COMOX VALLEY’S Vital Signs® 2016

Detailed Data and Source Report

Comox Valley Vital Signs – Detailed Data and Source Report

Table of Contents Tables...... 4 Figures...... 7 Community Profile ...... 8 Population...... 8 Population Projections...... 9 Age and Gender ...... 9 Households ...... 10 Housing Characteristics ...... 11 Education...... 11 Labour Force ...... 12 Diversity...... 13 Total Crime Rate ...... 14 Total Crime Severity Index...... 15 Arts, Culture and Recreation...... 16 Island Regional Library...... 16 Museums ...... 17 Hiking Trails...... 17 Parkland...... 17 Economy and Work ...... 18 Median Family Income ...... 18 Median Family Income – Lone Parent Families ...... 18 Median Full-Time, Full-Year Employment Income...... 19 Labour Force Participation Rate – Core Working Age (25-54 Years Old)...... 19 Total Building Permits...... 20 Airport Traffic ...... 21 Childcare Statistics, ...... 21 Workers Working Outside of Comox Valley ...... 22

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Total Employment Insurance Benefits Beneficiaries ...... 22 Unemployment Rates ...... 22 Environment and Sustainability...... 23 Annual PM 2.5 and Daily Average...... 23 Boil Water Advisory Days...... 23 Solid Waste Diversion Rate...... 23 Daily Water Consumption Per Capita ...... 24 Hectares of Parkland and Greenways, ...... 24 Eelgrass Restoration ...... 24 Annual Precipitation ...... 25 Mean Annual Temperature ...... 26 Food...... 27 Change in Agriculture Land Reserve Land ...... 27 Farmers Market Statistics ...... 27 Monthly Food Basket Cost...... 27 Student Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables ...... 28 Free Meals Provided by Community Groups ...... 28 Number of Farm and Farm Operators ...... 29 Farm Types...... 30 Agricultural Land Reserve Types...... 30 Gap Between Rich and Poor ...... 31 Overall Poverty Rate ...... 31 Child (0-17 years old) Poverty Rate ...... 31 Seniors (65+) Poverty Rate ...... 32 Income Assistance ...... 33 Income Inequality ...... 34 Income Distribution by Deciles ...... 35 Getting Around and Transportation...... 36 Transit Ridership (Conventional Bus System) ...... 36 Handy Dart Ridership...... 36 Bike Lanes ...... 36 Bike to School / Work Week ...... 36 Elementary School Student Transportation and Proximity to School...... 36

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Sustainable Modes of Commuting...... 37 Health and Wellness...... 38 Life Expectancy at Birth,...... 38 Chronic Diseases...... 38 People with Mobility Limitation or Disability ...... 39 Youth Resiliency and Drug Use ...... 39 Obesity...... 39 General Practitioners and Specialists ...... 40 Youth Smoking Rates ...... 40 Tobacco-Related Death Rates...... 41 Alcohol-Related Death Rates ...... 41 Illicit Drug-Related Death Rates...... 41 Housing ...... 42 Median Rents...... 42 Rental Vacancy Rates...... 43 Benchmark Housing Prices, ...... 44 Housing Starts...... 45 Renter Households Spending 30% or More of Before-Tax Income on Housing Costs, ...... 46 Lili House Shelter Statistics ...... 46 Emergency Shelter Statistics...... 46 Extreme Weather Response Shelter Statistics...... 47 Housing Continuum Statistics...... 47 Leadership, Civic Engagement and Belonging...... 48 Volunteering ...... 48 Charitable Donation Rate ...... 48 Median Annual Charitable Donations...... 48 Women in Leadership...... 49 Provincial and Federal Election Voter Turnout...... 50 Local Election Voter Turnout ...... 50 Education and Lifelong Learning ...... 51 Early Development Instrument (EDI)...... 51 Six-Year High School Completion Rate...... 51 Grade 4 Reading Test Results ...... 52

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Grade 4 Writing Test Results ...... 52 Grade 4 Math Test Results...... 53 Grade 7 Reading Test Results ...... 53 Grade 7 Writing Test Results ...... 54 Grade 7 Math Test Results...... 54 Six-Year High School Completion Rate for Aboriginal Students...... 55 Private and Public School Enrollment...... 55 – Domestic and International Student Enrollment ...... 56 North Island College – Program Instruction Quality and Satisfaction with Education ...... 56

Tables Table 1: Population change, Comox Valley Regional District and , 2006-2011 ...... 8 Table 2: Comox Valley Regional District community populations, 2011 ...... 9 Table 3: Population projections, by age group, Comox Valley Regional District, 2016-2036 ...... 9 Table 4: Population by gender, Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 2011...... 9 Table 5: Total households by household type, Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 2011 ...... 10 Table 6: Occupied dwelling units, by structural type, Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 2011...... 11 Table 7: Homeowners and renters, Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 2011 ...... 11 Table 8: Highest level of education achieved by main working age (25-64 years old) population, Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 2011 ...... 12 Table 9: Employment rate, main working age population (25-64 years old), Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 2011...... 12 Table 10: Top five occupation types among workers, Comox Valley Regional District, 2011,...... 12 Table 11: Top five industry types among workers, Comox Valley Regional District, 2011, ...... 13 Table 12: Most common languages spoken regularly at home, Comox Valley Regional District, 2011,...... 13 Table 13: Immigrant population (from all periods of immigration), Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 2011...... 13 Table 14: Top five source countries for immigrants (from all periods of immigration), Comox Valley Regional District, 2011...... 14 Table 15: Visible Minority Population, Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 2011...... 14 Table 16: Aboriginal Identity Population, Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 2011 ...... 14 Table 17: Total crime rates (per 100,000 residents), Comox Valley Regional District, 2014 and 2015 ...... 14 Table 18: Crime severity index, by police jurisdictions in the Comox Valley Regional District, 2015...... 15 Table 19: Library item circulation per resident, Comox Valley branches of Regional Library System, 2014 and 2015 ...... 16 Table 20: Library program attendance per 1,000 residents, Comox Valley branches of Vancouver Island Regional Library System, 2014 and 2015...... 16 Table 21: Parkland per 1,000 residents, Comox Valley municipalities, 2015 ...... 17 Table 22: Median before-tax family income (unadjusted for inflation), all families, Comox Valley Regional District, 2012 and 2013, ...... 18 4 able 23: Median before-tax family income (unadjusted for inflation), lone-parent families, Comox Valley Regional District, 2012 and 2013, ...... 19 Table 24: Median before-tax employment income for full-time, full-year workers in the Comox Valley Regional District, 2010, ...... 19 Table 25: Labour force participation rate for core working age taxfilers (25-54 years old), Comox Valley Regional District, 2012 and 2013, ...... 20 Table 26: Total building permit values (in millions of $), unadjusted for inflation, Comox Valley Regional District, 2014 and 2015, ...... 20 Table 27: Childcare facilities and capacity, Comox Valley, by community, June 2016 ...... 21 Table 28: Childcare facilities and capacity, Comox Valley, by type of care, June 2016 ...... 21 Table 29: The furthest that survey respondents, or members of survey respondent families, travel for employment, Comox Valley Vital Signs survey, 2016...... 22 Table 30: Total Employment Insurance Benefits Beneficiaries (Average Beneficiaries per Month), Comox Valley Regional District, 1997 and 2015, ...... 22 Table 31: Unemployment rate, Comox Valley Regional District, 2001-2011, ...... 22 Table 32: Annual PM 2.5 Average, 2014 and 2015...... 23 Table 33: Annual Daily Average, 2014 and 2015 ...... 23 Table 34: Boil water advisory information, Comox Valley, 2014/2015 and 2015/2016...... 23 Table 35: Solid Waste Diversion Rate, Comox Valley Regional District, 2011-2014 ...... 23 Table 36: Daily consumption of water (litres per capita), Comox Valley Regional District, 2011-2014...... 24 Table 37: Parkland per 1,000 residents, Comox Valley municipalities, 2015 ...... 24 Table 38: Farmers Market Statistics, Comox Valley Farmers' Market, 2015,...... 27 Table 39: Monthly food basket cost, North Service Delivery Area, 2015,...... 27 Table 40: Percentage of students who ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables during the past day, Comox Valley School District, 2014/2015 school year, ...... 28 Table 41: Free meals provided by community groups, Comox Valley, 2013 ...... 29 Table 42: Number of farms and farm operators, Comox Valley Regional District, 2006 and 2011 ...... 29 Table 43: Agricultural Land Reserve, Land Type, Comox Valley, 2013 ...... 30 Table 44: Overall population poverty rate (based on LIM After-Tax), Comox Valley Regional District and Comparison Geographies, 2012 and 2013, ...... 31 Table 45: Child (0-17 years old) poverty rate (based on LIM After-Tax), Comox Valley Regional District and Comparison Geographies, 2012 and 2013, ...... 32 Table 46: Seniors (65+ years old) poverty rate (based on LIM After-Tax), Comox Valley Regional District and Comparison Geographies, 2012 and 2013, ...... 32 Table 47: Monthly average proportion of population on income assistance, Courtenay Census Agglomeration and comparison geographies, 2014 and 2015, ...... 33 Table 48: Percentage of Comox Valley Regional District's population with incomes in the bottom 10% or top 10% of 's adjusted...... 34 Table 49: Percentage of Comox Valley Regional District's population with incomes in different deciles of Canada's adjusted after-tax family incomes, 2010,...... 35 Table 50: Employed commuters (15+ years old) using sustainable modes of transportation (bike, walking, public transit) as main commute mode, Comox Valley Regional District, 2011,...... 37 Table 51: Life Expectancy by Sex, 2010-2014 ...... 38 Table 52: Top Five Chronic Diseases, 2012 and 2013 ...... 38 Table 53: Number of people experiencing difficulty with daily activities and/or with activity limitations ...... 39 5

Table 54: Percentage of youth in North Vancouver Island who tried alcohol and marijuana, 2008-2013...... 39 Table 55: Number of obese adults (18+ years old), Vancouver Island and British Columbia, 2013 and 2014 ...... 39 Table 56: Number of General Practitioners and Specialists in Comox Valley, 2014/2015 ...... 40 Table 57: Percentage of students in Comox Valley School District who smoke every day or occasionally, 2014/2015 school year...... 40 Table 58: Tobacco-Related Deaths (per 100,000) by Local Health Areas, 2012 and 2013 ...... 41 Table 59: Alcohol-Related Deaths (per 100,000) by Local Health Areas, 2012 and 2013...... 41 Table 60: Illicit Drug-Related Deaths (per 100,000) by Local Health Areas, 2012 and 2013 ...... 41 Table 61: Median monthly rent (unadjusted for inflation), by unit type, for purpose-built rental units (row+apartment), Comox Valley, October 2014 and October 2015 ...... 42 Table 62: Median monthly rent (unadjusted for inflation), for one bedroom and two bedroom purpose-built rental units (row+apartment), Vancouver Island Urban Areas, October 2015, ...... 42 Table 63: Vacancy rate, by unit type, for purpose-built rental units (row+apartment), Comox Valley, October 2014 and October 2015, ...... 43 Table 64: Vacancy rate for all purpose-built rental units (row+apartment), Vancouver Island Urban Areas, October 2015, ...... 43 Table 65: Benchmark price (unadjusted for inflation), single detached homes, by Vancouver Island real estate market, June 2015 and June 2016...... 44 Table 66: Benchmark price (unadjusted for inflation), apartments, by Vancouver Island real estate market, June 2015 and June 2016...... 44 Table 67: Housing starts, by dwelling type, Comox Valley, 2014 and 2015...... 45 Table 68: Housing starts, Comox Valley and comparison geographies, 2014 and 2015, ...... 45 Table 69: Renter households spending 30% or more of before-tax household income on housing costs, Comox Valley Regional District, 2011...... 46 Table 70: Shelter statistics for emergency shelter, 2015...... 46 Table 71: Extreme weather response shelter statistics, 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 ...... 47 Table 72: Housing Continuum Statistics, Comox Valley, 2015...... 47 Table 73: Percentage of taxfilers who made charitable donations, Comox Valley Regional District, 2012 and 2013, ...... 48 Table 74: Median annual charitable donations among taxfilers who made a charitable donation, Comox Valley Regional District, 2012 and 2013, ...... 49 Table 75: Number of women among elected officials, Comox Valley municipalities and First Nations, 2016...... 49 Table 76: Provincial and federal election results, Comox Valley areas, most recent elections, ...... 50 Table 77: 2014 local government election results in the Comox Valley,,...... 50 Table 78: Kindergarten student vulnerability on Early Development Instrument, by Domain, Comox Valley School District, Wave 5 (2011/2012-2012/2013) ...... 51 Table 79: Six-year high school completion rate, Comox Valley School District, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015,...... 51 Table 80: Percentage of grade 4 test writers who did not meet expectations on Foundation Skills Assessment Reading Test, Comox Valley School District, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 School Years, ...... 52 Table 81: Percentage of grade 4 test writers who did not meet expectations on Foundation Skills Assessment Writing Test, Comox Valley School District, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 School Years, ...... 52 Table 82: Percentage of grade 4 test writers who did not meet expectations on Foundation Skills Assessment Math Test, Comox Valley School District, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 School Years,...... 53 Table 83: Percentage of grade 7 test writers who did not meet expectations on Foundation Skills Assessment Reading Test, Comox Valley School District, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 School Years, ...... 53

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Table 84: Percentage of grade 7 test writers who did not meet expectations on Foundation Skills Assessment Writing Test, Comox Valley School District, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 School Years, ...... 54 Table 85: Percentage of grade 7 test writers who did not meet expectations on Foundation Skills Assessment Math Test, Comox Valley School District, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 School Years,...... 54 Table 86: Six-year high school completion rate for Aboriginal students, Comox Valley School District and comparison geographies, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015,...... 55 Table 87: Public and private school enrollment, Comox Valley, 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 school years...... 55 Table 88: Domestic and international student enrollment, full-time equivalents (FTEs), North Island College - Comox Valley Campus, 2013/2014-2014/2015 ...... 56 Table 89: Student satisfaction with education and quality of instruction, North Island College, 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 ...... 56

Figures Figure 1: Potential Eelgrass Map, 2010...... 25 Figure 2: Annual precipitation (in mm), Comox Station, 2006-2015 ...... 25 Figure 3: Mean annual temperature (in degrees Celsius), Comox Station, 2006-2015...... 26

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Community Profile

Population1 The Comox Valley Regional District had 63,538 residents in 2011, an increase of 4,056 residents from 2006 (Table 1). The population increase in the Comox Valley Regional District during the 2006-2011 period (6.8%) was similar to the population increase in British Columbia (7.0%) during the same period.

