Three months ago, an overwhelming majority of Cortes residents voted to have their property taxes increased in order to provide some assistance for the island’s community halls. The Whaletown Community Club (WCC) is about to file the funding application for Gorge Hall. The Southern Cortes Community Association (SCCA) has requested further information, before submitting Mansons Hall’s application. Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Chair Michele Babchuk says Cortes Island’s community halls could receive their first cheques by mid March.
Continue reading Cortes Island’s Community Halls Could Receive Their First Cheques By Mid MarchTag Archives: Whaletown
SRD Will Begin Negotiations WIth Cortes Community Halls & Fire Fighters
Last month, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board passed the bylaws needed to fund Cortes Island’s community halls and first responders. They followed this up, at the December 5, 2019, board meeting, with the decision that the SRD will begin negotiations with the with the Cortes Island Fire Fighters Association, Whaletown Community Club and the Southern Cortes Community Association.
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The SRD Board Is Collectively Responsible
A quick perusal of the Agenda was sufficient. I knew I had to attend the next meeting. Chair Michele Babchuk was bringing a Cortes Island resident’s complaints before the SRD Board. On Thursday December 4, more than a half dozen Cortesians filed into the new SRD Boardroom to listen. Though seemingly humbled, Babchuk pointed to the SRD’s accomplishments and stated that Sue Ellingsen was wrong to single out Directors Jim Abram and Brenda Leigh for criticism: the SRD Board is collectively responsible.
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Assured Loading For Commercial Vehicles
By Roy L Hales
Twenty or more years ago, BC Ferries gave preference to trucks delivering food to Cortes Island. The volume of traffic has increased since then, especially during the summer months, but this service is no longer available. The truck servicing Gorge Harbour Marina Resort missed 17 out of 19 ferries this summer, while watching cars that arrived more than a half an hour later drive onto the ferry. At the October 25, 2019 Quadra/Cortes FAC Meeting, Bill Dougan, General Manager of Gorge Harbour asked BC Ferries to provide assured loading for commercial vehicles coming to Cortes Island.
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Returning the Quadra-Cortes FAC To Normality
If the posts in the Tideline are an indication, the October 25 Quadra-Cortes Ferry Advisory Commission (FAC) meeting dealt with a potentially explosive situation. Our Regional Director, Chief Kevin Peacey and former FAC President Paul Ryan were among those who published their views. When the meeting was finally convened in Gorge Hall, one of the BC ferry executives stated the previous meeting (June 7, 2019) had gone off the rails. Committee members subsequently exchanged something like 130 emails. A significant portion of the October 25 meeting was devoted to discussing ways of returning the Quadra-Cortes FAC to normality.
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