Comox or Courtenay, what’s the difference?
Why is Comox a town while Courtenay a city? Is there any shopping mall in this area? Does the Comox valley lack cultural diversity? What is it about this place that is so appealing?
3 Comments to “Comox or Courtenay, what’s the difference?”
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By John, April 16, 2010 @ 8:39 pm
The difference is population, plain and simple. Comox has a population of 12,394 whereas Courtneay has 21,068 (2004 numbers).
But really, this is a minor distinction because they two are only six kilometres apart, and are pretty much growing into each other. As the two have historically been different places, they continue to be to this day although this may change if the area continues to grow and expand in its demography.
By John, April 16, 2010 @ 8:39 pm
Being called a city or a town is mostly a matter of what was chosen when the place incorporated. There are ‘cities’ that are smaller than many ‘towns’. Courtenay is a bit bigger, a bit busier than Comox, otherwise not much difference. Yes, there are shopping malls in this area. There’s not as much cultural diversity here as in some places, but there’s some. As for what’s so appealing–the weather is good, the scenery is great, there are lots of outdoor activities and a lot of arts activities for a small place, there’s excellent food available, it’s big enough to offer everything you need without being crowded, and it’s not all that far from larger cities or complete wilderness. Best place I’ve ever lived.
By John, April 16, 2010 @ 8:39 pm
Yes, Comox is a town and Courtenay is a small city and then throw in the village of Cumberland and you end up with the Comox Valley. These municipalities are located on the east side of Vancouver Island and are well known for their outdoor sport opportunities. Mt. Washington is a world class ski mountain with upwards of 60 runs. When the snow melts the mountain is used for downhill mountain biking in the summer. There are a multitude of lakes, rivers and streams for tubing and fishing as well as the ocean for scuba diving and salt water fishing. The Comox glacier is a focal point in the valley and is open to hiking and mountain climbing. This area is very beautiful and a great holiday destination.