Tag Archives: Salt Spring Aquifer

Sept 12 Zoning Bylaw Review Meeting in Mansons Hall

Close to 60 Cortes Island residents turned out for the Zoning Bylaw Review Meeting in Manson’s Hall on Thursday, September 12th. The following article consists of audio clips of the main speakers, taken at the meeting, and an interview with Regional Director Mark Vonesch the following morning.   

Mark Vonesch: “Leading up to it, I think there was a little bit of tension in the air. ‘What’s going to happen?’ ‘How are we going to change our zoning in a way that’s good for Cortes and  protecting what we have here, but also making room for more housing  and addressing the housing challenges that we face?’”  

“I think the key takeaway is this is a process that we’re still in the middle of. There’s still lots of opportunity for input. We’ve had four meetings leading up to this. Last night’s meeting was about presenting the summary of the findings from the previous meetings, and giving us a sense of what the Zoning Bylaw draft is going to look like.”

Continue reading Sept 12 Zoning Bylaw Review Meeting in Mansons Hall

Mapping Wetlands on Quadra, and what that means on Cortes

The ICAN water security team and We Wai Kai Guardians are getting prepared to map Quadra Island’s wetlands. It is part of a much larger project which also involves monitoring the island’s rainfall, streamflow and wells. As you will hear in the interview that follows, this project is also relevant  to surrounding islands like Cortes. Bernie Amell, a recognized authority in the design of constructed wetlands for water treatment, and in the restoration of streams and riparian habitats, is in charge of mapping the wetlands. 

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Cortes Island aquifers: Rainwater, wells, salinization and climate change

CKTZ News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

As the level 4 ‘drought’ continues and some shallow well owners are concerned about their water supply, CKTZ News asked an expert about Cortes Island aquifers.

Dr Diana Allen is the head of the Groundwater Resources Research Group at Simon Fraser University. While she has not been to Cortes, Allen has been working on islands like Hornby, Mayne, Saturna and Salt Spring since 1996.

Continue reading Cortes Island aquifers: Rainwater, wells, salinization and climate change