Tag Archives: Nick Gagnon

Forests

Cortes Community Forest Five-Year Plan Update: Tour of the Green Mountain Cut Block 

On a recent, crisp, spring morning, eleven Cortes Islanders joined Mark Lombard, Operations Manager for the Cortes Forestry General Partnership, for a tour and conversation about the future of the Green Mountain area of the Community Forest. CFGP is an equal partnership between the Klahoose First Nation and the Cortes Community Forest Cooperative (CCFC). This tour was part of community consultation around the development of the CFGP’s new five-year plan. Operations in this area are expected to occur in the later part of the next five-year period.

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Forests

Carrie Saxifrage: Reflections from the outgoing Community Forest President 

Editor’s Note: Carrie Saxifrage was President of the Cortes Community Forest Cooperative from April 2019 – May, 2023.

This is Carrie Saxifrage with some reflections on the community forest.

Thanks so much to those who attended the Cortes Community Forest Cooperative (CCFC) AGM and to all the forest folk who keep this place deep green.

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Politics

April 25-27: 2023 RIEP Forum

The first Rural Islands Economic Partnership (RIEP) Forum was held on Pender Island during 2019. They were forced to hold virtual events after COVID hit, but the 2023 RIEP Forum is an in-person event that will be held on Gabriola Island, April 25-27.

“This is a flagship event for the 18 plus rural islands of BC. The reach is from Bowen Island to Malcolm Island to Salt Spring to Gabriola, to Cortes, and Quadra. Our motto is, ‘No one island can be resilient alone, and together we’re stronger and better,’” explained Francine Carlin, Chair and Interim Executive Director of the Rural Islands Economic Partnership.

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Forests

Mark Lombard looks back over this past year in the Cortes community forest

(The first in a series of articles coming out of the Cortes Forestry General Partnership’s 2022 AGM)

This has been the Cortes Community Forest’s most profitable year, but that is not the Cortes Forestry General Partnership’s only objective. 

“I always start with what areas do we want to keep,” explained General Manager Mark Lombard. 

He used a recent conversation to illustrate how Cortes is taking a different approach than the industry at large. 

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Forests

Lack of consistently available supply and not enough people to cut it drives firewood shortage on Cortes Island

CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca

For Cortes Islanders relying on local cutters to bring them enough firewood to warm their homes each winter, there has recently been a greater feeling of firewood scarcity.  Everyone knows someone desperate for firewood, and there have been community notices on the local Tideline website asking if anyone is selling dry firewood.

Continue reading Lack of consistently available supply and not enough people to cut it drives firewood shortage on Cortes Island →