Table 1: Population change, Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 2006-2011 Population Population Change % change Geography 2006 2011 2006 - 2011 2006 - 2011 Comox Valley Regional District 59,482 63,538 4,056 6.8% British Columbia 4,113,487 4,400,057 286,570 7.0%

1 Based on 2006 and 2011 Census data from Statistics Canada. 8

The largest community in the Comox Valley Regional District in 2011 was the City of Courtenay (24,099 residents), followed by the Town of Comox (13,627 residents) (Table 2).

Table 2: Comox Valley Regional District community populations, 2011 Community Name 2011 Population City of Courtenay 24,099 Town of Comox 13,627 Comox Valley C (Puntledge-Black Creek) 8,325 Comox Valley B (Lazo North) 6,939 Comox Valley A (, , Union Bay, ) 6,899 Village of Cumberland 3,398 Comox 1 First Nations Reserve 251

Population Projections2 The Comox Valley Regional District is projected to have 81,219 residents in 2036, 15,084 more residents than in 2016 (Table 3). Between 2016 and 2036, the number of children and youth (0-19 years old) is projected to increase by 3,283 children and youth. Between 2016 and 2036, the number of seniors (65+ years old) is projected to increase by 6,121 seniors.

Table 3: Population projections, by age group, Comox Valley Regional District, 2016-2036

2016 population 2036 population Change % change Population group (projection) (projection) 2016 - 2036 2016 - 2036 Total Population 66,135 81,219 15,084 22.8% Children and youth (0-19 years old) 12,246 15,529 3,283 26.8% Seniors (65+ years old) 16,638 22,759 6,121 36.8%

Age and Gender3 In 2011, the Comox Valley Regional District had slightly more females (32,835 females) than males (30,700 males) (Table 4). Females composed 51.7% of Comox Valley Regional District’s population, similar to the proportion of British Columbia’s population that was female (51.0%).

Table 4: Population by gender, Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 2011 Comox Valley Regional District British Columbia Gender Total persons % population Total persons % population Totals 63,540 100.0% 4,400,055 100.0% Male 30,700 48.3% 2,156,600 49.0% Female 32,835 51.7% 2,243,455 51.0%

2 Based on BC Stats population projections data – P.E.O.P.L.E. 2015. 3 Based on 2011 Census data from Statistics Canada. 9

If Comox Valley Regional District were a village of 100 people…

0 - 19 years old 20 People 20 - 39 years old 19 People 40 - 59 years old 31 People 60 - 79 years old 25 People 80 years or older 5 People

If British Columbia were a village of 100 people…

0 - 19 years old 22 People 20 - 39 years old 26 People 40 - 59 years old 31 People 60 - 79 years old 18 People 80 years or older 4 People

In 2011, the Comox Valley Regional District’s median resident age (48.3 years old) was much older than British Columbia’s median resident age (41.9 years old).

Households4 In 2011, approximately two in three Comox Valley Regional District households (67.6%) were family households, similar to British Columbia, where 67.0% of all households were family households (Table 5). Among all household sub-types (i.e., types of family and non-family households), couples without children (35.3% of all households) and persons living alone (28.5% of all households) were the most common household types in the Comox Valley Regional District.

Table 5: Total households by household type, Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 20115 Comox Valley Regional District British Columbia Number of Percentage of Number of Percentage of Household type households households households households Total households 27,885 100.0% 1,764,635 100.0% Family households 18,840 67.6% 1,183,075 67.0% Couples without children 9,850 35.3% 482,685 27.4% Couples with children 6,060 21.7% 481,450 27.3% Lone parent families 2,630 9.4% 168,530 9.6% Two or more family households 300 1.1% 50,415 2.9% Non-Family households 9,045 32.4% 581,565 33.0% Persons living alone 7,940 28.5% 498,925 28.3% Two or more person non-family households 1,110 4.0% 82,640 4.7%

4 Based on 2011 Census data from Statistics Canada 5 Couples with children and lone parent families can include families with children living at home of any age (including adult children).

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Housing Characteristics6 In 2011, single-detached homes (69.4% of all occupied dwelling units) were the most common occupied dwelling type in the Comox Valley Regional District, followed by units in low-rise (<5 storey) apartment buildings (10.9% of all occupied dwelling units) (Table 6). Single-detached homes composed a much higher proportion of occupied dwelling units in the Comox Valley Regional District than in British Columbia as a whole (where single-detached homes composed 47.7% of all occupied dwelling units)

Table 6: Occupied dwelling units, by structural type, Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 20117 Comox Valley Regional District British Columbia Number of Percentage of Number of Percentage of Dwelling type dwellings dwellings dwellings dwellings Total occupied dwelling units 27,885 100.0% 1,764,635 100.0% Single-detached homes 19,355 69.4% 842,120 47.7% Units in mid to high rise (5+ storey) apartment buildings 10 0.0% 143,970 8.2% Mobile homes 1,225 4.4% 46,960 2.7% Semi-detached homes 2,275 8.2% 52,825 3.0% Row houses/townhomes 1,390 5.0% 130,365 7.4% Main units and secondary suites in homes with secondary suites 560 2.0% 184,355 10.4% Units in low-rise (<5 storey) apartment buildings 3,040 10.9% 361,150 20.5% Other single-attached houses 25 0.1% 2,885 0.2% In 2011, over three in four households in the Comox Valley Regional District (77.7% homeownership rate) were homeowner households, higher than the homeownership rate in British Columbia as a whole (70.0%) (Table 7).

Table 7: Homeowners and renters, Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 20118 Geography Total households Homeowners % Homeowners Renters % Renters Comox Valley Regional District 27,885 21,670 77.7% 6,215 22.3% British Columbia 1,764,630 1,234,710 70.0% 524,995 29.8%

Education9 In 2011, more than three in five Comox Valley Regional District main working age (25-64 years old) residents (63.3%) had a postsecondary education(Table 8).

The proportion of postsecondary educated main working age residents in the Comox Valley Regional District was slightly lower than in British Columbia (64.8%).

6 Structural type of housing is based on 2011 Census data from Statistics Canada, while housing tenure information is based on 2011 National Household Survey data from Statistics Canada. 7 Main units and secondary suites in homes with secondary suites = apartment, duplex from census files 8 British Columbia totals do not add up 100% because band housing is not included in these calculations (there were 4,920 band housing units in British Columbia, 0 band housing units recorded in the Comox Valley Regional District) 9 Education data is based on the highest level of education achieved. Education data is based on 2011 National Household Survey from Statistics Canada. 11

Table 8: Highest level of education achieved by main working age (25-64 years old) population, Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 2011

Comox Valley Regional District British Columbia Number of Percentage of Number of Percentage of Educational level persons persons persons persons Total main working age population (25-64 years old) 34,055 100.0% 2,451,615 100.0% No certificate, diploma or degree 3,525 10.4% 247,390 10.1% High school diploma or equivalent 8,965 26.3% 614,585 25.1% Postsecondary education (trades certification, college certificate, university degree etc.) 21,560 63.3% 1,589,635 64.8%

Labour Force10 In 2011, more than seven in ten main working age residents (25-64 years old) in the Comox Valley Regional District were employed (72.2% main working age employment rate) (Table 9). Comox Valley Regional District’s main working age employment rate was slightly lower than British Columbia’s main working age employment rate (74.2%).

Table 9: Employment rate, main working age population (25-64 years old), Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 2011 Main working age population Employed main working Main working age Geography (25-64 years old) age people employment rate Comox Valley Regional District 34,050 24,590 72.2% British Columbia 2,451,615 1,819,780 74.2%

In 2011, just less than one in four of the Comox Valley Regional District’s workers (24.0% of all workers) worked in sales and service occupations, the highest proportion of any occupation group (Table 10). 14.2% of all workers worked in trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations, the second most common occupation group.

Table 10: Top five occupation types among workers, Comox Valley Regional District, 201111,12 Occupation Number of workers Percentage of workers Total labour force 32,115 100.0% Sales and service occupations 7,715 24.0% Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations 4,565 14.2% Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services 4,220 13.1% Business, finance and administration occupations 4,035 12.6% Management occupations 3,425 10.7%

10 Labour force data is based on the 2011 National Household Survey data from Statistics Canada. 11 Based on National Occupational Classification (NOC 2011). Two digit categorization. 12 Workers can include employed and unemployed workers, as long as they are participating in the labour force (i.e., have a job or are actively looking for a job) 12

In 2011, the most common industries of work for Comox Valley Regional District’s workers were the retail trade sector (14.3% of all workers) and health care and social assistance (12.8% of all workers) (Table 11).

Table 11: Top five industry types among workers, Comox Valley Regional District, 201113,14 Industry Number of workers Percentage of workers Total labour force 32,115 100.0% Retail trade 4,580 14.3% Health care and social assistance 4,120 12.8% Public administration 3,085 9.6% Construction 2,725 8.5% Educational services 2,510 7.8%

Diversity15 Almost all residents in the Comox Valley Regional District speak English regularly at home (either alone or with another language spoken as well) (98.1% of all residents) (Table 12). The next four most commonly spoken languages at home were all European origin languages: French, German, Spanish and Dutch.

Table 12: Most common languages spoken regularly at home, Comox Valley Regional District, 201116,17 Language Number of regular speakers Percentage of population Total population 63,105 100.0% English 61,910 98.1% French 1,360 2.2% German 560 0.9% Spanish 280 0.4% Dutch 135 0.2%

In 2011, approximately one in eight Comox Valley Regional District residents was an immigrant (12.7% of all residents) (Table 13). Immigrants composed a much smaller proportion of Comox Valley Regional District’s residents compared with British Columbia as a whole, where 27.6% of residents were immigrants.

Table 13: Immigrant population (from all periods of immigration), Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 2011 Geography Total population Total immigrants % immigrants Comox Valley Regional District 62,460 7,960 12.7% British Columbia 4,324,455 1,191,875 27.6%

More than two in five of Comox Valley Regional District’s immigrants (from all periods of immigration) were from the United Kingdom (41.3% of all immigrants), followed by the USA (12.3% of all immigrants) (Table 14). The next three most common immigrant source countries included two European countries (Germany and Netherlands) and one Asian country (Vietnam).

13 Based on North American Industry Classification (NAICS) 2007. Two digit categorization 14 Workers can include employed and unemployed workers, as long as they are participating in the labour force (i.e., have a job or are actively looking for a job) 15 All diversity statistics (except for languages) are based on 2011 National Household Survey data from Statistics Canada. Language statistics are based on 2011 Census data from Statistics Canada. 16 Persons may speak one or more language at home, therefore, the sum of percentages may exceed 100% of the population 17 Totals are the sum of languages spoken most often at home AND other languages spoken regularly at home. 13

Table 14: Top five source countries for immigrants (from all periods of immigration), Comox Valley Regional District, 2011 Source country Number of immigrants Percentage of all immigrants All immigrants 7,960 100.0% United Kingdom 3,285 41.3% USA 980 12.3% Germany 785 9.9% Netherlands 345 4.3% Vietnam 190 2.4% In 2011, visible minority residents composed a much lower proportion of Comox Valley Regional District’s residents (3.4% of all residents were visible minorities) than in British Columbia as a whole (27.3%) (Table 15).

Table 15: Visible Minority Population, Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 2011 Geography Total population Visible minority population % visible minority Comox Valley Regional District 62,460 2,125 3.4% British Columbia 4,324,455 1,180,870 27.3%

In 2011, approximately one in twenty Comox Valley Regional District residents were Aboriginal Persons (4.7% of residents) (Table 16). British Columbia had a similar proportion of Aboriginal residents (5.4% of British Columbia’s residents were Aboriginal Persons) as the Comox Valley Regional District.

Table 16: Aboriginal Identity Population, Comox Valley Regional District and British Columbia, 2011 Aboriginal Identity Geography Total population population % Aboriginal Comox Valley Regional District 62,465 2,910 4.7% British Columbia 4,324,455 232,290 5.4%

Total Crime Rate18 In the Comox Valley Regional District, the crime rate increased from 6,648 crimes per 100,000 residents in 2014 to 7,374 crimes per 100,000 residents in 2015 (Table 17). In 2015, the total crime rate per 100,000 residents in the Comox Valley Regional District was lower than for British Columbia (8,799 crimes per 100,000 residents).

Table 17: Total crime rates (per 100,000 residents), Comox Valley Regional District, 2014 and 2015 Crime rate (per Crime rate (per Change in % change in 100,000 residents) 100,000 residents) crime rate crime rate Geography 2014 2015 2014 - 2015 2014 - 2015 Comox Valley Regional District 6,648 7,374 726 10.9% British Columbia 8,617 8,799 182 2.1%

18 Sources: For crime - Statistics Canada. Table 252-0081 - Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations and police services, British Columbia, annual (number unless otherwise noted). http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&id=2520081 For population - BC Stats. Population Estimates. http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/Demography/PopulationEstimates.aspx 14

Total Crime Severity Index19 The total crime severity index increased between 2014 and 2015 for British Columbia, Courtenay Municipal RCMP and Comox Municipal RCMP and decreased for Comox Valley Rural RCMP (Table 18). In 2015, the crime severity index in all three police jurisdictions within the Comox Valley (Courtenay Municipal RCMP – 91.6, Comox Valley Rural RCMP – 36.6, Comox Municipal RCMP – 32.8) was lower than for British Columbia (94.7).

Table 18: Crime severity index, by police jurisdictions in the Comox Valley Regional District, 2015 Change in Crime Crime Severity Index Crime Severity Index Severity Index Geography 2014 2015 2014 – 2015 Courtenay Municipal RCMP 79.2 91.6 12.3 Comox Valley Rural RCMP 39.3 36.6 -2.7 Comox Municipal RCMP 25.7 32.8 7.1 British Columbia 91.5 94.7 3.2

19 Source: Statistics Canada. Table 252-0089. Crime severity index and weighted clearance rates, by police service, British Columbia, annual (index unless otherwise noted). http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&id=2520089

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Arts, Culture and Recreation

Vancouver Island Regional Library20 In 2015, there were 12.2 library items circulated per every Comox Valley resident, a slight decrease from 2014 (12.9 library items circulated per every Comox Valley resident) (Table 19). In 2015, there were almost twice as many library items circulated per resident in the Comox Valley compared with Vancouver Island as a whole (6.5 items circulated per resident).

