Tag Archives: SRD

Housing, Politics, Poverty

Rachel Blaney: Canada needs a ‘Bar of Dignity’

According to data from the 2016 census, 20% of Quadra Island residents and 27% of Cortes Island residents are paying more for their homes in rent or mortgages than they can afford. More recent studies suggest that a significant number of families throughout the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) are so financially stretched that they are at risk of becoming homeless. 75% of the ‘housing insecure’ respondents to the ‘Collecting Stories of Where We Live’ survey on Cortes Island, and 33% on Quadra Island, are working. These are some of the people North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney is referring to, when she talks about the need for a bar of dignity.

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Housing, Politics

Becoming Cortes Island’s Regional Director, first steps 

Contrary to what a lot of people believe, Mark Vonesch is not yet the Regional Director for Cortes Island. That will happen on November 9, when he and the other Directors are all sworn in at the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) building in Campbell River. In today’s interview Vonesch talks about some of the preparations, the first things he hopes to accomplish as our Director and his new Alternate Director.

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Housing, Poverty

Solutions for the ‘Unsheltered’ and ‘at Risk’ crisis on Cortes and Quadra Islands

According to Linda Bernicki, Director of Rural Health and Wellness at the  Rural Development Network, “Housing is a human right and just not housing, safe and stable housing is a human right. So if I’m in housing that doesn’t have any heat or running water, then I’m denied a basic human right, and it takes all levels of government and all levels of society to work together to start to develop responses that is going to limit and homelessness.” 

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Communications

Motor vehicle crash knocks out internet/cell service to much of Northwest

By Kaitlyn Bailey,  Prince Rupert Northern View, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Some residents in northwest B.C. were without internet and phone service the evening of Oct. 18.

A motor vehicle accident took out several utility poles and caused a break in the Telus fibre optic cable that runs west from Prince George to Prince Rupert.

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Politics

The Legitimacy of Jim Abram’s Expenses

The legitimacy of Regional Director Jim Abrams expenses was once again discussed at the last meeting of the SRD board prior to the election.

When the auditor submitted his report to the SRD Board at their May 11, 2022 meeting, Campbell River Director Claire Moglove, pointed out that there was a significant difference in what Directors were being paid.

“I think for the sake of transparency in particular to the public, that we have more of an explanation as to how that comes to be. So in particular, on the remuneration side, at some point I would love to see a breakdown of what is the regular stipend for Directors and what are the meeting fees that have been incurred,” she said. 

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