In this morning’s interview Manda Aufochs Gillespie, Executive Director of the Cortes Island Community Foundation, discusses a fund called Communitas and explains how the Cortes Foundation doubled the money for this year’s Grant in Aid.
Continue reading Communitas: how the Cortes Foundation doubled the money for this year’s Grants in Aid
The Cortes Community Foundation has once again shown how invaluable resource it is to the community. Regional Director Mark Vonesch has a budget of about $25,000 a year for Cortes Island’s Grants in Aid. When the time to disburse the funds arrives, he normally receives requests for far more money than is available. This year was no exception; however, thanks to the Cortes Island Community Foundation, nearly all these requests will be met.
Continue reading Cortes Foundation made up shortfall for 2026 Grants in Aid
There’s a wildfire risk reduction underway in the Community Forest near Squirrel Cove.
“This is something that we’ve been working on since 2018. It was identified as a priority in the 2020 Community Wildfire Protection Plan. We received funding for a prescription, then we got funding to do an archaeological assessment, as required by law in the Tla’amin First Nation and then this year we obtained funding through the Forest Enhancement Society of BC to carry out the treatment.. I’m just really excited to see it happening because when you see an overgrown plantation like this, it feels really good to be able to reinvest in the land base to leave a better forest for the future generation and reduce the wildfire risk in this neighbourhood,” explained to Mark Lombard, General Manager of the Cortes Forestry General Partnership.
Continue reading Wildfire Risk Reduction in Squirrel Cove area$28,500 does not go far when there are 13 applicants. The applications for Cortes Island’s Grant-in-Aid budget were more than twice that amount this year. When he presented a list of recommendations to the SRD Board, Regional Director Mark Vonesch also handed in a report that listed all of the projects that did not make the final list.
A committee of Cortes residents volunteered their time for the difficult task of choosing which which projects to recommend.
Continue reading Cortes Island Grant-In-Aid Projects Approved
The Strathcona Regional District Board SRD is considering amending the Grant in Aid process. A proposed ‘Financial Assistance to Organizations’ policy from 2021 is being considered. Regional Directors Gerald Whalley from Area A, Robyn Mawhinney from Area C and Mark Vonesch from Area B (Cortes Island) voted in opposition, but were defeated.
The associated staff report refers to a recent grant in aid to the Cortes Island School, questions the relationship between the school and Parent Advisory Council and asks whether the funds being requested should actually have come from School District 72.
The policy brought forward in 2021 proposed that in the future:
