By Regional Director Mark Vonesch
I hope this finds you well and excited for 2026. There is so much happening in Cortes local government and I want to give you an update on some of the issues I’ve been working on.
Continue reading Area B Directors Report: grant in aid, incorporation, taxes, ferries, Vice Chair, & zoning bylaw
The Strathcona Regional District Board passed the Cortes Island Zoning Bylaw.
Regional Director Mark Vonesch gave an overview of the process at the Wednesday, November 19, 2025, board meeting:
“We’re at the last stage of potentially passing the Cortes Island zoning bylaw. It’s been almost a two year process of community consultation, both online and in person. It’s gone to the Advisory Planning Commission on Cortes, and it’s gone through a public hearing at the beginning of September. We had 140 plus folks attend that hearing, which is amazing. The reason I deferred it a month was that you have 200 pages of comments on this, and I wanted to take the time to read them all and to really assess what people’s challenges and also what they like about the bylaw before making my own personal recommendation.”
Continue reading Cortes Island Zoning Bylaw PassesBy Regional Director Mark Vonesch
As we settle into the darker months of winter on Cortes, I hope this finds you warm and cozy. It’s been a busy fall so far and there’s lots to update you on!
Continue reading Area B Director’s Report: Cortes Fall Update
One of the speakers at the September 8 zoning bylaw meeting at Mansons Hall was Maureen Williams of Cortes Island’s Climate Action Network. While she welcomed the decision to increase the number of lots at Rainbow Ridge up to a maximum of 35, Williams said the proposed zoning update does little to address affordability, environmental protection, or increase Cortes Island’s sense of community. The three-minute speaking limit at the meeting left little room for her to expand on these points, so Cortes Currents spoke with her afterwards.
Continue reading Maureen Williams: How the Zoning Bylaw process for Cortes could have been betterThis is the unedited audio from the September 8, 2025 Public Meeting about Cortes Island’s zoning bylaw chaired by Regional Director Mark Vonesch.
Continue reading Unedited audio from Sep 8, 2025, Zoning bylaw meeting in Mansons Hall
