McPhee Meadows

Latest news

• Construction is underway by Hazelwood Construction. Work is expected to be completed by the end of October 2025. This will include resurfacing the existing access path, installing a split-rail fence along the slope, building a gravel loop trail, replacing fencing around a historic orchard, removing invasive plants and planting native species.
• A temporary road closure at the park entrance (top of 3rd Street) is in place to allow for construction vehicle access in and out of the park.

Check out the latest neighbourhood notices: 

• July 2025 neighbourhood notice [PDF/265KB] (construction start)
• June 2025 neighbourhood notice [PDF/264KB] (tender posted)

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 3rd Street and Harmston Avenue.

The land was donated to the City of Courtenay and The Nature Trust of B.C. 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 3rd 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 metres of invasive plants and planting over 4,300 square metres of native species. (The timing of this work is tentative, depending on federal environmental permit approvals.)

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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 [PDF/9.3MB] 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 3rd 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.

Project timeline

• The donation through the Federal Ecological Gifts Program comes with requirements that state biodiversity and ecological heritage features must be maintained.
• In 2022, a concept plan for the park was approved by council that included river access points, pedestrian trails, expanded orchard and more. That concept was split into Phase 1 (Meadow/Wetland) and Phase 2 and 3 (Panhandle and Island Corridor Foundation land). See the concept plan [PDF/9.3MB].
• After additional review, it was determined that the current access at 3rd Street and Harmston Avenue does not meet accessibility standards due to its 12-15 per cent grade.
• In July 2024, Council directed staff to move forward with Phase 1 of the park plan, revising the park access to an eight per cent grade to meet B.C. Active Transportation guidelines, while protecting the environment.
• In Spring 2025, it was determined that changes needed to meet accessibility standards would put at risk the slope to the meadow and could damage underground infrastructure. It was decided to move forward with the project maintaining the current grade.
• Construction began in July 2025 and is expected to be complete in October 2025.