Tag Archives: SRD

Clothing, Waste

A regional model: free stores and other waste reducing facilities

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At a time when the average Canadian spends more than $3,000 a year on clothing, many Cortes Island residents are satisying their personal needs and disposing of clothing through the local freestore. Similarly, Creative Deconstruction has supplied materials used in ten new homes on Cortes Island. Mark Vonesch, the Regional Director for Cortes Island, suggests that centres like this may offer a model that needs to be promoted throughout the Comox and Strathcona Regional Districts. 

“I’m just getting back from the Comox Strathcona Waste Management Board meeting. This is a board that I sit on as a director, and we provide guidance and leadership to the waste management services in the Comox Valley District and the Strathcona Regional Districts,” he explained. 

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Disaster

Village Bay Lake Fire smaller and ‘Being Held’

The Village Bay Lake Fire, on Quadra Island,  is no longer considered ‘out of control.’ The size has shrank from 4 to 1.5 hectares in extent, and according to BC Wildfire Information Officer Sam Bellion, the fire is now ranked as ‘being held.’

“Last night, they did blanket it in retardent. Crews worked through the night to action the western side of the fire. This morning, when we saw that update to the size, they also observed just rank one low smoldering ground fire along the north and west flanks as they were patrolling this morning.  They’re going to be working some more on active pockets of that rank along the southern edge today and working towards that containment. So, it’s looking really good,” she said.  

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Community, Parks

Opening of the Rainbow Ridge Trail System

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Close to 200 people gathered in the Village Commons, in Mansons Landing, to celebrate the opening of the new Rainbow Ridge Trail System. There were 177 ticket stubs for the door prize and some people wandered in after that. As it was a hot summer’s day, most of them clung to shade beneath trees, awnings and the main tent. 

Rose and Brenda Hanson, from the Klahoose First Nation, opened the ceremony.

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Community, Politics

Approved: Area C’s Integrated Community Sustainability Plan

Quadra Island’s Community Plan was drawn up in 2007 and some of the Outer Discovery have land use plans dating back to the 1990s, but Area C needed an overall comprehensive vision. The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) started the consultation process leading to an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan in 2019. Then COVID arrived, and everything was put on hold. Last year the SRD recruited a community focus group, hired a facilitator and proceeded to finish the job. On Friday, June 16, The SRD Board announced the approval of the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan for Electoral Area C (The Discovery Islands & Mainland Inlets).

“Anytime we do any sort of comprehensive planning process, one of the biggest challenges that we have is finding common ground amongst all  the disparate ideas, visions, goals and challenges of people living in different areas – and with being diverse people themselves.  In this case because it is a vision for the entire region, it was much more important that we were able to come together, find that common ground and that shared vision.  That required a lot of intense discussion and a lot of work together,” explained Meredith Starkey. SRD Manager of parks and planning.  

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Housing, Politics, Transportation, Waste

Quadra reports coming: residential waste collection, short term rentals, roadside parking 

SRD staff have been instructed to prepare studies on residential waste collection, the legal status of short-term rentals and roadside parking on Quadra Island. These topics arose at the Electoral Areas Services Committee (EASC) meeting on May 10th. Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney made the following motions, all of which were seconded by Cortes Island Director Mark Vonesch.   

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