No sani-dump on Cortes this summer

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Cortes Island will not have a sani-dump this summer.

The matter was brought to Cortes Currents attention by former Cortes Museum President Lynne Jordan, who has been living in Duncan for the past four years.

“The closest RV sani-dump is at the Shell station on the upper highway above Campbell River, two ferries away! There is no public one on Quadra Island either. I had planned to visit Cortes this summer for about three weeks to continue doing some more research for the history of Whaletown I am in the process of writing. With my camper van which has small holding tanks, I will only be staying three or four days at the most,” she wrote.

Jordan had been expecting to use the sani-dump at Klahoose Gorge Harbour campground, until she found out it is closed while the resort undergoes extensive rennovations.

Jason Johnston, General Manager of QXMC (the Klahoose economic development arm), emailed:

“The RV Sani station at the Gorge Harbour Resort Marina was not in service at the time the Klahoose purchased Gorge Harbour (in 2021). It was only recently that I discovered the above ground tank for this purpose and learned that the service was offered.” 

“That said, when our RV park was open during the 2022 season, we had a pump truck service come up and service RVs staying with us. This is a great solution for all RV operators and those opting for extended stays. It worked well for 2022 operations and we simply added it to the service that was already being done on site. I believe it was also $20 user rate, which was very affordable to campers needing service, allowing us to could cover extra costs.” 

During the years she lived on Cortes, Jordan was responsible for having the sani-dump being installed at the Gorge. Prior to that she had approached Smelt Bay Provincial Park, Cortes Natural Food Co-op and the Squirrel Cove General Store. They briefly considered a sani-dump at the museum,
“The problem is the holding tank is between the Museum and Firehall No. 1. Some RVs are rather large, and would create a problem for fire trucks and ambulance if their exit was blocked or compromised during an emergency.”

Jordan described a number of incidents prior to Gorge Harbour installing a sani-dump, when RVs either dumped, or were stopped from dumping, their grey and black matter in some of Cortes Island's more ecologically sensitive areas. 

“Twice, just in time, I stopped RVs from dumping both their grey and black water tanks into Hague Lake Creek from the lake's lower parking lot. It made me wonder how many RVs had done – and would continue doing! -- the same thing when I wasn't happening by? … It made me livid since that creek drains into the ecologically fragile Manson's Lagoon, a most amazing and special lagoon along the BC coast.”

The campground manager at Smelt Bay Provincial Park had informed her he had “to clean up large smelly spills in the campground where visitors had dumped their sani-tanks in the lower overflow parking lot, or at the top of the beach along the road.”

That was prior to the sani-dump at Gorge Harbour, which Johnson wrote was no longer operational in 2021.

He added, “While planning is ongoing both for the Gorge and our new site at Squirrel Cove, we are aware of the need for RV sani service on Cortes as well as marine pump out, also very much needed for Cortes. There are lots of factors to consider such as the chemicals in RV and marine tanks and thier effects on septic systems. Likely the best solution is to again to address holding tanks and having pump trucks service them but again we are still in planning.” 

“For the interim, I suggest RV operators consider looping in trailer pump out service as part of thier amenities as there is always pump trucks coming to the Island.”