Tag Archives: Whaletown

Communications

A New Internet Provider for Cortes: Raincoast Networks

As of September 30th, 2025, Raincoast Networks serves the 347 remaining customers in what was once the Twincomm service area on Cortes Island. Mascon by Telus acquired Twincomm in 2022. 

“I come from Savary Island. We provide internet to those who have decided to live off grid and in remote communities and cannot be served well by other telecom providers, majors and things from space, explained Oliver Linsley, owner of Raincoast Networks.

“We’ve been doing this for eight years and we service areas from Howe Sound all the way to Cortes. It has been a wonderful adventure, mainly because I get to meet some fantastic people in places I didn’t even know existed. We’ve helped communities up and down the coast, and that’s where we got our pride from. It’s not from a paycheck (laughs), I can tell you that, but it definitely is from the fact that I can go to someone’s house and they have baked cookies for me. They’re just super happy that we came in a boat and we’ve driven across a whole bunch of crazy oceans and we’re at their house and we’re going to fix it.”

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History, Rivers & Oceans

Gumboots in the Straits Comes To Gorge Hall

Book #4 of the Gumboot series, ‘Gumboots in the Straits’ is coming to Gorge Hall on Cortes Island on Saturday, September 20.

From 1:00 to 3:00 pm, six Cortes Island authors featured in this volume will give free public readings from their contributions.

Later in the day, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, food and drinks will be available for purchase, followed by an evening of dancing to Cortes Island’s own He Said; She Said. Tickets for the dance are $25 and can be purchased at Marnie’s Bookstore and the Cortes Island Museum.

In this morning’s interview, we’ll be joined by Jane Wilde, the originator of the Gumboots series. She’ll also share short readings from some of the Cortes writers featured in Gumboots in the Straits.

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Arts

A Second Look at Cortes Island Root Drawings, by John Mottishaw at the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery

These are my favorite first impressions when looking at art.

Ah…hum…huh…mmm…..ah……what? … Hum…ah!

Art that makes me question the very definition of art deserves first impressions from my senses rather than from verbal explanations. And yet questions also rush forward. Who decides what is art: the artist, the setting, the viewer? If I trip over roots on a forest path, are they just part of a tree? If I find roots in a gallery, do they become an art material?

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History, Rivers & Oceans

Paul Kirmmse remembers Cortes Island in 1971

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Originally published on April 22, 2021

Born in New York, he chose Canada. Another two years passed before he arrived on a remote island off the West Coast. Paul Kirmmse remembers Cortes Island in 1971.

“I originally came here in January of ’71, looking for land. A guy gave me a job for the summer, beginning in April, serving coffee to the fishers and the loggers. There was a little cafe just above Mansons Lagoon, across from what used to be the Barton store – which I understand is now the Cortes Island Museum. It was dragged up the road and put in place to become the museum,” he says.  

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Education, History

Schools of Squirrel Cove

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Originally published January 22, 2024. This is the first audio recording of the article below, and may have sufficient additional details to be called the most recent version. The text was originally published in the booklet Squirrel Cove (Cortes Island Museum & Archives Society)

At the beginning of the 1900s, Squirrel Cove on the east side of Cortes Island was a hub of activity for homesteaders, loggers, fishermen, miners and trappers. They came from all the surrounding islands for supplies, groceries, mail, repairs, radios and dances in the hall. There were two stores, a post office, church, hall, two machine shops, a boatworks, a marine ways, and a big dock where the Union Steamships stopped regularly. Jim Spilsbury also stopped frequently to install or repair his radios in boats and homes.

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