Construction officially kicked off on the new Courtenay Pump Station as part of the Comox Valley Sewer Conveyance Project with a ground-breaking event held today at the new site located on the unceded traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation.

Along with the construction of a new Courtenay Pump Station, the project will include retrofits to the K’ómoks First Nation and Town of Comox Pump Stations and the installation of more than nine kilometers of new sewer forcemain that currently moves more than 14,000 cubic metres of raw sewage each day to the sewage treatment plant. The sewer pipe runs through culturally sensitive lands and the CVRD is working with K’ómoks First Nation to mitigate impacts to archaeologically sensitive areas during construction, such as cultural heritage sites, ancestral burial places and cultural belongings.

“As a key partner in the regional wastewater management strategy, our Nation supports this important work to ensure the health of our territory, as well as ultimately deliver critical infrastructure to K’ómoks South Lands, which includes our fee simple and intended Treaty Settlement Lands,” said Coral Mackay, Elected Councillor for K’ómoks First Nation. “We will continue to focus on addressing the environmental impacts to Baynes Sound and the K’ómoks Estuary, to support our long-term goal of creating sustainable economic development that aligns with our K’ómoks values as Guardians of the lands and resources.”

This multi-year project will bring benefits to residents of the City of Courtenay, K’ómoks First Nation and the Town of Comox with much needed sewer system upgrades that will reduce the risks associated with rising sea levels and climate change.

These improvements will keep the lands, waters, and community safer by supporting the replacement of the current pump station in Courtenay, which is susceptible to coastal and river flooding, and poses an environmental risk to waters throughout the Courtenay River Estuary, Point Holmes and Goose Spit coastlines, as well as Baynes Sound, traditional harvesting sites, and surrounding agricultural areas.

To read the full story of the Ground Breaking Ceremony, visit the CVRD website

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L to R: Captain Minsik Eum, Canadian Armed Forces, CVRD Sewage Commissioner Maureen Swift, CVRD Board Vice-Chair Dr. Jonathan Kerr, Town of Comox Mayor Nicole Minions, City of Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells, CVRD Sewage Commission Chair Doug Hillian, K'ómoks First Nation Councillor Coral Mackay, MLA Ronna-Rae Leonard.