As of the end of 2025, Campbell River, RCMP reported a significant decline in crime within their jurisdiction. Roy Hales interviewed Inspector Jeff Preston of the RCMP and Campbell River’s Director of Community Safety, Jeff Fort, to find out what they think about these statistics, whether there really is a decrease in crime and what may have caused this.
Continue reading Decrease in Street Crime Reported in Campbell RiverTag Archives: Campbell River
Gentrification of downtown Campbell River displaces services for the homeless
By Nora O’Malley, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Campbell River, BC – Campbell River’s Berwick by the Sea retirement community is lit up with holiday flair, while across the street a mural portraying the word L-O-V-E fades on the side of boarded up building that was once a lifeline for the homeless.
Six months ago, at the end of June 2025, Kwesa Place and Hem’?aelas Community Kitchen were forced to close after the City of Campbell River bought the properties for redevelopment.
Continue reading Gentrification of downtown Campbell River displaces services for the homeless
The State of Campbell River’s Forestry Sector
Forestry has been one of the three economic pillars of Campbell River. In the article that follows, Mayor Kermit Dahl states that ’70% of what the city does is resource-related, and their sales in the previous year were down by just over 20%.’ While many do not agree with the industry practise of cutting big tree old growth – the iconic subset which often comes to mind when hearing the words ‘old growth’ – there is much more to the story. The following article consists of select gleanings from statements made by Mayor Dahl and several MPs (including Aaron Gunn) at a recent meeting of the federal government’s Standing Committee on Natural Resources.
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Regional Director Launches Petition to Investigate Incorporation Option for Cortes
Cortes residents may have noticed a petition available in paper form at our post offices and grocery stores, or received an email update from our Regional Director inviting them to consider signing the online version. The petition mentions governance and incorporation: what’s it all about? I interviewed Regional Director Mark Vonesch to get a better understanding of the issues and why he’s chosen this moment to launch a petition regarding our governance model.
[This article is a condensed version of our interview. The full version is available in podcast form in the links below. Inset quotes in this article are comments made by Cortes residents who have signed the online petition.]
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2025 at the Cortes Island Fire Department
With 2025 coming to a close, it seems like a good time to get an update from the Cortes Island Fire Department. Currently, there are about 38 people working out of the island’s two fire halls, with another 20 enrolled in the wildfire brigade.
Chief Eli McKenty noted, “I haven’t totalled this year’s call volume yet, but last year we had 105 calls. This year, we’re likely slightly higher at around 110.”
Continue reading 2025 at the Cortes Island Fire Department