He settled on Cortes just after BC Ferries started serving the island. John Sprungman became one of the principal voices behind the 1978 – 80 renovation at Mansons Hall. He went on to serve several terms as President of the Southern Cortes Community Association. In this morning’s interview he talks about the origins of Mansons Hall, its role in the community and why it needs core funding.
Continue reading The Mansons Hall StoryOriginally Published on Cortes Radio.ca
On June 6, 2019, Chair Michele Babchuk and three members of the Strathcona Regional District staff caught a water taxi from Campbell River to Cortes Island. Around 80 local inhabitants were waiting for them in Mansons Hall. I doubt anyone could have guessed what was to follow. The resulting Cortes Island Hall Tax consultation was refreshing.
Continue reading Hall Tax Consultation RefreshingThe current Trudeau government is expected to have added at least $73 billion to the national debt. This greatly exceeds their original forecast of “modest short-term deficits of less than $10 billion in each of the next two fiscal years” – but is Canada’s National Debt a problem?
Continue reading Canada’s National DebtOn September 27, one of Canada’s leading pollsters, Nick Nanos, wrote, “the NDP will lose seats and the Greens will gain some in October, which will have a profound effect on parliament’s final makeup.” (It currently does not look like the Liberals or Conservatives will obtain a majority.) While their profile has grown throughout the nation, the Green Party is particularly strong on the West of Coast of British Columbia. 338Canada’s projections have consistently shown them leading in 4 out of the island’s ridings throughout this election campaign and they may pick up yet another seat or two on Vancouver Island.
Continue reading Another Seat Or Two On Vancouver IslandBy Roy L Hales
They occupied Cortes Radio’s broadcast area for thousands of years before the European advent. The Homalco, Tla’amin, Klahoose, and K’ómoks nations’ shared language testifies to their common ancestry. Their neighbours, the Laich-kwil-tach were fierce warriors, whose canoes carried raiders into the southern Georgia Strait, Puget Sound and up the Fraser River. (They attacked the Hudsons Bay Company post at Fort Langley in 1837). When the influx of settlers was sufficiently numerous, they took over. The indigenous population was deprived of lands they had occupied for generations. Their customs and governance was superseded. Prior to 1960, the native population could not vote in a Federal election unless they first surrendered their treaty rights and Indian status. This situation is slowly improving. The BC Treaty Commission was set up in 1992, but so far has only signed a single treaty within our area. So I asked the candidates running in the Powell River – North Island what their parties will do about unresolved indigenous issues
Continue reading Unresolved Indigenous Issues
