I would wager that if we did a survey to inquire about the top two things we most love about Cortes, they would be: the natural world and our community. We take our gorgeous, healing environment as a given, but it is not.

We are surrounded by the natural world, but only certain parts of the island are accessible to be enjoyed by all residents. These areas need to be preserved, cherished and appreciated.

If the Cortes Island Seniors Society and their Housing Committee had not secured Rainbow Ridge, the 51-acre lot in Mansons Landing, as a dedicated place for affordable housing, it might well have landed in a developer’s hands with no public access.

Having secured the land, we now need to build safe trails so that it can be enjoyed by all of us—not just those who will eventually live in housing on Rainbow Ridge. Walkers, bicyclists, dreamers, tree lovers and those who long to meander in silence—to catch their breath or still their minds—will have one more precious place to do what they love on island.

You can help to make this happen! Right now we need help from the community: every dollar counts, and eventually adds up. On Giving Tuesday, November 30th, please give what you can, if you can, to help build trails that will live on for our grandchildren to enjoy, even after we are gone.

All donations will receive a 2021 Canadian charitable receipt from the CISS–Housing Committee. You can donate online now by clicking here:
https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/cortes-island-seniors-society/

OR send a cheque to: Cortes Island Seniors Society–Housing Committee
PO BOX 27, Mansons Landing, BC, V0P 1K0

American donors can get a US tax deductible receipt via TIDES-US Foundation by designating your donation to the Cortes Community Housing Fund–2250 via this link: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/tidesfoundation

In gratitude,
Sandra Wood, Executive Director on behalf of
The Cortes Island Seniors Society (CISS) and
Cortes Community Housing Society (CHS)