Tag Archives: Radio

Development, Housing

Construction coming to the (Many) Common Areas of Mansons Landing

Close to 50 people turned up at Mansons Hall on January 24, for an update on the construction coming or already underway in the downtown Mansons area. The Cortes Housing Society, Southern Cortes Community Association (SCCA), Cortes Island Community Foundation and Cortes Island Pickleball Society were on hand to describe what’s taking place at Rainbow Ridge, the multipurpose courts and the Village Commons. 

 Regional Director Mark Vonesch exclaimed, “The big news here on Cortes is that the Housing Society is going to start building houses this year.” 

Sandra Wood, who’s been at the heart of the Rainbow Ridge affordable housing project from the beginning, added, “It’s exciting to finally get shovels in the ground. We feel like we’ve been shovel ready for years.”   

Manda Aufochs Gillespie, from the Cortes Island Foundation, described another focus of the meeting “More and more, it’s clear that the Village Commons is really this whole area and all the things that we gather in the heart of Mansons to do.”

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Food

Cortes Island’s Community Meal Program

There is a community meal somewhere on Cortes Island every week. 

“A warm bowl of soup, or a stew, that’s at the heart of it. Then there’s always some sort of fresh veggies or a fresh veggie platter cut up.  Folks are getting that kind of food in them.  Then bread and butter, because that’s just the  basics for everybody and usually a dessert, some sort of cookies or brownies and the whole meal includes gluten free and vegetarian options,” explained Yasmina Cartland.  

“There’s nothing you have to do to come to lunch. Everyone can come. You don’t have to prove that you need it. It’s completely inclusive. It’s meant to be a warm social time and it’s meant to actually nourish people with some warm nourishing food.”  

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Development, Sports

Petition Against Making Quadra Residents Pay For REC-CREATE Strathcona Gardens

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A timeline on the REC-REATE – Strathcona Gardens Revitalization Project website traces the origins of this project back to an operational review in 1998. At that time, most of the community was satisfied with the existing facility and the idea of building a new complex did not gain momentum until 2015. A community survey taken between February 2nd and March 2nd that year found that  someone from 72% of the Campbell River and 64% of Area D households visited Strathcona Gardens at least once a year.

Construction for Phase One,  the New Aquatic and Wellness Centre, finally began on September 10, 2024. However the estimated cost of this project had risen to $73 million and the Strathcona Regional District is exploring the idea that Quadra Island and Sayward taxpayers should be contributing.

Nothing has been decided, but the SRD has received a stream of letters from hundreds of Quadra Island residents stating they do not use Strathcona Gardens and definitely do not want to pay for it!  A little group calling itself the Friends of Area C collected hundreds of names on a petition opposing the suggestion that Quadra taxpayers should be included in Strathcona Garden catchment area.  

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Housing

Short Term Rentals must be registered by May 1, 2025

There are approximately 100 short term rentals, collectively earning between $1 million and $1.5 million* a year, on Cortes Island. At of the end of 2021, there were 177 on Quadra.  As of May 1st, all  Airbnbs and short-term rentals in BC have to register with the provincial government.

 “It’s a process where the provincial government is asking short term rental operators and short term rental platform operators to register. Then they’re going to cross reference  and use that as a way to regulate Airbnbs,” explained Mark Vonesch, Regional Director for Cortes Island (Area B).

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Environment

Paul Watson: Activist, Pirate, Friend

interview with Rex Weyler (All 5 Podcasts of an FM radio special feature originally airing January 21 -25, 2025).

In December 2024, the environmental activist Paul Watson was freed by Danish authorities from detention in Greenland.  He had been held there due to an Interpol red-notice (warrant) issued against him by the government of Japan. The Danish Ministry of Justice denied official requests to extradite Watson for trial in Japan, and he was released to rejoin his family.

What did Paul Watson do that so angered the Japanese government?  Watson, born in Canada, has spent most of his adult life — ever since the 1970s — protesting against the commercial slaughter of whales and other marine mammals.  He was a founding member of Greenpeace, and participated in their early actions to document and obstruct the Russian whaling fleet in the North Pacific.   One of his shipmates on these early campaigns was longtime Cortes resident Rex Weyler.

In this special feature, we offer an extended interview with Rex Weyler; he offers his personal memories of the early Greenpeace campaigns and of Paul Watson, who became a lifelong friend.

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