Comox (British Columbia)
| Comox | |||
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 Aerial view of the peninsula with the city of Comox |
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| Location in British Columbia | |||
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| State : |
 Canada
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| Province : | British Columbia | ||
| Regional District : | Comox Valley | ||
| Coordinates : | 49 ° 41 ′ N , 124 ° 56 ′ W | ||
| Height : | 84 m | ||
| Area : | 16.74 km² | ||
| Residents : | 14,028 (as of 2016) | ||
| Population density : | 838 inhabitants / km² | ||
| Time zone : | Pacific Time ( UTC − 8 ) | ||
| Postal code : | V9M | ||
| Foundation : | 1946 ( incorporated ) | ||
| Mayor : | Paul Ives | ||
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Comox is a small town in the Canadian province of British Columbia . It is located in the Comox Valley near the east coast of Vancouver Island , in the Comox Valley Regional District .
Comox derives its name from the Comox or K'ómoks, one of the tribes of the Salish language group who live in southwestern Canada and the northwestern United States. The underlying word is Koumuckthay, which means something like land of wealth or diversity.
history
The Comox
The Comox or K'ómoks were located around the Puntledge River and also on the eastern side of the Strait of Georgia . Like the Pentlatch and the Sechelt, they belong to the northern coastal Salish group.
As early as 1850, severe smallpox epidemics decimated the Comox. When RJ Pidcock and RJ Carwithen came to the area around this time as two of the earliest European settlers, they noticed that the village of Village Point on Denman Island was completely deserted. Governor James Douglas visited the area in 1853.
The first farmers
George Drabble, who visited the area in 1862 on behalf of the province, still recorded villages on the coast and the Pentlatch village on Tsolum in his maps. Shortly thereafter, beginning October 2, 1862, settlers buying the land for a dollar an acre began to oust the Indians . The K'ómoks, deprived of their economic foundations, had to work for low wages from the settlers: cutting down trees, transporting canoes, building roads and working in the fields. The women mostly worked in the potato fields.
James and Isabelle Robb were among the first settlers. They bought 180 acres in Augusta Bay, now Comox Bay . A large boat landing site was built next to their farm in 1874 so that the farmers could export their goods from the valley. Within a few years, access to shipping enabled the establishment of shops and even the first hotel, the Elk Hotel . In 1863 the first cows were shipped from the provincial capital Victoria to Comox; in September of that year there were 30 to 40 farm houses. Milk and potatoes became the main export goods, while grain provided the livelihood.
In 1877, Joseph Rodello built the Wharf Hotel on the pier, the first accommodation for travelers - the later Elk Hotel. Just one year later, John Fitzpatrick and his wife built the second hotel, the Lorne Hotel . The couple later took over Rodellos Hotel.
Coal mines and rail links
The first coal mine in the region opened in 1888. It opened up new market opportunities for the farmers who supplied a growing number of miners and the towns developing around the mines.
The place was connected to the E and N Railway , the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway , a dam on the Puntledge River ensured a significantly higher water level in Comox Lake .
World wars
The 102nd Canadian Infantry Battalion, formed on November 5, 1915, trained at Goose Spit in Comox. After a hard winter, which the soldiers spent in tents, they traveled to France on June 10, 1916 with the SS Princess Charlotte . Of the 3,863 men in the battalion, 2,391 or about 62% were killed in the fighting there.
During the Second World War , the British Royal Air Force (RAF) set up the Royal Air Force Station of the same name in 1942 , which was soon taken over by the Royal Canadian Air Force . The history of the airfield is documented in the Air Force Museum.
post war period
The granting of local self-government for the municipality took place on January 14, 1946 ( incorporated as Village Municipality ).
Demographics
The 2016 census showed a population of 14,028 inhabitants for the municipality, after the 2011 census showed a population of 13,625 inhabitants for the municipality. The population has increased by 2.9% compared to the last census in 2011 and is thus well below the provincial average with a population increase in British Columbia of 5.6%. In the census period from 2006 to 2011, the number of inhabitants in the municipality had increased by just 10.0%, which was far above average, while the provincial average increased by 7.0%.
For the 2016 census, a median age of 51.8 years was determined for the municipality . The median age of the province in 2016 was only 43.0 years. The average age was 47.9 years, or 42.3 years in the province. For the 2011 census, a median age of 49.1 years was determined for the municipality. The median age of the province in 2011 was only 41.9 years.
Culture
In the I-Hos Gallery , which belongs to the Comox First Nation , tourists find their first access to the art of the local Indians.
The Comox Archives & Museum , which is managed by the society of the same name , and the Comox Air Force Museum , founded in 1982 and opened in 1987, offer exhibitions on the history of the region and the role of the air force units stationed at Comox.
Every year in the first week of August the Filberg Festival takes place, which represents the handicrafts of the region.
Forest ecosystems
The original forest largely fell victim to the timber industry. A major fire on the Campbell River destroyed other forest areas. In 1999 the Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team was founded with the aim of restoring this rare type of ecosystem (see web links).
traffic
Comox is connected to the maritime transport via the Strait of Georgia . With the construction of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway, there is a rail link to Victoria. In addition, Highway 19 leads from Nanaimo via Comox to Port Hardy in the very north of Vancouver Island. There is a connection to air traffic via Comox Valley Airport , which is located on the Canadian Forces Base Comox ( IATA airport code : YQQ, ICAO code : CYQQ). Since the place is classified as an airport of entry and officials from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) are stationed there, entry from abroad is also possible. There is also a seaplane base in the port of Comox (Transport Canada Identifier: CCX6). Comox Lake is almost immediately adjacent to the largest park on the island, Strathcona Provincial Park .
Newspapers
The Comox Valley Record published twice a week and will appear in place, however, which is part Comox Valley Echo to Canada.com, which in turn English-language newspaper the largest group Postmedia Network Inc. belongs. The Totem Times has also been published since 1960, providing information to the local air force unit 19 Wing Comox .
Personalities
- Cam Neely , ice hockey player (born 1965)
- Jonathon Power , squash player (* 1974)
- Geoff Kabush , cyclist (* 1977)
- Ty Wishart , ice hockey player (* 1988)
- Jack Hodgins , writer (* 1938)
- Emily St. John Mandel , writer (* 1979)
literature
- DE Isenor u. a .: The Land of Plenty: A History of the Comox District , Ptarmigan Press 1987.
- Richard Somerset Mackie: Trading Beyond the Mountains , University of British Columbia Press 1997.
Web links
- Comox ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .
- Official Comox website
- Comox Valley Wildlife
- Restoring the Garry Oak Ecosystem
- Comox Archives & Museum
- Comox Air Force Museum
- Filberg Festival
Remarks
- ^ Comox Museum
- ^ Origin Notes and History. Comox. In: GeoBC . Retrieved August 1, 2012 .
- ↑ Comox Community Profile. Census 2016. In: Statistics Canada . April 3, 2019, accessed June 16, 2019 .
- ↑ Comox Community Profile. Census 2011. In: Statistics Canada . May 31, 2016, accessed June 16, 2019 .
- ↑ Comox Military Base Airport. Canada Border Services Agency , October 31, 2014, accessed November 24, 2014 .
- ^ Comox Valley Record
- ↑ Comox Valley Echo ( Memento of the original from November 4, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Totem Times .
- ↑ Totem Times, archived for 1961 and 1964-95 ( Memento of the original from August 8, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. .
