Official Community Plan

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COURTENAY TODAY

One of the most intimate – and enjoyable – ways in which residents interact with living landscapes is through local food systems. The lands and waters that make up Courtenay today have been actively used in food production by settlers in Courtenay’s recent history and Indigenous peoples. In fact, the K’ómoks First Nation has referred to the lands and waters within the Courtenay area as the land of plenty since time immemorial and continue to be today. Within urban communities, a food system typically includes production, processing, distribution, sales, consumption, and food recovery and nutrient cycling (i.e., composting).

In the Courtenay area, food systems encompass: commercial farms on both Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) and other agricultural lands; urban agriculture ranging from edible landscaping to community gardens; value-add facilities and processing facilities such as community kitchens; goods movement; grocers and other food stores; restaurants; farmers markets and food celebrations. A number of social programs also exist such as food literacy and cooking workshops; food share programs, soup kitchens, and meals provided in social housing; school lunch programs; community gardens; and farm gleaning and fruit tree programs.

City of Courtenay Official Community Plan