By Regional Director Mark Vonesch
Over the past six months Strathcona Regional District staff have been collecting our feedback to update the Cortes Zoning Bylaw.
Our zoning bylaw assigns zones to land and water within Cortes Island and specifies what kind of development and activities are permitted within each zone.
This update is important to the future of housing on Cortes and I hope you can join me in attending this event to review the draft and provide feedback to SRD staff.
Cortes Island’s most economically challenged residents appear to be facing another bleak winter this year.
Filipe Figueira, Coordinator of the Cortes Island Food Bank, explained, “We’ve definitely seen a huge rise in general economic distress over the last couple of years. I think that covers two key areas. One is food insecurity, the other one is housing insecurity, which feeds into economic insecurity as well.”
Continue reading Rising Food and Housing Insecurity on Cortes Island
The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) wants a list of School District 72’s properties on Cortes Island and in Area C. As Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney pointed out, in a letter to the other rural Directors, some of them ‘may be a good fit for a housing project.’ Mawhinney proposed that the SRD ask for a list.
At the Board’s August 21 meeting, Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott made an amendment to Mawhinney’s motion:
“I’m going to say that a letter be sent to School District 72, inquiring whether or not there are lands available for either the school district to develop for housing, or over which they have an interest, that they own or have a license of occupation or right of access that they’d be interested in disposing to the Regional District.”
Continue reading SRD Wants A List Of School District Properties For Potential Housing DevelopmentEditor’s note: Tackling the housing crisis seems to be almost as important as climate change to communities throughout our listening area. It’s been six years since the Cortes Community Housing Society, then a committee of the Cortes Island Seniors Society, was launched on Cortes Island. They purchased 51 acres in downtown Mansons Landing, to build an affordable housing project that would soon be christened ‘Rainbow Ridge.’ There are still significant challenges to be addressed before it will become a reality, the most significant being funding. The Cortes Housing Society is now exploring other options and recently purchased a parcel of land that has two potential rental houses. Here is another interesting housing model, from some of our neighbours to the south, which has taken even longer to become a reality.
By Jordan Copp, Coast Reporter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A community gathered to celebrate and welcome their newest neighbours last weekend.
On June 22, Habitat for Humanity hosted a block party on Chestnut Lane in ts’ukw’um (Wilson Creek) where more than 30 residents gathered along with elected representatives and guests.
As two families move into the new homes, the event also marked the completion of the Sunshine Habitat Village, a 12-year endeavour.
With 16 homes made of six duplexes and a fourplex, the village came at the hands of hundreds of volunteers and donors.
Continue reading Habitat for Humanity completes its Sunshine Coast village after 12 years
A joint Cortes Community Housing & Folk U Forum; podcast & written version by Roy L Hales
Viewers from Cortes, Salt Spring and Galiano Islands down to the cities of Victoria and Vancouver logged in to the virtual Cortes Housing Forum on Friday June 14, 2024. The topic was ‘increasing rentals’ and host Sadhu Johnston invited two high profile guests.
Continue reading Virtual Cortes Housing Forum: Increasing Rentals
