Courtenay

Courtenay anchors the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island's east coast, a farmers market and outdoor recreation town that has also become known internationally for the marine fossils found in its riverbanks.

The Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre displays fossils of an elasmosaur and other marine reptiles found locally, discoveries that have put the Comox Valley on the map for paleontologists, and the museum runs guided fossil tours along the Puntledge River.

Mount Washington Alpine Resort sits a short drive above the valley, giving Courtenay genuine ski and snowboard access alongside its farmers market, riverside trails and a compact, walkable downtown, and North Island College's Comox Valley campus anchors post-secondary education in the city.

As the Comox Valley's largest centre, Courtenay offers fuller shopping and services than its neighbours Comox and Cumberland, and housing spans riverside character homes to newer subdivisions, drawing families, retirees and remote workers alike to the valley's mild climate.