Table 19: Library item circulation per resident, Comox Valley branches of Vancouver Island Regional Library System, 2014 and 2015 Items Items Items circulated Items circulated circulated Population per resident circulated Population per resident Geographic Area 2014 2014 2014 2015 2015 2015 Comox Valley 826,194 64,247 12.9 790,768 64,634 12.2 Vancouver Island 5,300,000 757,433 7.0 4,975,366 764,969 6.5

In 2015, there were 133.0 library program attendees per 1,000 residents in the Comox Valley, a slight increase from 2014 (130.6 library program attendees per 1,000 residents) (Table 20). In 2015, there were a similar number of library program attendees per 1,000 residents in the Comox Valley as in Vancouver Island (133.7 program attendees per 1,000 residents).

Table 20: Library program attendance per 1,000 residents, Comox Valley branches of Vancouver Island Regional Library System, 2014 and 2015 Program Program attendance attendance Program per 1,000 Program per 1,000 attendance Population residents attendance Population residents Geographic Area 2014 2014 2014 2015 2015 2015 Comox Valley 8,389 64,247 130.6 8,598 64,634 133.0 Vancouver Island 82,753 757,433 109.3 102,302 764,969 133.7

20 Source for library statistics: Colleen Nelson Library Manager for Courtenay, Comox, Cumberland, Hornby Island and Union Bay branches of Vancouver Island Regional Library. Source for population statistics: BC Stats. Population Estimates. http://bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/Demography/PopulationEstimates.aspx

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Museums21 In 2015, there were 75,591 visits to Comox Valley museums and art galleries, up from 71,864 visits in 2014.

Hiking Trails22 The Comox Valley Regional District manages over 100 hundred kilometres of forested trails

Parkland23 In 2015, all three Comox Valley municipalities had more hectares of parkland and greenways per 1,000 residents than National Recreation and Park Association standards (Table 21).

Table 21: Parkland per 1,000 residents, Comox Valley municipalities, 2015 Parkland and greenways Parkland and greenways Population Hectares per 1,000 residents Municipality (hectares) 2015 2015 Town of Comox 128.10 13,986 9.2 City of Courtenay 177.45 25,244 7.0 Village of Cumberland 232.34 3,506 66.3 National standard N/A N/A 4.0

21 Sources: Comox Valley Art Gallery: Glen Sanford, Community Engagement Director, Comox Valley Art Gallery Alberni Project : Lewis Bartholomew, Founder & Executive Director, Alberni Project Comox Air Force Museum: Colonel (Ret) Jon Ambler, Program Manager & Volunteer Coordinator, Comox Air Force Museum Courtenay & District Museum & Palaeontology Centre: Gillian Miller, Office Manager/Visitor Services, Courtenay & District Museum & Palaeontology Centre 22 Source: Comox Valley Regional District. Parks & Trails. http://www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/EN/main/community/parks-trails.html 23 Sources: Parkland information - Pam Munroe, Social Planning Society. Town of Comox data originally from Al Fraser, Superintendent of Parks, Town of Comox City of Courtenay data originally from Nancy Gothard, Environmental Planner, City of Courtenay Village of Cumberland data originally from Judy Walker, Village Planner, Village of Cumberland Population statistics - BC Stats. Population Estimates. Municipalities, Regional Districts and Development Regions Highlights and Summary Tables (2015).pdf. http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/Demography/PopulationEstimates.aspx National Recreation and Park Association standards - Comox Valley 2014 Quality of Life Report (p.83) 17

Economy and Work

Median Family Income In 2013, the median before-tax family income (for all families) in the Comox Valley Regional District was $72,600 (Table 22), a $3,410 increase over 2012. In 2013, the median before-tax family income (for all families) in the Comox Valley Regional District was lower than in the Vancouver Island and Coast Economic Region ($75,970) and British Columbia ($74,150).

Table 22: Median before-tax family income (unadjusted for inflation), all families, Comox Valley Regional District, 2012 and 201324,25 Change in % change in Median Median median median family income family income family income family income Geography 2012 2013 2012 - 2013 2012 - 2013 Comox Valley Regional District $69,190 $72,600 $3,410 4.9% Vancouver Island and Coast Economic Region $73,180 $75,970 $2,790 3.8% British Columbia $71,660 $74,150 $2,490 3.5%

Median Family Income – Lone Parent Families In 2013, the median before-tax family income for lone parent families in the Comox Valley Regional District was $35,340 (Table 23), a $750 increase over 2012. In 2013, the median before-tax family income for lone parent families in the Comox Valley Regional District was lower than in the Vancouver Island and Coast Economic Region ($37,220) and British Columbia ($38,490).

24 Source: 2012: Statistics Canada.TIFF- Taxfiler data. F-3: Census families by age of older partner/parent and by number of children, 2012. 2013: Statistics Canada.TIFF- Taxfiler data. F-3: Census families by age of older partner/parent and by number of children, 2013. Originally downloaded from Community Data Program. http://communitydata.ca/ 25 Median family before-tax income is the 'sum of the total incomes of all members of the family'. Families include families of all types, including families with children and families without children Total income includes income from any of the following sources: 'Employment income', 'Investment income', 'Government Transfers', "Pension income', Child benefits', etc. . For more information on income concepts, please read Statistics Canada. Annual Income Estimates for Census Families and Individuals (T1 Family File) Family Data Users Guide. http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb-bmdi/document/4105_D5_T1_V12-eng.pdf The Vancouver Island/Coast Region includes Vancouver Island, as well as some parts of the Mainland, including Powell River Regional District and Central Coast Regional District. The Vancouver Island/Coast Region is based on development regions from BC Stats, which are equivalent to Statistics Canada's economic regions For more information, please visit BC Stats. Census Geographies. Maps. http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/Geography/ReferenceMaps/Census.aspx 18

Table 23: Median before-tax family income (unadjusted for inflation), lone-parent families, Comox Valley Regional District, 2012 and 201326,27 Change in % change in Median Median median median family income family income family income family income Geography 2012 2013 2012 - 2013 2012 - 2013 Comox Valley Regional District $34,590 $35,340 $750 2.2% Vancouver Island and Coast Economic Region $36,520 $37,220 $700 1.9% British Columbia $37,420 $38,490 $1,070 2.9% Median Full-Time, Full-Year Employment Income In 2010, the median full-time, full-year employment income for Comox Valley Regional District workers was $44,579 (Table 24), lower than in British Columbia ($49,143). In 2010 in the Comox Valley Regional District, the median full-time, full-year employment income was $49,760 for males, which was $10,841 higher than the median full-time full-year employment income for females ($38,919).

Table 24: Median before-tax employment income for full-time, full-year workers in the Comox Valley Regional District, 201028,29 Males - Females - Male and female All persons – employment employment employment income Geography employment income income income difference Comox Valley Regional District $44,579 $49,760 $38,919 $10,841 British Columbia $49,143 $55,334 $42,839 $12,495

Labour Force Participation Rate – Core Working Age (25-54 Years Old) In 2013, the labour force participation rate among core working age (25-54 years old) taxfilers in Comox Valley Regional District was 86.7% (Table 25) similar to 2012 (86.5%). In 2013, the core working age labour force participation rate in the Comox Valley Regional District was similar to Vancouver Island (86.3%) and higher than British Columbia (84.5%).

26 Source: 2012: Statistics Canada.TIFF- Taxfiler data. F-4: Distribution of Total Income by Census Family Type and Age, 2012. 2013: Statistics Canada.TIFF- Taxfiler data. F-4: Distribution of Total Income by Census Family Type and Age, 2013 Originally downloaded from Community Data Program http://communitydata.ca/ 27 Median family before-tax income is the 'sum of the total incomes of all members of the family'. Total income includes income from any of the following sources: 'Employment income', 'Investment income', 'Government Transfers', "Pension income', Child benefits', etc. For more information on income concepts, please read Statistics Canada. Annual Income Estimates for Census Families and Individuals (T1 Family File). Family Data Users Guide http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb-bmdi/document/4105_D5_T1_V12-eng.pdf The Vancouver Island/Coast Region includes Vancouver Island, as well as some parts of the Mainland, including Powell River Regional District and Central Coast Regional District 28 Source: Statistics Canada. Catalogue no. 99-014-X2011016. Profile - Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity, Aboriginal Peoples, Education and Labour, Mobility and Migration, and Income and Housing for Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, National Household Survey, 2011 29 Statistics Canada defines full time as 30 hours or more per week. Statistics Canada defines full-year as 49 to 52 weeks of work per year (not subtracting time off for vacation) For more information, please visit Statistics Canada. Reference Materials, 2011. NHS Dictionary. Work Activity in 2010 https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/ref/dict/pop131-eng.cfm Median employment income was not available for Vancouver Island as a whole. 19

Table 25: Labour force participation rate for core working age taxfilers (25-54 years old), Comox Valley Regional District, 2012 and 201330,31 Number of Number of core Number of % labour core Number of working age with labour force working age with labour % labour force taxfilers income participation taxfilers income participation Geography 2012 2012 2012 2013 2013 2013 Comox Valley Regional District 22,070 19,100 86.5% 21,770 18,870 86.7% Vancouver Island 265,900 229,390 86.3% 265,420 229,050 86.3% British Columbia 1,806,770 1,524,990 84.4% 1,815,930 1,534,450 84.5% Total Building Permits In 2015, $147.3 million worth of building permits were issued in the Comox Valley Regional District, an increase of 20.0% from 2014. Between 2014 and 2015, the dollar value of building permits increased at a faster rate in the Comox Valley Regional District than in the Vancouver Island and Coast Economic Region (7.2%) and British Columbia (18.5%).

Table 26: Total building permit values (in millions of $), unadjusted for inflation, Comox Valley Regional District, 2014 and 201532,33 Building permit Building permit Change in building permit values values values % change in building (millions of $) (millions of $) (millions of $) permit values Geography 2014 2015 2014 - 2015 2014 - 2015 Comox Valley Regional District $122.8 $147.3 $24.5 20.0% Vancouver Island and Coast Economic Region $1,357.3 $1,455.4 $98.1 7.2% British Columbia $11,076.7 $13,125.2 $2,048.5 18.5%

30 Source: 2012: Statistics Canada.TIFF- Taxfiler data. F-11: Labour Income by Age Group and Sex, 2012 2013: Statistics Canada.TIFF- Taxfiler data. F-11: Labour Income by Age Group and Sex, 2013 Originally downloaded from Community Data Program http://communitydata.ca/ 31 Labour force participation is based on the percentage of taxfilers with labour income within a given year. Labour income includes income from employment and Employment Insurance benefits. Employment income includes wages and salaries, commissions from employment, training allowances, tips and gratuities, self employment income (net income from business, profession, farming, fishing and commissions) and Tax Exempted Indian Employment Income (new in 1999 for wages and salaries, commissions, and in 2010 for self-employment income). For more information on income concepts, please read Statistics Canada. Annual Income Estimates for Census Families and Individuals (T1 Family File). Family Data Users Guide http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb-bmdi/document/4105_D5_T1_V12-eng.pdf Vancouver Island includes the following regional districts: Alberni-Clayoquot, Capital, Comox Valley, , Mount Waddington, and Strathcona. 32 Source: BC Stats. Building Permits, Housing Starts and Sales. Total ($) CSV File http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/Economy/BuildingPermitsHousingStartsandSales.aspx 33 Total includes residential, industrial, institutional and government, and commercial building permits. The Vancouver Island/Coast Region includes Vancouver Island, as well as some parts of the Mainland, including Powell River Regional District and Central Coast Regional District. The Vancouver Island/Coast Region is based on development regions from BC Stats, which are equivalent to Statistics Canada's economic regions. For more information, please visit BC Stats. Census Geographies. Maps. http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/Geography/ReferenceMaps/Census.aspx 20

Airport Traffic34 The Comox Valley Airport had 351,530 passengers in 2015, an increase of 32,700 passengers compared with 2014 (318,830 passengers).

Childcare Statistics35,36 As of June 2016, there were 80 childcare facilities in the Comox Valley (Table 27), with a total maximum capacity of 1,200 spaces. The majority of the facilities and spaces were in Courtenay (45 facilities, 675 spaces) and Comox (21 facilities, 355 spaces).

Table 27: Childcare facilities and capacity, Comox Valley, by community, June 2016 Number of Capacity Community Facilities (spaces) Courtenay 45 675 Comox 21 355 Cumberland 7 65 Black Creek 3 42 Royston 1 21 Fanny Bay 1 16 Denman Island 1 10 Hornby Island 1 16 Total 80 1,200

As of June 2016, there were 101 childcare programs in the Comox Valley (Table 28). There were more family child care programs (31 programs) than any other program type.

Table 28: Childcare facilities and capacity, Comox Valley, by type of care, June 2016 Type of program Number of programs Group Child Care (Under 30 mths) 5 Group Child Care (30 mths –School Age) 17 Preschool (30 mths – School Age) 17 Group Child Care (School Age) 17 Family Child Care 31 Multi-age Child Care 9 In-Home Multi-age Child Care 5 Total 101

34 Source: 2015 statistics: Comox Valley Airport. YQQ Spring 2016 Newsletter http://www.comoxairport.com/cms.asp?wpID=260 2014 statistics: Comox Valley Airport. YQQ Spring 2015 Newsletter http://www.comoxairport.com/cms.asp?wpID=227 35 Source: Office of the Medical Health Officer (2015 calendar year). Received from Dr. Charmaine Enns on Friday June 10, 2016 36 Some facilities offer more than one type of program, so the number of programs will exceed the number of facilities.

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Workers Working Outside of Comox Valley Regional District37 The majority of Comox Valley Vital Signs survey respondents did not (or did not have a family member who) work outside of Comox Valley: 40% worked (or had a family member who worked) no further than the Comox Valley, while 31% were retired (Table 29).

Table 29: The furthest that survey respondents, or members of survey respondent families, travel for employment, Comox Valley Vital Signs survey, 2016 Geographic area % of survey respondents Within Comox Valley 40% Another island community 13% Off island, in BC 8% Out of province 6% Out of country 2% Not applicable (retired, etc.) 31%

Total Employment Insurance Benefits Beneficiaries In 2015, there were 1,576 employment insurance benefit beneficiaries (on average) in the Comox Valley Regional District, a decrease of -3.1% from 1997 (Table 30).

Table 30: Total Employment Insurance Benefits Beneficiaries (Average Beneficiaries per Month), Comox Valley Regional District, 1997 and 201538,39 % change 1997 2015 1997 - 2015 Comox Valley Regional District 1,627 1,576 -3.1 British Columbia 88,754 90,052 1.5

Unemployment Rates In 2011, the Comox Valley Regional District had an unemployment rate of 8.9%, which was higher than British Columbia (7.8%) in 2011 (Table 31) and higher than the Comox Valley Regional District in 2006 (6.2%).

