Here are the highlights from the Courtenay City Council meeting held on July 29, 2026. Read the full agenda and attachments for more details.
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Mount Underwood Wildfire plaque presentation
Mayor Bob Wells presented a plaque from the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District recognizing support provided during the Mount Underwood Wildfire in August 2025.
City staff members Averlee Howie and Kurt MacDonald responded during the wildfire, representing the City’s Geographic Information Systems division and Fire Department.
Mayor Wells invited Averlee Howie to come forward to accept the recognition on behalf of City staff. Council and the City Manager joined Ms. Howie at the front of Council Chambers for the presentation and a commemorative photograph.
Comox Valley RCMP – community policing priorities / 2026–2027 strategic priorities
Council received a presentation from the Comox Valley RCMP Detachment on its 2026–2027 strategic priorities.
The priorities were developed through consultation with municipal leaders, K’ómoks First Nation, the Comox Valley Regional District and community stakeholders.
The five priority areas are road safety, crime reduction focused on prolific offenders, police visibility and community engagement, mental health and community wellness, and Indigenous relations and reconciliation.
The presentation also included first-quarter progress highlights, including traffic enforcement, impaired-driving initiatives, work with priority offenders, mental health referrals and continued engagement with K’ómoks First Nation.
Action: Council identified the following top five areas of concern regarding police services in the City of Courtenay for 2026–2027: road safety; crime reduction focused on prolific offenders; police visibility and community engagement; mental health and community wellness; and Indigenous relations and reconciliation.
Review the strategic priorities
Temporary Winter Shelter season review
Council received a season review for the Temporary Winter Shelter at 971 Cumberland Road.
The shelter operated from December 2025 to April 2026 and provided overnight and, later in the season, 24-hour support for people experiencing homelessness. The season included 101 nights of operation, 1,983 recorded bed occupancies and 2,193 service contacts.
The review noted that the shelter helped connect guests with health, housing, treatment and recovery supports. It also highlighted the role of outreach staff, the peer clean-up program and the Community Integration Table in supporting shelter guests, nearby residents and businesses.
Staff reported that community complaints remained low overall and that the shift to 24-hour operations helped reduce daytime displacement, support steadier routines and improve on-site supervision.
Action: Council directed staff to renew the Licence to Occupy with Lookout Health and Housing Society to allow 24-hour shelter services for the 2026–2027 winter sheltering season. Council also approved funding to renew the Community Integration Table, Peer Program and Shelter Outreach programs, and directed staff to request financial contributions from regional partners.
Permissive Tax Exemption Policy update
Council reviewed proposed updates to the City’s Permissive Property Tax Exemption Policy.
Permissive tax exemptions allow Council to reduce or waive property taxes for eligible not-for-profit organizations and other properties that provide community benefit.
The proposed policy updates were intended to make the program clearer, more consistent and easier to administer. The updates included moving most exemptions to a four-year cycle aligned with the Council term and setting maximum exemption levels based on the type of activity or service provided.
The proposed policy also included updates for housing, social programming, Indigenous organizations, places of worship, arts and culture, sport, heritage, nature and municipal uses. It also included criteria related to human rights, inclusion and non-discrimination.
For ancillary property around places of worship, the proposed policy set a maximum exemption of 40 per cent. The policy also included transition provisions to help reduce the impact where an organization may see a significant change in exemption value.
Action: Council deferred consideration of Permissive Property Tax Exemption Policy 1960.00.01 until early 2027, when the new Council is in place and able to establish its priorities.
Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 3233 and Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 3237 – 2620 Sheraton Road
Council considered first reading of Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 3233 and Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 3237 for 2620 Sheraton Road.
The application proposed changing the property’s land use designation from Urban Residential to Institutional and rezoning the property to allow a green burial cemetery. The proposed cemetery would include up to 600 natural burial plots, with no cremated remains accepted.
The property is located in East Courtenay, immediately south of Lerwick Nature Park. The applicant’s proposal was intended to preserve the property in its natural state while creating a green burial option in Courtenay.
Staff did not support the application at this time. The staff report noted that the property is currently designated and zoned for housing, and that changing the land use would reduce land available for residential development. The report also identified environmental, groundwater, long-term management and operational questions related to the proposed cemetery. It noted that there may be other options to preserve the property, including park dedication.
Action: Council refused first reading of the Official Community Plan and zoning amendment bylaws. Council also directed staff to work with the proponent to explore park dedication for 2620 Sheraton Road.