Category Archives: History

Animals, Environment, History

How People’s Attitudes Towards Nature Changed

1 Comment

What was life like in the era before cell phones, computers and televisions. Did British Columbians feel closer to nature when they worked outside in the elements rather than within the artificial confines of a building? In this mornings program I ask Mike Manson, a descendant of one of Cortes Island’s oldest European families, and Mike Moore, one of our better known eco-tour guides, how public attitudes towards nature changed since the first settlers arrived.

Continue reading How People’s Attitudes Towards Nature Changed →
History, Tourism

How Chemainus Transformed Itself

1 Comment

By Roy L Hales

Everyone was talking about the murals, when they were first unveiled. Thirty-seven years later, the image of three proud First Nations faces comes to many people’s minds when they hear the name Chemainus. Municipalities throughout British Columbia embraced this former logging town as a model for how communities can be reinvented after their principal industry collapses. There are still hundreds of thousands of visitors coming to see this Vancouver Island town every year.  I recently dropped in to see how how Chemainus Transformed itself.

Continue reading How Chemainus Transformed Itself →
History, Indigenous Nations History

Clam Gardens

Originally broadcast in Season One of the Deep Roots Initiative, Cortes Radio, CKTZ, 89.5 FM

Legend tells us first peoples of the Northwest Coast cultivated shellfish. To explore this further and to consider current shellfish farming and our future, Oudette Auger speaks with Judith Williams, author of “Clam Gardens.”

Continue reading Clam Gardens →
History

Finding Gilean Douglas & The Protected Place

Originally broadcast in Season One of the Deep Roots Initiative, Cortes Radio, CKTZ, 89.5 FM

In search of the deep spiritual roots of today’s environmental crisis, Sobhanā ​Dilani Hippola ​traces the footsteps of a pioneer spiritual ecologist, Gilean Douglas, from an old miner’s shack in the Cascade mountains to the majestic land of Channel Rock here on Cortes Island.  Gilean’s life and nature writings offer insight into the importance of dwelling close to wilderness and protecting sacred places.

Continue reading Finding Gilean Douglas & The Protected Place →
History

Vintage Vignettes #8-#14

Have you ever wondered what life was like in a small island community in simpler times?  Imagine: no ferries, no electricity, few roads or cars, no medical services, ambulance or firefighters. Back then life was what you made of it, with the help of your neighbours. Local self-reliance meant gathering and growing food, rowing and walking to get around, and generally having a great deal of practical knowledge and skills. And making your own entertainment. But that doesn’t mean life was dull. Not at all.

Continue reading Vintage Vignettes #8-#14 →