Tag Archives: Food Security

Community, Food

Cortes Conversation Cafe returns Dec 7, to discuss Food Security

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CCEDA continues its series of Cortes Conversation Cafés on Thursday December 7th from 4 to 6 pm, at Gorge Hall in Whaletown. The topic of discussion will be “Enhancing Food Security,” and childcare will be provided on-site.

How can we support a vibrant local food system while allowing local growers and food processors to earn sufficient livelihoods?”

Currents interviewed organiser Kate Maddigan on November 28th to find out a bit more about the Café series and this particular event.

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Jobs

Living Wage Symposium brought multiple sectors together to tackle the affordability crisis

Editor’s note: This is a local issue. 33% of the respondents to the most recent Point In Time count of Campbell River’s unhoused population said they lost their homes because of insufficient income. In the Comox Valley, this statistic rose to 56%. According to the 2021 Census, 38% of the renters in those areas are paying more than they can afford for shelter. This is also true on Quadra Island and on Cortes Island the number of tenants paying unaffordable rents was 47%.

By Sidney Coles, Capital Daily, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On Wednesday morning, representatives from the not-for-profit, private and public sectors gathered at the Living Wage Symposium at Victoria City Hall to discuss creative ways they can address the economic squeeze people are feeling in the CRD. The event was organized by the Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria (CSPC) in partnership with the United Way Southern Vancouver Island, Vancity, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and Living wage Families for BC.  

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Food, Transportation

Nanaimo port expansion floats potential solutions for Vancouver Island supply chain woes

Editor’s note: The city of Campbell River has a goal of growing the equivalent of 10% of its food supply by 2031 and 50% by 2060. Thanks to the 2018 LEAP Report, there is more precise data for Cortes Island  – 63% of the respondents stated that 21% of their food was produced locally and close to half of these grew or sourced +51% of their food on Cortes. The percentage of people consuming local foods was highest among people with low incomes.  Surprisingly few respondents said they obtain less than 10% of their food locally.

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Expanding Nanaimo’s Duke Point Terminal could strengthen Vancouver Island’s vulnerable supply chain and improve the flow of food, fuel and essential goods when climate disasters or other disruptions strike, according to the Nanaimo Port Authority. 

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Gardening

Folk U Welcomes Gardener Extraordinaire – Billie Taylor

On Friday, October 27, host Manda Aufochs Gillespie was joined in the studio by gardener extraordinaire – Billie Taylor. Billie shares about her experience gardening on Cortes, the ways her garden has changed in the past few years, and her love of composting. Join in for a spontaneous conversation on adaptive gardening, climate crisis, and resilience.

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Environment

First of 4 cultural events from Sierra Quadra: World Premiere of the Ridge

Sierra Quadra is bringing Robert Bringhurst’s poem ‘The Ridge‘ to  the Quadra Community Centre, at 7:30 PM on Saturday October 21st.

In an interview with Cortes Currents, Ray Grigg said he believes this is the 80 minute long poem’s world premiere.  

It is also the first of four performances Sierra Quadra is putting on this year. They also have two films lined up. On Dec 16, 2023, they will be showing ‘Once You Know’ and on Feb 3, 2024, ‘Keepers of the Land.’ A fourth event is still being planned.

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