Tag Archives: Klahoose Gorge Harbour

Rivers & Oceans, Transportation

The Dead Boats Disposal Society came to Cortes Island

The Dead Boats Disposal Society was on Cortes Island last week. 

John Roe (JR) said there are close to 4,000 abandoned boats in British Columbia, and he has been removing them for the past 30 years.  

The provincial government set up the Clean Coast, Clean Waters Initiative Fund and the federal government has the Abandoned Boats Program. 

“We have our team and are pretty proficient at boat removal. It just requires a lot of pre-work. The pre-work is myself going out as a volunteer, reaching out to the communities, coming up and documenting the boats,” said Roe. 

That is what brought him to Cortes Island.  

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Indigenous Nations, Tourism

Gorge Harbour Marina Undergoing Renovations

Gorge Harbour Marina is undergoing extensive renovations this year. The general store, marina and gas pump is open, but much of the resort is expected to remain closed until 2024.

General Manager Jason Johnson explained, “We had a fairly successful last season and then became even more aware  of some major infrastructure issues needing to be addressed. It wasn’t just a matter of ‘it’s a septic issue,’ or ‘it’s a water issue,’ or ‘it’s an electric issue” – it’s all of it. We are having to take a look at some major infrastructure at the Gorge with the understanding that the property has a lot of age behind it. So we really need to take a look at that and press the pause button.”

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Housing, Politics

SRD endorses Cortes Island application for 3% tax on short term rentals

Cortes Island just passed a major hurdle on the road to adopting a 3% tax on short term rentals. In the first meeting of the new board, the Strathcona Regional District unanimously voted to write a letter of support, which will accompany the Cortes Community Housing Society’s application to the provincial government for a Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT). 

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Indigenous Nations, Tourism

Summer 2022 has been very busy for QXMC

Jason Johnson has been the General Manager of Qathen Xwegus (QXMC) for a little over four months. He took the helm of the Klahoose First Nation’s  management corporation during a busy tourist season. Johnson was back home with his family in Sayward when Cortes Currents interviewed him over ZOOM.

“I first wanted to acknowledge that I’m talking to you today on National Truth and Reconciliation Day, and I’m calling in from my home office in the unseated territory of the Comox First Nation,” he began.

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Business, Indigenous Nations

Jason Johnson: QXMC’s new General Manager

Cortes Currents learned that Jason Johnson was going to be Qathen Xwegus Management Corporation’s (QXMC) new General Manager back in June, but at that time he was busy finishing up as Sayward’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Around the time Johnson took over the helm of the Klahoose First Nation’s economic development corporation, I was on vacation for three weeks. We finally sat down on Monday to talk about Johnson’s first five weeks at the helm of QXMC.

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