Who we are

Cortes Currents is a privately owned online/radio news magazine based on Cortes Island.

This website is owned by Roy L Hales and was launched as an environmental news website on December 19, 2013. It was registered in British Columbia, as the ECOreport, on January 31, 2014. The focus at that time was environmental news, especially on the West Coast of North America.

The ECOreport took to the airwaves, over Cortes Radio, CKTZ 89.5 FM, on July 8, 2014.

The website was given a more local focus and registered the domain name Cortes Currents on February 27, 2019. Approximately 90% of the previous content was discarded at that time.

Roy L Hales continues as the owner/editor and can be reached at:

You can find a list of contributors here.

Purpose Statement

  1. To provide the residents of the Cortes Island area with topical local news coverage produced to professional standards, including fact-checking and archiving.  
  2. To present all sides of controversial issues without influence from advertisers or private owners.  
  3. To promote and practise a civil, well-informed public discourse on current events and issues affecting the island.  
  4. To promote writing, research, and critical thinking skills among island youth.  
  5. To record and preserve the history of Cortes Island for future generations.

As Broadcast over CKTZ, Whats Current on Cortes and Beyond