Community Articles (listed by posting date)
General News · 21st April 2026
Natasha
Hello Cortes Community!
Please help preserve the ecological wonder and community safety of Cortes Island by joining our collective voice against the proposed quarry expansion and processing plant (Crown Land File #2412932).
Our island’s vibrant biodiversity, natural carbon sinks, and pristine streams are at risk of irreversible damage that "restoration" efforts can never fully undo.
Quarrying and cement processing cause irreversible ecological damage by destroying topsoil and vegetation, eradicating natural carbon sinks, fragmenting wildlife habitats, and contaminating surrounding soil and water bodies with toxic heavy metals and acidic runoff. This industrial operation threatens our shared well-being, as research links these facilities to severe respiratory issues, cardiovascular diseases, and increased cancer risks for those living nearby. We must act together to prevent toxic heavy metals from contaminating our water and to stop noise pollution from disrupting both our lives and local wildlife.
Please voice your concerns by commenting on the projects
https://comment.nrs.gov.bc.ca/applications?id=69c470c2fdc14a00226b2e5c#details
or by sending the prepared opposition letter ( see below) before the May 14, 2026 deadline to ensure the magic of Cortes Island is protected for everyone.
Strong Opposition to Crown Land File #2412932 – Proposed Quarry Expansion and Processing Plant on Cortes Island
To 2385425 Alberta Ltd. and the Province of British Columbia,
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the application for a license of occupation to expand the rock quarrying and processing operations on Cortes Island (Crown Land File #2412932). While the application suggests the material is for local infrastructure, the environmental and health costs far outweigh any temporary economic benefits.
Based on extensive research regarding the cement and quarrying industries, I urge the province to deny this proposal for the following reasons:
Irreversible Ecological Damage
Quarrying activities result in "forever" impacts that can never be fully reversed, even with restoration efforts.
Loss of Ecosystem Services: The expansion will result in the permanent destruction of natural carbon sinks, the removal of topsoil, and the disruption of natural streams and springs.
Habitat Fragmentation: Clearing land creates isolated patches of habitat that cannot support the same abundance of species, leading to local extinctions and disrupted migration patterns.
Disruption of Fauna: Noise from blasting and machinery causes wildlife to avoid the area and directly interferes with their communication and reproductive behaviours. Furthermore, noise pollution has been shown to decrease pollinator activity, which can harm local flora and any nearby agricultural productivity.
Chemical Runoff and Soil/Water Contamination
Quarrying and material processing introduce hazardous substances into the local environment:
Heavy Metal Leaching: These operations often release toxic heavy metals such as lead, zinc, cadmium, chromium, and arsenic into the soil and groundwater. These elements are non-biodegradable and accumulate in the food chain.
Water pollution: Runoff can cause acid mine drainage, lowering the pH of nearby water bodies and introducing suspended solids that devastate aquatic ecosystems. Studies have shown up to an 80-100% mortality rate for sensitive aquatic organisms following alkaline pH shocks from such industrial discharges.
Threats to human health and safety:
The health of both workers and nearby residents would be severely compromised,
Respiratory and Cardiovascular Disease: Particulate matter (dust) from crushing and processing is linked to asthma, chronic bronchitis, cardiovascular disease, and increased mortality rates. Smaller particles can enter the bloodstream directly, causing systemic inflammation and cellular-level damage.
Cancer Risks: Research has documented increased incidences of stomach, lung, and laryngeal cancers in populations living near or working in such industrial facilities, often linked to dust and heavy metal exposure.
Noise Pollution: Anticipated noise levels (ranging from 68.8 to 105 dBA) exceed safe thresholds. This causes noise-induced hearing loss, sleep disruption, and increased stress and hypertension for the surrounding community.
Inadequacy of Restoration:
Quarries by law must be properly and extensively “closed down” if they are to stop being in use but restoration is often a "band-aid" solution that fails to replace the original biodiversity and ecological complexity lost. It is far more effective and responsible to avoid biodiversity loss at the outset rather than attempting to rehabilitate a decimated landscape.
Cortes Island’s residents and delicate ecosystems deserve protection from these well-documented industrial harms. I request that this application be denied to preserve the health, safety, and natural integrity of the island.
