I first came to Cortes Island to visit my little sister Aynsley (you probably know her, she works at the Gorge and she’s awesome). After a two-month road trip across Canada with my pup, Striker, I planned to spend two weeks simply enjoying the island she came to call home.

That was over three years ago.

Cortes has given me so much: friends, work, community, and most of all, a chance to find my feet again. And now, as I leave Cortes to embark on new adventures, I want to say thank you.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this place feel like a home.

And thank you especially to Charlie Hughes, Anna Ochsenbein, Jane Newman, Shantima Braaten, Om Beach, Sasha Cooke, Alanna Cartier, Emilie Wapnick, Kaili Blacklock-Hind, Joy Kerfoot, Charlene Lo, Kai Harvey, and Dan Peters who all allowed me to share their stories in my year-long project: The Cortes Portraits. Our lives are only stories, and it is a deep honour to share yours with the world.

I wish I could have shot many more before my time was up.

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If you’d like to read more about these incredible entrepreneurs, locals, and wanderers head to my blog: www.amandamarycreative.com/blog