Tag Archives: Laurier Louie Mathieu

Indigenous Nations, Indigenous Nations History

Folk U: Chief Kevin Peacey on Politics, Projects & the Past (Part 1)

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Interview by Manda Aufochs Gillespie; written version by Roy L Hales  

On Friday, May 29, 2026, Chief Kevin Peacey of the Klahoose First Nation came to the Cortes Radio station, where he was interviewed by Manda Aufochs Gillespie. This is a highly edited and abridged transcript of that program.

In part one: Kevin talks about the Klahoose population, housing, the new cultural centre, the chief and council, canoe journeys and community activities.

Manda: “Cortes Community Radio sits on the ancestral and territorial lands of the Klahoose, Tla’amin, and perhaps the Homalco peoples. I’d like to thank this land, these people who have walked this land through time, and all those who continue to love and work to honour this place we call home. Today, we are very lucky to have our neighbour and leader of the Klahoose First Nation join us in the studio. Chief Kevin Peacey, thank you so much for being here.”

Kevin: “Thank you for having me.”

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Education, Environment

The Cortes Island School Wetland Project 

The Cortes Island School Wetland Project is transforming part of the school field into a living classroom that blends ecology, culture, and community effort. In today’s interview, we speak to Miranda Cross from Rewilding Water and Earth, the wetland restoration specialist, and biologist on the project

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Community

Design concept for the Village Commons in Mansons Landing

The Cortes Community Economic Development Association (CCEDA) released their site design concept for the ‘Village Commons,’ in Mansons Landing, last week. This is the fruition of a public consultation process which actually began in 2004, more than a decade before CCEDA purchased the property. In today’s interview, project leader Kate Maddigan talks about the six months of community meetings and input that led to the current design.

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History, Indigenous Nations History

Tl’emtl’ems Left Squirrel Cove

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By Roy L Hales

Its almost 550 km from Squirrel Cove, on Cortes Island, to Puyallup, Washington by car, but centuries by canoe. In 1884 the Canadian Government joined in a conspiracy to destroy the canoe traffic that had been plying coastal waters, from Alaska to California, since the beginnings of oral tradition.  First Nations people were restricted to their reserves and had had to obtain permission to leave. The reawakening started almost 30 years ago, in what has since become an annual event.  A different nation hosts the gathering every year and this summer the gathering is at Puyallup. The Klahoose canoe Tl’emtl’ems left Squirrel Cove at 10 AM this morning. 

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Rivers & Oceans

How The Basil Creek Culvert Project Is Over The Top

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By the time you hear this, the Ministry of Transportation crew will have left Basil creek. As Cortes Streamkeeper Cecil Robinson observed, prior to this “if the fish came early and the rains were late, they just simply couldn’t get through the old culvert. They died right there.” Now more of them will swim upstream to their spawning grounds. Then he proceeded to describe how the “Basil Creek culvert project was over the top from the very beginning. Everything that needed to be done, is done: and then some more, always some more.”

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