Table 31: Unemployment rate, Comox Valley Regional District, 2001-201140,41 2001 2006 2011* Comox Valley Regional District n/a 6.2 8.9 British Columbia 8.5 6 7.8

37 Source: Comox Valley Vital Signs Survey Report July 8 (p.3) 38 Source: Statistics Canada. Employment Insurance Statistics survey (EIS). CANSIM Table 276-0033. 39 Beneficiaries include those who receive regular, training, job creation, self-employment, sickness, maternity, fishing, work sharing, adoption, or parental benefits 40 Sources: Statistics Canada. 2001 Census, 2006 Census and 2011 National Household Survey. 41 Statistics Canada has noted that, due to changes in survey method and content, 2011 NHS estimates may not be directly comparable to estimates produced from the 2001 and 2006 Census long forms. Caution must be exercised when NHS estimates are compared with Census estimates, especially for estimates corresponding to small geographies. 22

Environment and Sustainability

Annual PM 2.5 and Daily Average42 The annual PM 2.5 average for Comox Valley (Table 32) in 2015 was 8.6 ug/m3, a -4.4% change from 2014. The daily average was 36.5 ug/m3 (Table 33) in 2015, a 19.3% change from 2014.

The provincial air quality objectives for PM 2.5 are 8 ug/m3 annual average and 25 ug/m3 daily average and 98th percentile daily average annually.

Table 32: Annual PM 2.5 Average, 2014 and 2015 Change in % change in Annual Average Annual Average annual average annual average 2014 2015 2014 - 2015 2014 – 2015 Comox Valley 9.0 ug/m3 8.6 ug/m3 -0.4 -4.4%

Table 33: Annual Daily Average, 2014 and 2015 Annual Annual Change in % change in 98th percentile of 98th percentile of 98th percentile of 98th percentile of daily values daily values daily values daily values 2014 2015 2014 - 2015 2014 – 2015 Comox Valley 30.6 ug/m3 36.5 ug/m3 5.9 19.3%

Boil Water Advisory Days43 In 2015/2016, there were 21 boil water advisory days in the Comox Valley (Table 34), 37 fewer days than in 2014/2015 (58 boil water advisory days).

Table 34: Boil water advisory information, Comox Valley, 2014/2015 and 2015/2016

Year Number of boil water advisory days 2014/2015 (July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015) 58 2015/2016 (July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016) 21 Change in number of boil water advisory dates, 2014/2015-2015/2016 -37

Solid Waste Diversion Rate44 At 54% in 2014, the solid waste diversion rate increased by 2% from 2013 to 2014 (Table 35).

Table 35: Solid Waste Diversion Rate, Comox Valley Regional District, 2011-2014 Baseline Annual Reports Measures 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Solid waste 48% 51% 52% 52% 54% diversion rate

42 Source: PM 2.5 Annual Data Summary 43 Source: Brian Chow, Long Range Planner, Comox Valley Regional District. 44 Source: Comox Valley Regional District, 2014 Regional Growth Strategy. 23

Daily Water Consumption Per Capita45 In 2014, daily water consumption per capita in the Comox Valley was 501 liters per capita (Table 36), higher than in 2013, but lower than in 2011 and 2012.

Table 36: Daily consumption of water (litres per capita), Comox Valley Regional District, 2011-2014 Daily water Change from consumption previous year % change from Year (litres per capita) (litres per capita) previous year 2011 528 n/a n/a 2012 535 7 1.3% 2013 496 -39 -7.3% 2014 501 5 1.0%

Hectares of Parkland and Greenways46,47 In 2015, all three Comox Valley municipalities had more hectares of parkland and greenways per 1,000 residents than National Recreation and Park Association standards (Table 37).

Table 37: Parkland per 1,000 residents, Comox Valley municipalities, 2015 Parkland and greenways Parkland and greenways Population (hectares) per 1,000 Municipality (hectares) 2015 residents, 2015 Town of Comox 128.10 13,986 9.2 City of Courtenay 177.45 25,244 7.0 Village of Cumberland 232.34 3,506 66.3 National standards N/A N/A 4.0

Eelgrass Restoration48 The map (Figure 1) shows eelgrass beds in 1995 and potential eelgrass beds. Estuaries are the rainforests of the sea: • Comox Valley estuary is 1 of 8 of the most valuable estuaries in B.C. • Seagrass ecosystems are globally significant carbon sinks, recognized as an important method for mitigating climate change. • 80% of recreationally-caught fish rely on these ocean nurseries at some point in their life cycle.

45 Source: Comox Valley Regional District, 2014 Regional Growth Strategy. 46 Sources: Parkland information - Pam Munroe, Social Planning Society. Town of Comox data originally from Al Fraser, Superintendent of Parks, Town of Comox City of Courtenay data originally from Nancy Gothard, Environmental Planner, City of Courtenay Village of Cumberland data originally from Judy Walker, Village Planner, Village of Cumberland Population statistics - BC Stats. Population Estimates. Municipalities, Regional Districts and Development Regions Highlights and Summary Tables (2015).pdf. http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/Demography/PopulationEstimates.aspx National Recreation and Park Association standards - Comox Valley 2014 Quality of Life Report (p.83) 47 Same data shown in Arts, Culture and Recreation section. 48 Source: Project Watershed, Comox Valley Project Watershed Society. 24

Figure 1: Potential Eelgrass Map, 2010.

Annual Precipitation49 The annual precipitation at Comox Station varies greatly year over year, from a low of 799 mm in 2013 to a high of 1,445 mm in 2010 (Figure 2).The overall trend from 2006-2015 in precipitation is a slight decline in annual precipitation.

Figure 2: Annual precipitation (in mm), Comox Station, 2006-2015 1,600

1,400

1,200

1,000

800

600

400 Annual Precipaon (mm) 200

0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Comox Valley (Comox 1,357 1,150 827 1,030 1,445 987 1,327 799 1,202 1,106 staon)

49 Source: Environment Canada. 25

Mean Annual Temperature50 The highest mean annual temperature at Comox Station between 2006 and 2015 was recorded in 2015 (11.4 degrees Celsius) (Figure 3), while the lowest temperature was recorded in both 2008 and 2011 (9.4 degrees Celsius). The overall mean annual temperature trend between 2006 and 2015 was an increasing trend. The mean annual temperature increased every year from 2011 onwards.

Figure 3: Mean annual temperature (in degrees Celsius), Comox Station, 2006-2015

12

10

8

6

4

2

Mean annual temperature (degrees celsius) 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Comox Valley 10.2 9.7 9.4 9.9 10.3 9.4 9.8 10.3 10.8 11.4

50 Source: Environment Canada. 26

Food

Change in Agriculture Land Reserve Land51 In 2014, the Comox Valley Regional District had 23,434 hectares of zoned farm land in the Agricultural Land Reserve, the same amount as in 2013.

Farmers Market Statistics In 2015, there was $1,205,956 in sales conducted at the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market (Table 38), an increase of $156,145 from 2014.

Table 38: Farmers Market Statistics, Comox Valley Farmers' Market, 201552,53 Change % change Statistic 2014 2015 2014 – 2015 2014 – 2015 Sales ($) $1,049,812 $1,205,956 $156,145 14.9% Monthly Food Basket Cost In 2015, a nutritious monthly food basket cost $985 in the North Island Health Service Delivery Area (Table 39), more than in the Vancouver Island Health Authority ($965) and British Columbia ($974). The cost of the nutritious monthly food basket increased between 2013 and 2015 in both the Vancouver Island Health Authority ($17 increase) and British Columbia ($61 increase).

Table 39: Monthly food basket cost, North Island Health Service Delivery Area, 201554,55 2013 food 2015 food Change % change Geography basket cost basket cost 2013-2015 2013-2015 North Island Health Service Delivery Area N/A $985 N/A N/A Vancouver Island Health Authority $948 $965 $17 1.8% British Columbia $914 $974 $61 6.6%

51 Source: Comox Valley Regional Growth Strategy. RGS 2014 Annual Report (p.8) http://www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/EN/main/community/regional-strategies/regional-growth-strategy/annual-report.html 52 Source: Comox Valley Farmers' Market. Market Report 2016 53 Statistics based on Winter (January - April) market, Summer (April - October) market, Fall (October - December) market and Wednesday market 54 Source: Provincial Health Services Authority. Food Costing in BC 2015. (p.8 and p.12) http://www.phsa.ca/population-public-health-site/Documents/2015%20Food%20Costing%20in%20BC%20-%20FINAL.pdf 55 2013 data was not available for the North Vancouver Island Health Service Delivery Area. Food basket is based on a family of four in British Columbia consisting of a male (31-50 years old), a female (31-50 years old), a boy (14-18 years old) and a girl (4-8 years old). Cost of eating is based on the items in the national nutritious food basket (NNFB) "The NNFB describes the quantity (and purchase units) of approximately 60 foods that represent a nutritious diet for individuals in various age and gender groups. " For more information on the NNFB, please visit Health Canada. National Nutritious Food Basket http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/surveill/basket-panier/index-eng.php. Prices are rounded to the nearest dollar. 27

Student Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables During the 2014/2015 school year, 58% of grade 3 and 4 students in the Comox Valley School District had eaten five or more servings of fruits and vegetables in the previous day (Table 40). During the 2014/2015 school year in the Comox Valley School District, the grade 3 and 4 students (58% of grade 3 and 4 students) were the most likely to have eaten the five servings of fruits and vegetables, followed by grade 7 students (52%), grade 10 students (43%) and grade 12 students (40%). Between 2013/2014 and 2014/2015, the percentage of Comox Valley School Districts who had eaten five servings of fruits and vegetables: • Was similar in both years for grade 3 and 4 students (57% in 2013/2014 and 58% in 2014/2015); • Increased for grade 7 students (50% in 2013/2014 and 52% in 2014/2015); • Was similar in both years for grade 10 students (44% in 2013/2014 and 43% in 2014/2015); and, • Decreased for grade 12 students (50% in 2013/2014 and 40% in 2014/2015).

In 2014/2015, compared with British Columbia public school students: • Grade 3 and 4 Comox Valley School District students (58%) were more likely to have had five servings of fruits and vegetables (51% in British Columbia public schools); • Grade 7 Comox Valley School District students (52%) were more likely to have had five servings of fruits and vegetables (48% in British Columbia public schools); • Grade 10 Comox Valley School District students (43%) had a similar likelihood of eating five servings of fruits and vegetables (42% in British Columbia public schools); and, • Grade 12 Comox Valley School District students (40%) were less likely to have had five servings of fruits and vegetables (42% in British Columbia public schools).

Table 40: Percentage of students who ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables during the past day, Comox Valley School District, 2014/2015 school year56,57 Percent of students who ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables during the past day School District and Grade 2013/2014 school year 2014/2015 school year Comox Valley School District (grade 3/4) 57% 58% Comox Valley School District (grade 7) 50% 52% Comox Valley School District (grade 10) 44% 43% Comox Valley School District (grade 12) 50% 40% British Columbia public schools (grade 3/4) 52% 51% British Columbia public schools (grade 7) 48% 48% British Columbia public schools (grade 10) 44% 42% British Columbia public schools (grade 12) 42% 42%

Free Meals Provided by Community Groups In 2013, community groups in the Comox Valley provided 64,912 free meals (

Table 41).

56 Source: BC Provincial Government. Ministry of Education. District Reports. Comox Valley School District (71) Satisfaction Survey (p.14) https://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/reports/pdfs/sat_survey/071.pdf 57 The number and percentage of students who have at least five servings of fruit and vegetables every day is based on the answer to the following question: "In the past 24 hours, how many servings of fruits and vegetables have you eaten (for example, one serving is equal to one medium whole fruit or vegetable, or ½ cup fresh, frozen, juiced or canned)?" Students surveyed include grade 3/4 students, grade 7 students, grade 10 students and grade 12 students 28

Table 41: Free meals provided by community groups, Comox Valley, 201358 Group Free meals provided Pidcock Shelter 9,584 Lily House 12,444 Comox Valley Transition 2,250 Comox Valley Family Services 4,420 Comox Valley Head Injury 2,322 AIDS Vancouver Island 2,392 Sonshine Lunch Club 30,000 Food Not Bombs 1,500 Totals 64,912 Number of Farm and Farm Operators In 2011, there were 432 registered farms in the Comox Valley Regional District (Table 42) a 13.1% decrease from 2006. Between 2006 and 2011, the number of registered farms in British Columbia decreased by 0.4%.In 2011, there were 670 farm operators in the Comox Valley Regional District, a 11.8% decrease from 2006. Between 2006 and 2011, the number of farm operators in British Columbia increased by 0.2%.

Table 42: Number of farms and farm operators, Comox Valley Regional District, 2006 and 201159 Change % change 2006 2011 2006 - 2011 2006 - 2011 Number of registered farms (Comox Valley Regional District) 497 432 -65 -13.1% Number of farm operators (Comox Valley Regional District) 760 670 -90 -11.8% Number of registered farms (British Columbia) 19,844 19,759 -85 -0.4% Number of farm operators (British Columbia) 29,865 29,925 60 0.2%

58 Source: Comox Valley Social Planning Society. Comox Valley. 2014 Quality of Life Report. May 2014 (p.49) http://www.comoxvalleychamber.com/wcwebcontent/webcontentpage.aspx?contentid=59 59 Source: For Comox Valley Regional District. Comox Valley Social Planning Society. Comox Valley. 2014 Quality of Life Report. May 2014. (p.39). Based on Statistics Canada. 2011 Census of Agriculture. http://www.comoxvalleychamber.com/wcwebcontent/webcontentpage.aspx?contentid=59 For British Columbia (number of farms): Statistics Canada.2011 Census of Agriculture. Table 004-0001. Census of Agriculture, number and area of farms and farmland area by tenure, Canada and provinces http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=0040001&pattern=004-0001..004- 0017&tabMode=dataTable&srchLan=-1&p1=-1&p2=31 For British Columbia (number of farm operators): Statistics Canada. 2011 Census of Agriculture. Table 004-0017. Census of Agriculture, number of farm operators by sex, age and paid non-farm work, Canada and provinces. http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=0040017&pattern=004-0001..004- 0017&tabMode=dataTable&srchLan=-1&p1=-1&p2=31

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Farm Types60 In 2011, the most common type of animals raised at farms in the Comox Valley Regional District were hens and chickens (raised at 171 farms), followed by beef cows (81 farms). In 2011, there were 95 hectares of land devoted to growing potatoes in the Comox Valley Regional District, more than any other crop. 32 hectares of land were devoted to growing cranberries, the second most hectares of any crop.

