Trees are part of what makes Courtenay feel like Courtenay.
They line our streets, shade our parks, provide habitat, absorb rainfall and help define established neighbourhoods. They are also infrastructure.
As Courtenay grows and experiences hotter summers, heavier rainfall and continued development pressure, the benefits provided by our urban forest become increasingly important.
But protecting trees in a growing city is not as simple as saying that no tree should ever be removed. Homes need to be built. Roads and underground infrastructure need to be maintained. Hazardous trees need to be addressed.
The challenge is finding a balance that allows Courtenay to grow while protecting and expanding the urban forest that contributes so much to our community.
What is an urban forest?
Courtenay’s urban forest includes street trees, parks and greenways, trees on residential and commercial properties, forested natural areas, trees along waterways and those incorporated into new developments.
Together, they form a network that provides environmental, social and economic benefits.
The City’s Urban Forest Strategy provides a long-term framework for managing that resource. Its goal is not simply to plant more trees, but to develop a healthy, diverse and resilient urban forest as Courtenay changes.
A long-term canopy target
One of the strategy’s central objectives is a city-wide canopy-cover target of 34 to 40 per cent.
Canopy cover measures the portion of the city covered by trees when viewed from above. A mature tree can provide significantly more shade, habitat and rainwater interception than a newly planted sapling.
At the same time, every mature tree eventually reaches the end of its life. Maintaining canopy therefore requires us to protect healthy existing trees where practical while continually planting the next generation.
Urban forestry is a long-term investment. Many of the trees we plant today will provide their greatest benefits decades from now.
Courtenay manages thousands of public trees
In 2025, the City’s Urban Forest and Natural Areas team was responsible for approximately 8,600 public trees.
Managing them involves much more than planting. Trees need to be inspected and pruned, storm damage addressed, hazards managed and replacements planted where appropriate.
A municipal urban forest is a living asset. Trees grow, change and eventually decline. Their condition can also be affected by drought, disease, insects, construction, soil conditions and severe weather.
Responsible management therefore requires ongoing monitoring and maintenance.
Protecting mature trees while planting for the future
Planting new trees is important, but protecting healthy mature trees where possible is equally important.
A large tree may take decades to replace. Its canopy provides shade during hot weather, its roots and surrounding soil can help absorb rainfall, and it provides habitat and contributes to neighbourhood character.
This is why development and infrastructure projects should consider existing trees early in the planning process.
Once a project has been fully designed around buildings, roads, utilities and parking, opportunities to retain significant trees become much more limited.
That does not mean every tree can be retained. It means tree retention should be part of the design conversation rather than an afterthought.
We also need to keep planting.
The City has historically planted approximately 190 trees per year and has been developing a five-year planting program intended to increase planting, particularly in parks, greenways and street corridors where canopy cover is lower.
Strategic planting allows the City to direct investment toward locations where trees can provide the greatest long-term benefit.
The right tree in the right place
Planting more trees is only useful if those trees have a reasonable chance of surviving.
Street trees may face limited soil, compacted ground, utility conflicts, vehicle damage and reflected heat from pavement. Climate conditions are also changing.
Good urban forestry therefore means selecting species suited to each location, considering mature size, root behaviour, drought tolerance, disease resistance, available soil and nearby utilities.
Species diversity matters too. An urban forest dominated by a small number of species can be particularly vulnerable when pests or diseases appear.
A more diverse forest is generally a more resilient forest.
Trees and housing should not be opposing goals
One of the most difficult conversations around urban trees involves housing.
Courtenay needs more homes. Much of that housing will need to be built within the existing city, creating pressure on trees.
The answer cannot be to stop building housing. It also should not be to assume every tree is expendable whenever redevelopment occurs.
Better planning can help reconcile these objectives.
More compact housing can accommodate additional residents while limiting outward growth. Site design can sometimes preserve significant trees. Tree replacement requirements can restore canopy when removal is unavoidable, while street-tree planting and public-space improvements can complement private development.
The objective should be housing and trees, not housing or trees.
There is a broader environmental consideration as well. If every new household requires a large new lot at the urban edge, development consumes more land, requires more roads and utilities and can place greater pressure on surrounding forests and agricultural areas.
Allowing more homes within existing neighbourhoods can reduce some of that outward pressure.
Trees are part of climate resilience
Courtenay’s urban forest connects directly with rainwater management and climate resilience.
Tree canopies intercept rainfall. Roots and soils help absorb water. Vegetated areas slow runoff compared with pavement.
Trees also create shade during increasingly hot summers, making streets more comfortable for pedestrians, seniors, children and people using mobility devices.
No amount of tree planting replaces properly designed stormwater or transportation infrastructure. But trees can complement those systems.
This is why urban forestry, rainwater management, parks planning and street design should increasingly be considered together.
The greatest value often comes when one public asset performs several functions.
Hazardous trees still need to be managed
Protecting the urban forest does not mean every tree should remain indefinitely.
Trees can become structurally unstable, diseased or damaged. Storms can weaken them, and some may create unacceptable risks to people, buildings, roads or utilities.
When a tree becomes hazardous, removal may be necessary.
The important question is what happens next.
Where appropriate, removing an unsafe tree should be accompanied by planning for replacement so the loss of canopy is not permanent.
Residents have a role too
A significant portion of Courtenay’s urban forest exists on private property, which means the City cannot maintain canopy targets through public land alone.
Homeowners, businesses, developers and institutions all contribute.
Residents can maintain healthy trees, plant appropriate species and consider whether mature trees can be retained before removal. Developers can incorporate significant trees and new planting into site design. Businesses can add shade and landscaping around commercial properties.
The City’s role is to establish clear expectations, manage public trees responsibly and provide a long-term framework for how the urban forest should develop.
Measuring progress
A canopy target is useful only if we continue measuring what is happening.
Courtenay needs to monitor changes in canopy cover, tree condition, planting success and the distribution of trees across the city.
That information can tell us whether enough trees are being planted to replace those being lost, whether new trees are surviving, which neighbourhoods have the least canopy and where planting could provide the greatest benefits for shade, rainwater management or habitat.
Good data allows the City to adjust its approach rather than simply assuming a planting program is working.
Growing a greener Courtenay
Courtenay is going to grow. The question is what kind of city we want that growth to create.
We can build more housing while protecting significant trees. We can renew streets while adding canopy. We can improve drainage while restoring natural systems. And we can plant trees today that will shade neighbourhoods our children and grandchildren will walk through decades from now.
None of that happens automatically.
It requires planning, investment and a willingness to consider the urban forest as essential infrastructure rather than decoration.
Environmental responsibility means making room for the homes and infrastructure our community needs while protecting and expanding the natural systems that make Courtenay healthier, more resilient and a better place to live.
Our urban forest is one of those systems. The work now is to make sure it continues growing alongside us.