Increasing accessibility for all benefits our entire community. When first elected I met with John Higginbotham and toured Courtenay in a scooter from the Air Park to North Island College. It was clear that many of the streets, intersections and public buildings were not designed for accessibility. Over the years I met with John for tours and was fortunate to have him support the accessibility community. I also appreciated his endorsement of me for mayor.
I helped link the city, as well as developers, to work with the Rick Hansen Foundation for certification of accessible projects which in turn can help fund them through the foundation.
The work of making Courtenay accessible for all continues as we look for opportunities. The main argument against increasing accessibility is the cost, however the investment makes it better for everyone.
Transportation is a complicated conversation which I am happy to have. Some people may not be aware that some of the roads within Courtenay like Cliffe Ave from 17th St going south and the bypass from 17th to Ryan Rd and up Ryan Rd from Superstore to CFB Comox base entrance are all owned and controlled by the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Transit. This means Courtenay is only able to advocate for changes, upgrades and improvements but that the Ministry then chooses its own priorities from across the province, with our priorities often not making their list. They have said they will not entertain doubling the lanes down Ryan Rd by North Island College, or the bypass to the 17th Street Bridge after decades of discussion. The city has requested that the ministry synchronize the traffic lights to make traffic movements more efficient.
The city has focused on improvements within our own control including the 5th and Cliffe intersection and working with SD71 on the Safe and Active Schools Program to improve safety for students travelling to and from school, and encourage more students to walk, cycle, or use other more active and sustainable travel options.
I have supported expanded and improved transit service throughout the Comox Valley since 2014 to make it more convenient for users. The increased service has resulted in a 25% increase in riders over the past decade. However we need to continue to make it more convenient to increase ridership across the entire Comox Valley.
As Courtenay’s population ages, thoughtful planning for housing, accessibility, transportation, recreation and community services will become increasingly important to helping residents remain active, independent and connected.
Full transit service will resume in the Comox Valley on Feb. 12; HandyDART service resumes Feb. 7.
The issue of homelessness and illicit drug use in the Comox Valley – particularly in Courtenay – has become one of the most all-encompassing issues in recent years. The Record had an extended interview with Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells on a variety of topics that fall …
Courtenay Parks recently installed a new drinking fountain and bottle fill station at the Comox-Courtenay Outdoor Skateboard park at 1701 Lerwick Road (beside Mark R. Isfeld Secondary School). The fountain is also conveniently located by the Valley View sports fields. S…
So proud of the statement Courtenay City Council has made with our Pride crosswalk. In these times of bigotry and discrimination we need to stand up for all members of our community to make sure we are all treated equally.
School District 71 and Comox Valley local governments have reopened outdoor playgrounds effective Monday June 1, 2020.
We want your ideas for the City of Courtenay’s Official Community Plan! Please join us for the OCP Ideas fair February 19th, 10 am – 8 pm at the Florence Filberg Centre Conference Hall.
With funding secure, land acquisitions complete and a contractor in place, detailed planning and design is now underway for the Water Treatment Project. Construction officially broke ground with a kick-off event on October 30 next to the new pump station site on Comox L…
Two sweeping community master plans were passed by Courtenay council Sept. 30, outlining a vision for the city’s multi-modal transportation, parks and recreation for years to come.
A new playground area at Hawk Glen Park has been recently completed and the City of Courtenay officially opened the playground at a ribbon cutting event on Friday, July 26.
B.C. has launched a new Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Entrepreneur Immigration Regional Pilot that is focused on attracting entrepreneurs from around the world to establish businesses in regional communities. This will help meet the communities’ economic developmen…
The long-awaited Comox Valley Autism Centre has officially opened and Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells cut the ribbon to mark the occasion.