Agricultural Land Reserve Types In 2013, 23% of Comox Valley`s agricultural land reserve was actively farmed and 62% was available to farm (Table 43).

Table 43: Agricultural Land Reserve, Land Type, Comox Valley, 2013 Total hectares % of ALR Total ALR land 23,429 Actively farmed 5,437 23% Available to farm 14,622 62% Other 3,370 14%

60 Source: Comox Valley Social Planning Society. Comox Valley. 2014 Quality of Life Report. May 2014 (p.39 - 42). http://www.comoxvalleychamber.com/wcwebcontent/webcontentpage.aspx?contentid=59

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Gap Between Rich and Poor

Overall Poverty Rate In 2013, the Comox Valley Regional District had 7,850 poor residents, similar to the number of poor residents in 2012 (7,820 poor residents) (Table 44). Approximately one in eight residents of the Comox Valley Regional District were poor in 2012 (12.6% overall poverty rate) and in 2013 (12.6% overall poverty rate). In 2013, the overall poverty rate in the Comox Valley Regional District was lower than in Vancouver Island (13.8% overall poverty rate) and British Columbia (16.3% overall poverty rate).

Table 44: Overall population poverty rate (based on LIM After-Tax), Comox Valley Regional District and Comparison Geographies, 2012 and 201361,62 Total Total poor Overall Total Total poor Overall residents residents poverty rate residents residents poverty rate Geography 2012 2012 2012 2013 2013 2013 Comox Valley 62,190 7,820 12.6% 62,480 7,850 12.6% Regional District Vancouver Island 709,920 96,960 13.7% 716,930 98,970 13.8% British Columbia 4,321,100 695,100 16.1% 4,377,850 714,960 16.3%

Child (0-17 years old) Poverty Rate In 2013, the Comox Valley Regional District had 2,170 poor children (based on LIM-After Tax), which was similar to the number of poor children in 2012 (2,180 poor children) (Table 45). Approximately one in five Comox Valley Regional District children were poor in 2012 (19.9% child poverty rate) and 2013 (19.9% child poverty rate). The child poverty rate in the Comox Valley Regional District in 2013 was similar to British Columbia’s child poverty rate (20.4%), but lower than Vancouver Island’s child poverty rate (21.2%).

61 Source: Statistics Canada, Income Statistics Division, Annual Estimates for Census Families and Individuals, 2012 and 2013, Table F- 18 Family data - After-tax low income (based on after-tax low income measures, LIMs) 62 For more information on low income concepts (LIM - After Tax) and taxfiler data, please consult Statistics Canada. Annual Income Estimates for Census Families and Individuals (T1 Family File). Family Data. User's Guide. Jun-15 http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb-bmdi/document/4105_D5_T1_V12-eng.pdf Vancouver Island consists of the following regional districts: Alberni-Clayoquot, Capital, Comox Valley, Cowichan Valley, Mount Waddington, Nanaimo and Strathcona 31

Table 45: Child (0-17 years old) poverty rate (based on LIM After-Tax), Comox Valley Regional District and Comparison Geographies, 2012 and 201363,64 Total children Total poor Child Total children Total poor Child (0-17 years old) children poverty rate (0-17 years old) children poverty rate Geography 2012 2012 2012 2013 2013 2013 Comox Valley 10,970 2,180 19.9% 10,900 2,170 19.9% Regional District Vancouver 122,680 25,960 21.2% 122,590 25,930 21.2% Island British Columbia 823,960 169,420 20.6% 821,840 167,810 20.4%

Seniors (65+) Poverty Rate In 2013, the Comox Valley Regional District had 460 poor seniors (based on LIM-After Tax), up from 330 poor seniors in 2012 (Table 46). The seniors poverty rate in the Comox Valley Regional District increased from 2.3% in 2012 to 3.1% in 2013. In 2013, the seniors poverty rate in the Comox Valley Regional District was slightly lower than Vancouver Island’s seniors poverty rate (3.6%) and much lower than British Columbia’s seniors poverty rate (8.2%)

Table 46: Seniors (65+ years old) poverty rate (based on LIM After-Tax), Comox Valley Regional District and Comparison Geographies, 2012 and 201365,66 Total seniors Total poor Seniors Total seniors Total poor Seniors (65+ years old) seniors poverty rate (65+ years old) seniors poverty rate Geography 2012 2012 2012 2013 2013 2013 Comox Valley 14,130 330 2.3% 14,760 460 3.1% Regional District Vancouver 150,100 4,250 2.8% 156,600 5,610 3.6% Island British Columbia 713,730 43,810 6.1% 746,130 60,930 8.2%

63 Source: Statistics Canada, Income Statistics Division, Annual Estimates for Census Families and Individuals, 2012 and 2013, Table F- 18 Family data - After-tax low income (based on after-tax low income measures, LIMs) 64 For more information on low income concepts (LIM - After Tax) and taxfiler data, please consult Statistics Canada. Annual Income Estimates for Census Families and Individuals (T1 Family File). Family Data. User's Guide. Jun-15 http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb-bmdi/document/4105_D5_T1_V12-eng.pdf Vancouver Island consists of the following regional districts: Alberni-Clayoquot, Capital, Comox Valley, Cowichan Valley, Mount Waddington, Nanaimo and Strathcona 65 Source: Statistics Canada, Income Statistics Division, Annual Estimates for Census Families and Individuals, 2012 and 2013, Table F- 18 Family data - After-tax low income (based on after-tax low income measures, LIMs) 66 For more information on low income concepts (LIM - After Tax) and taxfiler data, please consult Statistics Canada. Annual Income Estimates for Census Families and Individuals (T1 Family File). Family Data. User's Guide. Jun-15 http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb-bmdi/document/4105_D5_T1_V12-eng.pdf Vancouver Island consists of the following regional districts: Alberni-Clayoquot, Capital, Comox Valley, Cowichan Valley, Mount Waddington, Nanaimo and Strathcona 32

Income Assistance In 2015, the Courtenay Census Agglomeration had a monthly average of 2,625 residents on income assistance, up slightly from 2014 (monthly average of 2,570 residents on income assistance) (Table 47). A monthly average of 4.7% of Courtenay Census Agglomeration residents were on income assistance in 2015, similar to 2014 (4.6%). In 2015, the monthly average percentage of Courtenay Census Agglomeration residents on income assistance was similar to Vancouver Island (4.6%), but higher than in British Columbia (3.8%).

Table 47: Monthly average proportion of population on income assistance, Courtenay Census Agglomeration and comparison geographies, 2014 and 201567,68 Monthly % of residents Monthly % of residents average number on income average number on income of income assistance of income assistance Total assistance 2014 Total assistance 2015 residents clients (monthly residents clients (monthly Geography 2014 2014 average) 2015 2015 average) Courtenay 55,837 2,570 4.6% 56,174 2,625 4.7% Census Agglomeration Vancouver 757,433 34,621 4.6% 764,969 34,947 4.6% Island British Columbia 4,638,415 175,352 3.8% 4,683,139 177,031 3.8%

67 Income assistance caseload data is from: British Columbia Provincial Government. Ministry of Social Development & Social Innovation. Ministry Reports. BCEA Caseload Statistics. http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/organizational- structure/ministries-organizations/ministries/social-development-and-social-innovation/ministry-reports#stats Courtenay Census Agglomeration Stats are from BC Employment and Assistance by Census Metropolitan Area CSV file. Vancouver Island stats are from BC Employment and Assistance by Health Authority CSV file. British Columbia stats are from Six-page caseload statistics PDF file (p.2). Population statistics are from BC Stats. Population Estimates. http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/Demography/PopulationEstimates.aspx For Courtenay Census Agglomeration: Census Metropolitan Areas/Census Agglomerations File 2011 to 2015 For Vancouver Island: Special Regions (CMA and Vancouver Island) For British Columbia: Special Regions (CMA and Vancouver Island) 68 Income Assistance statistics were not available by regional districts, so census agglomerations had to be used. Vancouver Island statistics are based on Vancouver Island Health Authority (Health Authority 4). Income Statistics are based on a 12-month average. Population estimates are based on July 1st of each year. Courtenay Census Agglomeration is classified with CA/CMA code 943 in income assistance. (based on Statistics Canada. 2011 Census. Census Agglomerations and Census Metropolitan Areas Map. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/geo/map-carte/pdf/2011-12572-01-B.pdf). Income Assistance includes the following programs: Temporary Assistance - Expected to Work, Temporary Assistance - Expected to Work - Medical Condition Temporary Assistance - Temporarily Excused, Temporary Assistance - Persistent Multiple Barriers, Disability Assistance

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Income Inequality In 2010, the Comox Valley Regional District had 10,130 residents in either the bottom 10% or top 10% (i.e., among the very rich or very poor) of Canada’s adjusted after-tax family incomes (Table 48). 16.2% of Comox Valley Regional District’s residents were either in the top income decile or the bottom income decile, lower than in Vancouver Island (19.6%) and British Columbia (22.0%).

Table 48: Percentage of Comox Valley Regional District's population with incomes in the bottom 10% or top 10% of Canada's adjusted after-tax family incomes, 201069, 70

Total Percentage of population in population in Total Population in Population in either top 10% either top 10% Geography population bottom 10% top 10% or bottom 10% or bottom 10% Comox Valley Regional 62,465 6,235 3,895 10,130 16.2% District Vancouver Island 719,430 77,815 63,045 140,860 19.6% British Columbia 4,324,455 502,820 447,215 950,035 22.0%

69 Source: Statistics Canada. Catalogue no. 99-014-X2011016. Profile - Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity, Aboriginal Peoples, Education and Labour, Mobility and Migration, and Income and Housing for Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, National Household Survey, 2011 70 Vancouver Island consists of the following regional districts: Alberni-Clayoquot, Capital, Comox Valley, Cowichan Valley, Mount Waddington, Nanaimo and Strathcona. “Adjusted after-tax income for economic families and persons not in economic families - For persons not in economic families, the adjusted after-tax income is set at after-tax income. This is equivalent to a factor of 1.0 for a person not in an economic family. Decile of adjusted after-tax family income - The deciles divide the population ranked by size of adjusted after-tax family income into 10 groups of equal size. The population in the bottom decile is the one who falls in the lower 10 percent of the adjusted after-tax family income distribution. The population in the top decile is the one who falls in the highest ten percent of the adjusted after-tax family income distribution. The 10 groups were formed with the full population in private households of Canada, whether or not they reported income.” (Source: Statistics Canada)

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Income Distribution by Deciles In 2010, the largest percentages of Comox Valley Regional District’s residents fell within the sixth decile (11.6% of residents) or the seventh decile (11.5%) (Table 49) of Canada’s adjusted after-tax family incomes. In contrast, in both Vancouver Island and British Columbia, the largest percentages of residents fell within the bottom decile or the ninth decile.

Table 49: Percentage of Comox Valley Regional District's population with incomes in different deciles of Canada's adjusted after-tax family incomes, 201071,72 Comox Valley Regional District Vancouver Island British Columbia Number Number Number Deciles of persons % of persons % of persons % Total population 62,465 100.0% 719,430 100.0% 4,324,455 100.0% In bottom decile 6,235 10.0% 77,815 10.8% 502,820 11.6% In second decile 6,890 11.0% 74,855 10.4% 442,810 10.2% In third decile 6,010 9.6% 66,560 9.3% 393,940 9.1% In fourth decile 7,000 11.2% 70,670 9.8% 402,095 9.3% In fifth decile 6,650 10.6% 68,510 9.5% 403,010 9.3% In sixth decile 7,275 11.6% 73,905 10.3% 417,640 9.7% In seventh decile 7,165 11.5% 74,515 10.4% 425,225 9.8% In eighth decile 6,545 10.5% 73,835 10.3% 435,015 10.1% In ninth decile 4,800 7.7% 75,720 10.5% 454,680 10.5% In top decile 3,895 6.2% 63,045 8.8% 447,215 10.3%

71 Source: Statistics Canada. Catalogue no. 99-014-X2011016. Profile - Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity, Aboriginal Peoples, Education and Labour, Mobility and Migration, and Income and Housing for Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, National Household Survey, 2011 72 Vancouver Island consists of the following regional districts: Alberni-Clayoquot, Capital, Comox Valley, Cowichan Valley, Mount Waddington, Nanaimo and Strathcona. “Adjusted after-tax income for economic families and persons not in economic families - For persons not in economic families, the adjusted after-tax income is set at after-tax income. This is equivalent to a factor of 1.0 for a person not in an economic family. Decile of adjusted after-tax family income - The deciles divide the population ranked by size of adjusted after-tax family income into 10 groups of equal size. The population in the bottom decile is the one who falls in the lower 10 percent of the adjusted after-tax family income distribution. The population in the top decile is the one who falls in the highest ten percent of the adjusted after-tax family income distribution. The 10 groups were formed with the full population in private households of Canada, whether or not they reported income.” (Source: Statistics Canada)

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Getting Around and Transportation

Transit Ridership (Conventional Bus System)73 Transit ridership on the Comox Valley’s transit system (conventional bus system) decreased from 595,857 during the 2014/2015 fiscal year to 585,826 during the 2015/2016 fiscal year, a change of -10,031 (-1.7% change).

Handy Dart Ridership74 Handy dart ridership in the Comox Valley decreased from 36,062 in 2014 to 29,526 in 2015, a change of -6,536 (-18.1% change).

Bike Lanes75 As of 2015, the City of Courtenay had 2.9 km of bike lanes. The Town of Comox, as of August 2016 has 7.3 km of designated bike lanes. The Village of Cumberland has no bike lanes as of 2015.

Bike to School / Work Week76 In 2016, 570 persons biked to work during bike to work week in the Comox Valley rode 23,560 kilometres.

Elementary School Student Transportation and Proximity to School77 54% live within 1.6KM of school – nationally socially accepted distance to active travel.

Of this 54% on average over 8 elementary schools 53.25% are driven to school, some schools it is as high as 71% are being driven.

