Tag Archives: BC

Meinsje: Living Between Two Worlds

From the beginning, Meinsje was been a prominent voice in Cortes Island’s artistic community. She taught art at the Linnaea school for fifteen years and is a director of the Old School House Art Gallery. Meinsje’s “Dream Caravan” dance troop, her performances at Cortes Island Lip Syncs and Cabarets, puppetry and paintings continue to captivate viewers. In this morning’s interview, Meinsje describes what it was like living between two worlds.

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Addressing The Cortes Island Housing Crises

Some vital issues undergird the impending Cortes Community Housing fund raiser, on July 14. According to David Rousseau, one of the principal organizers, “We are slowly slipping towards a community of older people who can not afford to be here. And the people who want to come here; live here;  raise families and work here are slowly being squeezed out.” He points to Hornby Island as an example of what could happen. (The population average is a decade older than on Cortes and most trades come from off island.) Cortes Island Seniors Society’s purchase of a 51 acre parcel close to downtown Mansons Landing is a significant step towards addressing the Cortes Island Housing Crises.

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Cortes Community Forest’s First Five Years

British Columbia’s old growth forests fertilize themselves as efficiently as a farmer looking after his fields. The tree plantations that are fast replacing them lack this ability. If this trend continues, the province’s vast forests may be a memory in the next two or three centuries. The inhabitants of one tiny island are trying to change this. In this morning’s program one of the directors, Bruce Ellingsen, tells me about Cortes Community Forest’s first five years of operations.

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Susana Vijaya: Becoming More Public

She exploded onto Cortes Island’s Lip Sync stage four years ago, introducing the musical tastes of her native Portugal. She can also render a sultry imitation of Tina Turner. Her radio program Vinho do Porto is among CKTZ’s most popular. In this morning’s show, Susana Vijaya talks about becoming more public.

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2018: How The World Got Into Stone Soup

Catorina Vega’s first Cortes Radio program consisted of live performances into a single mic. She launched “Stone Soup” after returning to Cortes Island about 2012. It is:  “A cup of folk, a cup of world, a dash of Hip Hop, a splash of the jazz and blues with a healthy dose of Canadian artists.” I recently asked her about how the world got into Stone Soup..

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