Municipal candidates hear about Comox Valley’s most pressing social issues

By Alice de Wolff

T he Comox Valley Social Planning Society brought over 30 municipal candidates together
on September 22 for “Making the Comox Valley a Healthier Place to Live,” a public forum focused on social issues.

The evening created opportunities for one-on-one conversations with candidates and a platform for presentations from 10 organizations that
work on social issues that determine the health of individuals and our communities.

Christopher Bate, the coordinator of the Comox Valley (CV) Social Planning Society, says that “the idea behind the social sector/all candidates’ forum is to provide an avenue for community to meet candidates and for candidates to learn about issues around the social sector or social
services in their communities.”

Over 100 people attended the gathering. They were presented with a quick overview of a wide range of urgent concerns from the perspective of people who work on these issues every day. While we live in the midst of great beauty, in the Comox Valley over 10,000
households live below the poverty line, with 14 percent of children under 17 living in poverty.

Average rents have increased to between $1,800 and $2,300 a month, and over 200 people are unhoused. The living wage in the Valley is $25.35 an hour, up 4.1 percent from 2024. Nearly 40 percent of all children in kindergarten are experiencing challenges in some aspect of their development.

There’s more. Existing policies intended to strengthen our food security are not rising to the challenges faced by local farmers and consumers. Hate crimes are on the rise across BC, with 22 percent of immigrants and refugees experiencing discrimination as they relocate, learn a new
language and find new employment. An estimated 6,250 Comox Valley residents over age 15 identify as 2SLGBTQIA+.

The Valley has reported over 50 deaths from toxic drugs in the last two years, along with a growing number of alcohol related hospitalizations. The number of available hospice beds is shrinking.

The disappearing Comox Glacier is an unmistakable sign that our climate is in crisis, and that our watersheds, wild and urban forests and aquifers need more effective protection.

The presenters all emphasized that addressing these issues early costs far less than letting them become a bigger crisis. They described approaches and plans that have been developed over many years, and asked that the candidates commit to supporting these plans and their
expertise.

For readers who are not familiar with this level of planning, details for several initiatives can be found in the CV Substance Abuse Strategy, principles of the Restorative Justice Centre CV; the CV Nature Without Borders Strategy and the Welcoming Communities Coalition
Community Plan 2025 – 2028.

Each presenter asked specific questions of our municipal candidates. Candidates went home with these questions and their responses will be made public in the first week of October on the CV Social Planning Society website.