Town of Comox
About the Town of Comox
The name Comox is an Anglicization of Kw’umuxws, as the area was known by its original First Nations inhabitants. It means is ‘plentiful, rich, wealthy’. 19 Wing Comox, the only military base on the West Coast, is located in Comox, with a primary focus of Search and Rescue. The Town is one of three communities in the Comox Valley.
The Comox Valley is located at the midway point of the east coast of Vancouver Island. Stunning scenery surrounds the community, with the Comox Glacier crowning the Beaufort Mountain range to the west, and the calm waters of the Georgia Straight to the east.
Photo by Spencer Anderson, Comox Valley Echo of Comox Council on Inauguration night (December 5, 2011) showing (left to right) Councillors Maureen Swift, Patti Fletcher, and Ken Grant, Mayor Paul Ives, and then Councillors Tom Grant, Barbara Price and High MacKinnon
Regional Team Approach
Since 2008, the Town of Comox has been a champion for the CAVI-Convening for Action on Vancouver Island initiative. Comox is a member of the CAVI-Comox Valley Regional Team. The regional team also comprises representatives of the City of Courtenay, Village of Cumberland, Comox Valley Regional District, Comox Valley Land Trust, TimberWest, and Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC.
Through a program of professional development, the regional district and three municipalities are aligning efforts, building leadership capacity and striving for a consistent Comox Valley regional approach to Sustainable Service Delivery.
The Comox Valley program is built around an annual seminar series. This program is the foundation for a ‘regional team approach’. The seminars provide a neutral forum for sharing, exploring and learning in a way that no 
other forum currently provides.
“We have moved beyond continuing education solely for the purpose of professional development. We are exploring what implementation of regional policy means on the ground,” states Glenn Westendorp, Public Works Superintendent with the Town of Comox. He chaired the 2011 Comox Valley Seminar Series.
“One of the foundation pieces underpinning the series is expressed this way: All those involved in land development have a role to play in achieving Sustainable Service Delivery. The players include land use and infrastructure professionals.”
To Learn More:
To download a copy of the article published in the Summer 2011 issue of the Asset Management BC Newsletter, click on Comox Valley Local Governments Showcase A Regional Response to Infrastructure Liability
Town of Comox is a Champion Supporter of the Partnership for Water Sustainability
“The Champion Supporter designation is the Partnership’s way of formally recognizing government and non-government organizations that provide the Partnership with ongoing financial and/or in-kind support; and also play 
a leadership role in the ‘convening for action’ initiative,” wrote Tim Pringle, President of the Partnership, in a letter to Mayor and Council.
“We are pleased to inform Mayor and Council that the Town of Comox is hereby deemed to be a Champion Supporter of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia.”
Inter-Regional Education Initiative
“Commencing in 2008 with participation in the inaugural Comox Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series, the Town has emerged as a leader in the 
CAVI initiative, and this in turn is translating into provincial recognition,” states Kim Stephens, Partnership Executive Director and facilitator for the annual Comox Valley series. “Also, the Town became a partner in the Water Balance Model initiative in 2009, and is a champion of the water balance approach to rainwater management.”
“The Partnership values our relationship with the Town, and we applaud Council’s exceptional commitment of staff resources and funding to advance the Town’s strategic goals of environmental stewardship and public communication. This includes chairing and hosting the 2011 Learning Lunch Series.”
“Also, the 2012 set of regional team working sessions constituted “proof of approach” for the Inter-Regional Education Initiative on Rainwater Management in a Watershed Sustainability Context (IREI). The experience gained will help us facilitate full-scale implementation on both sides of the Georgia Basin in 2013 and beyond,” concludes Kim Stephens.