73 Source: Drew Snider, Communications/Media Relations Consultant, BC Transit 74 Source: Drew Snider, Communications/Media Relations Consultant, BC Transit 75 Sources: Cumberland: Judy Walker, Senior Planner, Village of Cumberland. Courtenay: Carrie Miller, Traffic Technologist, City of Courtenay. Town of Comox, Shelley Ashfield, Engineer. Cumberland had 0 km of bike lanes as of 2015. 76 Source: Bike to Work Comox Valley. https://www.biketowork.ca/comox-valley 77 Source: Angela Holmes. Active Travel Program Worker, School District #71 (Comox Valley) 36

Sustainable Modes of Commuting In 2011, 2,840 commuters in the Comox Valley Regional District used sustainable modes of transportation (public transit, walking, bicycling) as their main transportation mode to get to work (Table 50). In 2011, 10.9% of Comox Valley Regional District commuters used sustainable modes of transportation to get to work, which was lower than for Vancouver Island (19.5%) and British Columbia (21.4%). In 2011, the most common sustainable mode of work commuting in the Comox Valley Regional District was walking (1,485 walkers, 5.7% of work commuters), followed by bicycling (890 bicyclists, 3.4%) and public transit users (465 public transit users, 1.8%).

Table 50: Employed commuters (15+ years old) using sustainable modes of transportation (bike, walking, public transit) as main commute mode, Comox Valley Regional District, 201178,79 Percent Percent Total Public Public Sustainable sustainable number of transit transit Percent Percent mode mode Geography commuters users users Walkers walkers Bicyclists bicyclists commuters commuters Comox Valley Regional District 25,975 465 1.8% 1,485 5.7% 890 3.4% 2,840 10.9% Vancouver Island 321,890 22,410 7.0% 27,330 8.5% 13,110 4.1% 62,850 19.5% British Columbia 1,984,985 250,450 12.6% 132,205 6.7% 42,260 2.1% 424,915 21.4%

78 Source: Statistics Canada. Catalogue no. 99-014-X2011016. Profile - Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity, Aboriginal Peoples, Education and Labour, Mobility and Migration, and Income and Housing for Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, National Household Survey, 2011 79 Transportation is only for employed population 15+ years old with a usual place of work (outside their home) or with no fixed workplace address. Employed persons can take multiple modes of transportation to work (e.g., walk and transit); however, only the main transportation mode used (i.e., makes up greatest portion of work journey) is counted by the 2011 National Household Survey. Sustainable modes include walking, bicycling and public transit. Vancouver Island consists of the following regional districts: Alberni-Clayoquot, Capital, Comox Valley, Cowichan Valley, Mount Waddington, Nanaimo and Strathcona 37

Health and Wellness

Life Expectancy at Birth80,81 The life expectancy in years for Comox Valley82 and Vancouver Island83 between 2010 and 2014 (Table 51) were consistent with provincial numbers over the same period.

Table 51: Life Expectancy in years by Sex, 2010-2014 Geography Female Male Comox Valley 84.0 80.2 Vancouver Island 84.0 80.0 British Columbia 84.5 80.4

Chronic Diseases84 In 2012 and 2013, top five chronic diseases in Comox Valley85 and Vancouver Island86 were depression/anxiety, hypertension, asthma, osteoarthritis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Table 52).

Table 52: Top Five Chronic Diseases, 2012 and 2013 Prevalence Prevalence Prevalence (age-standardized (age-standardized (age-standardized per 1,000 Vancouver per 1,000 British per 1,000 Comox Valley persons) Island persons) Columbia persons) Depression/ 250.9 Depression/ 238.8 Depression/ 213.2 Anxiety Anxiety Anxiety 177.6 177.5 Hypertensio 184.9 Hypertension Hypertension n Asthma 117.6 Asthma 118.9 Asthma 105.3 60.7 66.1 Osteoarthriti 62.1 Osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis s Chronic 59.4 Chronic 56.8 Diabetes 60.0 Obstructive Obstructive Pulmonary Pulmonary Disease Disease

80 Source: 2014 Local Health Area Profile: Courtenay (71), Island Health. 81 Life expectancy for 65+ years old was not available for local geographies. 82 Based on Courtenay Local Health Area . 83 Based on Vancouver Island Health Authority. 84 Source: 2014 Local Health Area Profile: Courtenay (71), Island Health. 85 Based on Courtenay Local Health Area 86 Based on Vancouver Island Health Authority. 38

People with Mobility Limitation or Disability87 In 2011, there were 17,445 people who were experiencing difficulty with daily activities and/or with activity limitations in Comox Valley, which was 27.9% of the region’s population (Table 53). The percentage of population with activity limitations was higher in Comox Valley than in British Columbia as a whole.

Table 53: Number of people experiencing difficulty with daily activities and/or with activity limitations, 2011 Number of persons with Geography mobility limitation or disability % of total population Comox Valley 17,445 27.9% British Columbia 962,005 22.2%

Youth Resiliency and Drug Use88 In 2013, 52% of youth in North Vancouver Island have tried alcohol (Table 54), a -17.5 change from 2008. The percentage of youth who tried alcohol in North Vancouver Island was higher compared to provincial percentage of 45%. Higher percentage of youth in North Vancouver Island has tried marijuana at 37% than 26% provincially.

Table 54: Percentage of youth in North Vancouver Island who tried alcohol and marijuana, 2008-2013 % of youth who tried % of youth who tried alcohol Change % change marijuana Geography 2008 2013 2008 - 2013 2008 - 2013 2013 North Vancouver Island 63% 52% -11 -17.5% 37% British Columbia n/a 45% n/a n/a 26%

Obesity89 In 2014, 17.5% of Vancouver Island90 adults were obese (Table 55), up from 13.4% in 2013. In 2014, a higher percentage of Vancouver Island adults were obese than in British Columbia (16.0%).

Table 55: Number of obese adults (18+ years old), Vancouver Island and British Columbia, 2013 and 2014

Number of obese adults % of adults (18+ years old) (18+ years old) who were obese Geography 2013 2014 2013 2014 British Columbia 526,837 553,529 15.0% 16.0% Vancouver Island 77,976 99,496 13.4% 17.5%

87 Source: E02181 CPP11 table 1, 2011 National Household Survey. 88 Source: Results of the 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey for North Vancouver Island, McCreary Centre Society. 89 Source: Health Indicator Profile Table 105-0501, Statistics Canada. 90 Based on Vancouver Island Health Authority

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General Practitioners and Specialists91 In 2014/2015, there were 104 general practitioners and 60 specialists practicing in Comox Valley (Table 56). The number of general practitioners per 100,000 people was higher for Comox Valley than Vancouver Island92 or the province.

Table 56: Number of General Practitioners and Specialists in Comox Valley, 2014/2015 General practitioners Specialists General per 100,000 per 100,000 Geography Practitioners population Specialists population Comox Valley 104 159 60 92 Vancouver Island 1,188 155 806 105 British Columbia 5,596 119 4,815 103

Between February 2015 and March 2016, the Comox Valley had a net gain of 7 physicians93, based on 9 new physicians coming to the community and 2 physicians leaving the community.

Youth Smoking Rates94 In 2014/2015, compared with British Columbia public school students (Table 57): • Grade 7 Comox Valley School District students (3%) had a similar likelihood of smoking (3% in British Columbia public schools); • Grade 10 Comox Valley School District students (18%) were more likely to smoke (11% in British Columbia public schools); and, • Grade 12 Comox Valley School District students (14%) had a similar likelihood of smoking (14% in British Columbia public schools).

Table 57: Percentage of students in Comox Valley School District who smoke every day or occasionally, 2014/2015 school year Percentage of students who smoke every day or occasionally Comox Valley school district grade 7 students 3% Comox Valley school district grade 10 students 18% Comox Valley school district grade 12 students 14% British Columbia public school grade 7 students 3% British Columbia public school grade 10 students 11% British Columbia public school grade 12 students 14%

91 Source: Comox Valley, Geographic Service Area Profiles 2016. 92 Based on Vancouver Island Health Authority 93 Source: Connie Luck, A GP for Me Project Manager. Comox Valley Division of Family Practice. 94 Source: BC Satisfaction Survey, Ministry of Education (Open Data BC) 40

Tobacco-Related Death Rates95 In 2013, the tobacco-related deaths were higher in Comox Valley96 at 110.63 and Vancouver Island97 at 112.13 than 85.13 per 100,000 provincially (Table 58). There was a 14.4% increase in tobacco-related deaths for Comox Valley in tobacco-related deaths between 2012 and 2013. Over the same period, British Columbia saw a decrease in tobacco- related death by 1.9%.

Table 58: Tobacco-Related Deaths (per 100,000) by Local Health Areas, 2012 and 2013 Death rate Death rate Change % change Geography 2012 2013 2012 - 2013 2012 - 2013 Comox Valley 96.74 110.63 13.9 14.4% Vancouver Island 111.05 112.13 1.1 1.0% British Columbia 86.76 85.13 -1.6 -1.9%

Alcohol-Related Death Rates98 There was a 32.1% increase in alcohol-related death rate in the Comox Valley99 between 2012 and 2013 (Table 59). British Columbia saw a 1.2% decrease between 2012 and 2013.

Table 59: Alcohol-Related Deaths (per 100,000) by Local Health Areas, 2012 and 2013 Death rate Death rate Change % change Geography 2012 2013 2012 - 2013 2012 - 2013 Comox Valley 28.99 38.29 9.3 32.1% Vancouver Island100 37.04 37.29 0.3 0.7% British Columbia 24.89 24.60 -0.3 -1.2%

Illicit Drug-Related Death Rates101 There was a 27.8% and 22.1% increase in illicit drug-related deaths in Comox Valley102 and Vancouver Island103 between 2012 and 2013 (Table 60). The illicit drug-related death rate was higher in Comox Valley and Vancouver Island compared to the province.

Table 60: Illicit Drug-Related Deaths (per 100,000) by Local Health Areas, 2012 and 2013 Death rate Death rate Change % change Geography 2012 2013 2012-2013 2012-2013 Comox Valley 8.82 11.27 2.5 27.8% Vancouver Island 7.73 9.44 1.7 22.1% British Columbia 7.06 7.22 0.2 2.3%

95 Source: Centre for Addictions Research of BC, January 2016. 96 Based on Courtenay Local Health Area 97 Based on Vancouver Island Health Authority. 98 Source: Centre for Addictions Research of BC, January 2016. 99 Based on Courtenay Local Health Area. 100 Based on Vancouver Island Health Authority. 101 Source: Centre for Addictions Research of BC, January 2016. 102 Based on Courtenay Local Health Area. 103 Based on Vancouver Island Health Authority. 41

Housing

Median Rents Between October 2014 and October 2015, in the Comox Valley104, the median monthly rents for one bedroom and two bedroom units increased slightly (by 2.3% for one bedroom units and 1.3% for two bedroom units) (Table 61), while the median rents for bachelor units and three or more bedroom units didn’t change. Table 61: Median monthly rent (unadjusted for inflation), by unit type, for purpose-built rental units (row+apartment), Comox Valley, October 2014 and October 2015105 Change in % change in Median rent Median rent median rent median rent Unit type 2014 2015 2014 - 2015 2014 - 2015 Bachelor $585 $585 $0 0.0% One bedroom $650 $665 $15 2.3% Two bedroom $765 $775 $10 1.3% Three or more bedrooms $885 $885 $0 0.0%

In October 2015, the median monthly rent for one bedroom units in the Comox Valley106 was $665 (Table 62), which was lower than in Nanaimo, Parksville, and Victoria, and higher than in Campbell River, Duncan and Port Alberni. In October 2015, the median monthly rent for two bedroom units in the Comox Valley was $775, which was lower than in Nanaimo and Victoria, similar to Campbell River and Parksville, and higher than in Duncan and Port Alberni.

Table 62: Median monthly rent (unadjusted for inflation), for one bedroom and two bedroom purpose-built rental units (row+apartment), Vancouver Island Urban Areas, October 2015107,108 Urban area Median rent one bedroom units, 2015 Median rent two bedroom units, 2015 Campbell River $653 $770 Comox Valley $665 $775 Duncan $640 $750 Nanaimo $725 $835 Parksville $725 $784 Port Alberni $550 $700 Victoria $850 $1,095

104 Based on data for the Courtenay Census Agglomeration 105 Source: CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation). Housing Market Iformation Portal. Courtenay — Median Rent by Bedroom Type by Zone. https://www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/hmiportal/en/#TableMapChart/3460/3/Courtenay 106 Based on data for the Courtenay Census Agglomeration 107 Source: CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation). Housing Market Information Portal British Columbia — Median Rent by Bedroom Type by Metropolitan Areas, Census Agglomerations and Cities https://www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/hmiportal/en/#TableMapChart/59/2/British%20Columbia 108 Median rents weren't available for Vancouver Island as a whole, so median rents for Vancouver Island urban areas were used. For comparisons between urban areas, only one bedroom and two bedroom units were chosen because the number of bachelor and three or more bedroom units was small in some urban areas. 42

Rental Vacancy Rates Between October 2014 and October 2015, the rental vacancy rate in the Comox Valley109 decreased overall (from 1.8% to 0.5%) and for all unit types (Table 63). Vacancy rates were especially low for three or more bedroom units (0.0%) in October 2015.

Table 63: Vacancy rate, by unit type, for purpose-built rental units (row+apartment), Comox Valley, October 2014 and October 2015110,111 Unit type Vacancy rate, 2014 Vacancy rate, 2015 One bedroom 1.9% 0.7% Two bedroom 2.0% 0.3% Three or more bedrooms 0.9% 0.0% Total 1.8% 0.5%

In October 2015, the Comox Valley112 had a vacancy rate of 0.5% (Table 64), lower than for any other urban area on Vancouver Island. All Vancouver Island urban areas except for Duncan and Port Alberni had rental vacancy rates below the 3% rate that is the lower end of a balanced market113.

Table 64: Vacancy rate for all purpose-built rental units (row+apartment), Vancouver Island Urban Areas, October 2015114,115 Urban area Vacancy rate, 2015 Campbell River 2.8% Comox Valley 0.5% Duncan 3.4% Nanaimo 2.2% Parksville 1.0% Port Alberni 3.0% Victoria 0.7%

109 Based on statistics for Courtenay Census Agglomeration 110 Source: CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation). Housing Market Information Portal Courtenay — Historical Vacancy Rates by Bedroom Type https://www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/hmiportal/en/#TableMapChart/3460/3/Courtenay 111 Vacancy rates for bachelor units in the Courtenay Census Agglomeration were suppressed by CMHC due to low unit counts (confidentiality and data quality concerns for bachelor unit data). 112 Based on statistics for Courtenay Census Agglomeration 113 A vacancy rate of below 3% is considered to be too low (i.e., too difficult for renters to find accommodation, will put upward pressure on prices) (source: Federation of Canadian Municipalities. No Vacancy Trends in Rental Housing (p.9) https://www.fcm.ca/Documents/reports/FCM/No_Vacancy_Trends_in_Rental_Housing_in_Canada_EN.pdf 114 Source: CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) Housing Market Information Portal. British Columbia — Vacancy Rates by Bedroom Type by Metropolitan Areas, Census Agglomerations and Cities https://www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/hmiportal/en/#TableMapChart/59/2/British%20Columbia 115 To be consistent with median rent geographic data, vacancy rates for Vancouver Island urban areas were used.

