Tag Archives: Cortes Island

Forests

+70% of purchase price for Phase #1 of the Children’s Forest raised


The Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society has raised just over 70% of the $7.5 million it needs to purchase 261 acres of forest along Carrington Lagoon, on Cortes Island, from Mosaic Forest Management.

Society Chair Chris Dragseth says this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the community:

“We’re protecting some valuable properties from an ecological point of view and from a societal point of view. The youth of the community, both residents and from afar, have benefited immensely from the protection this land has had to date. It’s got huge opportunities in the future from a continued educational perspective with the youth, but also from a research perspective.”

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Housing

First Home Foundations Poured: Rainbow Ridge Housing Project Takes Shape on Cortes Island

The long-awaited Rainbow Ridge housing development has passed a milestone. The foundations of the first two homes are in place. Sadhu Johnston, Executive Director of the Cortes Housing Society, gave Cortes Currents a tour of the site and spoke about the vision, challenges, and progress to date.

Rainbow Ridge is rising in Mansons Landing, the most settled community on Cortes Island. 

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Forests

Cortes Island’s Community Forest Operations in 2025/26

The Cortes Forestry General Partnership held its public meeting on October 9th, 2025. In today’s interview, Operations Manager Mark Lombard talks about leadership transitions, plans for selective logging, the Forest Stewardship Plan review, and other topics from the meeting. He also shares his personal opinion about how climate change is affecting our forest.

“We try to have a public meeting every year and we cover whatever topics are relevant at that point. There’s always the year in review, so what have we done in the last year since the last public meeting and what are we planning in the coming year,” explained Lombard.

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Community

Folk U: Revenue Diversification for Social Profits

On October 3 2025, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Kate Maddigan, Bruen Black, Amy Robertson, and Genevieve Cruz, for a special group discussion on revenue diversification for rural non-profits. Tune in for talk of circular economies, transportation, a brainstorm on creative revenue solutions, and updates from the Cortes Natural Food Co-op, CCEDA, and the Cortes Housing Society.

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Politics

Special Area C Director’s Report: action needed to save rural independence

From the desk of Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney

This is a Special Edition Director’s Report with “breaking news” and an action request. Recently I reported that municipalities in the SRD were discussing joining the Electoral Area Land Use Planning Service, something which could impact the independence of our community. This item has now been referred to each of the SRD’s five municipalities & the Kyuquot-Checleseht Nation for their consideration.

As a reminder, the Land Use Planning Service controls all the land use decisions in the electoral areas. This includes applications for rezoning, official community plan amendments, development permits, and land use bylaws like our OCP.

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