Tag Archives: Comox Valley

Environment

Hot topic: Residents concerned about impact of wood stove smoke on health, environment

Editor’s note: While this story comes from the Comox Valley, the subject matter is of definite interest to Cortes and the other Discovery Islands. For most of our recorded history, wood fires have been the #1 heating choice on Cortes Island. A significant number of residents have switched to electric, heat pumps, or solar panels in the past few years. According to the Strathcona Regional District Engagement Summary Report, “In Electoral Areas A, B (Cortes), and C (primarily Quadra and the Outer Islands), about 50% used wood heat and 40% used electric with the remaining 10% using an alternative.“

By Madeline Dunnett, The Discourse,  Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Community members in the Comox Valley are calling for more education, awareness and tightened regulations related to wood-burning stove use in the region.

Continue reading Hot topic: Residents concerned about impact of wood stove smoke on health, environment →
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!

Continue reading Check out these Comox Valley food trucks →
Indigenous Nations History

Centuries-old Pentlatch fish trap panel connects K’ómoks, Qualicum people to their ancestors

Editor’s note: Fish traps like this would also have been used by other Ayajuthem speaking peoples (The Klahoose, Homalco and First Nations) who have a shared ancestry with the K’ómoks First Nation. These are the most northern Coast Salish Nations.

By Madeline Dunnett, The Discourse,  Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

As a child, Pamela Mitchell recalls her father telling her about the ancient fish traps on the shoreline of K’ómoks territory, near her home.

As she learned about the traps, which were used over generations by her ancestors, and their corresponding posts sticking out of the water, she recalls her dad telling her, “don’t touch! They are very old!”

Continue reading Centuries-old Pentlatch fish trap panel connects K’ómoks, Qualicum people to their ancestors →
Indigenous Nations, Rivers & Oceans

New system alerts coastal First Nations about hazardous spills on land and water

Editor’s note: According to the BC Treaty Commission’s Interactive Map, the waters of Von Donop Inlet and Carrington Bay, on Cortes Island, are within the traditional territory We Wai Kai and Wei Wai Kum Nations. They also claim Quadra, Read and Raza Islands, as well as Toba Inlet. These are all areas that are within the traditional territories of the Klahoose First Nation. whose principle village is on Cortes Island. The K’omoks and Klahoose First Nations have overlapping claims on Read, Quadra and Mitlenatch Islands.

By Madeline Dunnett, The Discourse,  Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A new notification system and app that alerts coastal B.C. First Nations about oil or hazardous chemical spills on their lands and waters was recently launched.

The initiative was developed collaboratively between 12 First Nations and the province’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. The process was coordinated by Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative.  

The system uses technology from Alertable, an emergency alert system that is used by various local governments to notify residents about critical alerts in their communities such as those related to floods or fires. 

Continue reading New system alerts coastal First Nations about hazardous spills on land and water →
Food Security, Politics, Water

Who gets first dibs on water? BC Greens say farmers

Editor’s Note: Basil Creek dried up to a trickle and some of the shallow wells on Cortes Island stopped recharging during the 2022 and 2023 droughts. There have been similar reports from Quadra Island, where the ICAN Water Security Team and Wei Wai Kum are studying the situation. So far, these appear to be shallow aquifer issues and the deep aquifers on both islands appear to be healthy. The ICAN Team could have been speaking for both teams when it wrote, the ‘aquifers appear to be sufficient for current levels of human use, BUT we may be drawing down our aquifers.’ The level of uncertainty is higher on Cortes, where we not yet been able to raise the funding for the necessary water studies.

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The BC Green Party is calling for changes in the way the province deals with drought to ensure both farmers and the environment have access to enough water to flourish as climate change advances. 

Arzeena Hamir, the Green candidate for Courtenay-Comox, said the party aims to make it easier and cheaper for farmers to build dugouts on farms that capture and store rainwater, seek amnesty for farmers facing large fines for unlicensed water use, and ensure water for farming food and protecting nature takes precedence over clear-cut logging in watersheds, commercial bottling needs, or to frack for gas during droughts.

Continue reading Who gets first dibs on water? BC Greens say farmers →