McPhee Meadows

Latest news

• A tender is now open for construction of Phase 1 of McPhee Meadows Park.
• Construction is expected to begin in summer 2025.
• Read the latest neighbourhood notice [PDF - 263 KB].

Stay tuned — more updates will be posted here as the project moves forward.

About McPhee Meadows

The City of Courtenay is developing a new park at McPhee Meadows, an 11.8 acre (4.78 hectare) riverside property accessible from 3^rd Street and Harmston Avenue.

The land was donated to the City of Courtenay and The Nature Trust of BC in 2011 through Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program by the late Mr. Robert McPhee, who wanted the site to be maintained as a public wetland park.

The City is working to create a natural park space that preserves the heritage of the property.

Phase 1 (to be constructed in 2025) will be completed with environmental oversight from arborists, registered biologists. It includes:

• Connecting the sidewalk at 3^rd Street and Harmston Avenue.
• Resurfacing the existing access path and adding a split-rail fence.
• Creating a gravel loop path through the meadows.
• Installing culverts where the path crosses low points.
• Replacing the orchard fence.
• Removing about 8,000 square meters of invasive plants and planting over 4,300 square meters of native species. (The timing of this work is tentative, depending on federal environmental permit approvals.)

There is no current timeline for Phases 2 and 3, which include a riverside trail and access through Island Corridor Foundation lands off Menzies Avenue.

Background

• The donation requires that biodiversity and ecological heritage features be maintained under Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program.
• A concept plan for the park was approved by Council in 2022. It included river access points, pedestrian trails and an expanded orchard. That concept was split into Phase 1 (meadow and wetland) and Phases 2 and 3 (panhandle and Island Corridor Foundation lands).
• The current access route from 3^rd Street and Harmston Avenue has a steep grade (12-15 per cent) that does not meet accessibility standards .
• In July 2024, Council directed staff  to move forward with Phase 1 of the park plan, revising the entrance grade to eight per cent, following the B.C. Active Transportation Design Guide. However, an extensive review found that changing the slope could cause instability and risk damage to the park and nearby infrastructure. As a result, the existing grade will remain.

For more information, visit the McPhee Meadows - Frequently Asked Questions. 

Project timeline