Cortes Currents
1,437 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago -Cortes Currents is a news platform that asks what's current in Cortes and the Discovery Islands. Web articles & radio podcasts: Cortes Island, Quadra Island, Discovery Islands, Campbell River: news, lifestyle, local politics, affordable housing, economy, food security, health, ferries, tourism, history, culture, environmental issues, sustainable forestry, oyster farming, the arts, First Nations, energy, climate change, overshoot
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Episodes
Raising Waste Collection Fees, Funding Opportunities and a 5 Year Contract
May 24, 2024 14:27 - 2 minutes - 4.98 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - At their May 22 Board meeting, the Strathcona Regional Distrct (SRD) passed 3 important monetary decisions for Cortes Island. Firstly, the SRD will be increasing the annual fee for waste collection by $10 a year. This will be paid through our property taxes. Regional Director Mark Vonesch explained, “we're basically being forced to do this because Recycling BC changed their support for the solid waste collection fees so that we're having to make up that loss t...
Carrie Saxifrage's Cimate Mitigation Presentation to the SRD Board
May 24, 2024 12:56 - 14 minutes - 33.8 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Cortes Island author Carrie Saxifrage made a climate mitigation presentation at the May 22 SRD Board meeting. This is an abridged version of that talk. She began with a simple admission, “This is my first time. Thank you so much for having me. If I were to do it again, I'd do it a little differently, but here we are. We're going to whisk through some slides, and I'm going to emphasize what I think is most important.”
SRD Asking Transport Canada About The Cortes Island Landing Strip
May 23, 2024 14:12 - 8 minutes - 19.6 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -There 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...
The SImon Fraser Field School Visits Folk U
May 22, 2024 15:09 - 1 hour - 257 MBManda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On Friday, May 17, Manda Aufochs Gillespie was joined by the Simon Fraser University field school that visited Cortes in the week of May 13-17 to chat about how ecosystem approaches to health can help us understand the implications and impact of climate change through the perspective of rural and remote island communities. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cor...
From The Ground Up: Cortes Island Dwellings
May 22, 2024 13:32 - 11 minutes - 27 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - A new exhibition in the Cortes Island Museum looks at the island’s housing from pre-colonial times up until the present. ‘From the Ground Up: Cortes Island Dwellings And Their Histories’ combines photographs and artifacts from the museum’s collections, stories and images from the community and a display from the Cortes Housing Society. Melanie Boyle, Managing Director of the Museum, took Cortes Currents on a tour of the exhibit. “Welcome to the Cortes Museum ...
Chief Darren Blaney: First Nations need to take over stewardship of Natural Resouces
May 20, 2024 19:07 - 7 minutes - 17.3 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - More than 25 people turned out for the ‘Polycrisis Townhall-Party’ in the Klahoose Multi-purpose building on Friday, May 17. Chief Darren Blaney of the Homalco FIrst Nation, his wife, MP Rachel Blaney, and Cortes Island Regional Director Mark Vonesch were among them. The event was put together by Cortes Island’s Alternate Director, Max Thaysen. Norm Harry, of the Klahoose FIrst Nation, welcomed everyone to the building. The most newsworthy portion was Chief Bla...
Another 'Excellent' Seafest
May 20, 2024 01:01 - 10 minutes - 23.1 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The official count isn’t in yet, but more than 300 people turned out for this year’s Seafest. This is the annual celebration and fund raiser of the Cortes Island Seafood Association, which was held in Squirrel Cove again this year. “We come back every year. This is our 10th time. We love it every year. It's awesome. There's amazing food and amazing people and weather's gorgeous,” exclaimed Jason Thompson. “One thing that stuck out for us was there was only a l...
Cortes Fire Department Preparing For The Worst Case Scenario
May 19, 2024 14:45 - 13 minutes - 30.1 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Fire Department is preparing for what could be the driest summer on record. They have purchased more equipment, a new pumper truck, and are about to start recruiting for a much larger wildfire brigade. After a year and a half as the interim Fire Chief, Eli McKenty may be staying on. This was not the story Cortes Currents expected to cover. An open fire prohibition came into effect at noon on Friday, May 17. They were flushing water through one...
