Demonstration temporarily delays access to Cortes Airstrip

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Earlier this year,  the Cortes Island community learned that there were renovations underway at the island's old gravel airstrip. At a town hall meeting last June, around 125 residents turned out to express their concerns. Very little transpired until yesterday, Monday, August 12, when an asphalt truck was spotted in the BC Ferries webcam feed from Heriot Bay. It did not take long to confirm that the truck was coming to help lay a layer of chipseal on the runway. During the next hour, around 20 people gathered at the corner of Raven and Suitil Point Roads to block access to the airstrip. From the beginning it was clear this demonstration was a brief expression of displeasure and, after a delay, the truck would be allowed to proceed to the airstrip. The truck was delayed for about half an hour. Ben Ajami, who Martine Rothblatt employs as the project’s lead contract, came out to politely listen to the protester’s concerns. He then clarified some details about the project. Chris Dragseth explained, “We’ve tried, as a small group of people, to engage in a respectful way. Unfortunately, to date, that has been totally unsuccessful. We're wanting to go on record stating the community is not happy. The contractors are stuck in the middle. Our intent is to allow this truck to go through, but we want to demonstrate that there is some concern at all levels within the community.”