Over the past decade, a quiet but deeply dedicated group of islanders has transformed the health and future of Cortes Island’s salmon-bearing streams. At the heart of this story are Christine and Cec Robinson, whose leadership helped launch the Cortes Streamkeepers into a community-wide conservation effort that today is rebuilding fish populations, improving habitat, and inspiring a new generation of salmon stewards.
Continue reading The Story of the Island’s StreamkeepersThe algae blooms that began appearing in Hague and Gunflint Lakes in 2014 signaled a looming ecological crisis on Cortes Island. Fueled by excessive nutrient runoff—particularly phosphorus from septic systems, runoff from gardens, farms, and soils and sediments from eroding ditches—these blooms posed a serious threat to water quality and lake life. Recognizing the urgency, the Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) launched a lake-monitoring program and, through years of data collection and expert analysis, identified wetland restoration as a key solution. That’s where the Dillon Creek Wetland Restoration Project began.
Continue reading Restoring Life to Dillon Creek
This broadcast opened with the Klahoose Singers chanting a blessing to the forest and the land in general, at the Forest Trust For The Children of Cortes Island Society AGM on Saturday, April 5, 2025.
As many of you are aware, the Society was set up to try and obtain 624 acres of forest adjacent to Carrington Bay Regional Park on Cortes Island, that are currently managed by Mosaic. Around 40 people were present when Chair Chris Dragseth announced they were making progress in the negotiations for 261 acres.
Continue reading 2025 Forest Trust For the Children of Cortes Island Society AGM
The final numbers for Cortes Island’s 2024 Chum run are in. Local streamkeepers Cec and Christine Robinson gave a rundown.
Christine Robinson: “I think we all know that this was a stupendous year for Chums up and down the coast. So not just Cortes, not just Quadra, not just the Sunshine Coast, but from the mainland all the way up to Alaska and down through to Puget Sound and I think possibly further south. The numbers on Cortes were the highest that we have seen since we’ve lived on Cortes, which is now 34 years.”
Cec Robinson: “To put it in context, they’re probably three times higher than the best years we’ve ever seen. So it was pretty huge.”
Continue reading Final Numbers for Cortes Island’s 2024 Chum RunThe final count for Cortes Island’s 2024 Chum run is not yet in, but according to local streamkeeper Christine Robinson, “We have never seen a return like this during the 34 years we’ve lived on Cortes, but the phenomenon is up the coast as far as Alaska. It’s not specific to Cortes and the Discovery Islands.”
“It’s down into Washington state as well,” added her husband and fellow streamkeeper, Cec Robinson.
On Monday, November 18th, five Cortes stream keepers and a semi-retired DFO employee from Campbell River gathered in the Klahoose Hatchery to count this year’s first egg take from Basil Creek.
Continue reading First Chum Egg Count Of The Year – Is Terrific!
