“The Comox Valley is approaching a watershed moment in land restoration, and all of British Columbia can learn some important lessons here,” states Vanessa Scott, writer and community organizer volunteering with Project Watershed.

“Last fall, Project Watershed launched its public campaign to purchase and restore the sawmill site on the Courtenay River. Renamed Kus-kus-sum to honour K’omoks First Nation’s historic uses of the area, this is the most ambitious restoration initiative in the history of the Comox Valley. It showcases the combined efforts of many watershed champions.

“Whether motivated by the return of healthier salmon runs, the cultural and territorial recognition of the K’omoks First Nation, or the reduction of flood risks and preparation for climate change, everyone in the community has a story reflected in this inspiring project.”

“At the Nanaimo Water Stewardship Symposium in April 2018, an event which was inspired by the 2017 Comox Valley Eco-Asset Symposium, many critical themes emerged which the Kus-kus-sum story brings to life. The Nanaimo Symposium provided a platform and call for action that adapting to climate change requires transformation in how we value nature and relate to the land,” continues Vanessa Scott.

“If we are to achieve any meaningful level of sustainability, all development has to be not only sustainable, but restorative,” said keynote speaker and author Bob Sandford, who also headlined the Comox Valley event. “We face so many overlapping and intersecting crises we can no longer afford to fix them one at a time or in isolation of one another. All future development must seek double, triple, if not quadruple benefits in terms of the restoration….”

“From the City of Courtenay’s perspective, Kus-kus-sum delivers exactly this convergence of multiple opportunities and risks to drive municipal interest in the project as an ‘eco-asset’ restoration,” observes Vanessa Scott. “Such a science-based and policy-driven conversation requires many parties and flows naturally from the successful Eco-Asset Management Symposium held last year in Courtenay in partnership with the Comox Valley Land Trust, Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC and Project Watershed.

“As a feature of the City of Courtenay’s updated floodplain management plan, Kus-kus-sum has been selected as a pilot project in the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Municipal Natural Asset Initiative (MNAI) as an innovative way to “address the twin problems of ageing infrastructure and ecosystem decline.”   The sustainable service delivery implications of achieving flood attenuation, by using green infrastructure to protect private and public built infrastructure, is also a case study in providing a buffer for future extreme events and climate change.”

“As we learned at the Nanaimo Water Symposium, anecdotal evidence suggests that BC is beginning to experience a public groundswell of heightened energy and awareness of the watershed context. Through flagship projects like Kus-kus-sum, we are learning how this awareness translates into greater public advocacy and empowerment.

“Projects like this which combine the ingredients for policy action with an inspiring community-led vision — create space and a mechanism to engage communities in big picture values. Led by wild salmon and local passion, Kus-kus-sum is advancing a common agenda with key partners and highlights how public engagement and storytelling is a key driver underlying restoration,” concludes Vanessa Scott.