2023 Courtenay Annual Report

Draft Aquatic Services Strategy In 2023 the draft Aquatic Services Strategy was presented to Council and in January 2024, Council adopted the strategy. The draft commissioned by the City of Courtenay and the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD), was presented to City Council and the Comox Valley Recreation Commission and was available to the public for review in 2023. The Comox Valley is served by three publicly-funded aquatics facilities: CVRD Sports Centre Pool, the Courtenay and District Memorial Outdoor Pool, and the CVRD Aquatics Centre. Key Recommendations Include: • Supporting equitable access to facilities and services for all residents. • Increasing capacity and participation in water sports and activities. • Efficient and effective use of resources such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. • Aligning facilities with the changing trends in pool use to provide better service. • Additional capacity for aquatic services in the Comox Valley will not be required for at least two decades • Planning for long term investment in public aquatic facilities will require cooperation between all local public entities and agencies. The Aquatics Services Strategy considers various aquatic facility options, including maintaining or reconstructing these pools at their current locations; relocating facilities to the site of the Comox Valley Aquatic Centre; or relocating the outdoor pool or indoor/outdoor pools to a new location elsewhere in the Comox Valley. The report and its analysis will inform long-term planning processes for the Comox Valley Recreation Commission, as well as future considerations for recreation services operated by the City of Courtenay. Before any decision is made on specific future upgrades to aquatics services, comprehensive community consultation would occur.

Outdoor Pool Survey Community feedback through the draft Aquatic Needs Strategy showed that the outdoor pool is well-used and highly valued in the community. The strategy also noted that the outdoor pool doesn’t meet current physical accessibility requirements and is located in a flood plain. The pool is also showing its advanced age, and in the coming years requires either significant repairs or potential replacement. An online survey in August 2023 gathered feedback from the community on the outdoor pool. The survey asked about specific options impacting the outdoor pool that were presented in the aquatic strategy, including pool repair, replacement, relocation, and closure, with estimated costs for each. A What We Heard report was released in January 2024 to summarize engagement and survey results. Over half of respondents (56%) preferred to keep the outdoor pool at its current site. To learn more visit courtenay.ca/AquaticStrategy

Parks and Recreation

35

City of Courtenay | 2023 Annual Report