'Comox' is a town located on the eastern side of
Vancouver Island,
British Columbia in the
Comox Valley. Comox has a population of approximately 12,200 people
[1] and is home to the Canadian air force base
CFB Comox and
HMCS Quadra Sea Cadet training facility.
The town shares the Comox Valley with the City of
Courtenay, the Village of
Cumberland, and the unincorporated settlements of
Royston,
Union Bay,
Fanny Bay,
Black Creek and
Merville. The valley's population is currently well past the 30,000 mark, and has experienced a recent period of sustained growth.
Comox is known for being home of the
Lorne Hotel, the oldest licensed establishment in British Columbia, and for the
Filberg Festival, an annual summertime arts and crafts extravaganza named for the residential park where it's held. Coinciding with the Filberg Festival in early August are the 'Nautical Days' celebrations in Comox Marina Park (a landfill waterfront park), boasting a parade, a classic car show, an amateur boatbuilding competition and live music performances.
Actress
Pamela Anderson (of
Baywatch fame) lived in Comox for most of her childhood; fellow actress
Kim Catrall (of
Sex And The City) spent much of her early years in Comox as well. The town is also the hometown of many
National Hockey League stars, including
Cam Neely,
Ty Wishart, and
Brett McLean. Other locally grown athletes include 2004 Athens Olympics silver medalist
Thomas Herschmiller and
squash legend
Jonathon Power. Locally-known radio host
Red Robinson is also from Comox.
History
Comox has long been home to the Comox
Salish nation, who fished in the Puntledge River and estuary.
It is proposed by Bawlf that the
Elizabethan Explorer Sir
Francis Drake perhaps visited the area in
1579, and claimed it as
Nova Albion. Continued
Royal Navy visits have left a long history, with the
Comox Valley:
Captain Vancouver, and nineteenth century ships called in. The fertile soils of the Valley, and abundant
fish and timber meant that European settlers arrived in the
1860s. Farms, wharves and houses were built.
Coal was discovered at
Cumberland, and it and the wharf city of Union Bay became thriving ports in the 1880s.
With all this activity, the trefoil townships of Comox,
Courtenay and Cumberland started to grow. Hotels,
creameries, logging companies, and the
E and N Railway arrived. A dam was built across the Puntledge River
to raise Comox Lake. The vast industrial concern of
Comox Logging set up shop and proceeded to denude
the valley of its timber.
Comox became a vibrant community and participated in the First World War. The nearby town of
Merville is
a returned serviceman's settlement, taking the name from a battlefield in France. Great War hero Captain
Geoffrey Spicer-Simson
retired to the valley. The Campbell River Fire of 1938 caused much concern as did an earthquake a decade later. An airbase was established during the Second World War, now
19 Wing Comox. See also
Comox Valley
Culture
The native culture of the
Comox people is still very active. Descendants of the original native people still live on the local Reserve, and hold many events that are reflective of their culture. For the most part, non-native locals are welcome to come and reflect on the culture of the peoples who originally inhabited Comox many years ago.
Outside of the native population, Comox is a center of culture and multi cultural celebrations. Perhaps the most famous festival is the
Filberg Festival, held annually within the first week of August. This attraction is one of the largest tourist events within the Valley (next to the skiing attraction of the nearby
Mount Washington Alpine Resort).
Other than events based on history, nationality, etc, the
Comox Valley is alive with events in the theatre. The
Sid Williams Theatre located in downtown Courtenay always has something to offer from the local talent, from the
Courtenay Little Theatre to
Rainbow Youth Theatre, as well as travelling acts.
Comox is also home to two museums; the Comox Museum and Archives and the
Comox Air Force Museum. Along with Courtenay and Cumberland, the 3 communities form The Comox Valley also known as The Valley of Festivals.
Language
The area's language is primarily English, though many local schools offer
French immersion programs. All other languages comprise less than 1% of the spoken language.
Education
Comox is home to multiple elementary and secondary schools offering both English and French immersion programs.
The following is a list of Comox's public schools
School District 71 Comox Valley
Elementary Schools:
★ Village Park Elementary
★ Brooklyn Elementary
★ Comox Elementary
★ Airport Elementary
★ Ecole Robb Road Elementary (French+Francophone)
Huband Park Elementary
Middle Schools
★ Ecole Aspen Park Middle School (English+French)
★ Cape Lazo Middle School
★ Courtenay Middle School
Secondary School:
★
École Highland Secondary School (English+French)
★ George P. Vanier Secondary School
★ Mark R. Isfeld Secondary School
Summer Schools
★ Comox Valley Youth Music Centre Summer School & Festival
Post-Secondary Education:
The Comox Valley is also home to the primary campus of
North Island College, which offers a variety of courses to those wishing to further their education, but stay close to home. There are also branches of
Excel Career College and
Sprott-Shaw Community College for those who wish to pursue distance education.
Communication
Print
★ Comox Valley Record
[2]
★ Comox Valley Echo
★ Totem Times
Radio
★
CKLR-FM - 97.3 MHz
★
CFCP-FM - 98.9 MHz
Television
★ Shaw TV - Cable 4
Internet Service Providers
Internet Service Providers in Comox
[3]
★
Shaw Internet
★
Telus Internet Services
★ Island Internet, now owned by Uniserve.com
Notable People
★
Pamela Anderson
★
Brett McLean -
NHL defenseman for the
Colorado Avalanche
★
Cam Neely - former
NHL player - inducted in the
Hockey Hall of Fame
★
Ty Wishart -
NHL defenseman for the
San Jose Sharks organization.
See also
★
Comox people - the Comox native people
References
1. Comox Community Profile - Statistics Canada. 2002. 2001 Community Profiles. Released June 27, 2002. Last modified: 2005-11-30. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 93F0053XIE.
2. Comox Valley Record
3. ISP in Comox: Shaw, Telus, Island Internet, Uniserve
External links
★
Official Town Website
★
Vancouver Island Live
★
Comox Valley Events
★
Comox Valley Business and Community Directory
★
Comox Valley Wildlife
★
Comox Valleylinks
★
Comox Air Force Museum
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