Tag Archives: Mark Baker

Politics

Strathcona Gardens – How Many Dollars Count as a Meaningful Voice?

Originally published in the Bird’s Eye

Two communities, both alike in ocean views, in fair Strathcona where we lay our scene. From ancient boundary disputes to new taxation, where civic math… wait a second, this doesn’t add up. 

I’ve been debating whether to include this story since April 29. Is it relevant? Is it journalism? Is it just my own feelings getting tangled up in local politics? Or is it representation for the people that were there? Heart and ego occasionally arrive wearing the same outfit. You know I’m telling the story.

April 29, 2026 12:27 p.m. – Your Editor arrives at the SRD building. Air cast, cane, very little sleep, and even less snacks. Outside, an impressive number of Quadra folks and friends gathered with their handmade signs, chants at the ready.

Then the front doors swing open. “Is there any media here?” a staffer shouts out.

Startled, I raised my hand. “It’s me. I’m the media.”

Continue reading Strathcona Gardens – How Many Dollars Count as a Meaningful Voice? →
Politics

Quadra is one step closer to paying for Strathcona Gardens

The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) voted 7-6* that Quadra Island taxpayers should also pay for the Strathcona Gardens Recreation facility. The proposed amount has been reduced to 80% of their property’s assessed value, and amounts to about $446 for the average property owner. This decision is to be ratified by a referendum of all Campbell River, Area D and Quadra residents at the next election.

Continue reading Quadra is one step closer to paying for Strathcona Gardens →
Politics

Campbell River’s Acropolis: Power, Politics and the Price of Strathcona Gardens

The Acropolis is now perceived as a pinnacle of human achievement, yet 2,500 years ago many Greek city-states viewed it as a monument to tyranny. The funding for monuments like the Parthenon, Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike came from the Delian League—a coalition originally formed to resist the expanding Persian Empire. However there came a point when the Persian campaigns were more about the Athenian Empire than liberty. The traditional date for this transition is 454 BC, when the great Athenian statesman Pericles transferred the Delian League’s treasury from Delos to Athens. Plutarch described this as the moment the city lost its integrity and reputation. The funds raised to free Greek cities were instead used to adorn Athens with ‘costly statues and temples worth their millions.’ (Plutarch, Life of Pericles, 12.)   

Continue reading Campbell River’s Acropolis: Power, Politics and the Price of Strathcona Gardens →
Politics

Cortes, Quadra and Read Island items at the March 25th SRD Board Meeting

At its March 25 SRD Board meeting, Campbell River and its allies passed a resolution to draft a bylaw making the average Quadra Island homeowner pay an additional $588 in property taxes to help fund Campbell River’s Recreate Strathcona Gardens project. (This fight is not over yet.) Whether the proposed bylaw will pass remains to be seen, but a large number of noncontroversial Cortes, Quadra and Read Island items were passed at the same board meeting. They pertained to: 

  • A Quadra Island Right of Way
  • Vacancies in Advisory Planning Commissions for Areas C & D
  • Squirrel Cove Aquaculture 
  • Who Pays Administrative Costs for the Electoral Areas Services Committee
  • Cortes Island’s Active Transportation Plan
  • Funding Opportunities for Active Transportation in Areas B & C
  • Legacy Gifts in Regional District Parks
  • Residency Requirement for Short Term Rentals
  • Proposed Electoral Areas Grant in Aid Service 
  • Waste Pick-up Contract on Cortes Island
  • Renewal of Post Office contract for Read Island
  • Grants-in-Aid for Quadra Island 

As these are all short items, Cortes Currents decided to use them as examples of how the SRD conducts board meetings.

Continue reading Cortes, Quadra and Read Island items at the March 25th SRD Board Meeting →
Politics

Must Quadra Island taxpayers pay for Strathcona Gardens? 

In a 7–6 vote, on March 25th the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board moved to have a bylaw prepared that would add Quadra Island to the catchment area for the Strathcona Gardens Recreational Facility. If the bylaw proceeds, Quadra residents could face an additional $558 in property taxes—slightly more than the $526 Campbell River residents pay for their facility. One SRD director was not present when the vote was taken, which raises the possibility that the proposal could be defeated in a 7–7 tie when all 14 directors are present.

Opposition from Quadra Residents

The board faces fierce opposition from Quadra Island residents. Among the 90 or so Quadra residents who crowded the SRD Boardroom and adjoining lobby for the May 25 board meeting, were some of the 1,226 area C residents who signed a petition opposing inclusion in the Strathcona Gardens catchment. Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney of Area C noted that this number represents about 44% of the adult population of her area.

Continue reading Must Quadra Island taxpayers pay for Strathcona Gardens?  →