For many people in Courtenay, the 6th Street Bridge is a new piece of infrastructure taking shape across the river.
But the idea of a pedestrian and cycling crossing at 6th Street is anything but new.
The project represents more than 40 years of planning, community advocacy and public discussion about how we connect downtown Courtenay with the parks, pathways and neighbourhoods on the east side of the river.
As Mayor, I have been involved in this discussion for much of that time. I believe it is important that residents understand not only what is being built, but how we got here, why Council made the decisions it did, and how the project fits into Courtenay's future.
A project with a long history.
The first official references I am aware of date back to the 1988 Riverway Concept Plan and its accompanying Technical Background Report. The concept continued to be discussed through the 1990s.
In 2005, a grassroots community campaign began advocating for a 6th Street crossing following the completion of Simms Park.
Community members, including Harry Holland, helped build support for the project, collect donations and explore partnerships with organizations such as the Timber Framers Guild and local Rotary Clubs.
That was when I first heard about the project.
In 2014, the year I was elected, the Design Brief: 6th Street Pedestrian and Cycling Bridge was prepared. All candidates were offered a copy, and I accepted one. The brief brought together the history and background of the project and helped establish a foundation for future discussion.
But there was still more work to do
Listening to the community.
After the 2014 election, Council sought additional community input.
That included the 2015 Downtown Forum and the 2016 Downtown Design Charrette, which was open to the entire community and attracted hundreds of participants.
The resulting 2016 Downtown Playbook identified the community's desire for the bridge and recognized its potential contribution to downtown economic development.
This public input was important.
Major infrastructure projects affect everyone, whether they walk, cycle, drive, use mobility aids, own a business downtown or live nearby. Council's responsibility is to listen to those perspectives and consider them alongside the financial, technical and planning information available to us.
The Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association and the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce were among the organizations that participated in discussions about the project's future.
The decision to build a dedicated crossing.
In 2019, Council considered adding cantilevers for active transportation users as part of the 5th Street Bridge rehabilitation project.
That approach could potentially have allowed the work to proceed sooner and at a lower cost.
However, there was significant community feedback in support of a dedicated 6th Street crossing. In September 2019, the Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association made a detailed presentation to Council arguing for the 6th Street Bridge rather than adding cantilevers to the 5th Street Bridge. According to the information provided to Council, 75% of DCBIA downtown business members supported the dedicated bridge.
In 2020, Council voted to rescind the cantilever approach and move forward with the 6th Street Bridge.
That decision represented the culmination of years of community advocacy and planning.
Why the bridge matters.
The bridge is fundamentally about connection.
It will connect downtown Courtenay with existing and future pathways, cycling infrastructure, parks and public spaces on the east side of the river.
It also provides another way for people to cross the river without having to rely on a vehicle.
For people walking, cycling or using mobility aids, the crossing is particularly important. The existing 5th Street Bridge does not provide the same accessible connection.
The bridge is therefore not simply a transportation project. It is also an accessibility project and a downtown revitalization project.
Our community has been planning for additional downtown residential and commercial development, and better connections between different parts of the downtown area will become increasingly important as Courtenay grows.
What about the cost?
The cost of the bridge has changed considerably over the life of the project.
When I first became aware of the project in 2005, the concept involved volunteer labour through the Timber Framers Guild apprenticeship program, with the primary expense expected to be materials.
By the time Council approved the project in 2020, the estimated cost was approximately $6.9 million.
When construction bids came in significantly higher than that original estimate, Council increased the budget to $11.2 million.
That increase understandably raised questions.
But an important part of the financial story is the funding that the City was able to secure from senior governments.
The City received approximately $5.55 million in grants, including:
- $2.5 million through the Active Transportation Fund
- $2.555 million through the Growing Communities Fund
- $500,000 through the Canada Community-Building Fund
The project ultimately came in at approximately $10.7 million, ahead of schedule and below the revised $11.2 million budget.
That means the City's share is substantially lower than the overall construction cost.
It is also important to understand that these grants were designated for eligible infrastructure and active transportation projects. They could not simply be redirected to another municipal priority such as housing.
That distinction matters when we talk about how municipalities make investment decisions.
Balancing priorities
Courtenay has many competing priorities.
Housing is one of them. Public safety is another. So are roads, water and sewer infrastructure, parks, recreation, economic development and downtown revitalization.
Council's job is to consider all of these needs and make decisions about how to balance them.
The fact that the City is investing in one infrastructure project does not mean other priorities have been abandoned.
In fact, the 6th Street Bridge has moved forward alongside investments and advocacy related to affordable housing, downtown safety, recreation, parks and trails, and water and sewer services.
The challenge for Council is to look at the entire community rather than any single project in isolation.
More than a bridge
When I look at the history of the 6th Street Bridge, what stands out is the amount of community effort that came before construction ever began.
The project was discussed for decades.
Residents advocated for it. Community organizations supported it. Downtown businesses participated in the conversation. Council sought public input. Staff developed plans and cost estimates. And the City worked with provincial and federal governments to secure funding.
That is how major municipal projects should work.
The bridge is ultimately a physical connection across the river, but it is also part of a larger vision for Courtenay: a downtown that is accessible, connected, vibrant and able to accommodate the community's future growth.
The 6th Street Bridge didn't happen overnight.
It is the result of years of community involvement, planning and persistence—and the work now is to make sure that the investment delivers the connection and community benefits that people have been asking for.