Bronwyn Claire Asha's one-woman theatre, Celtic folk music and storytelling
May 17, 2024 10:28 - 21 minutes - 48.3 MBRoy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Bronwyn Claire Asha is bringing her one woman theatre, Celtic folk music and storytelling show to Cortes and Quadra Islands this weekend. She’ll be playing in Mansons Hall at 7 PM on Friday, and 7:30 in the Quadra Community Centre on Saturday. “I am very excited to come to Cortes. I feel like Cortes and Quadra are both small communities that have a real heart to them and a real community connection,” she explained. Cortes Currents: You’ve also brought some song...
Study finds Bear meat is #4 in a wolf's diet
May 17, 2024 10:04 - 2 minutes - 5.42 MBRoy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Over the past few years there have been increasing reports of wolves preying on black bears. There have been no reports of this on Cortes Island, and a lot of residents first heard about it at the 2024 Wildlife Coexistence Gathering, at Linnaea Farm. Todd Windle of Wild About Wolves explained that the evidences of wolves preying upon bears in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve go back to the reappearance of wolf population in the area. “We were finding b...
Supporting Cortes Island's Small Businesses
May 16, 2024 12:57 - 7 minutes - 16.2 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - In January, the Cortes Community Economic Development Association, or CCEDA, hired a Business Mentorship Coordinator. In the four months since then Tamlyn Collingwood has worked with a number of Cortes Island’s small businesses, developed procedures to help them and is about to unveil a series of new market opportunities in conjunction with Hollyhock. “I was contracted to support small businesses in any areas needed. There’s so many different aspects to busi...
Seafest Returning to Squirrel Cove Saturday, May 18
May 14, 2024 23:51 - 6 minutes - 13.9 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Seafest will be returning to Squirrel Cove this Saturday, May 18, with delicious platefuls of locally grown and prepared seafood. with live music. “ I think the first one was back in 1990 or 92. It was down in Smelt Bay with Redonda Sea Farms and the rest of the community and it was a huge event. I think they had walk-on overloads on the ferry. That was really when the Seafood Association was formed. Its primary mandate being water quality and it was forme...
Cortes Foundation update: more grant opportunities; the shared social workplace & more
May 14, 2024 16:40 - 12 minutes - 27.8 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Manda Aufochs Gillespie announced two new grant offerings, the new shared workplace in the Village Commons and much more, in a Cortes Island Community Foundation update yesterday. “It has been a really busy year, and I am so excited about where we are, and this community that we get to serve. I'd love to tell you about some of the things that maybe you've been hearing about that are happening right now and some of the things that you and everyone can look fo...
Water Housing Forum FolkUxCHS
May 09, 2024 23:16 - 1 hour - 89.3 MBSadhu Johnston/ Cortes Community Housing - Tune in on May 10th for the second collaborative monthly housing forum hosted by the Cortes Housing Society and Folk University. Themed “Water Quality and Quantity”, this forum featured guest panelists Darren Bond, Nick Sargent, and David Bethune and a following community discussion. This is a recording of the second monthly housing forum in April, hosted over Zoom, with 24 people in attendance. Hear us chat about water, it’s relation to housing, and...
A Property For Cortes Island's New Land Trust & Other Housing Alternatives
May 09, 2024 22:18 - 8 minutes - 20 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Cortes Community Housing purchased a property with two houses at 671 Sutil Point Road. This will be the first property to go into the island's new land trust, formed in response to Cortes Island's housing forum last December. The housing society has been active on Cortes for 6 or 7 years and made a lot of progress in buying Rainbow Ridge. Having that acreage for housing and community needs is a really great opportunity and sets us apart in many ways from some ...
Transportation Solutions for Cortes, Quadra and the Outer Islands
May 08, 2024 17:54 - 13 minutes - 30.5 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - A new passenger transportation solutions project was launched for Cortes, Quadra and some of the Outer Islands. Kate Maddigan, of the Cortes Community Economic Development Association (CCEDA), obtained a grant to fund the project and will oversee developments on Cortes. Quadra Island facilitator Jennifer Banks-Doll will be overseeing the project on Quadra and the Outer Islands. Their first step is fact gathering but unlike past initiatives, they intend to implem...
