.webp)
Comox is a town south of the Comox Peninsula in the Georgia Strait, east coast of Vancouver Island. The people who lived here thousands of years ago called the area kw'umuxws (Kwak'wala, from the language of the K'omoks, for plentiful) due to the warm and dry summers, gentle winters, fruitful soil and bountiful sea life. Farmers, a lumber industry and a fishing industry got attracted to this area for those reasons in the mid-19th century. That was when the area was opened for settlement. The name was eventually anglicized to Komoux and then to Comox.
The village was isolated for over fifty years. There was no way to the outside world unless by ship. During the First World War, roads and a railway were built into the area, and during the Second World War, an air force base was installed near the village. Now Comox is home to a Royal Canadian Air Force base (CFB Comox), an airport for military and commercial airlines. That brought a new kind of prosperity to the area.
Comox has developed into a popular tourist attraction in recent years. It is due to its fishing opportunities, local wildlife, year-round golf and proximity to the Mount Washington ski area, the Forbidden Plateau, and Strathcona Provincial Park. Comox has a high rate of growth and increases in the median age of residents, and that's because the mild climate has attracted many retirees. Comox town is in the Comox Valley, with several other communities, including Courtenay, Cumberland, and the unincorporated hamlets of Royston, Union Bay, Fanny Bay, Black Creek and Merville. The area's signature landmark is the Comox Glacier which is so close that it's visible from many parts of the town. Based on archaeological evidence, there was a Coast Salish fishing settlement at Comox for at least 4,000 years.
Comox has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, which means temperate weather year-round. The average summer temperature is 22°C (72°F) and rarely reaches 30°C (86°F), while winter is mild and the temperature rarely goes below zero.
The best time to visit Comox is from mid-July to mid-August, when you can enjoy warm-weather activities.