Community Articles (listed by posting date)
General News · 30th January 2025
GinaT CISS
In this newsletter: Our Calendar for February / Special Notice to CISS Members / BAH Request for Testimonials / Ann Hiatt Story / and more ...
You can join the Cortes Island Seniors Society (CISS) if you are 50+. The Society manages the current Seniors Village, pays for renting Manson's Hall for some seniors' activities and meetings, sends out a monthly newsletter with news relating to Cortes seniors, and organizes some island-wide events.
Membership in the Society is important as it shows your support for the organization and its programming. To sign up or renew your CISS membership, which is only $10, mail your cheque to CISS, PO BOX 27 Mansons Landing BC V0P 1K0, or email your dues by e-transfer to cortesseniors1gmail.com.
For more information about our programs and activities, visit our Facebook page or our CISS Newsletter Archives.
SPECIAL NOTICE TO MEMBERS
Discussions are underway between the CISS (Cortes Island Seniors Society) and the CHA (Cortes Housing Association) on the possibility of the CHA taking over the management of the Seniors Village. This should have no impact on residents but seems to be a good fit to have one entity managing all rental housing on Cortes. The Village would be managed by several of the CHA board members along with an advisory panel of several seniors – either from the current board or members at large. Eventually, this could allow for a shared maintenance person to respond to problems in both the Village and the new Rainbow Ridge rentals. Your Board is unanimously in favour of investigating this approach.
Stay tuned for the announcement of a Special General Meeting, where you will be able to have your questions answered and the opportunity to vote on the issue.
-- Sue Ellingsen, Acting Chair
THE BETTER AT HOME PROGRAM IS LOOKING FOR TESTIMONIALS
We are working on the 2025–2026 BAH application for the United Way funding, and the people making decisions put a lot of value in Testimonials from seniors who participate in the program. We don’t need to use your name if you don’t want it to be used, but we will use your words.
Please take a moment to send a note to betterathomecortesgmail.com with “Testimonial” in the subject line or pop a note in the mail:
Support Our Seniors Society
att. Ester
PO Box 97, Mansons Landing BC V0P 1K0
It can be about any of our services: housekeeping, outdoor/garden help, veggie boxes, meals on wheels, tech support, foot care, home repair, Klahoose bus, or gutter/deck cleaning.
New BAH Service
If your garden equipment or generator needs a tune-up, please get in touch. We signed up Michael Hollier, who can service your generator and other gasoline-powered small devices/engines/lawn mowers/weed whackers/portable generators/powered garden equipment/tillers/chippers/splitters etc.
Choose to Move Update
We are so lucky to be part of the Active Aging – Choose to Move program.
Their funding allows Kelly on our team to offer free movement classes to seniors and those who want to improve their mobility.
– Ester
Better at Home Cortes
betterathomecortesgmail.com
========================================================================================
Did you know the Better at Home program offers tech support?
Joel’s Got You Covered! He can make your tech life easier, offering friendly, local support for:
✅ Computers, Phones, Tablets, and Printers – General guidance, problem resolution, setup, and advice for new purchases.
✅ Tech Organization & Data Backups – Help organize digital files, photos, or emails; protect important files by setting up cloud or external storage.
✅ Online Resource Help - Fill out forms like pension, disability, or legal documents, and access resources for education, housing, food, or mental health.
Give him a call or text at 250-504-1991 or email techhelpcortesgmail.com. Whether it’s a quick fix or a bigger project, he is happy to help!
Friendly service, honest advice, and solutions that work. (Cost depends on your subsidy level - No subsidy rate is $30/hr)
CISS CALENDAR FOR February 2025
Always check the Tideline Calendar for the latest updates.
Happy Valentine's Day!
• Friday, February 14
The Pod on Saturday mornings
For most of February, we will open the Pod on Saturday mornings (Feb. 1, 8, 15, from 10 am to noon) for drop-in community support for paperwork, finding resources, government forms, etc. This is a trial run to gauge need and interest, so if you think you’ll use this free service, please stop by and get some help from Joel. More details are in this Tideline post.
Community Lunches
• Mansons Hall, biweekly, Thursdays, February 6 & 20, noon to 1:30
• Gorge Hall, biweekly, Wednesdays, February 12 & 26, noon to 1:30
T’ai Chi Ch’uan
T’ai Chi Ch’uan is a low-impact exercise ideal for seniors. Judyth Weaver generously offers these classes for free; donations, passed on to some charitable Cortes organizations, are welcome. All are invited to join.
