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Gordon Baron & Cindy Phillips
Comox, BC – Waterfront Adventure Paradise
Comox Waterfront
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Gordon Baron & Cindy Phillips
Comox, BC – Waterfront Adventure Paradise
Comox Marina
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Gordon Baron & Cindy Phillips
Comox, BC – Waterfront Adventure Paradise
Opening of the annual Comox Nautical Day’s Festival Parade.
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Gordon Baron & Cindy Phillips
Comox, BC – Waterfront Adventure Paradise
Annual Dragon Boat races during Nautical Day’s.
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Gordon Baron & Cindy Phillips
Comox, BC – Waterfront Adventure Paradise
Comox Valley Kayaks and Canoes rental outlet.
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Gordon Baron & Cindy Phillips
Comox, BC – Waterfront Adventure Paradise
Waiting to launch our kayaks.
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Gordon Baron & Cindy Phillips
Comox, BC – Waterfront Adventure Paradise
Exploring the Ghost Ships in Royston. Comox’s “Goose Spit” is across the bay.
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Gordon Baron & Cindy Phillips
Comox, BC – Waterfront Adventure Paradise
Windsurfers come from all over for adventures at Goose Spit.
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Gordon Baron & Cindy Phillips
Comox, BC – Waterfront Adventure Paradise
Mount Washington Alpine Resort and Village
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Gordon Baron & Cindy Phillips
Comox, BC – Waterfront Adventure Paradise
Beautiful Kye Bay located next to 19 Wing, Comox Air Force Base
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Gordon Baron & Cindy Phillips
Comox, BC – Waterfront Adventure Paradise
The little peninsula know as “Goose Spit” is popular with the locals and school groups learning about the marine environment.
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Gordon Baron & Cindy Phillips
Comox, BC – Waterfront Adventure Paradise
Family day at Kye Bay. BC Ferries operate a daily run for commuters between Little River, in Comox to Powell River, crossing the Strait of Georgia
Story & photos by Gordon Baron & Cindy Phillips
Located in the middle of Vancouver Island on the eastern shoreline, is a little oasis known as Comox. The mild climate, laid back atmosphere, healthy eating, and waterfront activities is what made this our summer holiday destination.
Comox is three and a half hours from the metropolis city of Vancouver. This included a scenic one hour and forty minute cruise from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo, crossing the Strait of Georgia on BC Ferries.
The Royal Canadian Force Base CFB Comox opened in 1942, and has been a major employer for the region. The 10,000 foot airstrip is shared with Comox Valley Airport (YQQ), with commercial aircraft for daily flight service from Vancouver Island, Vancouver, Alberta and beyond from Air Canada, West Jet, Pacific Coastal Airlines and Central Mountain Air.
The town of Courtenay is only five kms from Comox Harbour, on the picturesque Dyke Road. We stayed at the Cape Lazo RV and Campground in the Point Holmes area, ten minutes east from downtown Comox and next to the public boat ramp for access to great salmon fishing.
We wanted to be in Comox for August 5, 6, 7th (BC Day Calibrations) for Nautical Days and the Filberg Festival. Arts and crafts were set up in tents at Comox Marine Park and at Filberg Heritage Lodge and Park; both had live entertainment and food vendors for the festivities. Monday was the annual Nautical Day’s Festival Parade, which was a popular event with locals.
The Comox Valley has to be the kayaking capital of Canada (per population). Everywhere we went, people were kayaking or canoeing. We are both avid kayakers, and are always looking for sheltered places to paddle or go on short day trips. The Comox Valley waterfront has it all. It is set up for the experienced or beginner paddler. The Comox Valley Kayaks and Canoes shop is the busiest kayaking establishment we have ever seen. They have more than seventy five kayaks, canoes and paddleboards for rent. The boat ramp next to the kayak shop was waiting room only.
We talked to a seniors kayaking group who had driven up from Ladysmith to go paddling for the day, to explore the ghost ships in Royston, then visit the white sand beaches surrounding Tree Island (Sandy Island Marine Provincial Park).
For the last two decades Comox has become a meca for the older generation. The air base personal has had a big influence on the Comox Valley over the last 75 years, setting an example promoting a fitter and healthier way of living, which has influenced the newer generations. We noticed that many seniors too enjoy a very active lifestyle with so many options, such as hiking the trails and beaches, cycling, running, golfing, sailing, playing tennis and kayaking.
When we were in Comox we bought our fruits and vegetables from the local farms, and seafood from the dock and fresh markets in town. This seemed to give us a little more energy to paddle that extra mile. This, along with a new hospital and WestJet daily service has made Comox a great place to retire. Habour Air’s Seaplanes also have daily flights giving commuter’s dock to dock service connecting Comox’s waterfront to Vancouver’s Harbour front in 50 minutes.
Mount Washington Alpine Resort has helped make the region a year round destination with downhill and cross country skiing and snowboarding in the winter, and mountain biking, alpine hiking and scenic walking in the spring, summer and fall. It took forty minutes to drive up to the resort from downtown Comox. The road ends at the base of the chair lift at the ski lodge. We had a handicapped senior with us and they stopped the chair lift for us so he could get on. The summit elevation of 1,590 meters (5,220 ft) gave us a 360 degree panorama view overlooking Comox Valley and the Beaufort Mountain Range. We had a great lunch at the lodge restaurant. It was filled with seniors from bus tours from the valley and around Vancouver Island.
The beaches in Comox are spectacular. “Goose Spit” is a little peninsula that is very popular with the locals and school groups for beachcombing and learning about the ocean environment. One of the days we were there, it was overcast and windy; this is when people come to Goose Spit for windsurfing. It is amazing what they can do with a surf board and kite with a little wind. Goose Spit has also been a training center for the sea cadets for sixty five years. In the summer months, more than 1,000 Cadets come from every region in Canada to the “HMCS Quadra Cadet Training Centre” for two to eight week courses.
Another beautiful beach we had to explore was Kye Bay, located on the eastern shores of Comox, next to the Canadian Air Force base and the Comox Air Port. This is a popular place for families and pets. When the tide goes out you can walk for miles. The scattered little tide pools left behind heat up like mini hot tubs. The 19 Wing Comox Air Force base is still very active, and is home to the 407 Long Range Patrol Squadron, 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron.
There are very few places where you can go golfing in the morning, walk through alpine meadows and have lunch at a ski resort at noon, stroll the white sand beaches in the afternoon, have fresh seafood for dinner, then go for an evening paddle at sunset, all in one day with no crowds? Comox is an oceanfront adventure paradise for anyone who loves the outdoors.
- Discover Comox Valley - www.discovercomoxvalley.com - 1-855-400-2882
- Cape Lazo RV and Campground - www.capelazo.com - 1-888-558-3946
- Comox Valley Kayaks and Canoes - www.comoxvalleykayaks.com - 1-888-545-5595
- Mount Washington Alpine Resort - www.mountwashington.ca - 1-888-231-1499