Tag Archives: Cortes Island

Food

SRD Approves Funding For The Cortes Island Food Bank

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At their May 27 meeting, the Strathcona Regional District Board (SRD) approved a motion to provide the Cortes Island Food Bank with close to $24,000 for its new outlet in Manson’s Landing.

Mark Vonesh (Regional Director, Cortes Island): “I’d like to move that a financial contribution of up to $23,425 be approved from the Electoral Area B Community Works Fund to the Cortes Island Food Bank Association to support construction of a food security hub, subject to finalizing a funding agreement between the association and the regional district.”

The minutes state that Michael Lott of Gold River seconded the motion, but the voice in the audio sounds more like Robin Mawhinney, Regional Director for Area C. 

Mark Baker (Chair of the SRD): “Discussion? All in favor. Motion is passed.”

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Energy

BC Hydro work continues on Cortes Island this week

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The two 12-hour power outages on May 24 and June 7 were part of BC Hydro’s ongoing Jervis Inlet and Agamemnon Channel Power Line Replacement Project. Crews took advantage of this to replace poles and aging equipment, as well as trim trees that were too close to power lines on Cortes Island.

Precision Tree Service was brought in to trim trees. The company is based in Comox, and they worked two 16-hour days, leaving home at 6 a.m. and returning at about 10 p.m. Their work is now complete.

BC Hydro crews will continue to replace poles and aging equipment this week. Some residences have received outage notices specific to their street/area. A worklist copied from the BC Hydro planned outage map follows below. 

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Health

Raising $50,000 to help find a doctor for Quadra Island

After serving at the Quadra Island Medical Clinic for eight years, Dr Steve Hughes will soon be retiring. That puts the island in a difficult spot and inn this morning’s interview Marc Doll, Chair of the Quadra Island Foundation, explains how his organization and the clinic have teamed and raised more than $50,000 towards finding Hughes replacement.  

Marc Doll: “Dr. Hughes, who I believe is the doctor for several people on Cortes as well, is retiring. He’s stretched out his retirement as far as he can. Come September, he will be doing the official retirement, which puts that clinic, which is anchored by a doctor, in a stressful position.” 

“The Quadra Island Health Society, which was formed last time a doctor left that clinic, has been searching for a doctor for some time now, and it’s been a rough rough ride. It’s hard to find doctors willing to come to specialized clinics in rural settings. So they decided, as a board, to reach out to a professional healthcare recruiter. That comes with a pretty hefty price tag, at least from my perspective, and the decision was to go to the community to find the funds to hire a recruiter to bring a doctor, to the island to keep that clinic open.” 

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Indigenous Nations, Indigenous Nations History

Folk U: Chief Kevin Peacey on Politics, Projects & the Past (Part 1)

Interview by Manda Aufochs Gillespie; written version by Roy L Hales  

On Friday, May 29, 2026, Chief Kevin Peacey of the Klahoose First Nation came to the Cortes Radio station, where he was interviewed by Manda Aufochs Gillespie. This is a highly edited and abridged transcript of that program.

In part one: Kevin talks about the Klahoose population, housing, the new cultural centre, the chief and council, canoe journeys and community activities.

Manda: “Cortes Community Radio sits on the ancestral and territorial lands of the Klahoose, Tla’amin, and perhaps the Homalco peoples. I’d like to thank this land, these people who have walked this land through time, and all those who continue to love and work to honour this place we call home. Today, we are very lucky to have our neighbour and leader of the Klahoose First Nation join us in the studio. Chief Kevin Peacey, thank you so much for being here.”

Kevin: “Thank you for having me.”

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Politics

Mark Vonesch Removed; Susan Sinnott New Vice-Chair of the SRD

Mark Vonesch was removed from his position as Vice-Chair of the SRD through a non-confidence vote, and Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott was elected in his place.

The voting followed what is becoming a familiar pattern: the five Campbell River Directors and their allies voted to remove Vonesch, while the Directors from Gold River, Tahsis, and Electoral Areas A, B, and C supported him.

The Alleged Plot

The vote was preceded by a roughly two-hour in-camera session, after which Campbell River Mayor Kermit Dahl addressed the public meeting.

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