Tag Archives: Director Area D

SRD Applying for Active Transportation Planning Grants on Cortes and in Area D

The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) is applying for a grant to develop plans for walking, cycling and rolling (skateboard, roller skates etc) infrastructure on Cortes Island and in Area D. 

The Ministry of Transportation refers to these as active means of transportation and has made Active Transportation Network Planning Grants of up to $50,000 available to communities with populations under 25,000. 

If their applications are successful, the SRD plans to match the funding with money obtained through the Community Works Fund (better known as the Gas Tax). 

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SRD Board supports We Wai Kai application to fund Caddisfly Creek study

At their Wednesday September 25 Board meeting, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board unanimously voted to support a We Wai Kai application for funding to make a feasibility study for the Caddisfly Wetlands Restoration project, south of Campbell River. 

This had been a topic of some debate a month ago, when the Board decided to defer making a decision on this project.
Salmon once spawned in Caddisfly Creek and if they return, it could trigger a need for setbacks along the banks. This could directly impact building projects in Campbell River, as it is one of the sources of Caddisfly Creek.  

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SRD Defers Feasibility study for Caddisfly Wetlands Restoration Project

Wetlands are key resources to address climate change and help maintain surface water flow during dry periods. But they are also largely disappearing.  According to a recent study in Nature, since 1700 approximately 3.4 million square miles of wetlands have been lost in the United States, Europe and China. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources estimates that 70 % of the wetlands in southern Canada disappeared prior to 1990. In densely populated areas, that figure is close to 98%. Unfortunately wetlands are often found in the same areas where humans like to live and this problem has been amplified by the critical need for affordable housing. 

Both of the most populated Discovery Islands are attempting to assess their water budgets while they look at further development. Quadra Island is mapping its wetlands, as well as carrying out rainfall, streamflow and aquifer studies. On Cortes Island, the Community Housing Society is seeking funding to carry out a study of Cortes Island’s water resources. 

Meanwhile the opportunity to apply for a $30,000 grant for the proposed Caddisfly Creek restoration project may have been lost, or at least deferred, because of Campbell River’s concerns about the possible impact on their plans for development.  

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Feasibility Studies for On-Island Composting Treatment Of Cortes Island Septic Wastes

The SRD will be carrying out the second step of a feasibility study to determine whether on-island compost treatment of Cortes Island’s septic wastes would be more beneficial than the current pump-out system, and could it be delivered at a cost comparable to setting up a conventional system. 

Cortes Island’s septic systems need to be cleaned out roughly every three years. This is currently done by a septic truck, which takes the wastes off-island. 

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SRD Asking Transport Canada About The Cortes Island Landing Strip

There were questions about what can be accomplished, but the SRD will be asking Transport Canada about the safety requirements, noise levels and frequency of planes using the Cortes Island Airstrip.

At their May 22 meeting, Cortes Island Director Mark Vonesch told the SRD Board:

“There is an airstrip on Cortes Island that’s been there for a long time. A new buyer bought the land and has  been upgrading the runway significantly.  I’ve heard numbers: allegedly a thousand gravel trucks. They’re paving it and  there’s a big concern from the community regarding: safety issues, what kind of planes can now land, frequency of planes that can now land,  whether they need permission from the owner to be able to land. And also further gentrification of Cortes Island as it becomes more accessible.”

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