Comox Valley Regional District

The Comox Valley Regional District respectfully acknowledges that the land on which it operates is on the Unceded Traditional Territory of the K’ómoks First Nation, the traditional keepers of this land.

About K'ómoks First Nation

The K’ómoks First Nation has a rich history rooted in both Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw cultures. Their traditional territory spans the Comox Valley and surrounding areas on eastern Vancouver Island, where they have lived for thousands of years, relying on the land and waters for fishing, hunting, and gathering. Archaeological evidence, including ancient village sites and fish weirs, reflects their deep connection to the region. Today, the K’ómoks Nation continues to honour its heritage while moving toward self-governance and renewed stewardship of its lands.

The K’ómoks First Nation has recently completed a history project that has spanned over close to a decade. Now that the History of the K’ómoks People has been completed, the nation is excited to share the complex and unique history.

Learn about K'ómoks History

K'ómoks Treaty

On March 8, 2025, K’ómoks members voted in favour of ratifying the treaty and their self-government constitution, advancing the Nation toward full treaty implementation under Stage 6 of the BC treaty process. The treaty confirms K’ómoks First Nation’s ownership of approximately 34.6 km² (3,460 hectares or 8,550 acres) of land, including existing reserves, selected Crown land, and private land purchased by B.C. These lands will become treaty settlement lands, over which K’ómoks will have law-making authority, and the potential to acquire an additional 1,592 hectares in the future. Looking ahead, K’ómoks aims to implement self-governance structures, develop laws, and build administrative capacities. The Nation is focused on enhancing economic development, housing, tourism, and infrastructure, all while preserving and strengthening its culture, language, and heritage. This new phase also emphasizes collaborative relationships with local governments and stakeholders, fostering shared understanding and economic predictability in the region. Read the press release

Learn about the K'ómoks Treaty

Protecting K'ómoks Cultural Heritage

K’ómoks First Nation’s Cultural Heritage Policy is a fundamental part of the consultation process and allows the Nation to make informed decisions about irreversible impacts to our cultural heritage.

Anyone conducting work within K’ómoks territory should familiarize themselves with its cultural heritage regulations.

Learn about protecting cultural heritage

Key Initiatives

The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) greatly values the ongoing relationship between the Comox Valley Regional District and the K’ómoks First Nation (K’ómoks), and we are committed to ensuring that this partnership remains grounded in respect, understanding, and trust. The CVRD and K'ómoks have partnered on many projects of joint interest and we are pleased to share highlights of some of these initiatives.

Partnering on Sewer Solutions

On February 18, 2021, the K’ómoks First Nation and the CVRD's Sewage Commission announced the ratification of a community benefit agreement that commits both parties to work together collaboratively on a regional solution for sewer. The agreement will provide needed upgrades for Comox and Courtenay sewer infrastructure, while supporting the growth and economic development plans of the K’ómoks community. This historic agreement will ensure a regional approach to sewer services to protect local beaches, waters and BC’s largest shellfish industry in Bayne’s Sound. Read the press release.

Xwee Xwhy Luq - Seal Bay Park
On June 17, 2020 the CVRD and the K’ómoks First Nation unveiled new interpretative signs at Xwee Xwhya Luq, which is the traditional name for Seal Bay Nature Park. This area is very culturally significant to the K’ómoks as generations of indigenous peoples visited the Seal Bay area for resource harvesting and to camp when traveling through the area by canoe.

Left to right: K’ómoks Councillors Katherine Frank and Richard Hardy, CVRD Chair Jesse Ketler and Chief Nicole Rempel.

The signage includes new trail names which reflect a variety of natural park elements, animals and cultural references with an emphasis on the traditional ayajuthem language. Ayajuthem is a Coast Salish language shared between the peoples of K’ómoks, Tla'amin, Homalco and Klahoose First Nations. To help visitors learn and pronounce the Coast Salish names, signs also feature phonetic pronunciations. For more information please visit www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/sealbaysignage

qax mot Conservation Area
On November 5, 2021 the park located at the headwaters of Morrison Creek, which protects 22 hectares of aquatic and riparian habitat, was formally named qax mot Conservation Area. This land zoned for conservation in Electoral Area C, was purchased in 2019 in partnership with the Comox Valley Land Trust and helped made possible by the support of the Morrison Creek Streamkeepers. Upon purchase of the land, the CVRD reached out to K’ómoks First Nation for its naming.

After consulting with Elders and knowledge keepers, Chief Rempel advised the CVRD that the K’ómoks people had chosen the name qax mot, meaning lots of medicine in the traditional ay̓aǰuθəm (ayajuthem) language. Ayajuthem is a Coast Salish language shared between the peoples of K’ómoks, Tla'amin, Homalco and Klahoose.
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Photo Caption - From left: Area C Director, Edwin Grieve; CVRD Chair, Jesse Ketler; K'ómoks First Nation Elected Chief Rempel.

