Hello,
The March 25 SRD Board meeting was certainly memorable, with between 80-100 residents of Quadra Island and Area C crowding into the boardroom’s public gallery and overflowing into the foyer. They were there to observe as the Board considered a report regarding adding Quadra Island (or all of Area C) as annual tax paying participants of the Strathcona Gardens Recreation Service. That topic is what this report focuses on.
Tag Archives: Denman Island
A $943,000 Question: Quadra and the Strathcona Gardens Vote
Originally published in the Bird’s Eye
Did I set out to write a two-page article this week? Nope. Did I anyway? Yup. This is a big deal for our island — and it’s still early in the series. So yes, I’m running the longest two pages in Bird’s Eye history. Sorry, not sorry. Enjoy!
By Melissa McKinney, editor/owner of the Bird’s Eye.
On March 25, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) board voted on whether to add Quadra Island to the Strathcona Gardens recreation service area. Around 80 Area C residents showed up to watch — enough to fill the boardroom, spill out through the open double doors into the lobby, where even standing room was tight. The SRD livestreams their board meetings on YouTube, so small groups of residents huddled around phones watching their own local government meeting from the parking lot outside. Inside the lobby, the meeting’s audio played from multiple phones on a slight delay, making it difficult to follow unless you were actually in the boardroom.
Continue reading A $943,000 Question: Quadra and the Strathcona Gardens Vote
Saturday, September 20: Drawing the Line in Campbell River
People from 93 nations will be calling upon their governments to Draw the Line – For People, for Peace, for the Planet – on Saturday, September 20. Demonstrations are planned in major cities across Europe, Asia, Latin America, the United States and Canada. More than 200 organizations, including 350 Canada, the Council of Canadians and the Migrant Rights Network are participating.
On Vancouver Island, there will be demonstrations in Victoria, Nanaimo, Campbell River, Courtenay and Duncan as well as the neighbouring communities of Denman Island, Salt Spring Island and Powell River.
Former North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney will be among the Speakers for the event starting at 2 PM in Campbell River’s Spirit Square.
Continue reading Saturday, September 20: Drawing the Line in Campbell River
Coming Feb 17&18: Free Ecotrust Canada Workshops On Energy Retrofits
The energy team of Ecotrust Canada will be visiting Quadra and Cortes Islands next week. They are part of a registered charity which works primarily in rural and remote areas and helps guide people through the process of doing energy retrofits, installing heat pumps, new windows and solar panels. They will be giving free workshops at 2:00 and 6:30 in the Quadra Community Centre on Monday, February 17 and at the same times in Mansons Hall on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.
“The upcoming workshops are to introduce residents to our Home Energy Savings Program. We’re offering a one on one support service, often called a concierge service. So once you register for our program, you’ll get an email from me asking very basic information about your home, like the age of your home, the heating system you have etc. After that, you will receive a phone call from me and we’ll go through more questions about your home. You explain what your desires are, what challenges you’re experiencing around your energy bill, and then I can help guide you toward the right rebates and the right renovations, or retrofits, so that you can achieve that goal,” explained Michael Anthony Lutfy, the program manager for our area.
Continue reading Coming Feb 17&18: Free Ecotrust Canada Workshops On Energy Retrofits
Recent Concerns with Eating Raw Oysters; Unaffected Oysters & Areas (like Cortes)
Editor’s note: Someone pointed out this article is too specific for International readers who, for example, may not even know where Vancouver Island is. There is a lack of specific information. I have written Fisheries and Oceans Canada, pointing out: “Most of The articles I see mention Tidal Area 14 (which is the little stretch of Vancouver Island coast between Comox and Parksville), but when I talk to Cortes growers they mention Baynes Sound, which is only a small part of Tidal Area 14. If it is only Baynes Sound, a lot of growers in other parts of Tidal Area 14 are being negatively impacted for something that is not even in their immediate vicinity. At the moment, a lot of Vancouver Island growers appear to be negatively impacted for something that is not in their Tidal Area.“
There was a 10 hour interval during which Erik Lyon of Rising Tide Oysters, on Cortes Island, thought he was going to reap big profits. Dozens of Californians had fallen ill after eating raw oysters from ‘Tidal Area 14’ in British Columbia. That’s on the east coast of Vancouver Island, between Comox and Parksville. Lyon specifically pointed to Baynes Sound, where there are oyster growers that sometimes ship 20,000 dozen oysters in a week. By way of contrast, he described most Cortes Island growers as ‘little mom and pop operations.’
“We’re a little bit removed from Baynes Sound. We tend to have cleaner water and a lot of the buyers can reliably pick up more product from us when the big guys go down,” he explained.
That’s what seemed to be happening on Saturday, December 13, 2024.
Continue reading Recent Concerns with Eating Raw Oysters; Unaffected Oysters & Areas (like Cortes)