• Wednesdays, from 10 to 11, Om Studio, Manson’s Hall. Please note: no class on February 26 and March 5.
Carpet Bowling
• Sundays and Wednesdays. Call De0305 for more information.
Gentle Yoga/Mobility w/Kelly (free classes for seniors)
Gentle Yoga and Mobility classes w/Kelly are offered free for seniors. Registration is required for your first class. Call Kelly to register: kbrocks55yahoo.ca or 604-209-3081.
• Mondays, from 11 to noon, Gorge Hall
• Tuesdays, from 11 to noon, Manson's Hall, Om Studio
• Thursdays, from 1 pm to 2 p.m., Gorge Hall
Cortes Markets
• Fridays, Manson's Hall, noon to 3 p.m.
Cortes DeathCaring Collective
• Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, February 19, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. in the Pioneer Room.
Walking Group
• The walking group meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9 a.m. in Manson's Hall parking lot for a 30-minute to one-hour walk, followed by coffee. Never cancelled! Just show up!
Cortes Island Museum and Wild Cortes
• Museum, 957 Beesley Road, Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.
• Sunday, February 9, 2 p.m., Wine 101 with Monika Hoffmann and Lorne Jacobson. By registration only, $45
• Sunday, February 16, 2 p.m., Finding Home: the Cortes Island Experience, with host Brian Scott, guest speakers TBA. All welcome.
• Wild Cortes, 1255 Seaford Road, Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m., but with a winter break until February 14
Literary Afternoon
• Sunday, February 23, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Linnaea Education Centre
PERSON OF THE MONTH – ANN HIATT
To read Ann Hiatt’s interesting story, please check our email version or the pdf file with a link to Google Docs included below.
***********************************
More is included in the newsletter sent to CISS members' email boxes on the first day of each month.
To read the newsletter sent by email to CISS members, click: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hWZGSnU7byxgDl0P8Jyem9QJHqoZx-z2/view?usp=sharing
[CISS Newsletter, PDF version] or https://mailchi.mp/d4bb6d5c3525/ciss-february-2025-newsletter
[CISS Newsletter, email version].
Visit us at Facebook
***********************************
If you are a CISS member, you should receive an email with the newsletter every first day of the month. If you cannot find it in your inbox, check your spam or junk folder and mark "NOT SPAM." Additionally, add seniorscortesgmail.com to your email contacts. If in doubt, call Gina at 250-935-0080.
You can join the Cortes Island Seniors Society (CISS) if you are 50+. The Society manages the current Seniors Village, pays for renting Manson's Hall for some seniors' activities and meetings, sends out a monthly newsletter with news relating to Cortes seniors, and organizes some island-wide events.
Membership in the Society is important as it shows your support for the organization and its programming. To sign up or renew your CISS membership, which is only $10, mail your cheque to CISS, PO BOX 27 Mansons Landing BC V0P 1K0, or email your dues by e-transfer to cortesseniors1gmail.com.
For more information about our programs and activities, visit our Facebook page or our CISS Newsletter Archives.
SPECIAL NOTICE TO MEMBERS
Discussions are underway between the CISS (Cortes Island Seniors Society) and the CHA (Cortes Housing Association) on the possibility of the CHA taking over the management of the Seniors Village. This should have no impact on residents but seems to be a good fit to have one entity managing all rental housing on Cortes. The Village would be managed by several of the CHA board members along with an advisory panel of several seniors – either from the current board or members at large. Eventually, this could allow for a shared maintenance person to respond to problems in both the Village and the new Rainbow Ridge rentals. Your Board is unanimously in favour of investigating this approach.
Stay tuned for the announcement of a Special General Meeting, where you will be able to have your questions answered and the opportunity to vote on the issue.
-- Sue Ellingsen, Acting Chair
THE BETTER AT HOME PROGRAM IS LOOKING FOR TESTIMONIALS
We are working on the 2025–2026 BAH application for the United Way funding, and the people making decisions put a lot of value in Testimonials from seniors who participate in the program. We don’t need to use your name if you don’t want it to be used, but we will use your words.
Please take a moment to send a note to betterathomecortesgmail.com with “Testimonial” in the subject line or pop a note in the mail:
Support Our Seniors Society
att. Ester
PO Box 97, Mansons Landing BC V0P 1K0
It can be about any of our services: housekeeping, outdoor/garden help, veggie boxes, meals on wheels, tech support, foot care, home repair, Klahoose bus, or gutter/deck cleaning.
