Tag Archives: Quadra Island

Weather

Precipitation could still alter wildfire season severity: gov

Editor’s note: According to the provincial government’s March 8 Snow Conditions and Water Supply Bulletin, Vancouver Island has only 46% of its normal snowpack. Across the Salish Sea in the South Coast Basin, the snowpack is at 40%. While this does not sound good for Cortes and other Discovery Islands, which are just on the Vancouver Island side of these two areas, the following article states that Spring rains could make a big difference in what our summer looks like.  

By Abigail Popple, The Rocky Mountain Goat, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Despite the low snowpack that B.C. has seen this winter, it’s still too early in the year to determine whether drought will make the coming fire season more intense, experts say.

The Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship released its monthly Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin on Friday. While storms during the last week of February brought the heaviest snowfall B.C. has seen this season, snowpack in the Upper Fraser East region – which encompasses the Robson Valley area – fell from 61 per cent of normal to 52 per cent of normal.

Continue reading Precipitation could still alter wildfire season severity: gov →
Transportation

BC Ferries urged to chart a new course around LNG

Editor’s note: The MV Tacheck, which sails between Heriot Bay and Whaletown, has a 200 kW-hr battery bank and is considered BC Ferries’ first ‘hybrid ferry.’ However it was built in 1969 and The Tachek’s primary power source is conventional diesel engines. It is currently scheduled to be replaced by one of the six Island Class hybrid-electric ferries in 2027. BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez told Cortes Currents that as the infrastructure to go fully electric is not in place, the new ferry will initially have to rely in its diesel engines.

 “I would say the technology hasn’t quite caught up  to us, but in 20 years, 40 years, 60 years, 80 years, I think that would be a very different proposition.  We might have different energy sources like hydrogen (and others) that today aren’t really being explored as viable in this industry, that could be with advances in technology. I think we have to be open minded about the whole thing, but it’s definitely going to be a cleaner, greener future.”

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

BC Ferries has launched a bid to build up to seven green flagship vessels but climate groups are urging the company to abandon liquified natural gas to fuel ships and speed electrification of its fleet to reach its emissions targets. 

The ferry service recently revealed it has teamed up with a naval architectural firm to develop an early design to replace six large aging vessels and expand capacity on the busiest routes between the mainland and Vancouver Island. 

Continue reading BC Ferries urged to chart a new course around LNG →
Housing

Quadra Island considering opting-in to Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act 

Cortes Island is not the only rural area dealing with the provincial government’s Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act. Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney wants to know if Quadra Island would like to opt-in. She is conducting an online poll, which you can access by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page. Mawhinney is  also holding  an in-person meeting in the Quadra Community Centre at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, March 20th. 

“Opting in is certainly on the table right now. You’ve probably seen that there’s a survey out, live right now at srd.ca, which is asking islanders to identify the benefits of short term rentals, their potential concerns with them, and where they should be permitted. I think the survey, as well as providing a window into how islanders want to coexist with short term rentals, will help inform potential zoning by law changes,” she explained.

Continue reading Quadra Island considering opting-in to Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act  →
Transportation

Think ferry meetings are scary? Ha. Try City Council.

Editor’s Note: On February 3, 2024, BC Ferries held community drop-in meetings on Cortes and Quadra Islands. There were 25 and 34 participants, respectively. A big concern on Cortes is ‘assured loading.’ BC Ferries stated they need to monitor the effect of using two ferries between Campbell River and Quadra first, but will reevaluate loading procedures after the summer. The first steps towards full electrification of the Campbell River run (design and BC Hydro upgrades) have begun. The design work is expected to take a year. Some sailings on the Campbell River – Quadra route were cancelled because of a lack of crew members and BC Ferries is in the midst of the biggest recruitment campaign in its history.

Originally published on qathet Living

For the past several weeks, Kim Barton-Bridges has tried to figure out when – or whether – BC Ferries executives planned to come to Powell River for the regularly-scheduled spring Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee meeting, which she chairs. 

The last one was September 21, at the Town Centre Hotel. That one was a little raucous, because some locals were angry about a summer of waiting for hours in hot parking lots, a reservation system that had failed, the cost of traveling, and sailing cancellations due to staffing problems and occasionally technical problems. Although ultimately, Kim noted, everyone at the meeting was relatively respectful. 

Continue reading Think ferry meetings are scary? Ha. Try City Council. →
Housing

Cortes Island Opts in to BC Short Term Rental Act; Quadra Considering

Effective May 1, 2024, all BC communities with a population over 10,000 have to limit short term rentals to the host’s principle residence plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit. Campbell River, Comox, Courtenay and Powell River are all on the list of  64 communities where this applies. Cortes Island is too small to be on that list, but has chosen to opt in, and Quadra Island is considering the idea. 

Continue reading Cortes Island Opts in to BC Short Term Rental Act; Quadra Considering →