Tag Archives: Cortes Island

Community, Indigenous Nations

Microgrants for Neighbours funds 14 projects including multiple Indigenous related initiatives

By Louis Belcourt, CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca

The Cortes Island Community Foundation announced its funded projects for the 2024 Microgrants for Neighbors Program.

There were thirty-two applications, which was more than last year, and fourteen projects were funded that used up their entire budget of around six thousand dollars, says Isabelle Mcknight, Executive Administrator at the Foundation.

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Rivers & Oceans

Fishing communities welcome B.C. intention to reform licensing and quotas

Editor’s note: Fishing was one of Cortes Island’s major industries. The museum records the names of 28 boats and 40 individuals active during the 1970’s. Government regulations changed that. According to  the study SET ADRIFT: THE PLIGHT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA’S FISHING COMMUNITIES, 71% of the people working in the province’s commercial fishing industry lost their jobs. “What remains in the commercial fishery is not a vibrant and healthy fleet, but a fleet ravaged by consolidation.” DFO licensing practises “diverted the fish away from the populous small-boat fleet and delivered the resource into the hands of a venture capitalist…”

By Hope Lompe,  Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Fishing communities, harvesters and advocates are welcoming British Columbia’s intention to work with the federal government to reform the purchase system for fish licences and quotas for B.C.’s commercial fishing industry.

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Arts

Elevenses: A Creative Writing Workshop At the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery

Elevenses will be coming to the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery.

“A lot of people are like, ‘Elevenses? What is Elevenses?’ Well, Elevenses is the time of day.  I believe it’s a Harry Potter thing, but it’s not really why I like it. I like it because it’s a great name for the time of day. We’re going to meet at 11 and really the whole intent of doing this is to spark imagination. It really is not so much about creative writing and preparing something that’s going to come to completion. It’s about a process. So we’re going to enter this evocative  experiential  installation space at the Old Schoolhouse Gallery at 11 o’clock Wednesday, July 24th as a group,” explained Jane Newman, who will lead this creative writing workshop. 

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Transportation

Cortes to receive larger vessel once new ferry production is complete

Editor’s note: After the new Island Class hybrid electric ferries are deployed, one of vessels currently in service will take over the Cortes to Quadra route.

By Louis Belcourt, CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca

Construction has officially begun on the first two of the four new battery-electric hybrid Island Class vessels at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania.

“Today, the first steel plates were cut, marking the official start of production for our newest Hybrid Island Class ships,” said Ed Hooper, Executive Director of Shipbuilding at BC Ferries. “Their innovative design will also improve the overall efficiency and sustainability of our operations.”

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Animals, Rivers & Oceans

Whale Blitz teaches locals how to report entangled humpbacks in the area

By Louis Belcourt, CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca

= Cortes Island was included in the third annual Oceanwise Conservation Association’s 2024 Whale Blitz, which included events all over the Vancouver coast, educating people on whale information and how to spot whales and report on their sightings.

A booth hosted by the coordinator of the Oceanwise Conservation Association provided information on whales in our area and encouraged people to report their whale sightings to the Whale Report App.

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