Tag Archives: Cortes Island population

Housing, Politics

2026 Housing Survey Results

(Part Two of the March 18, 2026 Area B Director’s Report )

By Regional Director Mark Vonesch

When we put out the housing survey I was hoping to get at least as many respondents as two years ago. The more people that participate, the better understanding the Cortes Housing Society and I have about the housing reality for people on Cortes and their opinions of how we should move forward.

I am happy to report we received 100 more submissions than two years ago with 361 submissions in total! Thank you to all of you that filled one out.

Continue reading 2026 Housing Survey Results →
Business

A Closer look at Cortes Island’s Economy

When the Cortes Island Foundation released Cortes Island’s Vital Signs Report last month, Executive Director Manda Aufochs Gillespie said she’d like to go into specific sections in more detail. 

“One of the things that really stood out to me is the information around income and work and economy.  This area starts around page 13 in this document and I’m going to be using a lot of words to talk about this, but when you look at the report there’s graphs,  little quotes and etc. that make it easier to read.”

She suggested inviting Kate Maddigan, from the Cortes Community Economic Development Association (CCEDA), to get another perspective.   

Continue reading A Closer look at Cortes Island’s Economy →
Housing

Community Meeting for Cortes Zoning Bylaw Update

3 Comments

Around 60 people turned out for the Strathcona Regional District’s (SRD) zoning bylaw meeting in Mansons Hall at 1 PM on Wednesday, March 6. 

The meeting went very differently from how the SRD planned it. There was to have been a short presentation, after which participants were to have gathered around two maps and put sticky dots on the properties where the bylaws should be changed to allow for greater densification. Instead, this was a community conversation.

Continue reading Community Meeting for Cortes Zoning Bylaw Update →
Community

Immigration in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and the Discovery Islands

On the surface, one might ask how relevant an article about immigration is to people living in the Discovery Islands. The vast majority of us either came from more urban parts of British Columbia, and/or are the descendants of an earlier wave of immigrants. Many non-Indigenous Cortesians trace their roots back to the era when most immigrants were ‘British,’ European or from the United States. There are undoubtedly many reasons why this predominantly ‘white’ population is now found in more rural areas. Some of us are the descendants of the first settlers in this area, others sought a more rural lifestyle and many moved here because of real estate values. 

According to Statistics Canada, a new wave of immigration has become the principal driver of our nation’s population growth. 

Continue reading Immigration in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and the Discovery Islands →
Housing

The December 2nd Housing Forum at Mansons Hall

Editor’s note: the time for this event has been changed to 9:30, as now written below.

The Cortes Community Housing Society and Regional Director Mark Vonesch will be teaming up to hold a Housing Forum at Mansons Hall from 9:30 AM to 12:00 on December 2nd. 

“Cortes is a very innovative community. We have an incredible ‘can do’ resilient spirit on this island and have done amazing things. I do think that Cortes could be a real leader for the province, and the country, around rural housing solutions. With the resources and the ingenuity, the land, the partnerships, I think we can do some amazing things here on Cortes,” explained Sadhu Johnston, Executive Director of the Cortes Community Housing Society. 

Continue reading The December 2nd Housing Forum at Mansons Hall →