The Strathcona Regional District Board received a lot of bad press last week, thanks to the actions of three rural directors. The headline in the Campbell River Mirror states, “Cortes Island affordable housing project hangs by a thread after SRD defers hearing.” This sentiment was shared by Canada’s National Observer, which quoted the disapproval voiced by Chair Michele Babchuk and Campbell River Director Claire Moglove. Quadra Island’s Bird’s Eye (June 3) was more diplomatic, but pointed out two major Quadra projects (a BC Ferries berth and the new Quadra Island Firehall) have been delayed by more than three months because of the director’s decision to ignore a provincial order, the advise of SRD staff and comments made by other SRD directors. The most detailed account of this meeting is in Cortes Currents. As Cortes Island Regional Director Noba Anderson observed, “there have been four newspaper articles on this, which is pretty rare and outstanding.” If any of the three directors had second thoughts, their opportunity to reopen the topic came at the June 10, 2020, SRD Board meeting. Instead, the decision to not hold public hearings for rural areas stands.