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Benchmark Housing Prices116,117 Between June 2015 and June 2016, the benchmark price for a single detached home in the Comox Valley increased by 9.1% (Table 65). The benchmark price for a Comox Valley single detached home was $364,400 in June 2016, lower than in Nanaimo, Parksville/Qualicum, and Victoria, but higher than in Campbell River, Duncan, Port Alberni and the Islands.

Table 65: Benchmark price (unadjusted for inflation), single detached homes, by Vancouver Island real estate market, June 2015 and June 2016 Benchmark Benchmark Change in % change in price price benchmark price benchmark price Real estate market June 2015 June 2016 June 2015 - June 2016 June 2015 - June 2016 Campbell River $283,300 $291,900 $8,600 3.0% Comox Valley $334,000 $364,400 $30,400 9.1% Duncan $298,300 $325,400 $27,100 9.1% Nanaimo $350,400 $402,100 $51,700 14.8% Parksville/Qualicum $373,200 $433,400 $60,200 16.1% Port Alberni $190,600 $201,800 $11,200 5.9% Islands $264,900 $298,700 $33,800 12.8% Victoria $508,400 $593,700 $85,300 16.8%

Between June 2015 and June 2016, the benchmark price for an apartment in the Comox Valley increased by 0.8% (Table 65). The benchmark price for a Comox Valley apartment was $193,500 in June 2016, lower than in Nanaimo, Parksville/Qualicum, and Victoria, but higher than in Campbell River and Duncan.

Table 66: Benchmark price (unadjusted for inflation), apartments, by Vancouver Island real estate market, June 2015 and June 2016 Benchmark Benchmark Change in % change in price price benchmark price benchmark price Real estate market June 2015 June 2016 June 2015 - June 2016 June 2015 - June 2016 Campbell River $168,700 $172,900 $4,200 2.5% Comox Valley $192,000 $193,500 $1,500 0.8% Duncan $122,800 $149,500 $26,700 21.7% Nanaimo $206,300 $219,100 $12,800 6.2% Parksville/Qualicum $230,500 $252,800 $22,300 9.7% Victoria $298,900 $342,200 $43,300 14.5%

116 Sources: For Vancouver Island markets outside of Victoria: Vancouver Island Real Estate Board June 2016 stats package (p.5 for single detached homes, p.7 for apartments) http://www.vireb.com/assets/uploads/06jun_16_vireb__stats_package_64049.pdf For Victoria Real Estate Board: Victoria Real Estate Board. June 2016 Statistics (p.5 for single detached homes, p.7 for apartments) http://www.vreb.org/pdf/VREBNewsReleaseFull.pdf 117 Benchmark housing prices were available for Vancouver Island, but due to the large differences between different real estate markets, individual markets, instead of Vancouver Island, were compared with the Comox Valley. Apartment benchmark price information wasn't available for Port Alberni or Islands. 44

Housing Starts The number of housing starts in the Comox Valley118 increased from 239 starts in 2014 to 374 starts in 2015 (Table 67), an increase of 135 starts. Between 2014 and 2015, the number of housing starts decreased for single detached units, but increased for all other unit types.

Table 67: Housing starts, by dwelling type, Comox Valley, 2014 and 2015119 Change in % change in Housing starts Housing start housing starts housing starts Housing type 2014 2015 2014 - 2015 2014 – 2015 Single 168 161 -7 -4.2% Semi-Detached 28 40 12 42.9% Row 12 40 28 233.3% Apartment 31 133 102 329.0% All 239 374 135 56.5%

Between 2014 and 2015, the number of housing starts in the Comox Valley120 increased by 56.5% (Table 68), which was faster than for Vancouver Island urban areas (33.9%) and British Columbia (11.5%).

Table 68: Housing starts, Comox Valley and comparison geographies, 2014 and 2015121,122 Housing Housing Change in % change in starts starts housing starts housing starts Housing type 2014 2015 2014-2015 2014-2015 Comox Valley 239 374 135 56.5% Vancouver Island urban areas 2,772 3,711 939 33.9% British Columbia 27,680 30,855 3,175 11.5%

118 Based on data for the Courtenay Census Agglomeration 119 Source: CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation). Housing Market Information Portal Courtenay — Historical Starts by Dwelling Type. https://www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/hmiportal/en/#TableMapChart/3460/3/Courtenay. Housing starts information is from originally from CMHC. Starts and Completion Survey. 120 Based on data for the Courtenay Census Agglomeration 121 Source: BC Stats. Housing Starts, Urban Areas and Communities http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/Economy/BuildingPermitsHousingStartsandSales.aspx Housing starts information is from originally from CMHC. Starts and Completion Survey. 122 Housing start information on Vancouver Island was only available for urban areas and not Vancouver Island as a whole. Urban areas on Vancouver Island are Campbell River, Courtenay, Duncan, Nanaimo, Parksville-Qualicum Beach, Port Alberni, and Victoria

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Renter Households Spending 30% or More of Before-Tax Income on Housing Costs123,124 In 2011, there were 3,035 renter households in the Comox Valley Regional District spending 30% or more of their before-tax household income on housing costs (Table 69). In 2011, 49.0% of Comox Valley Regional District renter households spent 30% or more of their before-tax household income on housing costs, slightly higher than for Vancouver Island (47.9%) and British Columbia (45.1%).

Table 69: Renter households spending 30% or more of before-tax household income on housing costs, Comox Valley Regional District, 2011 Renter households % of renter households spending 30% or more spending 30% or more of Total renter of household income household income on Geography households on housing costs housing costs Comox Valley Regional District 6,195 3,035 49.0% Vancouver Island 89,690 42,970 47.9% British Columbia 519,855 234,425 45.1%

Lili House Shelter Statistics125 In 2014, 233 women and 64 children stayed in Lilli House for a total of 4,085 bednights. Lilli House was full or overfull on 291 nights, or 80% of the year. Lilli House received 1,573 crisis calls. In 2015, 245 women and 68 children stayed in Lilli House for a total of 4,243 bednights. Lilli House was full or overfull on 302 nights, or 82% of the year. Lilli House received 1,456 crisis calls.

Emergency Shelter Statistics126 In 2015, the emergency shelter served 489 male clients and 215 female clients, for a total of 5,471 bed nights, but had 890 turnaways (Table 70).

Table 70: Shelter statistics for emergency shelter, 2015 Client type Totals Clients Male 489 Clients Female 215 Beds Booked 5,471 Turned away 890

123 Source: Statistics Canada. Catalogue no. 99-014-X2011046. Housing Tenure Including Presence of Mortgage and Subsidized Housing (7), Shelter-cost-to-income Ratio (5A) and Household Type (9) for Owner and Tenant Households in Non-farm, Non-reserve Private Dwellings of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 2011 National Household Survey. 124 Vancouver Island includes the following regional districts: Alberni-Clayoquot, Capital, Comox Valley, Cowichan Valley, Mount Waddington, Nanaimo and Strathcona. Due to low response rates for income and housing questions for the 2011 National Household Survey compared with the 2006 census, 2006 data is not compared with 2011 data 125 Source: Anne Davis, Comox Valley Transition Society. 126 Source: Salvation Army Shelter 46

Extreme Weather Response Shelter Statistics127 Compared with 2014/2015, 2015/2016 saw more male clients at the extreme weather response shelter, more total bed nights, and more days in effect, but fewer female clients (Table 71).

Table 71: Extreme weather response shelter statistics, 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 Change % change Client served 2014/2015 2015/2016 2014/2015 - 2015/2016 2014/2015 - 2015/2016 Female 47 37 -10 -21.3% Male 120 160 40 33.3% Total beds 167 197 30 18.0% Days in effect 40 76 36 90.0%

Housing Continuum Statistics128 In 2015, the Comox Valley had 29 emergency shelter units (beds), 79 transitional housing units, 629 subsidized housing units and 198 low cost rental units (Table 72).

Table 72: Housing Continuum Statistics, Comox Valley, 2015 Housing Continuum # Units Emergency Shelter Beds 29 Supportive Housing Units 0 Transitional Housing Units 79 Subsidized Housing Units 629 Low Cost Rental Units 198

127 Source: Salvation Army Shelter 128 Source: Comox Valley Coalition to End Homelessness. 5-year plan (October 2015) http://www.cvhousing.ca/the-5-year-plan/ 47

Leadership, Civic Engagement and Belonging

Volunteering129 In 2015, there were an estimated 9,867 volunteers who volunteered for Comox Valley organizations on a re-occurring basis (i.e., weekly). There were also an estimated 9,724 one-time only volunteers. In total, 38 organizations in the Comox Valley provided information on volunteer numbers.

Charitable Donation Rate In 2013, 21.6% of Comox Valley Regional District taxfilers made a charitable donation (Table 73), similar to 2012 (21.5%). In 2013, the percentage of Comox Valley taxfilers who made a charitable donation was slightly lower than for Vancouver Island (22.6%) but slightly higher than for British Columbia (20.7%).

Table 73: Percentage of taxfilers who made charitable donations, Comox Valley Regional District, 2012 and 2013130,131 % of taxfilers % of taxfilers Number of who made a Number of who made a Number of charitable charitable Number of charitable charitable taxfilers donors donation taxfilers donors donation Geography 2012 2012 2012 2013 2013 2013 Comox Valley Regional District 48,560 10,420 21.5% 48,940 10,580 21.6% Vancouver Island 554,790 127,790 23.0% 561,650 126,710 22.6% British Columbia 3,294,100 692,040 21.0% 3,350,460 693,530 20.7%

Median Annual Charitable Donations In 2013, the median annual charitable donation among Comox Valley Regional District taxfilers was $320 (Table 74), an increase of $20 from 2012, when the median annual charitable donation was $300. In 2013, the median annual charitable donation among Comox Valley Regional District taxfilers was lower than for British Columbia taxfilers ($400).

129 Source: statistics_on_NPO_volunteers excel file. Tyler Voigt, Volunteer Comox Valley 130 Source: Statistics Canada. Statistics Canada, Income Statistics Division, Financial Data and Charitable Donations (13C0014). Table CD-01 Charitable Donations. Data obtained from Community Data Program http://communitydata.ca/ 131 Vancouver Island includes the following regional districts: Alberni-Clayoquot, Capital, Comox Valley, Cowichan Valley, Mount Waddington, Nanaimo and Strathcona. 48

Table 74: Median annual charitable donations among taxfilers who made a charitable donation, Comox Valley Regional District, 2012 and 2013132,133 Median Median Change in median % change in charitable charitable charitable median charitable donation donation donation donation Geography 2012 2013 2012 - 2013 2012 - 2013 Comox Valley Regional District $300 $320 $20 6.7% British Columbia $390 $400 $10 2.6%

Women in Leadership In 2016, 12 out of 33 elected leaders (councillors, chief and mayors) (36.4%) in Comox Valley municipalities and First Nations were women (Table 75).

Table 75: Number of women among elected officials, Comox Valley municipalities and First Nations, 2016134 Number of elected Leaders (councillors, Number of female Percentage of elected leaders Council or Board chiefs, mayors) elected leaders who are female K’ómoks First Nation 4 2 50.0% Town of Comox 7 3 42.9% Village of Cumberland 5 3 60.0% City of Courtenay 7 1 14.3% Areas A, B, C 3 0 0.0% School District 71 7 3 42.9% Total Comox Valley areas 33 12 36.4%

132 Source: Statistics Canada. Statistics Canada, Income Statistics Division, Financial Data and Charitable Donations (13C0014). Table CD-01 Charitable Donations. Data obtained from Community Data Program http://communitydata.ca/ 133 Median charitable donation amounts weren't available for Vancouver Island as a whole. 134 Source: Extra Data for Leadership, Civic Engagement and Belonging Word Document 49

Provincial and Federal Election Voter Turnout 75.9% of Courtenay-Alberni registered voters voted in the 2015 Federal Election (Table 76), higher than for British Columbia (70.0%) in the same election. 64.0% of Comox Valley registered voters voted in the 2013 Provincial Election, higher than for British Columbia (57.1%) in the same election.

Table 76: Provincial and federal election results, Comox Valley areas, most recent elections135,136 Voter turnout Riding/geography Election and year (as % of registered voters) Courtenay – Alberni Federal – 2015 75.9% British Columbia Federal – 2015 70.0% Comox Valley Provincial – 2013 64.0% British Columbia Provincial – 2013 57.1% Local Election Voter Turnout 11,601 out of 32,792 eligible voters in Comox Valley municipalities casted votes in the 2014 local government elections (Table 77), resulting in a voter turnout rate of 35.4% for Comox Valley municipalities.

Table 77: 2014 local government election results in the Comox Valley137,138,139 Number of Number of votes Voter turnout Geography eligible voters cast (as % of eligible voters) City of Courtenay 19,583 6,150 31.4% Town of Comox 10,509 4,350 41.4% Village of Cumberland 2,700 1,101 40.8% Comox Valley Municipalities 32,792 11,601 35.4%

135 Sources: For 2015 federal election results for Courtenay - Alberni Riding. Elections Canada. 42nd General Election: Official Voting Results. Summary Tables. Table 11: Voting results by electoral district http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=rep/off/42gedata&document=summary&lang=e For 2015 federal election results for British Columbia as a whole: Elections Canada. 42nd General Election: Official Voting Results. Summary Tables. Table 3: Number of ballots cast and voter turnout http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=rep/off/42gedata&document=summary&lang=e For 2013 provincial election results for Comox Riding: Elections BC. 2013 General Election Results. Comox Riding (p.9). http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2013GE/CMX.pdf For 2013 provincial election results for British Columbia as a whole: Elections BC. BC Voter Participation: 1983 to 2013. http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/stats/bc-voter-participation-1983-2013.pdf 136 For federal and provincial elections, voter turnout is based on the percentage of registered voters who voted 137 Source: Civic Info. 2014 Local Government & School District Elections. Unofficial 2014 Local Election Results. http://www.election2014.civicinfo.bc.ca/2014/index2.asp 138 For municipal elections, voter turnout was measured as votes as a percentage of eligible voters instead of votes as a percentage of registered voters was used because registered voter information was not available for the Town of Comox or the Village of Cumberland. 139 Statistics on the number of eligible voters were not available for the Comox Valley Regional District electoral areas; therefore, voter turnout could not be calculated for Comox Valley Regional District electoral areas. (please refer to Civic Info BC. 2014 Local Government & School District Election Results – Comox Valley Regional District for more information: http://www.election2014.civicinfo.bc.ca/2014/index2.asp)

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Education and Lifelong Learning

Early Development Instrument (EDI)140 For wave 5 (2011/2012-2012/2013), 38% of Comox Valley School District kindergarten students were vulnerable on one or more EDI domain, higher than provincial kindergarten students (33%) (Table 78). The highest percentage of Comox Valley School District students were vulnerable on the social domain (22%) and physical domain (20%).

