Tag Archives: FOCI

Animals

Much more than an ‘Electric Fencing Workshop’ on Cortes Island

Bob Hansen’s Electric Fencing Workshop was delightful. The ‘talk’ he gave at Linnaea Farm, on February 3, was the first of FOCI’s new ‘Create, Connect and Conserve’ event series. It was permeated by stories of animal behaviour as well as visual aids.

“I’ve been involved in 50 plus electric fencing projects in our region over the last six years. Wherever electric fences have gone in, the conflicts were resolved,” Hansen explained.  

Continue reading Much more than an ‘Electric Fencing Workshop’ on Cortes Island →
Parks

FOCI: Maintaining Mansons Landing Provincial Park

The Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) has been helping BC Parks maintain Mansons Landing Provincial Park since 2016. 

“ We’ve been doing various improvements over time. That included removing broom from the Spit, signage to help interpret what’s down there and also fencing to prevent erosion. We’ve just finished two new sections of fencing,” explained Helen Hall, Executive Director of FOCI.

Continue reading FOCI: Maintaining Mansons Landing Provincial Park →
Politics, Transportation

Canada’s New Electric Vehicle Availability Standard

On Tuesday, December 19, The Government of Canada announced a gradual phasing out of gas powered light vehicle sales until 2035, after which all new vehicles must be 100% emissions free.

“Transportation is the most polluting  sector in Canada after oil and gas, a lot of that comes from road transportation. So from the vehicles we drive that are on the road, from sitting in traffic. This regulation is aiming  to ensure that we’re putting forward technologies like zero emission vehicles, that includes electric vehicles, that will drastically reduce emissions within that sector and this regulation says that it will have emissions reductions of 360 million tons. That’s the equivalent of 62,000 Olympic swimming pools full of gas that have been burned,” explained Meena Bibra, Senior Policy Analyst with Clean Energy Canada. 

Continue reading Canada’s New Electric Vehicle Availability Standard →
Environment, Housing, Transportation

FOCI’s Recommendations for the Official Community Plan

On Monday, Dec 11, the Strathcona Regional District will be holding an open house at Mansons Hall, pertaining to updating the Cortes Island zoning bylaws. This is the first of a series of steps that will also include a revision of the island’s Official Community Plan. The Friends of Cortes Island has prepared a 22 page study of suggested recommendations for revisions to Cortes Island’s plan for the future. 

“It’s really critically important at this moment in history that we make sure that every decision made in the community plan is made taking climate change and  climate adaptation into account,” said Forrest Berman-Hatch, author of the report. 

Continue reading FOCI’s Recommendations for the Official Community Plan →
Nature

This year’s recipients of the Jo Ann Green Ward: Laurel Bohart and Donna Collins

Laurel Bohart and Donna Collins were the recipients of this year’s Jo Ann Green Award. 

“We thought they encapsulated what the Joanne Green Award is about. We had a number of nominations, but we considered their’s to be the best because of all the work that they’ve done for Wild Cortes. They put in a lot of unseen work in the background to make the Wild Cortes exhibit the success it’s been, and they’re doing that as volunteers,” explained Helen Hall, Executive Director of the Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI).

Continue reading This year’s recipients of the Jo Ann Green Ward: Laurel Bohart and Donna Collins →