Tag Archives: Salt Spring Island

Education

A new semester begins at the Cortes Island Academy

Leave a comment

The Cortes Island Academy kicked off its second year with a ‘meet and greet’ barbeque on Tuesday, September 5. Students and homestay parents met with some of the people working behind the scenes. School started the following day.

“Right now, the students are just going back into the classroom after being in Carrington for the last four days on a camping trip that started on the weekend and went into the week.  They are still in the  outdoor education fundamentals getting to know each other part of the semester,” explained Manda Aufochs Gillespie, the Academy’s principal Board member.

Continue reading A new semester begins at the Cortes Island Academy →
Farming, Opinion

Nancy Beach vs the Property Assessment Review Panel

The opinions that follow are those of the person expressing them and not necessarily shared by Cortes Currents, or Cortes Radio.  

The following submission was made by Nancy Beach.

After dealing with BC assessment for 17 years or more, in regard to my small farm on Salt Spring Island, I have come to the conclusion that:

  1. Farm assessments should be administered by the Ministry of Agriculture, not the Ministry of Housing.
  2. The system for assessing farm status needs to be overhauled. It should not be lumped in with assessing the values of residential properties. 
  3. Farmers should be given adequate time to present and debate their cases. 
  4. More people who care about farms should sit on the board of the Property Assessment Appeal Board (PAAB), and the panel of the Property Assessment Review Panel (PARP).’
  5. PARP plan panel members making decisions concerning farms should be well educated about the farm regulations number. Pabst should not charge for their services. 
  6. BC Farmers need an organization to represent them, represent themselves and help defend their interests before the B. C. Assessment when necessary.
Continue reading Nancy Beach vs the Property Assessment Review Panel →
Animals, Rivers & Oceans

No European Green Crabs in the Discovery Islands, yet

The Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) have not found any European Green Crabs in Manson’s lagoon, and so far there’ve been no sightings north of Nanaimo.  

“We haven’t found any, that’s really good news, but we’ve been very pleased to partner with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).  Hopefully, if we ever find them, we’ll be able to trap them out and stop them from harming the valuable habitat here,” explained Helen Hall, Executive Director of FOCI.

Continue reading No European Green Crabs in the Discovery Islands, yet →
Community

2023 Cortes Social Profit Gathering

Originally published by the Cortes Foundation

A woven tray of fresh flowers is making its way around the circle of 50 or so participants in the Social Profit Gathering held mid-June on Cortes Island, BC. Co-organizer Manda Aufochs Gillespie (Cortes Island Community Foundation, Folk U), has kicked off the day with an address to this land that has continued to provide for human communities since time immemorial. Everyone is invited to take a colorful bloom and connect to this place by holding a piece of it. The other invitation is to co-create the day ahead, building onto the scheduled agenda with collective knowledge, ideas and experience.

Continue reading 2023 Cortes Social Profit Gathering →
Business, Community, Housing, Tourism

Kate Maddigan, CCEDA’s new Economic Development Officer

The Cortes Community Economic Development Association (CCEDA) recently hired Kate Maddigan as its new Economic Development Officer (EDO). 

Colin Funk, the President of CCEDA, explained, “I have known Kate pretty much the entire time I’ve been on Cortes, I think I’m coming up to my 10th summer here. I’ve been on a few boards with her when I was active with Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI). We live pretty close together in the south end of the island. So like many, we bump into each other at the store or on the trails and such.”

Cortes Currents asked Maddigan about some of the work she has done in the community.

Continue reading Kate Maddigan, CCEDA’s new Economic Development Officer →