Comox Valley & Real Estate Resources

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City of Courtenay

Located in the heart of some of the most beautiful farming landscape on Vancouver Island, Courtenay is the urban centre of the Comox Valley.

When Comox’s Sister City was laid out in 1891, it was named after the Courtenay River. The Courtenay River had been named in 1860 after Captain George William Courtenay of HMS Constance, which was on the Pacific Station in 1846-9.

The Tsolum River and the Puntledge River merge to become the Courtenay River. The Courtenay River with its marina and airpark, and the Puntledge River with its parks and fish hatchery, both run through the city before the Courtenay empties into Comox Harbour, creating a rich tidal estuary teeming with wildlife. The Courtenay River Estuary is considered to be the single most important wintering site in the world for the protected Trumpeter Swan.

Today, Courtenay is one of Canada’s fastest growing urban communities. With excellent shopping, accommodation and restaurants, Courtenay is also home to a new Public Contemporary Art Gallery and the Sid Williams Civic Theatre, the north-central Island’s major performance centre.

Population: 21,068

Location: Courtenay is located north of Cumberland. Highways 19 and 19A link the Comox Valley with southern Vancouver Island. Approaching from the north, Highway 19 links the Comox Valley and Campbell River with the northern half of Vancouver Island. The Comox Valley is a two-and-a-half hour drive north from Victoria, or a 75-minutes drive from the ferry terminals of Departure Bay and Duke Point near Nanaimo.

BC Ferries operates a route between Comox and Powell River on the British Columbia mainland. The Comox Valley Regional Airport is served by three major airlines, with 12 daily flights between Vancouver and Comox and direct flights from Calgary. Small aircraft and floatplanes land at the Courtenay Airpark near downtown Courtenay. Daily coach lines connect all parts of Vancouver Island with the Mainland, and local bus service is also available in Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland.