By Regional Director Mark Vonesch
I hope this finds you well and excited for 2026. There is so much happening in Cortes local government and I want to give you an update on some of the issues I’ve been working on.
Continue reading Area B Directors Report: grant in aid, incorporation, taxes, ferries, Vice Chair, & zoning bylaw
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.]
Continue reading Regional Director Launches Petition to Investigate Incorporation Option for Cortes
The first Rural Islands Economic Partnership (RIEP) Forum was held on Pender Island during 2019. They were forced to hold virtual events after COVID hit, but the 2023 RIEP Forum is an in-person event that will be held on Gabriola Island, April 25-27.
“This is a flagship event for the 18 plus rural islands of BC. The reach is from Bowen Island to Malcolm Island to Salt Spring to Gabriola, to Cortes, and Quadra. Our motto is, ‘No one island can be resilient alone, and together we’re stronger and better,’” explained Francine Carlin, Chair and Interim Executive Director of the Rural Islands Economic Partnership.
Continue reading April 25-27: 2023 RIEP Forum
Noba Anderson was first elected as Regional Director for Strathcona Regional District Area B (Cortes Island) in 2008. She served 4 terms (two three-year and two four-year) for a total of 14 years in office, making her the longest-serving Regional Director in the island’s history.
Some other Strathcona Regional Directors (notably those from Oyster River and Quadra Island) have held office for far longer, running repeatedly for decades without successful challengers. In 2022, however, Oyster River’s Brenda Leigh was defeated at the polls and Jim Abram of Quadra chose not to run again. Noba Anderson also chose not to run again.
Cortes Currents asked Noba if she would be willing to participate in an “exit interview” — a look back over her long run as our representative at SRD. She was interviewed in mid October.
Continue reading Noba Anderson: The exit interviewMore than 69% of the electorate in Area C chose Robyn Mawhinney as their new Regional Director on October 15. She learned this from an unexpected source. Mawhinney and her team were sitting in the Heriot Bay Inn, while they waited for the election results to be announced on Saturday night. The scrutineer from her team had not yet arrived and they were enjoying a nice glass of wine.
“I got a phone call from Mark Doll who congratulated me on my win,” she said. “I didn’t know the numbers yet.”
Continue reading Area C has a new Director
