Courtenay, British Columbia
| Courtenay | |
|---|---|
| City | |
| The Corporation of the City of Courtenay | |
Downtown Courtenay
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| Coordinates: 49°41′16″N 124°59′40″W / 49.68778°N 124.99444°WCoordinates: 49°41′16″N 124°59′40″W / 49.68778°N 124.99444°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
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| Province |
 British Columbia
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| Region | Mid-Island |
| Regional District | Comox Valley |
| Incorporated | 1915 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Larry Jangula |
| Area | |
| • Land | 29.38 km2 (11.34 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 625.13 km2 (241.36 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 13 m (43 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • City | 24,099 |
| • Density | 820.2/km2 (2,124/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 55,213 |
| • Metro density | 88.3/km2 (229/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC−8) |
| Postal Code | V9N, V9J |
| Area code(s) | 250, 778 |
| Website | www.courtenay.ca |
Courtenay is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is the largest city (and only "city") in the area commonly known as the Comox Valley, and it is the seat of the Comox Valley Regional District, which replaced the Comox-Strathcona Regional District. Courtenay is just 4 km (2.5 mi) west of the town of Comox, 7 km (4.3 mi) northeast of the village of Cumberland, 5 km (3.1 mi) northwest of the unincorporated settlement of Royston, and 108 km (67 mi) northwest of Nanaimo. The city, along with Nanaimo and Victoria, is home to The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's), a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces.
For thousands of years before the first contact with European explorers, Courtenay had been the home to the Comox people now the K'ómoks First Nation. The K'ómoks people were able to utilize the rich agricultural land to produce crops and proximity to the local waterways allowed for fishing and trade with nearby First Nations people. In the Comox language, K’omoks means "plenty" – resulting in the Valley being known as the "Land of Plenty". In 1792, Captain George Vancouver, anchored HMS Discovery in what soon would be known as the Comox Harbour and made contact with the First Nations people in the area. In recent years, there has been some speculation whether or not Vancouver was the first explorer to make contact with the people in this area. According to research by Sam Bawlf, it could be that Sir Francis Drake made first contact with them in 1579, on a secret expedition ordered by Queen Elizabeth I.
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