Here are the highlights from the Courtenay City Council meeting held on July 8, 2026. Read the full agenda and attachments for more details.
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Safe and Active School Program – program results and recommendations
Council received an update on the first-year results of the Safe and Active School Program.
The program is a City-led initiative delivered in partnership with School District No. 71 and supported by regional and provincial partners. It is intended to identify traffic safety concerns around schools, assess barriers to walking and cycling, and recommend improvements that support safer active travel for students and families.
The first year focused on Courtenay Elementary, École Puntledge Park Elementary and Valley View Elementary. Engagement with school communities identified priorities such as traffic calming, safer crossings, protected cycling facilities, improved sidewalks, school-zone pavement markings, active travel education and targeted enforcement.
Some early improvements have already been completed, including back-to-school driver awareness, speed reader boards, crossing improvements, school-zone pavement marking upgrades and the Arden Bridge active transportation bridge.
Action: Council directed staff to prepare a five-year implementation and capital planning framework for recommended Safe and Active School Program improvements across the participating school communities.
Water Conservation Strategy – Stage 3 water restrictions
Council reviewed the City’s response to Stage 3 water restrictions and next steps for water conservation, education and enforcement.
Stage 3 restrictions are in effect for the Comox Valley Water System due to reduced BC Hydro release flows in the Puntledge River, low snowpack and reduced seasonal precipitation. Under Stage 3 restrictions, lawn watering is not permitted.
The City has already reduced non-essential water use in parks, boulevards and landscaped areas, while continuing limited watering where needed to protect trees, sports fields, public assets and essential cooling amenities such as splash parks and public pools.
The City has also increased public communication through digital message boards, door hangers, conservation guidance and regional coordination with the Comox Valley Regional District.
Action: Council directed staff to implement and enforce Stage 3 water restrictions, including operational, communication, education, inspection and compliance activities. Council also authorized staff to coordinate with the Comox Valley Regional District on possible shared or supplemental bylaw enforcement support.
Courtenay and District Memorial Outdoor Pool regional funding options
Council reviewed regional funding, governance and delivery options for replacing the Courtenay and District Memorial Outdoor Pool.
The outdoor pool has served the Comox Valley since 1949 and has reached the end of its service life. Council previously confirmed replacement as the preferred direction, with the remaining questions focused on how the project would be funded, delivered, owned and operated.
Staff recommended advancing a model where the Comox Valley Regional District would take on borrowing responsibility, while the City would lead project delivery and continue operating the facility. This approach is intended to reflect the pool’s regional benefit while reducing the impact on the City’s borrowing capacity and maintaining service continuity.
The next step is to continue discussions with the Comox Valley Recreation Commission and Comox Valley Regional District on regional borrowing, ownership, project delivery, operating funding, lifecycle responsibility and service agreement terms.
Action: Council endorsed Option 4, Comox Valley Regional District borrowing with City delivery and operation, as the preferred model for further discussion with the Comox Valley Recreation Commission and Comox Valley Regional District.
Community Social Development mid-term report
Council received the Community Social Development Mid Term Report, which provides early findings from the Better Together and Neighbourhood Networks initiatives.
The work is helping inform a Community Social Development Framework and Action Plan for the City of Courtenay. The framework is intended to support community well-being by strengthening partnerships, building on existing community assets and helping address complex social issues through shared action.
The Better Together initiative has brought together community partners to identify shared goals, values, roles and opportunities for stronger coordination. The Neighbourhood Networks pilot has supported neighbourhood-level connections, including four active neighbourhood groups, seed grant projects and the city-wide Hello Neighbour initiative.
Early findings show that the work is building stronger relationships, improving communication and supporting a growing sense of belonging, trust and local action. The next phase will continue the co-design process, expand participation and integrate learnings from the Neighbourhood Networks pilot.
Action: Council received the Community Social Development Mid Term Report for information and directed staff to continue work on the Community Social Development Framework and Action Plan. Staff will report back with a final framework and action plan in 2027.
Cemetery Bylaw No. 3205
Council considered Cemetery Bylaw No. 3205, which updates cemetery regulations, fees, administrative processes and operational procedures.
The bylaw updates cemetery fees to better reflect the cost of providing services and support the long-term financial sustainability of cemetery operations. It also includes an annual inflationary fee adjustment of three per cent, consistent with previous Council direction.
Additional updates clarify resident and non-resident definitions, scattering rules, late fees, cemetery opening hours, interment notice requirements, acceptable memorial shapes and requirements for potted plants during holidays.
The bylaw also confirms that single-depth burials are the default option and sets non-resident fees at 125 per cent of resident fees.
Action: Council gave first, second and third readings to Cemetery Bylaw No. 3205.