BC Ferries Consultation Apr 27th
May 05, 2024 14:15 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBDe Ckarke/ COrtes Currents - BC Ferries intends to upgrade their Heriot Bay and Whaletown terminals to accommodate new, higher-capacity “Island Class” ferries with the potential for all-electric operation. The construction project, scheduled for 2026, will necessitate closure of these docks and ramps — a serious logistical problem for BCF and for island residents. On April 27th, 2024, BC Ferries hosted a two-hour open house at Mansons Hall from 12:30 to 2:30 pm, asking for community feedback...
Before and After: Impacts of the "Hall Tax" on Gorge Hall (finale)
April 17, 2024 22:17 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBDe Clarke/ Cortes Currents - It has now been four and a half years since the 2019 referendum in which a solid majority of Cortes Islanders voted in favour of bylaw 341. This bylaw established a property tax service that would provide basic operational support for the islands two community halls. What’s Happening Now? — what events and programmes are being offered as of 2024, and how much community engagement is there?
Audio from the Homeshare Forum
April 17, 2024 21:54 - 1 hour - 63.1 MBSadhu Johnston/ Folk U - Tune in on April 19th for the first collaborative monthly housing forum hosted by the Cortes Housing Society and Folk University. Themed “Homesharing”, this forum featured guest panelists Janey Rowland (HousingNOW) and Noelle Marcus (Nesterly), and a following community discussion. This is a recording of the first monthly housing forum in March, hosted over Zoom, with 19 people in attendance. Hear us chat about creative housing ideas related to homesharing and about h...
The Making of Sacred India
April 17, 2024 20:42 - 14 minutes - 32.1 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Local filmmaker Jennifer Pickford found more than the spiritual paradise of her expectations, when she first visited India in 2008. She subsequently embarked upon the personal pilgrimage, 2,500 kilometres down the Ganges River, chronicled in the documentary ‘Sacred India: Plastic Revolution,’ which comes to Mansons Hall on Monday, April 22nd, 2024. Jennifer Pickford: “I was involved in yoga studies and meditation, and I really had a longing in my heart to go ...
Before and After: Impacts of the "Hall Tax" on Gorge Hall (Part 3)
April 16, 2024 22:59 - 13 minutes - 12 MBDe Clarke/ Cortes Currents - It has now been four and a half years since the 2019 referendum in which a solid majority of Cortes Islanders voted in favour of bylaw 341. This bylaw established a property tax service that would provide basic operational support for the islands two community halls Part 3: What’s Been Fixed? — what maintenance and improvement has been made possible by the hall tax funding?
Round Two of the Giving Well Program
April 16, 2024 16:51 - 4 minutes - 11 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Community Foundation is running a second round of the Giving Well program that provides one-time tax free cash “gifts” of between $5,000 to $10,000 to individuals. Isabella McKnight, Executive Administrator of the Cortes Foundation explained, “The first round was extremely successful. We were able to give over $180,000 to 30 different individuals and families in need. So far, the feedback from that has been really great, it was just the righ...
The Awakeneers return to Folk U: A full length concert
April 15, 2024 20:08 - 1 hour - 238 MBSadhu Johnston/ Folk U - On April 12th, guest host Sadhu Johnston was joined by the folk band Awakeneers for a full-length live concert. Kicking off an April tour on Cortes, the Awakeneers delighted listeners with their fiddle and harmony-centric tunes and sweet stories to boot! The live-streamed radio concert on Friday afternoon was a teaser for the community contra dance they led on Saturday night at Manson’s Hall. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 and Mondays at 6...
Before and After: Impacts of the "Hall Tax" on Gorge Hall (Part 2)
April 15, 2024 19:36 - 14 minutes - 12.8 MBDe Clarke/ Cortes Currents - It has now been four and a half years since the 2019 referendum in which a solid majority of Cortes Islanders voted in favour of bylaw 341. This bylaw established a property tax service that would provide basic operational support for the islands two community halls. Part 2: What Changed? -- why were the halls in such dire financial straits by about 2015? why could Gorge Hall not just go on as it had since it was founded?
