KUS-KUS-SUM RESTORATION ON THE COURTENAY RIVER:”Restoration is becoming a powerful way for everyday people to help reverse what’s been lost to earlier generations of development,” stated Tim Ennis, Executive Director, Comox Valley Land Trust
Note to Reader:
The former Field sawmill at the mouth of the Courtenay River is now dismantled. The remaining acres of pavement are considered the biggest eyesore in the community. The site was on sale for a decade before Interfor chose to work with local conservation group Project Watershed and the K’ómoks First Nation (KFN) in an attempt to achieve “a conversation outcome” on the property.
The former sawmill site as it looks in 2018 (photo credit: Rick Ward)
Restoring nature in the Comox Valley: A community prepares to unpave a parking lot and put up a paradise
“As our industrial economy changes over time, former economic hubs like mill sites are increasingly becoming vacant land. When you add modern regulations, market forces and insurance requirements to the picture, we now have a one-time opportunity go back and restore some estuaries to their natural state,” wrote Tim Ennis in an article published in the Watershed 
Sentinel in March 2018. He is the Executive “Director, Comox Valley Land Trust.
“It is the best investment money could make for present and future generations – even though the price tag of unpaving paradise is not cheap,” he added when commenting on the long-term vision that includes connecting Kus-kus-sum to the adjacent and protected Hollyhock Marsh to create a valuable habitat corridor.
Legacy Impact of a Restoration Outcome
“This is a generational moment for the Comox Valley to create a legacy based not on conquering nature, but a new era of collaborating to restore our relationships with the land and each other.
“Kus-kus-sum shines a light for many estuary communities in the province. But it is an example in innovation and leadership for the whole country.
“One of its greatest values is that it’s literally creating common ground where citizens can imagine together with First Nations partners what a healthier, more inclusive and sustainable future looks like,” concluded Tim Ennis.
To Learn More:
To read the complete article, download Kus-kus-sum: A community prepares to unpave a parking lot and put up a paradise.
And then watch the video below: