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Located in the heart of some of the most beautiful farming landscape on Vancouver Island, Courtenay is the urban centre of the Comox Valley. The town’s many art galleries, theatres, art studios, unique boutiques, and gardens also make Courtenay the cultural hub of the Valley.
Located on the central east coast of Vancouver Island, the city of Courtenay (population 21,940) is the urban, business and cultural hub of the Comox Valley. It's the only city in the valley, but its low-rise buildings, flower-filled streets and genuine friendliness make it feel more like a village. If Courtenay has ambitions, they don't include big city stress. In fact, any stress that comes this way can be worked off in a battalion of activities including golf, hiking, mountain biking, walking tours, fossil-hunting and exploring spectacular gardens.
Courtenay bustles with shops, restaurants, galleries and entertainments. Mapped-out, self-guided urban walking tours lead visitors through the city's history and architecture. The abundance of the Comox Valley has much do to with shaping Courtenay: Eat at Locals, a local restaurant specializing in local produce and happiness. Spend a morning at the Saturday Farmers' Market. Drive out to the award-winning Beaufort Winery for a tasting.
If Courtenay's heart is rustic sophistication, its muscle is unspoiled wilderness. The city serves as jumping off point for Strathcona Provincial Park, the oldest and largest provincial park on Vancouver Island. Strathcona boasts twin fascinations: The flat-topped Comox Glacier is the largest glacier on the island. Della Falls, eight times higher than Niagara, ranks as the highest falls in Canada and one of the 10 highest in the world.
The First Nations K'omox people have been here for thousands of years. European settlers arrived to embrace the valley's climate and agricultural potential in the 1860s. Blacksmith shops, stables, grocery stores, and restaurants followed. In 1914 the E&N railway arrived in town, linking the community with Nanaimo, Victoria and the rest of the world. Courtenay hasn't looked back.
From field and farm to restaurant and table, Courtenay loves food. The city takes pride in an oversized pool of culinary talent. It boasts a surprisingly large contingent of international restaurants, including Greek, Italian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Chinese, Japanese and Thai, not to mention the bold new wave of homegrown BC cuisine.
Every July, Courtenay plays host to the Vancouver Island Music Fest. It's the biggest festival on Vancouver Island and one of the biggest in BC, assembling some of the finest talents from Canada and the US. Some 1100 volunteers contribute to the impact of 200 musical performers on 6 stages, instructional workshops, art exhibitions, an interactive kidzzone and international eats.
Source: Tourism British Columbia
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