New BAH Service
If your garden equipment or generator needs a tune-up, please get in touch. We signed up Michael Hollier, who can service your generator and other gasoline-powered small devices/engines/lawn mowers/weed whackers/portable generators/powered garden equipment/tillers/chippers/splitters etc.
Choose to Move Update
We are so lucky to be part of the Active Aging – Choose to Move program.
Their funding allows Kelly on our team to offer free movement classes to seniors and those who want to improve their mobility.
– Ester
Better at Home Cortes
betterathomecortesgmail.com
========================================================================================
Did you know the Better at Home program offers tech support?
Joel’s Got You Covered! He can make your tech life easier, offering friendly, local support for:
✅ Computers, Phones, Tablets, and Printers – General guidance, problem resolution, setup, and advice for new purchases.
✅ Tech Organization & Data Backups – Help organize digital files, photos, or emails; protect important files by setting up cloud or external storage.
✅ Online Resource Help - Fill out forms like pension, disability, or legal documents, and access resources for education, housing, food, or mental health.
Give him a call or text at 250-504-1991 or email techhelpcortesgmail.com. Whether it’s a quick fix or a bigger project, he is happy to help!
Friendly service, honest advice, and solutions that work. (Cost depends on your subsidy level - No subsidy rate is $30/hr)
CISS CALENDAR FOR February 2025
Always check the Tideline Calendar for the latest updates.
Happy Valentine's Day!
• Friday, February 14
The Pod on Saturday mornings
For most of February, we will open the Pod on Saturday mornings (Feb. 1, 8, 15, from 10 am to noon) for drop-in community support for paperwork, finding resources, government forms, etc. This is a trial run to gauge need and interest, so if you think you’ll use this free service, please stop by and get some help from Joel. More details are in this Tideline post.
Community Lunches
• Mansons Hall, biweekly, Thursdays, February 6 & 20, noon to 1:30
• Gorge Hall, biweekly, Wednesdays, February 12 & 26, noon to 1:30
T’ai Chi Ch’uan
T’ai Chi Ch’uan is a low-impact exercise ideal for seniors. Judyth Weaver generously offers these classes for free; donations, passed on to some charitable Cortes organizations, are welcome. All are invited to join.
• Wednesdays, from 10 to 11, Om Studio, Manson’s Hall. Please note: no class on February 26 and March 5.
Carpet Bowling
• Sundays and Wednesdays. Call De0305 for more information.
Gentle Yoga/Mobility w/Kelly (free classes for seniors)
Gentle Yoga and Mobility classes w/Kelly are offered free for seniors. Registration is required for your first class. Call Kelly to register: kbrocks55yahoo.ca or 604-209-3081.
• Mondays, from 11 to noon, Gorge Hall
• Tuesdays, from 11 to noon, Manson's Hall, Om Studio
• Thursdays, from 1 pm to 2 p.m., Gorge Hall
Cortes Markets
• Fridays, Manson's Hall, noon to 3 p.m.
Cortes DeathCaring Collective
• Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, February 19, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. in the Pioneer Room.
Walking Group
• The walking group meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9 a.m. in Manson's Hall parking lot for a 30-minute to one-hour walk, followed by coffee. Never cancelled! Just show up!
Cortes Island Museum and Wild Cortes
• Museum, 957 Beesley Road, Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.
• Sunday, February 9, 2 p.m., Wine 101 with Monika Hoffmann and Lorne Jacobson. By registration only, $45
• Sunday, February 16, 2 p.m., Finding Home: the Cortes Island Experience, with host Brian Scott, guest speakers TBA. All welcome.
• Wild Cortes, 1255 Seaford Road, Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m., but with a winter break until February 14
Literary Afternoon
• Sunday, February 23, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Linnaea Education Centre
PERSON OF THE MONTH – ANN HIATT
To read Ann Hiatt’s interesting story, please check our email version or the pdf file with a link to Google Docs included below.
***********************************
More is included in the newsletter sent to CISS members' email boxes on the first day of each month.
To read the newsletter sent by email to CISS members, click: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hWZGSnU7byxgDl0P8Jyem9QJHqoZx-z2/view?usp=sharing
[CISS Newsletter, PDF version] or https://mailchi.mp/d4bb6d5c3525/ciss-february-2025-newsletter
[CISS Newsletter, email version].
Visit us at Facebook
***********************************
If you are a CISS member, you should receive an email with the newsletter every first day of the month. If you cannot find it in your inbox, check your spam or junk folder and mark "NOT SPAM." Additionally, add seniorscortesgmail.com to your email contacts. If in doubt, call Gina at 250-935-0080.