Cortes Island Air was based in Gorge Harbour in the 1990s. That was before Richard Godfrey sold the company to Mike Farrel in 2000. Farrel relocated to Campbell River, but preserved the company’s origins in its new name. CorilAir is short for Cortes Island Airlines.
While the airline now flies out of Campbell River, it still serves Cortes and the other Discovery Islands.
Continue reading CorilAir serves Campbell River and the Discovery IslandsBy Roy L Hales
The SMURFETTE reached Squirrel Cove about 1 PM on Wednesday, August 21. According to a crew member, it is one of the catamarans battling it out for the lead. The last of the small boats arrived over the course of the next three hours. They are mid-way in the 2019 Barefoot Raid around Cortes Island.
Continue reading 2019 Barefoot Raid Around Cortes Island
There are good reasons that boaters are not allowed to dump chemicals, sewage and other debris in Carrington Bay, Cortes Bay, Gorge Harbour, Squirrel Cove, or Manson’s Landing. “[Cortes Island] has the best oysters in the area, [possibly] because it is supposed to have such pristine clean water,” says Julia Rendall, President of the 13 member Bee Islets Growers Corporation. She explained that violations “could close us down and if we are closed down I think we have to have three tests, three weeks in a row, clear. So it could, in theory, close you down for about a month.” Cortes Island’s unique environmental features resulted in the creation of several marine parks. Contamination is a concern for all islanders, whether they are shellfish harvesters or not. These areas are currently designated as “No Discharge Zones” under federal regulations. Never-the-less, violations periodically do occur and a recent incident illustrates the difficulties of trying to stop recreational boaters from polluting Cortes Islands protected areas.
Continue reading Stop Recreational Boaters From Polluting Cortes Islands Protected Areas