Table 78: Kindergarten student vulnerability on Early Development Instrument, by Domain, Comox Valley School District, Wave 5 (2011/2012- 2012/2013) % vulnerable % vulnerable % vulnerable % vulnerable % vulnerable % vulnerable Physical Social Emotional Language Communication One or more Geography domain domain domain domain domain domain Comox Valley School District 20% 22% 19% 10% 15% 38% British Columbia 16% 16% 15% 9% 14% 33%

Six-Year High School Completion Rate In 2014/2015, the six-year high school completion rate for Comox Valley School District was 83.4% (Table 79), much higher than in 2013/2014 (71.7%). In 2014/2015, the six-year high school completion rate for the Comox Valley School District was higher than for Vancouver Island public schools (76.6%) and similar to British Columbia public schools (83.3%).

Table 79: Six-year high school completion rate, Comox Valley School District, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015141,142 Six-year high school Six-year high school completion rate completion rate School District 2013/2014 2014/2015 Comox Valley School District 71.7% 83.4% Vancouver Island Public Schools 76.5% 76.6% British Columbia Public Schools 83.7% 83.3%

140 Source: UBC (University of British Columbia). Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP). EDI (Early Development Instrument). EDI Waves 2-5 (SD, LHA, NH, BC) http://earlylearning.ubc.ca/maps/data/ 141 Source: BC Provincial Government. Ministry of Education. Data Catalogue. BC Schools - Six Year Completion Rate Completion Rate Completion_Rate_Hist_2014_2015.xlsx. https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/bc-schools-six-year-completion- rate 142 Vancouver Island consists of the following school districts: , Sooke, Saanich , Nanaimo-Ladysmith, Qualicum, Alberni, Campbell River, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island West, Vancouver Island North, Comox Valley. The Six-Year Completion Rate is the proportion of students who graduate with a B.C. Certificate of Graduation ("Dogwood") or B.C. Adult Graduation Diploma ("Adult Dogwood") within six years from the first time they enrol in Grade 8. For more information please read BC Provincial Government. Ministry of Education. Data Catalogue. BC Schools - Six Year Completion Rate Definition for Open Data - Completion Rate.pdf http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/reporting/odefiles/Completion_Rate_field_definitions.pdf 51

Grade 4 Reading Test Results In 2014/2015, 24.6% of grade 4 test writers in the Comox Valley School District did not meet expectations on the Foundation Skills Assessment Reading Test (Table 80), up from 21.8% in 2013/2014. In 2014/2015, the proportion of grade 4 test writers in the Comox Valley School District not meeting expectations on the reading test was similar to Vancouver Island public schools (24.7%), but higher than for British Columbia public schools (19.7%).

Table 80: Percentage of grade 4 test writers who did not meet expectations on Foundation Skills Assessment Reading Test, Comox Valley School District, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 School Years143,144 % of grade 4 test writers % of grade 4 test writers not meeting expectations not meeting expectations on reading test on reading test School District 2013/2014 2014/2015 Comox Valley School District 21.8% 24.6% Vancouver Island Public Schools 22.2% 24.7% British Columbia Public Schools 19.9% 19.7%

Grade 4 Writing Test Results In 2014/2015, 19.7% of grade 4 test writers in the Comox Valley School District did not meet expectations on the Foundation Skills Assessment Writing Test (Table 81), down from 28.7% in 2013/2014. In 2014/2015, the proportion of grade 4 test writers in the Comox Valley School District not meeting expectations was similar to Vancouver Island public schools (20.5%), but higher than for British Columbia public schools (15.7%).

Table 81: Percentage of grade 4 test writers who did not meet expectations on Foundation Skills Assessment Writing Test, Comox Valley School District, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 School Years145,146 % of grade 4 test writers not % of grade 4 test writers not meeting expectations on meeting expectations on writing test writing test School District 2013/2014 2014/2015 Comox Valley School District 28.7% 19.7% Vancouver Island Public Schools 21.0% 20.5% British Columbia Public Schools 16.7% 15.7%

143 Source: BC Provincial Government. Ministry of Education. Data Catalogue. BC Schools - Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA). FSA_Writers_Only_Hist.xlsx https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/bc-schools-foundation-skills-assessment-fsa- 144 Vancouver Island consists of the following school districts: Greater Victoria, Sooke, Saanich Gulf Islands, Nanaimo-Ladysmith, Qualicum, Alberni, Campbell River, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island West, Vancouver Island North, Comox Valley. 145 Source: BC Provincial Government. Ministry of Education. Data Catalogue. BC Schools - Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA). FSA_Writers_Only_Hist.xlsx https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/bc-schools-foundation-skills-assessment-fsa- 146 Vancouver Island consists of the following school districts: Greater Victoria, Sooke, Saanich Gulf Islands, Nanaimo-Ladysmith, Qualicum, Alberni, Campbell River, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island West, Vancouver Island North, Comox Valley. 52

Grade 4 Math Test Results In 2014/2015, 28.5% of grade 4 test writers in the Comox Valley School District did not meet expectations on the Foundation Skills Assessment Math Test (Table 82), up from 2013/2014 (25.5%). In 2014/2015, the proportion of grade 4 test writers in the Comox Valley School District not meeting expectations was lower than for Vancouver Island public schools (30.8%), but higher than for British Columbia public schools (24.3%).

Table 82: Percentage of grade 4 test writers who did not meet expectations on Foundation Skills Assessment Math Test, Comox Valley School District, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 School Years147,148 % of grade 4 test writers % of grade 4 test writers not meeting expectations not meeting expectations on math test on math test School District 2013/2014 2014/2015 Comox Valley School District 25.5% 28.5% Vancouver Island Public Schools 27.8% 30.8% British Columbia Public Schools 23.1% 24.3%

Grade 7 Reading Test Results In 2014/2015, 26.4% of grade 7 test writers in the Comox Valley School District did not meet expectations on the Foundation Skills Assessment Reading Test (Table 83), similar to 2013/2014 (26.3%). In 2014/2015, the proportion of grade 7 test writers in the Comox Valley School District not meeting expectations was similar to Vancouver Island public schools (26.1%) but higher than for British Columbia public schools (23.6%).

Table 83: Percentage of grade 7 test writers who did not meet expectations on Foundation Skills Assessment Reading Test, Comox Valley School District, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 School Years149,150 % of grade 7 test writers not % of grade 7 test writers not meeting expectations on meeting expectations on reading test reading test School District 2013/2014 2014/2015 Comox Valley School District 26.3% 26.4% Vancouver Island Public Schools 24.5% 26.1% British Columbia Public Schools 22.9% 23.6%

147 Source: BC Provincial Government. Ministry of Education. Data Catalogue. BC Schools - Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA). FSA_Writers_Only_Hist.xlsx https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/bc-schools-foundation-skills-assessment-fsa- 148 Vancouver Island consists of the following school districts: Greater Victoria, Sooke, Saanich Gulf Islands, Nanaimo-Ladysmith, Qualicum, Alberni, Campbell River, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island West, Vancouver Island North, Comox Valley. 149 Source: BC Provincial Government. Ministry of Education. Data Catalogue. BC Schools - Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA). FSA_Writers_Only_Hist.xlsx https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/bc-schools-foundation-skills-assessment-fsa- 150 Vancouver Island consists of the following school districts: Greater Victoria, Sooke, Saanich Gulf Islands, Nanaimo-Ladysmith, Qualicum, Alberni, Campbell River, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island West, Vancouver Island North, Comox Valley. 53

Grade 7 Writing Test Results In 2014/2015, 10.2% of grade 7 test writers in the Comox Valley School District did not meet expectations on the Foundation Skills Assessment Writing Test (Table 84), lower than 2013/2014 (19.1%). In 2014/2015, the proportion of grade 7 test writers in the Comox Valley School District not meeting expectations was lower than for Vancouver Island public schools (14.0%) and British Columbia public schools (12.6%).

Table 84: Percentage of grade 7 test writers who did not meet expectations on Foundation Skills Assessment Writing Test, Comox Valley School District, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 School Years151,152 % of grade 7 test writers % of grade 7 test writers not meeting expectations not meeting expectations on writing test on writing test School District 2013/2014 2014/2015 Comox Valley School District 19.1% 10.2% Vancouver Island Public Schools 19.7% 14.0% British Columbia Public Schools 14.5% 12.6% Grade 7 Math Test Results In 2014/2015, 35.2% of grade 7 test writers in the Comox Valley School District did not meet expectations on the Foundation Skills Assessment Math Test (Table 85), slightly higher than 2013/2014 (34.0%). In 2014/2015, the proportion of grade 7 test writers in the Comox Valley School District not meeting expectations was lower than for Vancouver Island public schools (38.2%) but higher than for British Columbia public schools (30.1%).

Table 85: Percentage of grade 7 test writers who did not meet expectations on Foundation Skills Assessment Math Test, Comox Valley School District, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 School Years153,154 % of grade 7 test writers % of grade 7 test writers not meeting expectations not meeting expectations on math test on math test Schools 2013/2014 2014/2015 Comox Valley School District 34.0% 35.2% Vancouver Island Public Schools 35.1% 38.2% British Columbia Public Schools 27.9% 30.1%

151 Source: BC Provincial Government. Ministry of Education. Data Catalogue. BC Schools - Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA). FSA_Writers_Only_Hist.xlsx https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/bc-schools-foundation-skills-assessment-fsa- 152 Vancouver Island consists of the following school districts: Greater Victoria, Sooke, Saanich Gulf Islands, Nanaimo-Ladysmith, Qualicum, Alberni, Campbell River, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island West, Vancouver Island North, Comox Valley. 153 Source: BC Provincial Government. Ministry of Education. Data Catalogue. BC Schools - Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA). FSA_Writers_Only_Hist.xlsx https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/bc-schools-foundation-skills-assessment-fsa- 154 Vancouver Island consists of the following school districts: Greater Victoria, Sooke, Saanich Gulf Islands, Nanaimo-Ladysmith, Qualicum, Alberni, Campbell River, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island West, Vancouver Island North, Comox Valley. 54

Six-Year High School Completion Rate for Aboriginal Students In 2014/2015, the six-year high school completion for Aboriginal students in the Comox Valley School District was 68.2% (Table 86), higher than in 2013/2014 (57.9%). In 2014/2015, the six-year high school completion rate for Aboriginal students in the Comox Valley School District was higher than for Aboriginal students in Vancouver Island public schools (56.1%) and British Columbia public schools (63.4%).

Table 86: Six-year high school completion rate for Aboriginal students, Comox Valley School District and comparison geographies, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015155,156 Six-year Aboriginal high Six-year Aboriginal high school completion rate school completion rate Schools 2013/2014 2014/2015 Comox Valley School District 57.9% 68.2% Vancouver Island Public Schools 58.6% 56.1% British Columbia Public Schools 61.8% 63.4%

Private and Public School Enrollment157 Between 2014/2015 and 2015/2016, the number of students increased by 11.8% for Comox Valley private schools, but decreased by -4.7% for the Comox Valley School District (Table 87).

Table 87: Public and private school enrollment, Comox Valley, 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 school years % change Attendance Attendance Change 2014/2015 2014/2015 Schools 2014/2015 2015/2016 to 2015/2016 to 2015/2016 Comox Valley School District 8,596 8,188 -408 -4.7% Comox Valley private schools 272 304 32 11.8%

155 Source: BC Provincial Government. Ministry of Education. Data Catalogue. BC Schools - Six Year Completion Rate Completion Rate Completion_Rate_Hist_2014_2015.xlsx. https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/bc-schools-six-year-completion- rate 156 Vancouver Island consists of the following school districts: Greater Victoria, Sooke, Saanich Gulf Islands, Nanaimo-Ladysmith, Qualicum, Alberni, Campbell River, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island West, Vancouver Island North, Comox Valley. The Six-Year Completion Rate is the proportion of students who graduate with a B.C. Certificate of Graduation ("Dogwood") or B.C. Adult Graduation Diploma ("Adult Dogwood") within six years from the first time they enrol in Grade 8. For more information please read BC Provincial Government. Ministry of Education. Data Catalogue. BC Schools - Six Year Completion Rate Definition for Open Data - Completion Rate.pdf http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/reporting/odefiles/Completion_Rate_field_definitions.pdf 157 Sources: For private schools: British Columbia. Provincial Government. Independent School Reports. Report Finder. https://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/reporting/ind.php For public schools: British Columbia. Provincial Government. School District Reports. Comox Valley School District (71). Student Statistics https://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/reports/pdfs/student_stats/071.pdf

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North Island College – Domestic and International Student Enrollment158 In 2014/2015, there were 1,339 full-time equivalent students at the Comox Valley campus of North Island College, up from 1,300 full-time equivalent students in 2013/2014 (Table 88).

Table 88: Domestic and international student enrollment, full-time equivalents (FTEs), North Island College - Comox Valley Campus, 2013/2014- 2014/2015

Student type 2013/2014 FTEs 2014/2015 FTEs Domestic 1,155 1,127 International 145 211 Total 1,300 1,339

North Island College – Program Instruction Quality and Satisfaction with Education159 In 2015/2016, more than nine in ten students in each program type were satisfied with the quality of their education and the quality of instruction at North Island College (Table 89).

Table 89: Student satisfaction with education and quality of instruction, North Island College, 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 Student assessment of the quality of Student satisfaction with education instruction Program type 2014/2015 2015/2016 2014/2015 2015/2016 Former diploma, associate degree and certificate students 93.4% 91.9% 94.9% 94.0% Apprenticeship graduates 98.2% 94.4% 100.0% 95.7% Bachelor degree graduates 96.6% 94.7% 96.6% 94.6%

158 Source: 2014-15 Location_All Students_Summary Historical.xlsx 159 Source: North Island College. Institutional Accountability Plan & Report. 2015-2016 reporting cycle. (p.39) http://www.nic.bc.ca/about_us/PDF/Publications/NIC_Accountability_Plan_and_Report_Cycle.pdf 56