A New Season For The Whaletown Garden Centre
April 15, 2024 15:38 - 8 minutes - 19.2 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Noah Davidson traces his gardening itch back to the family plot in Ontario but prior to his arrival on Cortes Island, he worked in restaurants. He started out behind the cash register of his father's restaurant in Toronto and went on to work in a number of fast food establishments. This continued after his move to British Columbia. Noah worked at the Floathouse Restaurant, in Gorge Harbour Marina, during his first two years on Cortes Island. “A couple of se...
Before and After: Impacts of the "Hall Tax" on Gorge Hall (Part 1)
April 14, 2024 21:56 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MBDe Clarke/ Cortes Currents - It has now been four and a half years since the 2019 referendum in which a solid majority of Cortes Islanders voted in favour of bylaw 341. This bylaw established a property tax service that would provide basic operational support for the islands two community halls. An interview with WCC President Izabelle Perry. Part I of 4 - Before & After — the Hall’s financial situation pre-2019 vs today Image credit: A Christmas Market In Gorge Hall - Roy L Hales photo
Virtual Forum on Water Quality and Quantity
April 14, 2024 21:35 - 3 minutes - 8.8 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents: The Cortes Housing Society’s Virtual Forum will be returning to the airwaves at 10 AM on Saturday, April 20, with a program on water Quality and Quantity. Host Sadhu Johnstone will be joined by three expert panelists: Darren Bond from Hornby Water Stewardship, Nick Sargent from the Quadra Island Climate Action Network and David Bethune of Groundwater Solutions. There will also be breakout sessions to discuss how these issues apply to Cortes Island. “In December...
New Initiatives at the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery
April 12, 2024 12:38 - 8 minutes - 20.2 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery is trying out some new initiatives this year. Their season is starting earlier, there are more classes and special events than ever, and some of them will be in new locations. The gallery has reversed the order of its exhibitions, expanded its social media reach and now has a website at schoolhouseertgallery.ca “The website is big news, and we really hope people will check it out. David Ellingson has helped put it together. There...
Cortes and Quadra Island to receive more paramedics
April 11, 2024 12:51 - 2 minutes - 5.77 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - On April 1, BC Emergency Health Services improved the staffing models for 60 rural and remote ambulance stations. Cortes and Quadra Islands are among the 6 communities within the Strathcona Regional District that will benefit. “We recognize that one staffing model doesn’t work for all parts of the province, and these three models will help us improve our services to better meet the needs of the community and patients and enable more of our paramedics to live a...
On the Origins of the Cortes Community Wolf Project
April 10, 2024 18:03 - 12 minutes - 27.8 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - There was an increasing number of wolf sightings and encounters on Cortes Island during the closing months of 2008. A number of posts in the Tideline over the course of the next two years mention 'an awful lot of them on the island, in an awfully short time.' There were mixed reactions. A Squirrel Cove resident wrote that 15 ran through one of their neighbours yards at 4 AM. Someone had a 'magical encounter' with a large black wolf, standing on the foot bridge ...
Connecting the Dots: Forestry Management and Some Implications for Wildlife
April 09, 2024 19:46 - 16 minutes - 38 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - In the first of a series of articles from Cortes Islands recent Wildlife Coexistence Gathering, Cortes Currents looked at Vancouver Island’s first wildlife coexistence program in the Pacific Rim National Park. The problem at that time was human/bear conflicts. By the time Sabina Leader Mense reached out from Cortes Island, about 2010, WildSafeBC had been dealing with wolves and cougars for more than a decade. Bob Hansen, Pacific Rim Coordinator for WildSafeBC...
Food Security from the Perspective of Farmers, Food Thinkers, and the Cortes Food Bank
April 09, 2024 19:26 - 1 hour - 206 MBManda Aufochs Gillespie/ Folk U - On April 5th, Max Thaysen, Sara Stewart, and Filipe Figueira joined host Manda Aufochs Gillespie for a FolkU Friday group discussion on food security and food systems. They chat about successes and challenges in food systems, both locally and globally, from the perspective of farmers, food thinkers, and one of the main coordinators of the Cortes Food Bank. Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. ...
