All posts by De Clarke

De Clarke is a sailor, photographer, retired software engineer and intermittent author who since the late 70’s has published both technical writing and essays on various topics ranging from feminism to technology and environmental issues. She has lived on Cortes since late 2011.

Environment

Paul Watson: Activist, Pirate, Friend

January 24, 2025 De Clarke

interview with Rex Weyler (All 5 Podcasts of an FM radio special feature originally airing January 21 -25, 2025).

In December 2024, the environmental activist Paul Watson was freed by Danish authorities from detention in Greenland. He had been held there due to an Interpol red-notice (warrant) issued against him by the government of Japan. The Danish Ministry of Justice denied official requests to extradite Watson for trial in Japan, and he was released to rejoin his family.

What did Paul Watson do that so angered the Japanese government? Watson, born in Canada, has spent most of his adult life — ever since the 1970s — protesting against the commercial slaughter of whales and other marine mammals. He was a founding member of Greenpeace, and participated in their early actions to document and obstruct the Russian whaling fleet in the North Pacific. One of his shipmates on these early campaigns was longtime Cortes resident Rex Weyler.

In this special feature, we offer an extended interview with Rex Weyler; he offers his personal memories of the early Greenpeace campaigns and of Paul Watson, who became a lifelong friend.

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Indigenous Nations History, Politics

Campbell River Place Names Proposal: Update

November 1, 2024 De Clarke

In September of this year, Currents reported on a proposal from Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ [pronounced Lee-gweeth-dowkh] Nations (We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum and Kwiakah) for the formal renaming of various locations in the greater Campbell River/rapids area. The new names would be drawn from First Nations language and tradition.

Three of these place-names are local to the city of Campbell River. The well-loved park now known as Tyee Spit would be renamed to ʔuxstalis [pronounced Oox-sta-lease], the spelling of the Quinsam River would be updated to “Kʷənsəm River”, and Discovery Passage would be renamed to “Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ Passage”.

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Transportation

Four Years Later: DIY E-trike Meets Builder’s Needs

October 25, 2024 De Clarke

In 2019 and 2020, Cortes Currents ran a series of articles about e-bikes on the island, interviewing owners about the pros and cons of their electric-assisted rides. One of the featured bikes was quite unusual: an electric sidecar cargo trike, designed and built by local resident Gabriel Dinim.

It’s now four years later, and Currents checked in with Gabriel about his DIY personal EV. It has been his primary transportation for the last four years, and he’s quite satisfied. We asked him whether he’s ever found the trike inadequate and needed to borrow a car:

The only time I’ve borrowed a car, was when I had to go to the clinic for early blood work and they had to measure the cortisol — and I didn’t want to arrive there all stressed out from riding. And it was cold — so I borrowed a car to do that. Aside from that, No…

I mean, I did borrow a car sometimes to move firewood around — which I could do with the bike, but it takes so many trips, you know. I can put 80, 90 pounds of firewood in the bike. But it’s so much easier to borrow a van and put a thousand pounds of firewood in it and just transport it.

Otherwise, yes, it’s met all of my needs. In the winter, too, I’ve ridden in two, three below zero. Just long johns, wool pants — just lots of gear.

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Energy

Wind Power Coming to Campbell River Area?

October 8, 2024 De Clarke

Capstone Infrastructure Corporation, an independent and publicly traded power generating company headquartered in Toronto, has applied to SRD for permitting and approval for a new project on Vancouver Island. The “Brewster Wind Project” would install about 30 wind turbines on a site about 40 km northwest of Campbell River. The proposed site is on some ridges between highways 28 and 19 — more specifically, between the White River and the Memekay River, spanning a range from west of the Memekay Horse Camp to north and east of Memekay Peak.