Two sweeping community master plans were passed by Courtenay City Council on Monday, outlining a vision for the city’s multi-modal transportation, parks, and recreation for years to come.

Both plans are the result of multi-year efforts involving significant consultation with community partners, stakeholders, and the general public, including surveys, open houses, focus group sessions, and workshops.

The first document, the Connecting Courtenay: Transportation Master Plan, provides direction on transportation infrastructure for all modes of transportation, including pedestrians, cyclists, transit, and vehicles, for the next 20 years and beyond.

The second, Courtenay’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan, will inform planning and decision-making for our community’s parks, trails, recreation facilities and programs over the next 10 years.

The two plans were designed to complement one another, with many of the recommendations reflected in both plans, particularly for pedestrian and cyclist connectivity. The same consultant, Urban Systems, produced both plans.

Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells said Council was pleased with the end results. “Our Council was really happy with the outcome of both of these plans,” said Wells. “These master plans are incredibly important; they shape how we want our community to grow and develop. In essence, they define Courtenay’s character and what we want to leave behind for future generations. The completion of these plans represents a major milestone for the City and our Council.

“We’d like to acknowledge the tremendous contributions and suggestions from the entire community for both plans, and we’d also like to thank staff and the consultants for their efforts.” 

Both plans are considered guiding aspirational documents, with individual projects prioritized through Council’s strategic planning sessions, as well as detailed analysis through the city’s asset management program. The goal of Courtenay’s asset management policy is sustainable service delivery, ensuring that services and initiatives are completed in a socially, economically, and environmentally responsible manner while balancing the needs of the community now and into the future. 

Specific projects will be brought to Council for review and approval through future annual city budgets.

The Cycling Network Plan section of the transportation master plan was adopted earlier this year to meet grant funding deadlines, resulting in $227,655 in provincial funding through the BikeBC program for the Fitzgerald Cycling Corridor Project now underway, and the Hobson Neighbourhood Connector.

Other significant community planning documents either completed or in process in recent years include Water and Sanitary Sewer Master Plans, the Subdivision and Development Servicing Bylaw adopted in 2018, the Urban Forest Strategy adopted this past June, and the Integrated Rainwater Management Plan, Official Community Plan, and Cultural Services Review now underway.

Learn more:

Connecting Courtenay: Transportation Master Plan -  www.courtenay.ca/connectingcourtenay

Parks and Recreation Master Plan - www.courtenay.ca/parksrecplan