Tag Archives: Mark Baker

Communications

When TELUS Withdraws Pay Phone Service From Remote Communities

The cell phone reception in Village Bay Lake is sketchy.  Up until this summer, the little Quadra Island community’s only reliable telephone access was a pay phone in the Village Bay Lake parking area. Then TELUS removed it. 

When Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney raised this issue at the recent SRD Board meeting, it turned out she was not the only Director dealing with the problems resulting from TELUS withdrawing pay phones.

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Housing

SRD To Meet With Cortes Housing Society About Possible Loan

The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) will be meeting with the Cortes Housing Society to discuss the possibility of making a short term loan to help bring power, water and sewage to some lots in the Rainbow Ridge affordable housing project. 

While the SRD created a Housing Service earlier this year, it has yet to requisition any funds and the request prompted some discussion at the Wednesday October 30 board meeting. 

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Housing, Politics

SRD Wants A List Of School District Properties For Potential Housing Development 

The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) wants a list of School District 72’s properties on Cortes Island and in Area C. As Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney pointed out, in a letter to the other rural Directors, some of them ‘may be a good fit for a housing project.’ Mawhinney proposed that the SRD ask for a list.  

At the Board’s August 21 meeting, Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott made an amendment to Mawhinney’s motion: 

“I’m going to say that a letter be sent to School District 72, inquiring whether or not there are lands available for either  the school district to develop for housing, or over which they have an interest, that they own or have a license of occupation or right of access that they’d be interested in disposing to the Regional District.”

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Cost of Climate Change, Energy

Carrie Saxifrage’s Climate Mitigation Presentation To The SRD Board

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Cortes Island author Carrie Saxifrage made a climate mitigation presentation at the May 22 SRD Board meeting. This is an abridged version of that talk. 

She began with a simple admission, “This is my first time. Thank you so much for having me. If I were to do it again, I’d do it a little differently, but here we are. We’re going to whisk through some slides, and I’m going to emphasize what I think is most important.”

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Politics, Transportation

SRD Asking Transport Canada About The Cortes Island Landing Strip

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There were questions about what can be accomplished, but the SRD will be asking Transport Canada about the safety requirements, noise levels and frequency of planes using the Cortes Island Airstrip.

At their May 22 meeting, Cortes Island Director Mark Vonesch told the SRD Board:

“There is an airstrip on Cortes Island that’s been there for a long time. A new buyer bought the land and has  been upgrading the runway significantly.  I’ve heard numbers: allegedly a thousand gravel trucks. They’re paving it and  there’s a big concern from the community regarding: safety issues, what kind of planes can now land, frequency of planes that can now land,  whether they need permission from the owner to be able to land. And also further gentrification of Cortes Island as it becomes more accessible.”

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