The internationally recognized novelist Shaena Lambert recently made a virtual visit to Marnie’s Books, on Cortes Island. Four of works have been chosen for Best Canadian stories and the Globe and Mail recognised three of her previous novels as books of the year. Lambert is also a dedicated environmentalist, who was arrested twice during the Burnaby Mountain protests, and continues to actively oppose oil pipelines and logging of old growth. In the most recent Folk U Friday radio program, the Vancouver novelist explained why she chose to virtually launch her new novel, Petra, on Cortes Island.
Continue reading Shaena Lambert launches her Latest novel – Petra – on Cortes IslandAll posts by Roy Hales
Surge Narrows grocery delivery program
The grocery delivery program’s origins go back to October 2019. A North Rendezvous Island resident, Judith Wright, organized a group run for four or five families every two weeks. After COVID hit, close to half of the permanent residents of the Rendezvous, Read, Maurelle, and Sonora Islands took advantage of the SRD Delivers program to have their groceries delivered every week for three months. While the funding ended in mid July, the Surge Narrows grocery delivery program proved to be so effective that it continues today.
Continue reading Surge Narrows grocery delivery programWhat Matters Most?
The Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery will only have one show this year. While they cancelled their summer season because of COVID, the artists group has been mulling over some ideas for almost a year now. On September 10th, 2020, they bring the discussion to the public in a show called “What matters most?”
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Study suggests a complete closure of fishing for some species
Fishing communities, like the one that once existed on Cortes Island, are becoming memories. The Cortes museum lists 28 independent fishing boats based at one of island’s docks during the 1970s. Twenty years ago, 5 were still returning to Mansons Landing. By 2016 this number had shrunk to 2 boats and neither of them fished Cortes waters. While this decline may partially reflect the shift towards large corporate fishing fleets, a new UBC study states a quarter of Canada’s fish stocks are in decline and the industry would benefit from a complete closure of fishing for some species.
Continue reading Study suggests a complete closure of fishing for some species
Overdose Fatalities
It has been a week since B.C.’s chief coroner, Lisa Lapointe, said, “The number of people dying in B.C. due to an unsafe drug supply continues to surpass deaths due to homicides, motor vehicle accidents, suicide and COVID-19 combined.”
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