Project Investment:

• Island Coastal Economic Trust: $150,000
• Total Budget: $399,960

Project Highlight:

Hollyhock on Cortes Island is constructing eight new private cabins to address changing accommodations needs and extend its operating season.

Hollyhock is a registered charity and social enterprise located on Cortes Island offering programs focused on leadership, the arts, wellness, environmental stewardship, and social change. As one of the largest employers on Cortes Island, Hollyhock provides seasonal and year-round employment for approximately 80 people and is a significant contributor to the local visitor economy.

By investing in its accommodation infrastructure, Hollyhock will be able to respond to changing visitor needs and strengthen shoulder-season operations, increasing earned revenue and helping provide greater employment stability.

The project is the first step in Hollyhock’s long-term campus renewal strategy, which includes investments in solar energy, battery storage, greywater systems, a living septic system, and fire suppression infrastructure. Hollyhock is investing in infrastructure that better serves guests while strengthening the organization’s long-term financial sustainability.

The cabins are anticipated to be completed by December 2027.

The Trust is investing in this project through the Capital and Innovation funding program under the Culture and Nature-Based Tourism priority area.

Wellbeing Impact

The Trust invests in projects using a Wellbeing Impact Framework that looks beyond traditional economic metrics. This approach evaluates how each investment strengthens economic prosperity, cultural vitality, climate resilience, and social empowerment. By focusing on outcomes that matter to people and place, the Trust works to spur new investments that create meaningful, lasting benefits across Vancouver Island and the coast.

The Hollyhock accommodation infrastructure project will strengthen economic prosperity on Cortes Island by meeting changing accommodation needs, stabilizing tourism activity, and supporting local employment.

Economic Prosperity 

This project will strengthen the local economy by:

• Attracting $400,000 in new investment to Cortes Island
• Expanding one established local social enterprise
• Establishing six new project relationships with local suppliers, contractors, tradespeople, and transportation providers cabins

Social Empowerment

The project supports social empowerment through:

• Creating two permanent full-time jobs
• Creating three part-time jobs
• Creating eight seasonal jobs
• Supporting local procurement and employment opportunities for local workers
• Procuring locally harvested timber through Klahoose Forestry Operations, an Indigenous-owned enterprise

Climate Resiliency

The project contributes to climate resiliency by:

• Integrating fire-smart design, water conservation strategies, energy-efficient systems, and low-impact construction
• Avoiding an estimated 16,000 litres of fuel, 50,000 litres of water, and 10,400 kWh of energy per year

Cultural Vitality

The project contributes to cultural vitality by:

• Expanding capacity to host diverse programs in arts, culture, environmental stewardship, and social change
• Bringing together youth, adults, and elders for shared learning experiences
• Supporting programs around language revitalization