Tag Archives: Campbell River

Food

Check out these Comox Valley food trucks

Editor’s note: Food trucks are becoming increasingly popular. For business owners, they provider a low cost point of entry into the food market. This sometimes translates into lower prices and heftier portions for customers. Last year the city of Campbell River amended its bylaws to allow food trucks at six designated locations.

The most recent entry to this sector on Cortes is ‘Canadian, Eh!’ which offers ‘homemade’ fast foods in Squirrel Cove. There is also the Burger Barn in Mansons Landing, the Klahoose Food Truck at the Gorge Harbour Marina. In addition to provisioning some of the local stores, the Sunflower Food Truck is at the Mansons Friday Market, events like Cortes Day and the Whaletown ferry terminal.  

By Madeline Dunnett, The Discourse,  Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Food trucks have been popping up throughout the Comox Valley over the last decade, and it can be hard to keep updated with all the offerings here. Are you looking for something vegan and environmentally friendly? A new international food you haven’t tried yet? Something classic like a burger and fries? Ice cream? Luckily, the Comox Valley has all these options — if you can keep track of these little restaurants on the go, that is!

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Politics

SRD Considering a Grant-In Aid Policy; Directors Mawhinney, Whalley and Vonesch opposed

The Strathcona Regional District Board SRD is considering amending the Grant in Aid process. A proposed ‘Financial Assistance to Organizations’ policy from 2021 is being considered. Regional Directors Gerald Whalley from Area A, Robyn Mawhinney from Area C and Mark Vonesch from Area B (Cortes Island) voted in opposition, but were defeated.  

The associated staff report refers to a recent grant in aid to the Cortes Island School, questions the relationship between the school and Parent Advisory Council and asks whether the funds being requested should actually have come from School District 72.  

The policy brought forward in 2021 proposed that in the future: 

  • Applications must be submitted directly to the SRD’s Financial Officer.
  • Only registered non-profits can apply.
  • The funds are not to be used for core funding, operating costs, wages, insurance or multi-year funding etc.
  • Applicants must include a written statement indicating how the grant-in-aid will benefit the community.
  • The board will give preference to applications that do not exceed $5,000.
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Housing

Non-profit housing fund preserved more than 380 homes on Vancouver Island

By Hope Lompe,  Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

More than 380 rental homes have been preserved on Vancouver Island for people struggling to keep affordable housing, thanks to an initiative unique to Canada.

Established in British Columbia last year, the Rental Protection Fund allows non-profit organizations to purchase buildings at risk of redevelopment or where tenants likely face significant rent increases. To preserve affordable housing, the fund requires buildings to keep existing occupants.

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Forests, History, Indigenous Nations History

Comox Valley Land Trust seeks to raise $2.4M to protect trees in Puntledge Forest

By Madeline Dunnett, The Discourse,  Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On a crisp morning in early October 2023, Tim Ennis, executive director of Comox Valley Land Trust (CVLT) trekked through the trails of Nymph Falls Nature Park and explained that CVLT was working on a complex purchase of forest on a chunk of BC Hydro land in Nymph Falls, and a possible other section in the Puntledge River Recreation Trails area. 

“The property that we’re walking onto here is owned by BC Hydro … and the timber on the property — the trees — they’re owned separately,” he said.

The lands themselves are part of the traditional unceded territory of the K’ómoks First Nation, who are descendants of the Sathloot, Sasitla, Ieeksen, Xa’xe and Pentlatch. Many surrounding areas get their namesake from the Éy7á7juuthem, Kwak̓wala, and Pəntl’áč languages — including the Puntledge River itself, which stems from the word Pəntl’áč (Pentlatch). 

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Politics

MLA Michele Babchuk visits Cortes Island

MLA Michele Babchuk was on Cortes Island for a few days last week. She spoke to Cortes Currents after meeting with some of the island’s non-profits in the Village Commons. This was the third time she’s visited the island since she was elected in 2020. 

“I’m hearing that Cortes actually has a lot of capacity and we’ve known that for a long time. There’s a lot of not for profit groups here. A lot of them are feeling extremely underfunded,” she explained. 

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