Every summer, Cortes Island’s four grocery stores, and the store on Refuge Cove, lose business because of long ferry waits. Truckers do not like to transport frozen goods, when they do not know how long they will wait before boarding. Every store experiences shortages of produce, dairy, and meats. As increasing numbers of Cortes residents shop in Campbell River, the ferry waits grow even longer. At last fall’s Ferry Advisory Committee meeting, the stores asked BC Ferries to provide assured loading for commercial vehicles coming to Cortes Island. It’s not official, one commercial vehicle a day may receive priority loading.
Continue reading Possible Resolution: Assured Loading For One Commercial Vehicle A Day
The Next Phase: Squirrel Cove Dock Restoration
Pacific Industrial & Marine‘s work crew left Squirrel Cove yesterday morning. Both the crane barge and a barge with the old wooden pilings were towed to Campbell River. Someone purchased the old west float, which will end its days as a breakwater. The next phase of Squirrel Cove’s dock restoration has begun.
Continue reading The Next Phase: Squirrel Cove Dock Restoration
Hornby Island’s Style Of Government
Hornby Island has roughly the same number of inhabitants as Cortes Island. They have similar problems with volunteer burn-out, partisanship on public issues, disruptive personalities, and gossip. Reina LeBaron, Hornby Island Residents and Ratepayers Association’s (HIRRA) Administrator, said this is usual in small communities. Some disgruntled Hornby residents even complained to their Regional Director, but the discontent has not festered on Hornby, like it has on Cortes. To some extent I suspect this may be because of Hornby Island’s style of government.
Continue reading Hornby Island’s Style Of Government
2019 Christmas Bird Count
Originally posted on Cortes Radio.ca
When you talk about Cortes Island’s population, most of us think of humans but there is an even larger avian population. The Cortes museum has been taking an annual Christmas Bird Count since 2001. There were 38 participants this year. Most were in five groups, but there were also a number of people who reported birds visiting feeders, or parts of the island not on the established routes.
Continue reading 2019 Christmas Bird Count
Work On Squirrel Cove Dock Nearing Completion.
Pacific Industrial & Marine returned on Tuesday. They were too busy maneuvering the new western float into place to answer any questions this morning. One of the crew mentioned their work on the Squirrel Cove dock is nearing completion and will probably be finished on Monday, Feb 24, 2020.
Continue reading Work On Squirrel Cove Dock Nearing Completion.