Over the past four years, I’ve had hundreds of conversations with people about what they value in Comox and what they hope we can do better. Some themes come up repeatedly.
 

I increasingly think about these priorities through the lens of stewardship for future generations. Caring well for what we have inherited, responding thoughtfully to change, and using our collective creativity and imagination to build a community that is resilient, connected and full of life.
 

My priorities for the next four years include

• Affordable housing and thoughtful growth with more housing choices, complete neighbourhoods and careful stewardship of the land and natural systems that sustain us

• Youth, accessibility and belonging with more opportunities and welcoming spaces for young people and a stronger commitment to disability inclusion

• Water security and resilient communities with greater attention to conservation, watershed health, natural infrastructure and long-term resilience

• A strong local economy and vibrant community rooted in place-based community economic development, local businesses, food, arts and culture, and a lively downtown

• Open government and meaningful participation with more ways for people to help shape decisions about their neighbourhoods and community

 

Climate resilience and healthy natural ecosystems are woven through all of these priorities, along with responsible financial stewardship and careful planning for the infrastructure future generations will depend on.

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These are some of the areas where I see the greatest opportunities for the next Council.

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Thoughtful growth and affordable housing

People want more housing choices, including housing that is genuinely affordable. Community members also genuinely care about the qualities that make Comox feel like Comox.

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I support gentle growth throughout our existing developed areas, with thoughtfully placed density where it can contribute to complete, walkable neighbourhoods and be well supported by infrastructure and services. As Comox grows, I want us to pay close attention to human scale, trees and green spaces, neighbourhood character and thoughtful transitions between different forms of development.

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In the next term, I would like to see us

• turn the Town’s completed land inventory into an affordable housing action plan and move at least one Town-owned site toward permanently affordable housing

• use municipal tools to secure affordable and non-market homes as part of larger developments

• adopt a strong Tenant Protection and Relocation Bylaw

• explore tools that allow the community to share in the increased land value created through additional development rights

• support more co-op, cohousing, non-profit and other housing options that give people choices through different stages of life

• strengthen human-scale design, massing and transitions between different forms of development

• undertake neighbourhood and local-area planning in parts of Comox experiencing significant change

• rejoin the regional housing service and support the work of the Comox Valley Regional District Housing Authority
   

Growth should help us create more housing choices and more complete neighbourhoods while caring well for the land, infrastructure and natural systems future generations will depend on.

 

Youth, accessibility and belonging

One of my biggest disappointments this term is that we did not make enough progress on recreation and gathering spaces for young people. Youth facilities should not depend entirely on grant funding.

 

Youth wellbeing, recreation and belonging are core community infrastructure. That means continuing to strengthen youth voices while making real investment in places where young people can gather, move, create and simply spend time together.

 

Disability inclusion should become a much more deliberate part of municipal decision-making. That includes how we design public spaces, recreation, engagement, communications and services.

 

I see an opportunity to make Comox a community where young people and people with disabilities are more fully considered in the way we plan and invest.
 

Water security and resilient communities

Comox has made important progress through the Climate Action and Risk Plan, Parks and Trails Master Plan, Urban Forest Management Strategy and the acquisition of Newson Family Nature Park.

 

There is an opportunity to strengthen tree protection, conserve more mature trees and natural areas, and limit any further greenfield development by focusing future growth within our existing developed footprint.
 

Water is one of the issues I think about most when I consider the future of the Comox Valley.

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Our drinking water, watersheds, forests, food systems and communities are deeply connected. Water security depends on healthy ecosystems, conservation, resilient infrastructure and decisions that look well beyond a single election cycle.

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I would like to see regional water governance give greater attention to conservation, watershed health and long-term resilience, alongside the essential work of providing safe and reliable drinking water.

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At the Town level, we can also think more carefully about how development, trees, soils, wetlands, stormwater, food systems and infrastructure affect the way water moves through our community.

 

Water is one of our most important shared resources. Caring for it is fundamental to stewardship for future generations.

 

A strong local economy and vibrant community

I believe strongly in place-based community economic development that builds on the strengths, creativity and relationships already here.

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That means supporting local businesses and a vibrant downtown, strengthening local food and agriculture, investing in arts and culture, and creating welcoming public places where people spend time and connect with one another.

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It also means thinking about the economic foundations of our community over the long term. Affordable housing, reliable infrastructure, access to education and training, healthy ecosystems and opportunities for young people all affect whether people can build their lives and livelihoods here.

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I would like to see Comox continue strengthening its role in regional economic development while paying close attention to the businesses, organizations, artists, growers and entrepreneurs who make our local economy distinctive.

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I would also love to see Comox develop its first arts and culture strategy, bringing together the people and organizations already doing this work around a shared vision for an even more creative and vibrant community.

Trust, participation and local democracy

I’m hearing growing concern about polarization, trust in government, and whether people feel genuinely heard when important decisions are made.

 

There is an opportunity to create more ways for residents to participate early and meaningfully in decisions about the future of Comox. Local area planning is one tool. Citizen assemblies and other deliberative processes could also give people the time, information and support to work through complex questions together.

 

I would like the next term to include a stronger focus on rebuilding trust between residents, Council and the Town.
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