Tag Archives: Campbell River

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Immigration lawyers caution Ottawa on new Express Entry system

Editor’s note: Roughly ½% of the people who moved to Campbell River between 2014/15 and 2018/19 were immigrants from the United States or other nations. The other  99½% came ‘from other parts of BC, and to a lesser extent, migration from other parts of Canada.”(1) The percentage of International immigrants coming to Area C was higher, roughly 2.5%, during a similar time frame.(2) The Cortes Island Profile does not give a breakdown for the number of immigrants. 27.7% of the household moves between 2011 and 2016 involved people from ‘either another province or another country.’ The vast majority were most likely Canadians. 

By Fabian Dawson, New Canadian Media, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Canada’s major overhaul of its Express Entry System to attract more economic migrants will see a dramatic increase in “invitations to apply” (ITAs) being issued by Immigration Canada (IRCC)

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Housing, Poverty

A New Approach to Homelessness: Housing First

As Currents recently reported, homelessness is not just “an American thing,” or “a big-city thing,” or even “a Vancouver Island thing.”  Homelessness is also here on Cortes, where a recent survey found that about 50 people rated their housing situation as “unstable,” and 11 were living rough (with no permanent shelter, in tents or other makeshift accommodation).

Although “housing” might sound like a single issue, it has has knock-on effects throughout our community.

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Housing, Poverty

The Campbell River Coalition to End Homelessness Responds

(Editor’s note: While the events described in this article did not take place in the Discovery Islands, the Directors for Cortes Island and Area C both voted in the SRD Board meeting mentioned below. Also, we are part of the ‘District’ that the Campbell River and District Coalition to End Homelessness operates in.)

Last week, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board decided to step back from involving themselves in Campbell River’s emergency shelter. They were responding to a request from the Campbell River and District Coalition to End Homelessness. The Board considered two options: (A) they could give staff direction to explore what this would entail, or (B) they could inform the Coalition they are not prepared to take on the responsibility of operating homeless shelters. After 42 minutes of a somewhat confused debate that ended in a 7-7 vote, they chose option (B).   

Cortes Currents reached out to the Coalition for comment while writing up an account of the meeting, but neither Stefanie Hendrickson, the Coalition’s Coordinator, or Sue Moen, from the Salvation Army, were available until the afternoon of Monday, November 14, 2022. Both women responded by email. 

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Health

‘Walk With Me’ returns to Campbell River

‘Walk With Me’ returns to Campbell River on Wednesday, November 16, 2022. Participants will sit in a circle, while the organizers describe the project and explain the context of the stories they are about to hear. They will then proceed to the walk, listening to a 40-minute-long audio on a headset. (There are static options for people with mobility issues.) After the walk is over, everyone will return to Spirit Square and reflect upon what they heard. 

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Housing, Poverty

Who will look after Campbell River’s homeless population when temperatures plummet?

When temperatures plummeted to −20° last year, SRD Emergency Coordinator Shaun Koopman stepped in to make arrangements for Campbell River’s homeless population to be sheltered in the city’s community centre. The SRD intervened again last week, but at their November 9 meeting the Board decided this was a Campbell River problem.

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