Two ferries from Vancouver Island: No food or gas shortages on Cortes Island

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The panic buying that swept through Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland last week has not reached Cortes Island.

Eva, from the Gorge Harbour General store suggested that, “People on Cortes are probably better prepared.”

The only place she noticed the shortage was gasoline, because the provincial government was limiting sales to 30 litres.

Curt Cunningham, from the Squirrel Cove General Store, believes that rationing boosted his gasoline sales 50% – because most people purchased up to the limit!

Meg, from the Cortes Natural Food Coop, said while she had received notices of a possible shortage from one of her suppliers, another was trying to find buyers for produce that couldn’t be shipped to Alberta.

According to the Campbell River Mirror, there were gas line-ups in Campbell River and, on Wednesday, “the meat section at Walmart was ravaged and left empty”

Cst. Maury Tyre, of the Campbell River RCMP, said the rains “left Campbell River relatively unscathed,” but “fears of supply shortages have created an unnecessary buying fury in many of the gas stations and grocery stores in the area, thereby creating actual immediate shortages.”

The crisis began a week ago, when up to 252 millimetres of rain battered communities in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and the Interior. There were reports of flooding, road closures and local states of emergency in numerous communities. This included northern Vancouver Island, where a local state of emergency was declared in areas of the Cowichan Valley Regional District, the Municipality of North Cowichan, City of Duncan, Cowichan Tribes, Halalt First Nation and Penelakut Tribe.

On Wednesday, November 17th, the province of British Columbia declared a state of emergency.

There were grocery shortages as far east as Manitoba, where the Brandon Sun reported, “Businesses face dire issues with shipping unpredictability because even now it is difficult to guess what will happen with the roads and rail lines in B.C. that have been affected by natural disasters.”

Rains washed away part of Highway #1 connecting Southern Vancouver Island to the gas storage storage facilities in Chemainus and Nanaimo. Panic spread through the Greater Victoria area Wednesday, as gas stations began to run out of fuel. A trickle of fuel trucks started making it over the Malahat Thursday morning, and by Friday two way traffic was restored.

This crisis appears to be something Cortes Island residents learned about through the media.

The Squirrel Cove General Store is probably selling 20% more groceries than usual.

“Supply has not been an issue. My pickups are on Mondays and last Monday there was no problem with supplies,” said Cunningham. “Same with fuel. I put an order in today and they do not anticipate a problem for Tuesday’s delivery.”

Two ferry trips away, in Campbell River, Constable Tyre explained, “The issue is not supply shortage, it’s how businesses order.”

This is based on normal sales volumes. When people panic buy, they put unexpected demands upon the system.

“So please, put down the 3 – 24 packs of toilet paper (you’ve probably got some stashed away from Covid panic buys anyway), re-shelf the 15 packs of ground beef in your cart, and put away the extra jerry cans you are bringing to the gas station,” said Tyre. “Hoarding will only create a temporary shortage that fuels people’s fears. If people just shop in their normal way, things will be fine.”

Photo credit: A washed out section of Highway # 1 - courtesy TranBC twitter feed