Hornby Island has roughly the same number of inhabitants as Cortes Island. They have similar problems with volunteer burn-out, partisanship on public issues, disruptive personalities, and gossip. Reina LeBaron, Hornby Island Residents and Ratepayers Association’s (HIRRA) Administrator, said this is usual in small communities. Some disgruntled Hornby residents even complained to their Regional Director, but the discontent has not festered on Hornby, like it has on Cortes. To some extent I suspect this may be because of Hornby Island’s style of government.
Continue reading Hornby Island’s Style Of GovernmentTag Archives: SRD
How Community Decisions Were Made
The process behind a revision of Cortes Island’s Community Plan has been cited as an extreme example of how community decisions were made. According to the most recent (2012) version, “During the winter of 1983 and the spring of 1984, the APC (Advisory Planning Commission) and other community volunteers proceeded to assess the current community feelings concerning zoning regulations through an extensive questionnaire, including the tabulation and reporting of the results to the community, conducting seven question and answer evenings in homes throughout the island …”
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North Quadra Burning Forms Mailed
When the South Quadra Fire Protection District was set up, in 1960, everything north of Hyacinthe Bay was left out. According to North Quadra resident Dalyce Dogterom, that’s roughly three quarters of the island. BC Wildfire Service is contracted to fight forest fires north of the line, but “they will not come on to private property.” At their January 29, 2020, board meeting, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board authorized a survey to determine if North Quadra residents want fire protection. Staff says the North Quadra Burning forms have been sent and are also available on the SRD Website.
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Local Governance Alternatives Discussed
About forty Cortes Islanders attended a public meeting on February 15th at Manson’s Hall, to discuss local governance models and alternatives. The meeting was announced in Regional Director Noba Anderson’s article “Seeding Community Council: Hornby and Cortes” which appeared in Tideline on February 2nd; it was co-hosted (with introductory remarks) by Director Anderson and moderator Kristen Scholfield-Sweet. Folk U co-sponsored the event. While some were disappointed in their expectations of a much larger turnout (“I thought the hall would be full!”) others pointed out that many people are still engaged in the ongoing search for missing island youth Miles Meester.
Continue reading Local Governance Alternatives DiscussedWe have a regional district system that, by its very nature, regardless of the people involved, leaves decisions off-island with a group of people that know little about our community.
— Regional Director for Cortes Island, Noba Anderson
The SRD’s Climate Debate Continues
Regional Director Gerald Whalley recently informed the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board what he perceives to be the truth about global warming. He presented the video of that name, which alleges there are other explanations for extreme weather events and the climate does not actually appear to be changing. Whalley summed up his personal beliefs by quoting Genesis 8:22. When Noah stepped off the ark, God promised him that “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” (KJV) This verse, Whalley maintains, proves that the climate change is not a real concern. The SRD’s Climate debate continued at the Feb 12, 2020, Board meeting.
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