Tag Archives: Twin Islands

The Expanding Local Market For Solar Power

A Cortes Island based solar company has been installing more systems that tie into the grid. 

There is a lot of potential for solar energy production in British Columbia. It has been largely untouched because of the province’s reliance on hydro-power and natural gas. As of October 2023, BC Hydro had 8,500 net metering customers with a combined solar capacity of 71 MW. This was only a fraction of the 4,609.5 MW of solar capacity tied to Canada’s grid that year. 

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Birds are smarter than you think

Sandra Milligan has been teaching biology at North Island College, in Campbell River, for more than 20 years. She is an avid birder with deep roots in her local community. Someone from Sierra Quadra came to lecture she gave on bird intelligence, at ElderCollege in Campbell River, last fall. This led to Sierra Quadra inviting Milligan to speak at the Quadra Community Centre at 7:30  PM in Saturday, March 2. 

“Birds are incredibly intelligent, contrary to what science has believed in the past.  They understand what each other is thinking. One of my favourite topics, because I’m a bird watcher, (aka a bird listener) is to talk about bird communication and language. They can have hundreds (and thousands even) of different vocalizations and they really communicate in much more depth than science previously believed to be happening,” she explained.  

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The Cortes Island Museum AGM, Upcoming Garden and Studio Tour & search for an Events Coordinator

The Cortes Island Museum just held its AGM. They have hired two summer students, plan to hire an Events Coordinator, and are gearing up for the Creative Spaces Garden and Studio Tour this summer. These are the topics that Managing Director/Curator Melanie Boyle discussed with Cortes Currents. 

The Museum AGM was at Mansons Hall, from 1 to 3:30 on Saturday May 6, 2023.

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Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s secret visit to a small BC island

By Greg Osoba, CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca

In August 1994, after opening the Commonwealth Games in Victoria BC, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were whisked away for few days rest. Most Canadians had no idea where the queen and prince had taken off to after the games.

However, the local citizenry of Cortes Island had a good idea. Rumors circulated that the royal couple would be spending time on adjacent Twin Islands, owned at that time by a German nephew of Prince Philip’s, Maximilian Margrave of Baden. The reports had a reliable source: Cortes Islander Ginny Ellingsen, originally from northern England, had been hired to wait on the famous guests. Once the Commonwealth Games were underway, a seaplane arrived at the dock on Twin Island bearing the royal couple.

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Love Stories with the Cortes Island Museum and Archives

Folk U: Love Stories with the Cortes Island Museum and Archives

Love is in the air…. Jane Newman from Cortes Island Museum and Archives joins Folk U host Manda Aufochs Gillespie with love stories from the archives, includes guest readers and story tellers.

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