Quadra Island seniors being urged to prepare homes to cope with forest fires

Quadra Island seniors being urged to prepare homes to cope with forest fires

Though it’s early spring, seniors on Quadra Island are being urged to act now to prepare their homes for possible forest fires in BC. Mike Gladish, coordinator of the local Seniors Emergency Preparedness Program, says that once the weather warms up the risk of forest fires increases. He advises seniors and the general population to adopt measures recommended in the FireSmart BC Homeowners Guide. These include clearing roofs and gutters of forest debris, sweeping decks and removing nearby trees that pose a fire risk. Gladish says seniors can register with the Quadra Seniors Emergency Preparedness Program and receive help for contacting and hiring volunteers and contractors who are able to assist with fire mitigation measures. He adds that some financial help is also available courtesy of a $25,000 fund created by the United Way. Mike Gladish outlines the program in the interview below with CKTZ News:...
Cortes Island Food Bank sees clients double, issues spring appeal for donations

Cortes Island Food Bank sees clients double, issues spring appeal for donations

The Cortes Island Food Bank has seen a doubling in the number of regular clients since last year, according to food bank treasurer Filipe Figueira. He says the total now stands at about 20 individuals, compared with seven to 10 last year. He says that spring is often the toughest time of year for people experiencing food insecurity. Many jobs on Cortes Island are seasonal, and food bank president Samantha Statton says people run short of resources by this time of year while they await spring and summer employment. She adds that it’s especially tough as the cost of living keeps rising. This Friday, April 7, the food bank will have a table set up at the weekly market, located at Mansons Community Hall, from 12-3 p.m. They will be offering quantities of free sprouted potatoes for planting. Figueira says recipients are welcome to donate a bag of potatoes back to the food bank, once they’re harvested, if people have more than they can use. The Cortes Island food bank can be reached via cortesfoodbank.ca or by emailing cortesfoodbank@proton.me. Figueira says both food and financial donations are welcome. Statton adds that food donations can’t include home canning, or any opened or damaged packaging. The food bank also supplies food for pets. Figueira and Statton discuss the current situation at the Cortes Island Food Bank in the interview below with CKTZ News:...
Rocky terrain on Cortes Island delays fiber optic network build

Rocky terrain on Cortes Island delays fiber optic network build

CityWest landing site ready to connect with undersea fiber optic cable on Cortes Island. Photo by Greg Osoba.

CityWest regional manager for Cortes Island Dino Tsakonas says he originally hoped for fiber optic service to be available this month, but rocky terrain has stalled progress on constructing the network. He now expects service to begin sometime this spring… Click title for full article.