Protect the Puntledge River's Salmon Habitat: Pause the Project. Consult the Community. Protect Bear James Park.

To: Mayor and Council, City of Courtenay

The Puntledge River is at the heart of life in the Comox Valley. Less well known, but no less important, are the salmon channels, riparian forests, and side habitats that help sustain the health of the river itself.

One of these places is the Jack Hames Salmon Spawning and Rearing Channel in Bear James Park, a vital part of the Puntledge River ecosystem. For generations, people have cared for these lands and waters. More recently, volunteers, Streamkeepers, biologists, and local residents have dedicated countless hours to protecting and restoring this watershed.

The Jack Hames Side Channel is recognized as a salmon-spawning destination by the Pacific Salmon Foundation and has been stewarded through decades of restoration work by community volunteers, environmental organizations, and government partners.

Today, we are asking the City of Courtenay to honour that legacy by pausing a proposed project that would remove riparian vegetation and disturb habitat within the Puntledge River watershed before the community has had a meaningful opportunity to review and discuss it.

What is being proposed?
The City plans to construct a 4-metre-wide, 95-metre-long gravel access route in Bear James Park, resulting in the removal of approximately 380 m² of riparian vegetation, trees, and native plants adjacent to the Jack Hames Salmon Spawning and Rearing Channel.

At a time when communities across British Columbia are working to restore riparian habitat, this project would remove streamside vegetation and increase access through a sensitive salmon-supporting ecosystem. Healthy riparian areas help prevent erosion, protect water quality, and sustain fish habitat. The City's priority should be to strengthen decades of restoration efforts, not create new pressures on a habitat that has taken generations to recover.

Construction is scheduled to begin August 10, 2026. See the City of Courtenay Trail Extension proposal here.

Why this matters

🐟 Salmon habitat is at risk
The Jack Hames Side Channel was created by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in 1984 specifically to provide spawning, rearing, and overwintering habitat for salmon and trout. For more than 40 years, governments, experts, volunteers, and community members have worked to maintain and improve this habitat. For background on the Jack Hames Side Channel and over 40 years of habitat restoration work, see Fisheries and Oceans Canada's restoration documentation here.

🌿 Riparian areas protect fish, wildlife, and entire ecosystems

The British Columbia's Riparian Areas Protection Regulation (RAPR) recognizes that healthy streamside vegetation is essential to stream health and biodiversity. Riparian areas: 

• Stabilize stream banks and reduce erosion. 
• Filter runoff, sediment, and pollution before they reach waterways. 
• Keep streams cooler, supporting salmon and other aquatic life.
• Provide food and shelter for fish, birds, amphibians, pollinators, and other wildlife. 
• Connect habitats and allow wildlife to move safely through the landscape.
• Improve the resilience of watersheds to flooding, drought, and climate change. 
• Riparian areas are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems in British Columbia, supporting the interconnected web of life that sustains salmon, wildlife, forests, and people alike.

Removing riparian vegetation can undermine these important ecological functions. 

Why is this a concern?
The proposed roadway will:

• Damage sensitive riparian habitat along the salmon spawning and rearing channel, which is critical for the health of
  this channel and the salmon that spawn and rear here.
• Require tree and native plant removal, reducing shade and potentially increasing water temperatures and siltation,
  negatively impacting the health of the stream and survival of salmon.
• Increase foot, pet and bicycle traffic in an area of the park that is presently largely undisturbed and home to several
  species of animals and birds that need quiet habitat.
• Threaten the ecological health of Bear James Park and its fragile ecosystems and conflict with the intent of the OCP to
  safeguard the ecological integrity of watercourses and their adjacent lands.

The City requires vehicle access to maintain trails and replace a pedestrian bridge. Is there another option?

YES!!! A roadway already exists through River Heights Church property at the corner of Robert Lang Dr. and Mitchel Rd, providing an alternative access route that should be fully considered before disturbing this sensitive ecosystem.

📣 The public was NOT consulted
Residents were not provided meaningful opportunities to review project plans, environmental assessments, alternatives, or budgets before construction was scheduled, despite the project's potential impacts on a sensitive riparian area and publicly valued park.

📜 The City's own policies support stronger protection
City of Courtenay's Official Community Plan (OCP) includes policies to:

• Preserve sensitive ecosystems
• Protect ecological connectivity
• Discourage new facilities in environmentally sensitive areas unless habitat benefits are demonstrated and
• Exceed minimum riparian setbacks where possible.

See the OCP's environmental protection policies here.

There is an alternative

An existing access route already runs through the River Heights Church property from Robert Lang Drive and Mitchell Road.

According to community members, this route is already used by the City, BC Hydro, emergency services, and Search and Rescue.

Before removing riparian habitat, the City should fully evaluate and publicly explain why existing access options cannot be used.

What we're asking Council to do

✅ Pause the project immediately.

✅ Release all plans, environmental assessments, budgets, and supporting reports.

✅ Consult the public before proceeding.

✅ Demonstrate how the project aligns with the Official Community Plan and riparian protection objectives.

✅ Fully assess the existing River Heights Church access route and other alternatives.

✅ Commit to protecting the ecological integrity of the Jack Hames Salmon Spawning and Rearing Channel.

See the area we're trying to protect

📍 Google Maps: https://maps.google.com/?q=Bear+James+Park+Courtenay+BC

🌲 City of Courtenay - Bear James Park: https://www.courtenay.ca/parks-and-recreation/parks-and-greenways/bear-james-park

🐟 Pacific Salmon Foundation - Jack Hames Spawning Channel: https://psf.ca/salmonspotting/

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION! Bear James Park is more than a park.

It is part of the living Comox Valley watershed, where salmon are a foundation of life, sustaining biodiversity, feeding forests and wildlife, enriching waterways, and supporting human communities from generation to generation, and generations to come.

Once mature riparian habitat is removed, it can take decades to recover, and some ecological functions may never be fully restored.

We have an opportunity to choose a better path before that damage occurs.

Tell the City of Courtenay:

• Pause.
• Consult.
• Protect salmon habitat.
• Use the least damaging alternative.

For updates and more information contact: bearjamesparkcv@gmail.com f