You might notice that the giant slab of concrete along Comox Road doesn’t have a building anymore.
Work is underway on the Kus-Kus-Sum Restoration project near the Courtenay riverway.
The project is moving into the next phase which meant the condemned office building had to go.
Project Watershed’s Technical Director Dan Bowen called the moment “years in the making.”
Project Watershed, in partnership with the City of Courtenay and the K’ómoks First Nation began fundraising for the purchase and restoration of the property back in 2017.
With help from local donations, organizations and the provincial government, the site was secured at the end of November 2020.
Now crews are working on the next step of the process, which will happen over the summer to remove the 8.3 acres of concrete that covers the site.
The plan is to have soils and other materials transported off the site to help prep the area for a return to its natural streamside elevations.
“Eventually, we see the site blending into the adjacent natural area, Hollyhock flats,” explains Jennifer Sutherst, Project Watershed Senior Staff Biologist.
The restoration work will occur over the next two to four years, depending on the availability of funds to support the project.
If you want to learn more about the project, stay up to date on progress or want to donate to the cause, visit Project Watersheds website.
