By Manda Aufochs Gillespie The Rainbow Ridge Rezoning Hearing was held this Thursday October 15, 2020, at 2 p.m., six months after it’s originally scheduled date, which was postponed due to COVID19. In question was the rezoning of a 2.45-hectare portion of the 20.75-hectare Rainbow Ridge property. The public hearing involved an in-person option, a phone-in options, and a livestream option: to ensure numerous options for the public while maintaining public safety protocols. There were three Strathcona Regional District staff in person at Manson’s Hall. The rest of the SRD staff and the four rural directors joined virtually, this included alternate director Corry Dow sitting in for Noba Anderson for Cortes Island. The Public Hearing heard from fourteen Cortes Island residents: 3 in person and 11 virtually. The fourteen speakers represented nearly 300 years of living on Cortes Island and all of them spoke in support of the Rezoning Proposal for Rainbow Ridge. This included one neighbour who said she had originally been opposed to the project and then after listening to the other speakers had changed her mind and decided to speak in support of the project. To read more about Rainbow Ridge visit Cortes Currents to read:

• articles about Rainbow Ridge
• or access the most recent: Finding Home: Options and Challenges

Top Photo: Screenshot from  decade old ideas on how to develop Manson’s Landing – courtesy David Rousseau