Tag Archives: Cortes Island Housing

Housing on Cortes: an Interview with Mark Vonesch (part two)

Currents interviewed Mark Vonesch in early December. This is the second half of that interview, in which we dig a lot more deeply into issues related to housing on Cortes and in the local area: homelessness, employment, property values, AirBnB and much more.

We present here some excerpts from nearly 30 minutes of audio. Our interview covered quite a bit more ground: homelessness in Campbell River, and their approach to it; property tax structures and how they could be made more equitable; the related issue of a real estate market in which, as with rent, locals cannot compete with tourists and rusticators; the fundamental problem of treating housing as a speculative investment commodity. We recommend listening to the entire podcast for the most complete information.

Continue reading Housing on Cortes: an Interview with Mark Vonesch (part two)

Coming before the SRD Board, proposed provincial responses to the housing crisis

Three days after he was sworn in as Premier of British Columbia, David Eby unveiled new legislation designed to increase the pace of new construction, remove age restrictions in stratas (except for the +55 restriction that promotes seniors housing) and tap the supply of vacant units for the rental market.

Continue reading Coming before the SRD Board, proposed provincial responses to the housing crisis

Open House for Rainbow Ridge

Despite the heavy snowfall Wednesday, at least 100 people are believed to have attended the open house for Rainbow Ridge affordable housing development in Mansons Hall. 

 “We were really happy with the turnout considering the weather, the snow and the road conditions. We decided to go ahead with the event regardless because we had special guests including Ian Scott, who was coming all the way from Victoria. He’s our development consultant and he was in Campbell River for other meetings. He made it to Cortes through the snow. The island roads were plowed and salted to help people, including me, get all the way from Squirrel Cove as well as the Klahoose drummers who made it to the event to help open up the presentation,” said Sandra Wood, Executive Director of the Cortes Community Housing Society.

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Cortes Housing Society: Open House for Rainbow Ridge & a property sale 

Sandra Wood, Executive Director of the Cortes Community Housing Society, had two important news updates.

Firstly, she has some more details about the Open House, for the Rainbow Ridge affordable housing project, at Mansons Hall on November 30. 

“That’s Wednesday, one week away and it’ll be an open house style meeting where people can drop in any time between 3 in the afternoon and 6 in the evening. We’re encouraging people to stop in after they pick up their kids from school, or stop in on their way home from work,” explained Wood. 

Continue reading Cortes Housing Society: Open House for Rainbow Ridge & a property sale 

Cortes Housing Society Film: ‘Behind the Design’

The Cortes Community Housing Society has just released a film about the design work they have completed, with the help of Iredale Architecture, on the Rainbow Ridge project.

“ We’re very lucky to have Bill Weaver, the film maker on our board of directors. Bill is actually our vice president and one of the things he’s so gifted at  is capturing film and photos. One of the things he’s been trying to do since the beginning of the project is really record the process that the housing society has gone through,” said Sandra Wood, Executive Director of the Housing Society.

Continue reading Cortes Housing Society Film: ‘Behind the Design’