The City of Courtenay and School District 71 have partnered for many years to improve transportation and school safety. During the 2025-26 school year, the City and the School District have taken a significant step forward towards safer travel for students with the refreshed Safe and Active Schools (SAS) program. The two-year program includes a range of activities such as open houses, school walkabouts with students, parents and administration, online surveys and development of school travel plans with recommended actions for each participating school.
The Safe and Active Schools program is intended to improve the safety of students in Courtenay as well as increase the numbers of students and families using active, sustainable modes of transportation to travel to and from school - including walking, cycling and rolling. The program supports several City-wide goals set out in the City of Courtenay’s Official Community Plan and the Transportation Master Plan.
Since launching the program last fall, numerous engagement activities have taken place. From this extensive feedback—more than 600 suggested actions—a shortlist of proposed interventions has been developed.
These proposed improvements will be shared at the spring 2026 open house as well as through an online community survey distributed through the participating schools. Several early actions have already been completed, including changes in signals timing to improve the visibility of pedestrians, as well as new pavement markings near schools and a new pedestrian crossing.
“Courtenay’s Safe and Active Schools program continues to make meaningful progress thanks to the tremendous input we’ve received from students, families, and school communities,” said Mayor Bob Wells. “Early actions are already underway, and we’re taking important steps toward safer routes, healthier habits and more sustainable travel for our students.”
The first three elementary schools participating in the program for the 2025-26 school year are École Puntledge Park Elementary School, Courtenay Elementary School and Valley View Elementary School. In the following years, the City will engage with up to three schools per year to identify and address barriers to active school travel.
School communities participated in providing input for the development of tailored, school specific travel plans. This process involves identifying existing barriers to safe and active travel at each school. Following this, a series of recommended actions will be proposed to address these concerns and presented to Courtenay Council.
The City is hosting an open house on March 12, 2026 in the École Puntledge Park Elementary School gymnasium from 5-7 p.m. Attendees will be given an update on the overall project progress, provided a summary of the community input received to date, and have the opportunity to share their thoughts on the recommended actions developed from this community engagement. Following the open house and feedback given through a survey for participating schools, the final list of recommended actions and their priority will be developed based upon the feedback received. A final SAS Report for each school will be produced this spring, with implementation intended to occur over the coming years.
To learn more about the Safe and Active School program and to confirm attendance at the open house, please visit the program website: https://www.courtenay.ca/safe-and-active-school