By Greg Osoba, CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca
The Cortes Café has seen many owners and has had many themes over the decades. Julie Keith is the newest owner/chef to throw her hat into the ring, with help from husband Sandy.
Julie says she’s spent decades in the food and hospitality industry and felt there was a need to revive the café to serve as a hub for the community.
Continue reading New Cortes Cafe owner optimistic about spring after challenging startup
In mid-November, Currents ran an article on the novel Finnish approach to homelessness, “Housing First,” and three local communities where low-cost housing had been created for those in need. We invited the new Area B Regional Director (Mark Vonesch) to comment on the housing issue generally, and on “Housing First” as a concept. Mark wasn’t able to respond in November, but agreed to an interview in early December.
The interview will be broadcast on CKTZ in two parts. The first part (airing on Monday Dec 12 at 8am) is a more general check-in with Mark; we ask him about his first few weeks on office, the three percent short-term rental tax which he successfully proposed at SRD, and his perception of the atmosphere at SRD with regard to Cortes business. We also begin to discuss the housing crisis on Cortes. In the second part (Tuesday Dec 13 at 8am) we discuss the housing issue in greater depth.
Continue reading Interview with Mark Vonesch, new Regional Director (part one)
By Greg Osoba, CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca
Dragon Songs, the first rock opera to be performed on Cortes Island, is getting ready for its opening night this month.
Written and produced by Thomas Basil, who also performs in the show, the rock opera features a mythical dragon as the central character who goes through trials and tribulations and, in the end, overcomes challenges.
Continue reading Cortes Island’s first rock opera debuts this month with winter solstice theme
Despite the heavy snowfall Wednesday, at least 100 people are believed to have attended the open house for Rainbow Ridge affordable housing development in Mansons Hall.
“We were really happy with the turnout considering the weather, the snow and the road conditions. We decided to go ahead with the event regardless because we had special guests including Ian Scott, who was coming all the way from Victoria. He’s our development consultant and he was in Campbell River for other meetings. He made it to Cortes through the snow. The island roads were plowed and salted to help people, including me, get all the way from Squirrel Cove as well as the Klahoose drummers who made it to the event to help open up the presentation,” said Sandra Wood, Executive Director of the Cortes Community Housing Society.
Continue reading Open House for Rainbow Ridge
Sandra Wood, Executive Director of the Cortes Community Housing Society, had two important news updates.
Firstly, she has some more details about the Open House, for the Rainbow Ridge affordable housing project, at Mansons Hall on November 30.
“That’s Wednesday, one week away and it’ll be an open house style meeting where people can drop in any time between 3 in the afternoon and 6 in the evening. We’re encouraging people to stop in after they pick up their kids from school, or stop in on their way home from work,” explained Wood.
Continue reading Cortes Housing Society: Open House for Rainbow Ridge & a property sale