Back to the Beginning: The First Wildlife Coexistence Program On Vancouver Island
April 08, 2024 18:27 - 19 minutes - 43.7 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Around 40 people turned out for the Wildlife Coexistence Gathering on Cortes Island. This was an opportunity for Cortesians to meet some of the extended community of advisors to the local program and learn more about our three top predators: grey wolf, black bear and cougar. The gathering was organized and hosted by Sabina Leader Mense and Georgina Silby from the Cortes Community Wolf Project. It began with a welcoming ceremony in the Klahoose All Purpose Build...
Beyond personal carbon footprints, seeking a more sustainable planet
April 05, 2024 14:58 - 11 minutes - 26.3 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - How should we live on a planet where the rate of extreme weather events seem to be increasing, and humanity is the cause? “We're not doing well in terms of global temperatures at all. We're on a dangerous trajectory. We are not going to keep below the 1.5°C on average limit, that seems really clear. We're actually over 1.5°C in terms of individual years already, but the target was stated in terms of multi-year averages. It's clear, with the inertia and the c...
Rachel Blaney will not seek reelection in 2025
April 04, 2024 20:56 - 6 minutes - 14.6 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - After close to a decade as the Member of Parliament for North Island-Powell River, Rachel Blaney announced that she will not run in the next Federal Election. “It was a very hard decision to make but, sadly, I have family issues that have come to the forefront. I recognize that time is precious and this is a long commute back and forth, so I'm happy to be able to continue until 2025 and stay till the next election . Going past that would have meant missing pre...
The #1 Outdoor Adventure Show in North Vancouver Island
April 04, 2024 12:13 - 5 minutes - 12.2 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - More than 2,600 people went to the North Island Outdoor Adventure Show last year. “Most of them were from Courtney and Campbell River. A good portion from Parksville, Nanaimo and then it got pretty slim, but Quadra, Gold River, Victoria, Qualicum. There was one that really blew my mind: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia,” explained Joel Wheeldon, Program Coordinator with the Strathcona Regional District. Google ‘what is the #1 outdoor recreation show in North Vancou...
Vancouver Island Regional Library explains 15% Budget Increase
April 02, 2024 16:59 - 4 minutes - 11.3 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Vancouver Island Regional Library increased its operating budget for 2024 to $38 million. That is 15% more money than last year. Executive Director Brent Hyman explained that this increase is necessary because the library’s previous management did not budget properly and more money is needed for wages, benefits and leases. He has been giving presentations to the library’s funding partners. He has already spoken in Victoria, Nanaimo, and some of the other re...
SRD Update: March 27th meeting and more
April 01, 2024 11:52 - 5 minutes - 5.49 MBDe Clarke/ Cortes Currents - At the March 27th meeting of the Strathcona Regional District Board, a couple of items affecting Cortes were on the agenda. Decisions were taken with regard to funding for our community halls, and equipment for our volunteer fire department.
Part 5: 25 Years of Good Libations
March 29, 2024 01:07 - 10 minutes - 9.17 MBDe Clarke/ Cortes Currents - Part 5 of 5 of 25 Years of Good Libations
CityWest's Cables Cut In Whaletown
March 28, 2024 22:02 - 4 minutes - 10.8 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - he West Connect Infrastructure (WCI) crew had just finished laying CityWest’s main cable in Whaletown, when one of the workers noticed that a line had been cut. They immediately informed the RCMP, whose press release states they were initially informed of three cuts to the cable. Scott Simpson, Senior Marketing Manager at CityWest explained: “On the evening or night of Thursday, March 21st, there was some vandalism done to the fibre optic network that was be...
