Every year, the Friend of Cortes Island (FOCI) presents the Jo Ann Green Award to a Cortes Islander who made significant contributions to the environmental well being of the community.
There are pictures of Green at some of the island’s early social gatherings in the Cortes Island Museum Archives. She was one of the actors in the 1981 Cortes Cinema Production: Where Does the Lone Ranger Take His Garbage? Jo Ann Green was also a founder and the first President of FOCI, a member of the Cortes Oyster Co-op and an active homemaker is support of home services on the island. The award certificate states she ‘represents the spirit of Cortes Island’s resilience and its residents’ recognition of the vital importance of the natural environment.’
The 2025 Jo Ann Green Award recipient was the Klahoose Bus.
Ian Ross, the driver/organizer, traced the bus’ origins back to the year before COVID arrived:
“Back in March 2019 I got a call from Kerry McKellar, the Band’s administrator, asking if I’d like to drive for Klahoose. They had bought a passenger van and were trying to initiate a bus service for their members and others to get to Campbell River and back for medical appointments, shopping and such.”
“I said ‘sure’ (I wasn’t working a regular job at the time).”
“It wasn’t until some time in November, however, that the Band finally received Assured Loading privileges on the Cortes and Quadra ferries for two twice weekly sailings. Without these Assured Loadings, a bus service would be impossible.”
“The first run was on Dec 3, 2019.”
The nominator for this year’s Jo Ann Green Award wrote: “My very favourite service on Cortes Island is the flawlessly run Klahoose bus. From the visionaries who initiated this service, to the ever-cheerful and endlessly helpful driver, Ian Ross; from forward-thinking BC ferries execs who (finally) granted priority-loading on both ferries in both directions, twice a week, to the Klahoose membership who have opened bus use to other islanders, this is truly a community project.”
“A full bus can mean up to a dozen other vehicles are not taking up ferry space, are not on the road, each running around in the frenzy that is a town trip. Elders and others travelling without their own vehicle can still do off-island shopping and attend medical and other appointments. And we can meet and visit with our neighbours on these little off-island jaunts.”
Asked to describe a typical trip, Ross replied, “Imagine herding cats for 10 or 11 hours a day (you open a door and – bang! – a body leaps out going no one knows where, and then a second and a third and a fourth), add some beautiful scenery, a lot of logistics, some laughs, some trouble-shooting, some good fellow-feeling, some gossip and lies, and you’ll have a fairly fine sense of a typical day.”
Asked to say a little about himself, Ross added, “Yes, of course: I’m younger than I feel, older than I act, and taller than I look. How’s that?”
Helen Hall, Executive Director of FOCI, presented the award certificate to Chief Kevin Peacey and Ian Ross in the Klahoose Administration Building.
Ian Ross subsequently emailed, “We’d like to express again our gratitude to Helen Hall and the board of FOCI for this unexpected honour. The cookies were great!”
Links of Interest:
- Klahoose Community Bus: Schedule and Fares
- Klahoose First Nation website
- Articles about, or mentioning, the Klahoose Community Bus
Top image credit: Approaching Campbell River – Roy L Hales photo; Photo of Klahoose Community bus used with permission.
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