About 125 people turned up for the town hall meeting in Mansons Hall, on Monday June 3, 2024. Noticeably absent were the air strip’s owner, Michael Ching, his manager, Judy Kemchand, or Martene Rothblatt, who is financing the air strip’s renovations.
This did not come as a surprise.
Continue reading Town Hall Meeting: The Cortes AirstripAround 30 people held an impromptu protest in front of the Cortes Airstrip on Wednesday. They received word that a paving crew was coming over on the ferry, to pave the runway. This turned out to be premature, but there will be a town hall meeting at Mansons Hall, from 7 to 9 PM Monday, to discuss the situation.
Continue reading Cortes Airstrip: the protest and Monday’s town hall meetingGiven the amount of neighbourhood concern about the renovations underway at the Cortes Island airstrip, Cortes Currents asked Transport Canada:
Sau Sau Liu, Senior Communications Advisor at Transport Canada, replied,
“All aerodromes on private property are required to meet the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs), regardless of their registration status. Aerodromes that are building a new runway, or increasing the length of a runway by more than 100m or 10%, are required to consult communities, as per Canadian Aviation Regulations 307and the related Advisory Circular 307.01.”
Continue reading Transport Canada Responds To Questions About Renovations Underway on Cortes Airstrip
British Columbia is feeling the strain of a rapidly expanding EV market.
On January 11, 2024, BC Hydro stated there are more than 150,000 EVs on the province’’s roads. While It is more difficult to access local data, ICBC figures show that in 2022 there were 11 EVs registered on Cortes Island, 19 in Quathiaski Cove, 172 in Powell River, 190 in Campbell River, 228 in Comox, and 370 in Courtenay.
In addition to being hailed as a partial solution to the climate crisis, an increasing number of drivers find they prefer EVs to gas cars. 96% of the EV owners who responded to a BCAA survey last year stated they found EVs to be more affordable and intend to purchase another in the future.
Continue reading The need for more electricity in an expanding EV marketThere were questions about what can be accomplished, but the SRD will be asking Transport Canada about the safety requirements, noise levels and frequency of planes using the Cortes Island Airstrip.
At their May 22 meeting, Cortes Island Director Mark Vonesch told the SRD Board:
“There is an airstrip on Cortes Island that’s been there for a long time. A new buyer bought the land and has been upgrading the runway significantly. I’ve heard numbers: allegedly a thousand gravel trucks. They’re paving it and there’s a big concern from the community regarding: safety issues, what kind of planes can now land, frequency of planes that can now land, whether they need permission from the owner to be able to land. And also further gentrification of Cortes Island as it becomes more accessible.”
Continue reading SRD Asking Transport Canada About The Cortes Island Landing Strip
