committees and community groups. In 2014 and 2018, he ran successful campaigns for Mayor of Prince George. Mayor Hall and his wife Lorrelle are the parents of twin daughters, both of whom graduated from UNBC. City involvement: Chair, Select Advisory Committee on Economic Development City of Prince George Finance and Audit Committee Director, Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT) Board Member of the Prince George NDIT Regional Advisory Committee Director, Regional District of Fraser-Fort George and representative to the Municipal Finance Authority Director, Prince George Community Foundation Municipal Finance Authority of BC Board Trustee BC Transit Board Member Past Chair, Northern Medical Programs Trust Chair of Regional District Public Safety and Emergency Management Standing Committee www.crazydamncanadians.ca

Chapter 1: It's now been two weeks since we entered Phase 2 of the reopening plan on March 19th  and there still hasn't been a spike in transmission, now that's some good news! Guest: Jason Tetro, infectious disease expert and host of the Super Awesome Science Show podcast. Chapter 2: Protests continued across the United States last night, and criticism of President Donald Trump for a photo-op at an historic church in DC yesterday afternoon is coming from all sides. Guest: Reggie Cecchini, Global News Washington Correspondent Chapter 3: Almost the entire Regional District of Central Kootenay was impacted by the rainfall, information office Frances Maika joins us to talk about what's happening right now.   Guest:  Frances Maika, communications officer for the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary. Chapter 4: Sport fishing is one of the industries that depends on tourists from outside of BC, and they're worried about what this year will look like.  Guest: Owen Bird, Executive Director, Sport Fishing Institute of BC. Chapter 5: It's just the latest chapter in a story that's been going on for months, about  a hospice in Delta providing palliative care but won't provide medical assistance in dying. As you may have heard, any taxpayer funding from the hospice has now been canceled. Guest: Angelina Ireland, Executive Director of Delta Hospice Society. Chapter 5: There have been a lot of recommendations to protect people from COVID-19 in stores, restaurants, and on public transportation - but what about sports?  The province asked the non-profit group viaSport to provide guidelines for starting some of those back up again. Guest: Charlene Krepiakevich, viaSport CEO Chapter 6: Everyone has seen their grocery bill go up since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Stuff that's usually on sale is selling for full price, and Stats Canada is predicting food will continue to cost more.  Guest: Sarah Rotz, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at York University in Toronto.

We chat with Rob Gay -Chair of the Regional District of East Kootenay Board, which sent the letter to Bonnie Henry