CAI at ZFolk U: The Wild Island
March 28, 2024 17:55 - 1 hour - 67.1 MBCortes Island Academy at Folk U - On the March 29th replay episode of The Wild Island, created by the 2022-2023 Cortes Island Academy cohort, young journalists cover Cortes from different angles; Ro explores the island’s history with forestry, Finley unpacks the mystery of the abandoned cars in Carrington Bay, Sophie looks at the realities of coexisting with wild animals, and Seren and Sonia profile the Children’s Forest. What really matters most in the world? How will we help inspire the n...
Part 4: 25 Years of Good Libations
March 28, 2024 12:14 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MBDe Clarke/ Cortes Currents - part 4 of 5 of the interview with Doug Brown of Good Libations
Area C Opts In; More Details On The Short Term Residential Act
March 28, 2024 12:08 - 10 minutes - 24.9 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Area C ‘opted-in’ to the Short Term Rental Accommodation Act at the SRD Board meeting yesterday. There was a spirited discussion in which the Director from Area D and two of his Campbell River colleagues discussed their reservations. Regional Director Mark Vonesch showed everyone an exception that would allow some absentee landlords to continue operating their short term rentals. When the final vote was taken Area C’s motion to opt-in was approved with only two ...
Short Term Rental Decisions for Electoral Areas B, C and D
March 27, 2024 14:58 - 2 minutes - 5.99 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The SRD Board will be meeting again today and three items about BC’s Short Term Rental Act are on the agenda. The Ministry of Housing responded to Cortes Island’s decision to opt in. 58% of the respondents of Area C’s survey on whether to opt in replied ‘Yes’ and Area D will not opt in. On February 28, the SRD approved Cortes Island’s decision to opt in to BC’s Short Term Rental Act. The Ministry of Housing responded to this in an email last week. “The ...
Part 3: 25 Years Of Good Libations
March 27, 2024 14:15 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MBDe Clarke/ Cortes Currents - part 3 of 5 of the interview with Doug Brown of Good Libations
Island Alchemy: 25 years of Good Libations - Part 2 of 5
March 26, 2024 20:09 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBDe Clarke/ Cortes Currents - The story of Good Libations Part 2 of 5
the Pacific Herring Spawn and Nurseries Project
March 26, 2024 16:45 - 12 minutes - 27.9 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - A citizen scientist project to photograph pacific herring spawn along the West Coast, from Alaska down to California, has been underway for two months. It is based in the Comox Courtenay area, and one of its many partners is the Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI). According to project lead Jacqueline Huard, a scientist with Project Watershed, “I work with the Coastal Forage Fish Network. We are very community scientist based and so working on a herring project i...
CIA on Folk U - Cosmic Confidential
March 25, 2024 18:22 - 1 hour - 55.4 MBCIA on Folk U - On the March 22nd replay episode of Cosmic Confidential, created by the 2022-2023 Cortes Island Academy cohort, journalists Rose and Zella dig deep into Cortes Island’s infamous coffeehouse drugging incident with their piece Psychedelic Soup. Kiana and Igor explore the possibilities and pitfalls of using psychedelics as medicine in their piece, The Psychedelics Journey. What really matters most in the world? How will we help inspire the next generation of truth-seekers and tr...
Island Alchemy: Twenty-Five Years of Good Libations
March 25, 2024 13:05 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MBDe Clarke/ Good Libations - One of Cortes Island's best loved businesses is a U-Brew tucked away in an old seafood plant, off the beaten track on Hansen Road. Founder and sole proprietor Doug Brown started the business 25 years ago after moving to Cortes from the Fraser Valley. Currents interviewed Doug in mid-March 2024. Our extensive interview covers many topics including: how Doug got started in wine-making, what inspired him to start a U-Brew on Cortes, how wine is made, why wine is n...
The Cortes Island Food Bank at a Critical Crossroad
March 22, 2024 11:27 - 12 minutes - 29.5 MBRoy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Cortes Island Food Bank has met the rapidly expanding need for its services, but says it is time the local, provincial and federal governments stepped up to the plate. Only 110 food hampers were given out in 2022, but since August they have seen at least a threefold increase of demand every month. There were 86 clients in January and 70 in February. Prior to this, the highs for both months was 12. “We really knew that the numbers that we were seeing in pr...