Tag Archives: Cortes Natural Food Co-op

Cortes Island’s Food Sector Resuming Services

The Floathouse Restaurant started serving customers at tables a few days ago. While this has changed, people can still sit at tables. The Co-op Cafe has reopened for take-out, albeit only on Wednesdays and Fridays. Squirrel Cove’s Flying Squirrel could start up within a month. Cortes Island’s food sector is slowly resuming services. 

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What CCEDA Is Up To

The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) allots Cortes Island a budget of $25,000 to be dispersed among the island’s non profit sector. Up until this year, the Regional Director has accepted applications and passed them on to the SRD Board with a recommendation as to how the money should be divided. At the April 28th virtual community meeting, Regional Director Noba Anderson announced that Cortes Island’s non-profit sector would collectively decide what the recommendations should be. After that, the community meetings became a platform on which different organizations described their vision. The non-profit’s participatory budgeting process ended prior to Tuesday, May 26, when Adam McKenty and Loni Taylor explained what CCEDA is up to.   

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Where will Cortesians shop after COVID?

When much of the island went into self distancing, many who normally purchase their groceries in Campbell River started frequenting local stores. The Cortes Natural Food Co-op experienced a 30% increase during March and April. Bertha Jeffery, from the Cortes Market, told the second Cortes Island virtual conference, “Our sales are equivalent to the summer and we have half the staff.” That was on March 25. Now the province is starting to return to normal. Where will Cortesians shop after COVID?

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Developing Cortes Island Food Security

Representatives from two of the island’s better known organizations were asked to speak at the May 5, 2020, Cortes Island Virtual Community Meeting. Loni Taylor is one of the Directors of the Cortes Community Economic Development Association (CCEDA); Tamara McPhail is the Executive Director of Linnaea Farm. Director Anderson asked how their organizations are developing Cortes Island food security.

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Grocery Stores Provide Essentials For Cortes & Quadra

National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Bertha Jeffery, owner of the Cortes Market grocery store, is unequivocal about how critical her staff is in serving the store’s small island community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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