Official Community Plan

C

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COURTENAY TODAY

One of the strongest themes emerging from the city-wide engagement for this OCP process is that green and blue spaces are loved. They offer beauty, places to recharge, recreate and connect with nature and other people. They are recognized for their intrinsic value, in addition to the values they provide to humans. Sensitive ecosystems in Courtenay include freshwater springs, creeks and rivers and their riparian zones, wetlands, low-lying floodplain and estuarine environments, and mature forests aged 60–100 years. These ecosystems would have dominated the Comox Valley only 150 years ago, but by 2014 they were reduced to less than 7% of the region and have experienced fragmentation, significant alternation, or

outright loss. Courtenay’s experience as the urban centre is indicative of these trends. Further, watersheds within the City’s boundaries have been heavily altered by urbanization, agriculture, and infrastructure such as highways, ditches, and other drainage systems. Human-made green spaces, nature parks of all sizes, and the urban forest with an estimated 33% city-wide canopy cover (2018) also form important parts of

Courtenay’s urban ecosystems. Known terrestrial and aquatic

Environmentally Sensitive Areas within Courtenay's boundaries are shown respectively on Maps APX-6 and APX-7 (Appendix 2 – Maps).

PART C Thematic Policies