All posts by Roy L Hales

Roy L Hales - is the editor/owner of Cortes Currents. He has had close to 3,000 articles published in print or the web since 1982, and a daily news program on Cortes Community Radio, CKTZ 89.5 FM, (since 2014). Hales is also a former president of the Cortes Community Radio Society (June 2017- Apr 2021).
Environment

SRD Board votes against funding local community climate action planning

How our local government works – Last in a series of 5 articles from the Feb 9 SRD Board Meetings

At their February 9th meeting, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board voted against setting aside $50,000 to support community climate action planning initiatives. 

The motion was brought forward by Cortes Island Regional Director Noba Anderson, who suggested the project fit into their strategic objectives for 2022. (See page 43 of linked budget document)

Continue reading SRD Board votes against funding local community climate action planning →
Opinion

Myth busted: Trudeau is not being sued for crimes against humanity

Upon entering a Cortes Island store recently, I was informed that Prime Minister Trudeau, the Pope, Queen of England and a number of other prominent world figures are being sued for crimes against humanity. 

“That’s something they don’t tell you,” said my informant, knowingly. “You don’t shut the world down because of a cold.”

She was misinformed on both counts.

Continue reading Myth busted: Trudeau is not being sued for crimes against humanity →
Indigenous Nations

SRD motion to remove ‘unceded’ from First Nations territorial acknowledgements defeated

How our local government works – Part 3 of 5 from the Feb 9 SRD Board Meeting

A Strathcona Regional District motion to remove the term ‘unceded’ from acknowledgements of First Nations territory was defeated, in a 8 to 6 vote, at the Wednesday, Feb 9 Board meeting.

Continue reading SRD motion to remove ‘unceded’ from First Nations territorial acknowledgements defeated →
Finances

Where do Discovery Island property tax dollars go? 

How our local government works – Part 2 of 5 from the Feb 9 SRD Board Meeting

Electoral Area C is the largest electoral area within the Strathcona Regional District. It spreads out over 10,650 square kilometres: from Quadra throughout the Discovery Islands to some of the Mainland Inlets. The vast majority of people live on Quadra. In the second of five articles arising from the SRD Board meeting of Feb 9th, 2022, Cortes Currents is looking at how the tax dollars from this area were spent in 2021 and a proposed budget for 2022. 

Continue reading Where do Discovery Island property tax dollars go?  →
Finances

Where did Cortes Island’s property tax dollars go in 2021?

How our local government works – Part 1 of 5 from the Feb 5 SRD Board Meeting

The proposed budget for 2022 was one of the principle topics at the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board Meeting on Wednesday, February 9th. Part of this process involved looking into the finances for 2021. So in the first of a five part series arising from that meeting, Cortes Currents is looking into how the SRD is spending the portion of our tax dollars under their control. 

Continue reading Where did Cortes Island’s property tax dollars go in 2021? →