The City of Courtenay continues to grow, develop, and expand. To the east, Crown Isle continues to be developed at a fairly rapid pace. To the west, some smaller developments are appearing on the border of the city. To the north, area like the Huband Road area continue to attract interest and to the south a major new residential development, Union Bay Estates, is on the verge of proceeding. The latter development is expected to have as dramatic an economic impact on the city as what Crown Isle has had over the past couple of decades. With growth, of course, come challenges. Traffic, for example, has increased over the past few years to the point where the mayor and City Council need to act on things such as a third bridge over the Courtenay River and more effective traffic flow and bypass lanes.
The City of Courtenay issued 258 building permits over $10,000 in construction value in 2018. The busiest months were April, May, June, and September. While most permits involved only one or two units there were three that involved 34, 46, and 74 units respectively. One just has to take a short drive around the city to see the type and amount of new construction that is taking place. In the short term, there is no major reason why this trend should not continue.
If you can imagine a specific type of home you can very likely find it in and around the City of Courtenay. The downtown core contains many homes built a long time ago as well as some new construction and homes that have been significantly renovated. There has been a concerted effort by the city to maintain the look and feel of the character of this part of town. To the north, south, and west there are rural and urban properties that have many different types of modern, and some eclectic homes for sale. There are also waterfront offerings along the Courtenay River and along the Comox Bay.
The menu of restaurants, social clubs, leisure and sporting activities, and entertainment options in and around the city continues to be impressive for a city of just over 25,000. Add in some very scenic mountain and ocean scenic beauty for good measure along with a temperate climate and you end up with a location that has increasing appeal to people from outside of Vancouver Island. As locals will often tell you, how many other parts of Canada can you snow ski (or snow board), fish, and golf all in the same day within a short 40-minute drive from the city centre? If you are tired of the hustle of larger cities or just need a change of pace while still being able to keep active, why not consider a trip out to Courtenay to see what the area has to offer?