Tag Archives: Eli McKenty

Forests

Cortes Forestry General Partnership Public Meeting Covers Wildfire Prevention and the Five-Year Plan

The Cortes Forestry General Partnership (CFGP) held a public meeting on Thursday, May 30, 2024. CFGP is an equal partnership between the Klahoose First Nation and the Cortes Community Forest Co-operative and manages operations in the Community Forest, comprised of much of the island’s Crown forests. 

The main theme of the meeting was wildfire prevention. Fire Chief Eli McKenty offered an opening presentation on ways the Community Forest and Cortes Island Fire Department are collaborating to reduce fire risks. 

Continue reading Cortes Forestry General Partnership Public Meeting Covers Wildfire Prevention and the Five-Year Plan →
Fire

Cortes Fire Department Preparing For The Worst Case Scenario

The Cortes Island Fire Department is preparing for what could be the driest summer on record. They have purchased more equipment, a new pumper truck, and are about to start recruiting for a much larger wildfire brigade. After a year and a half as the interim Fire Chief, Eli McKenty may be staying on. This was not the story Cortes Currents expected to cover. An open fire prohibition came into effect at noon on Friday, May 17.

They were flushing water through one of the trucks in the front yard, when I arrived. Chief McKenty took me up to the office where it was quieter. There are two other desks there. BC Emergency Health Services Unit Chief Kim Robertson was away, but Office Manager Tammy Allwork was working on her computer. Their work spaces were meticulously laid out, with everything in its place. A few books and papers were sprawled across McKenty’s desk.

Continue reading Cortes Fire Department Preparing For The Worst Case Scenario →
Housing

Folk U: Housing, Emergency Management and Resilience

On January 12th, FolkU Friday was guest-hosted by Sadhu Johnston, who facilitated a discussion about rural resilience and emergency response. Joined in the station by Kate Maddigan, Eli McKenty, and Rex Weyler, this is a fascinating conversation about the confluence of emergency management and ecological protection, natural disasters and climate change, and the ways government, community, neighbourhood, and individual all play significant roles in rural resilience.

Continue reading Folk U: Housing, Emergency Management and Resilience →
Community

Cortes Island Fire Firefighters Dinner

More than 100 people turned up at Mansons Hall on Friday, December 15, for Cortes Island’s first firefighters dinner. 

“It was wonderful to be able to thank the firefighters and their families and their close friends for all the time and effort that they put in. I think we have an amazing crew and it’s really something as chief, and the board, we need to be mindful of and make sure it’s an amazing place for them to participate. A lot of small fire departments are really struggling with staff these days. We have a really strong crew,” explained Fire Chief Eli McKenty.

Continue reading Cortes Island Fire Firefighters Dinner →
Fire

Can chainsaw usage be prohibited during the summer heat?  

The #1 complaint the Cortes Island Fire Department received this summer was that some people continued to use chainsaws despite the drought and the possibility of sparking a wildfire. Interim Fire Chief Eli McKenty said this occurred in multiple locations across Cortes Island. He explained the current regulations are ‘too fuzzy’ to enforce and a possible solution may be adding chainsaw use to the proposed Cortes Island Open Burning Bylaw currently before the Strathcona Regional District Board.

Continue reading Can chainsaw usage be prohibited during the summer heat?   →