This program was funded by a grant from the Community Radio Fund of Canada and the Government of Canada’s Local Journalism Initiative. 

The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) released the funding for Cortes Island’s community halls. Though they were to have received this money in quarterly instalments, it has been close to a year since the SRD passed the Bylaw “to establish a community hall service within and for the benefit of Electoral Area B (Cortes Island).” The minutes of that meeting refer to the need for “a further report outlining next steps for implementing the community hall service.”  Former Chair Michele Babchuk and the SRD’s Corporate Officer did not receive authorization to ‘execute the contracts’ until last August. A spokesperson from the Whaletown Community Club (WCC), which operates Gorge Hall, said the funds needed for a year of operations have now been deposited directly into their bank account. Manson’s Hall Manager, Mary Lavelle, confirmed that a similar deposit was made into the Southern Cortes Community Association’s (SCCA) account on Friday, October 30th, 2020.