By Savanna Young- Seafest coordinator
Seafest once again drew strong attendance this year as residents and visitors gathered to celebrate the island’s aquaculture heritage and ongoing shellfish industry. For close to 30 years, the event has to served as both a cultural gathering and an opportunity to highlight the importance of our local shellfish industry. This year Seafest returned to the Gorge Harbour Marina, a venue that has historically hosted the event.
Continue reading Seafest 2026
Every year, the Friend of Cortes Island (FOCI) presents the Jo Ann Green Award to a Cortes Islander who made significant contributions to the environmental well being of the community.
There are pictures of Green at some of the island’s early social gatherings in the Cortes Island Museum Archives. She was one of the actors in the 1981 Cortes Cinema Production: Where Does the Lone Ranger Take His Garbage? Jo Ann Green was also a founder and the first President of FOCI, a member of the Cortes Oyster Co-op and an active homemaker is support of home services on the island. The award certificate states she ‘represents the spirit of Cortes Island’s resilience and its residents’ recognition of the vital importance of the natural environment.’
The 2025 Jo Ann Green Award recipient was the Klahoose Bus.
Continue reading Klahoose Bus Receives Jo Ann Green Award
282 people from Cortes, Quadra and the Outer Island’s as well as some visitors participated in CCEDA’s passenger transportation survey. They were asked about a variety of options for passengers in the islands, a bus, taxi, carpool, van pool, or rideshare.
“We found that the most popular option for all respondents was a bus on Quadra that included both ferries. Cortes and Outer-Island residents only need a bus that goes from the Cortes Ferry to the Quadra Ferry. They don’t necessarily need to go anywhere else on Quadra. It’s just that straight line that so many people take across Quadra. On Quadra, the most popular option was a bus that included both ferries, but also made a loop. It would be helpful for people living on Quadra and visitors to get around Quadra,” explained Jennifer Banks-Doll, Project Lead for Quadra Island.
Continue reading What the Cortes/Quadra Passenger Transportation Survey DiscoveredA crew of seven volunteers was just starting to put up the stage, when Cortes Currents arrived at Linnaea Farm on Wednesday. The doors to Love Fest 2024 will open at 11 AM on Saturday, August 10.
“This is the fifth year. We took two years off during COVID, so it’s seven years since we started in 2017,” said Rex Weyler, one of the founding organizers of Love Fest,
His co-producer, Benji Coey, added, “Things are going really well. We’re about three days out and things are moving very smoothly, so fingers crossed touch wood it continues. It’s going to be a beautiful day. The grass on the lawn in front of the stage is lush and green, which for this time of year is a miracle. The lake looks calm and I think the whole vibe is going to be really beautiful.”
Continue reading Love Fest 2024: Final touches Before the Day
The Strathcona Regional District is considering what could be an extremely innovative and societal changing plan. As CAO David Letich informed the Board, at their Wednesday June 26 meeting, the draft Poverty Reduction Plan is already more than 100 pages long. It was his intention to have the plam introduced through a presentation and then, hopefully, they will forward it to the Committee of the Whole for further discussion.
Continue reading First Draft of the SRD Poverty Reduction Plan
