Tag Archives: Rainbow Ridge

Community

Grand Opening of the Cortes Wood Makerspace

On Saturday, December 6, more than three dozen people gathered for the grand opening of the Cortes Wood Makerspace, in Mansons Landing. 

Shopmaster Hannu Huuskonen explained,    “A lot of people need to do stuff in a woodworking shop and not everyone needs to build themselves a shop, especially big enough to do certain things with it properly equipped. It’s a big outlay of money. So it makes total sense to have people be able to come to a common space.

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Housing

First Home Foundations Poured: Rainbow Ridge Housing Project Takes Shape on Cortes Island

The long-awaited Rainbow Ridge housing development has passed a milestone. The foundations of the first two homes are in place. Sadhu Johnston, Executive Director of the Cortes Housing Society, gave Cortes Currents a tour of the site and spoke about the vision, challenges, and progress to date.

Rainbow Ridge is rising in Mansons Landing, the most settled community on Cortes Island. 

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Development, Politics

Maureen Williams: How the Zoning Bylaw process for Cortes could have been better

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One of the speakers at the September 8 zoning bylaw meeting at Mansons Hall was Maureen Williams of Cortes Island’s Climate Action Network. While she welcomed the decision to increase the number of lots at Rainbow Ridge up to a maximum of 35, Williams said the proposed zoning update does little to address affordability, environmental protection, or increase Cortes Island’s sense of community. The three-minute speaking limit at the meeting left little room for her to expand on these points, so Cortes Currents spoke with her afterwards.

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Housing

Mid August 2025 Housing Update from Rainbow Ridge

Mark Lombard from the Cortes Housing Society recently gave an update on progress at the Rainbow Ridge Affordable Housing Project.

“At this point we’re well along the way of building a community building with an office for the housing society. It’ll have: 

  • a utility space that has controls for the water systems and filtration to send water to all the homes. 
  • the controls for the battery and solar system that will provide backup power for the water and sewer for the buildings.
  • a laundry room that’ll serve the women’s shelter and other people on the south end who need it. 
  • a guest bedroom that people who live in the seniors village or at Rainbow Ridge will be able to rent for a modest price per night. 
  • a lounge area with a kitchenette that people can have a little birthday dinner or a card game, or if the Housing Society board wants to meet, there’ll be a big table that can be used for that.”

“We’re putting the siding on right now, and working on the interior finishing.”

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Development

Folk U- An August 4 update from Rainbow RIdge

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!

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