Sincerely,
[Your Name] [Your Address]
Please help preserve the ecological wonder and community safety of Cortes Island by joining our collective voice against the proposed quarry expansion and processing plant (Crown Land File #2412932).
Our island’s vibrant biodiversity, natural carbon sinks, and pristine streams are at risk of irreversible damage that "restoration" efforts can never fully undo.
Quarrying and cement processing cause irreversible ecological damage by destroying topsoil and vegetation, eradicating natural carbon sinks, fragmenting wildlife habitats, and contaminating surrounding soil and water bodies with toxic heavy metals and acidic runoff. This industrial operation threatens our shared well-being, as research links these facilities to severe respiratory issues, cardiovascular diseases, and increased cancer risks for those living nearby. We must act together to prevent toxic heavy metals from contaminating our water and to stop noise pollution from disrupting both our lives and local wildlife.
Please voice your concerns by commenting on the projects
https://comment.nrs.gov.bc.ca/applications?id=69c470c2fdc14a00226b2e5c#details
or by sending the prepared opposition letter ( see below) before the May 14, 2026 deadline to ensure the magic of Cortes Island is protected for everyone.
Strong Opposition to Crown Land File #2412932 – Proposed Quarry Expansion and Processing Plant on Cortes Island
To 2385425 Alberta Ltd. and the Province of British Columbia,
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the application for a license of occupation to expand the rock quarrying and processing operations on Cortes Island (Crown Land File #2412932). While the application suggests the material is for local infrastructure, the environmental and health costs far outweigh any temporary economic benefits.
Based on extensive research regarding the cement and quarrying industries, I urge the province to deny this proposal for the following reasons:
Irreversible Ecological Damage
Quarrying activities result in "forever" impacts that can never be fully reversed, even with restoration efforts.
Loss of Ecosystem Services: The expansion will result in the permanent destruction of natural carbon sinks, the removal of topsoil, and the disruption of natural streams and springs.
Habitat Fragmentation: Clearing land creates isolated patches of habitat that cannot support the same abundance of species, leading to local extinctions and disrupted migration patterns.
Disruption of Fauna: Noise from blasting and machinery causes wildlife to avoid the area and directly interferes with their communication and reproductive behaviours. Furthermore, noise pollution has been shown to decrease pollinator activity, which can harm local flora and any nearby agricultural productivity.
Chemical Runoff and Soil/Water Contamination
Quarrying and material processing introduce hazardous substances into the local environment:
Heavy Metal Leaching: These operations often release toxic heavy metals such as lead, zinc, cadmium, chromium, and arsenic into the soil and groundwater. These elements are non-biodegradable and accumulate in the food chain.
Water pollution: Runoff can cause acid mine drainage, lowering the pH of nearby water bodies and introducing suspended solids that devastate aquatic ecosystems. Studies have shown up to an 80-100% mortality rate for sensitive aquatic organisms following alkaline pH shocks from such industrial discharges.
Threats to human health and safety:
The health of both workers and nearby residents would be severely compromised,
Respiratory and Cardiovascular Disease: Particulate matter (dust) from crushing and processing is linked to asthma, chronic bronchitis, cardiovascular disease, and increased mortality rates. Smaller particles can enter the bloodstream directly, causing systemic inflammation and cellular-level damage.
Cancer Risks: Research has documented increased incidences of stomach, lung, and laryngeal cancers in populations living near or working in such industrial facilities, often linked to dust and heavy metal exposure.
Noise Pollution: Anticipated noise levels (ranging from 68.8 to 105 dBA) exceed safe thresholds. This causes noise-induced hearing loss, sleep disruption, and increased stress and hypertension for the surrounding community.
Inadequacy of Restoration:
Quarries by law must be properly and extensively “closed down” if they are to stop being in use but restoration is often a "band-aid" solution that fails to replace the original biodiversity and ecological complexity lost. It is far more effective and responsible to avoid biodiversity loss at the outset rather than attempting to rehabilitate a decimated landscape.
Cortes Island’s residents and delicate ecosystems deserve protection from these well-documented industrial harms. I request that this application be denied to preserve the health, safety, and natural integrity of the island.
Sincerely,
[Your Name] [Your Address]