


Whaletown Community Club: 80 years of community connections
Construction began on the Gorge Hall in Whaletown in 1932, according to Gabriel Dinim. Photo by Loni Taylor.
On November 20th, the Whaletown Community Club (WCC) held their Annual General Meeting, marking 80 years of community spirit. The goals and aims of the WCC have not changed, as they continue to meet the needs of the community. Gabriel Dinim has been the volunteer president of the club for 3 years. He notes the timelessness of the principals driving the organization,
“Cortes residents seem to have the same social needs and the same social desires and the same desire to express themselves- and I find that quite remarkable that we really are still the same.”… Click title for full article.

Waste Management Manager retires after 13 years of service to Cortes Island
The inside of the Cortes Island Waste Management Centre is filled with art, sculptures, and decor- curated by the retiring manager, Brian Pfeifle. Photo by Loni Taylor. On December 31st, Brian Pfeifle will be officially retired from his role as Cortes Island’s Waste Management Manager. Pfeifle has been a resident of Cortes for 30 years and held the position of Manager for the past nine years. He reminisced about the many changes the centre has seen during his time: “Dova Wilshire took over and that’s where all the major changes started happening with recycling and how it’s managed.” After working with Dova for 3 years, Brian took over as manager. Pfeifle’s affinity for art permeated his time at the Waste Management Centre, curating an art gallery on the inside walls of the centre’s main building. Aaron McCulloch-Gary, whom has been working at the Waste Management Centre for almost 4 years, will be stepping up as the new manager on January 1st, 2023. Kathleen Pemberton painted an image of Dumpstar, the famed black fluffy cat that used to live at the Waste Management Centre. Photo by Loni Taylor. Photos of the old dump on Cortes Island include two tall incinerators, the images are displayed in the gallery of the Waste Management Centre. Photo by Loni Taylor. To hear more about Pfeifle’s legacy at the Waste Management Centre, listen to the CKTZ News Update below: Cortes Radio · CKTZ News - Waste Management Manager retires after 13 years of service to Cortes Island This program was funded by a grant from the Community Radio Fund of Canada and the Government of Canada’s...
BC Hydro rep affirms safety precautions surrounding damaged lines on Cortes
A large dead, douglas fir landed on the power lines along whaletown road during the summer of 2022.. Photo by Loni Taylor. On October 10th, a windstorm took down several trees, resulting in three small fires in Tyber Bay. BC Hydro advises the public to call 9-1-1 if they see a power line on the ground. Photo by Loni Taylor. Cortes Island consists almost entirely of rainforest, and all the roads are lined with above-ground power lines. Ted Olynyk, a representative for BC Hydro says: “that’s the number one cause of outages in British Columbia- vegetation. In BC we have more trees per kilometre of utility line than any place else in North America. On Vancouver Island, we have three times that amount and I’ve been to Cortes many times and I can tell you probably with certainty, with no numbers, that Cortes is probably even more than that.” BC Hydro protocol for downed lines focuses on safety first. Olynyk clarifies what community members should do depending on these circumstances. “If a tree’s on the line, and powers out, Call BC Hydro 1-800 BC HYDRO. If a line is on the ground, that’s not a power issue anymore. That’s a public safety issue. So we tell people, stay 10 meters back. Length of a city bus… you don’t know if the line could still be energized. We try to bring it back on, or someone has a generator and it’s wired improperly. So if you see a downed line, call 9 1 1 - because at that point it’s a public safety issue.” - Ted Olynyk To find out more...