Lovefest 2025 was at Linnaea Farm on Saturday August 9th.
Cortes Currents arrived early and wandered through the crowd asking people about the festival and why they kept coming back. In the process, I also recorded a few short clips of music, asked one of the principal organizers about this year’s program and some people shared their recollections of the festival’s beginnings
Continue reading Gleanings from Lovefest 2025
On August 4, 2025, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Sadhu Johnston, who gave an update on the developments happening at Rainbow Ridge, on behalf of the Cortes Housing Society. Tune in for a discussion about community housing, the island’s housing crisis, and construction challenges and joys!
Continue reading Folk U- An August 4 update from Rainbow RIdgeUBC researchers found a new virus in farmed Pacific Oysters that perished during a mass die-off in 2020.
During the die-off, researchers collected 33 dead oysters as well as 26 wild oysters from neighbouring sites. Pacific Oyster Nidovirus 1 (PONV1) was only found in 20 of the dead or dying farmed oysters.
Dr Kevin Xu Zhong, a research associate in the UBC department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences (EOAS), explained this does not mean the virus was the cause of death.
“We found this new virus. There is no indication it is causing the mortality mentioned in the database, the study, or the reporting.”
Continue reading New Virus Associated With (But Not Causing) Mass Oyster Die-OffsJuly 25, 2025 was the fourth week of the Village Commons Music Series, a simultaneously live and live-broadcast show, happening on Fridays from 1 – 2:30pm on the new Pavilion stage.
Host Manda Aufochs Gillespie was joined by local electronic music star, Aspen King. Aspen plays techno and house influenced music and came home to play this daytime set, and one evening set at the Gorge Marina, between travelling to and from many large festivals over the course of the summer.
Continue reading Folk U: Aspen King Plays at the Village Commons
On June 13, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by community leaders and organizers, Duane Hanson, Mark Vonesch, Jemma Hicken, Sadhu Johnston, Cora Moret, and Immanuel McKenty, to chat about summer 2025. There’s a lot happening on our small island! Tune in for community updates, developments, programming, and more!
Continue reading Folk U: What’s Happening on Cortes This Summer