Cooperation and Collaboration on Water Management

The CVRD has come to understand that the waters flowing through the valley hold a deep cultural significance to the culture and history of the K’ómoks people. This water also plays an important role in the future of the K’ómoks First Nation and its aspirations for growth and independence. Acknowledging this history, committing to working together as partners and recognizing the strength of diversity in our community, are all important steps of reconciliation. These beliefs have and will continue to inform the CVRD’s organizational culture.

In the spirit of partnership, the CVRD was pleased and honoured to sign a Mutual Benefit Agreement on water on September 28, 2018. This agreement confirmed cooperation and collaboration between the CVRD and K’ómoks in the management of water resources in the region. This agreement includes plans to extend water services in the future to K’ómoks lands south of Royston and greater participation by K’ómoks in the management of regional water resources. By signing this agreement, K’ómoks First Nation stated its support of the Comox Valley Water Treatment Project and the CVRD’s water license application, which assisted greatly in gaining provincial and federal support of the project.

Photo caption - From left: Russell Dyson (CVRD), Bob Wells (CVRD), Bruce Jolliffe (CVRD), Chief Nicole Rempel (K’ómoks), Melinda Knox (K’ómoks Economic Development Corp.), Tina McLean (K’ómoks)

Implementation of the United Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People

In March 2021, the CVRD came together with the K’ómoks First Nation and local Elected Officials to discuss how Local Governments can move forward to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (The UN Declaration). A presentation and discussion led by the B.C. Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, provided an overview of the provincial effort to implement the UN Declaration. The provincial legislation guiding this work – the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act – received Royal Assent in November 2019 and elected officials in the Comox Valley have been eager to discuss how these opportunities to implement the UN Declaration can be applied at the local level. Merle Alexander, a practitioner of Indigenous Resource Law and most recently part of the co-development team for the Declaration Act, led a presentation and discussion on empowering First Nations through Title and Rights. The meeting was hosted by the CVRD in partnership with the K’ómoks and included Elected Officials and staff representatives from the Town of Comox, City of Courtenay, Village of Cumberland, Village of Sayward, School District 71, and Islands Trust. For more information please read the press release.

More Information

To learn about other shared initiatives, please click on the drop-down menus below.

March 2021

On March 5, 2021, the CVRD came together with K’ómoks and local Elected Officials to discuss how Local Governments can move forward to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (The UN Declaration). Presentations and discussions were led by the B.C. Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation and Merle Alexander, a practitioner of Indigenous Resource Law and most recently part of the co-development team for the Declaration Act.

“Developing cooperative and collaborative relationships with our local municipalities as well as improved communications amongst each other is a vision K’ómoks has had for several years, said Hegus Nicole Rempel. “It is through events such as the Community-to-Community Forum hosted by the CVRD that we begin to understand each other and our governance structures better. It is an opportunity to explore areas of mutual interest, the challenges we face and how we can strengthen relationships and continue our work in reconciliation.”

The meeting was hosted by the CVRD in partnership with the K’ómoks and included Elected Officials and staff representatives from the Town of Comox, City of Courtenay, Village of Cumberland, Village of Sayward, School District 71, and Islands Trust.
June 2019

On June 17, 2019 K’ómoks and CVRD shared a day of learning about the history and culture of indigenous peoples in the Comox Valley. The Community to Community initiative was part of a continued effort to strengthen the working relationship between the two organizations.

K’ómoks Councillors and staff, along with CVRD Directors and staff, toured several archaeologically significant sites in the Pentlatch area, which is now known as the Comox Valley. Stops included Brooklyn Creek in Mack Laing Park, the site of one of the largest known shell middens in the Comox Valley. Numerous middens are known to exist along the foreshore and provide archaeological proof that generations of indigenous families inhabited the banks of the Pentlatch from 300 BC to 1850 AD.

Photo caption: K’ómoks Chief and Council, CVRD directors and staff listen to local archaeologist, Jesse Morin, explain how indigenous families inhabited the banks along the Comox estuary.

Participants also visited Rotary Park to view the remains of the largest fish trap discovered in North America and possibly the world. From 800 AD to 1850 AD, these traps were used year round to catch the salmon and herring that fed the indigenous families who lived along the Comox Estuary and the banks of the Puntledge River. Traps were hundreds of metres in size with a consistent design involving thousands of wooden stakes made from Douglas fir trees.
- Press Release
- K’ómoks History
February 2019

In February 2019, CVRD Elected Officials and senior staff joined K’ómoks in a Community-to-Community Forum to share knowledge, exchange information about governance structures and continue strengthening and building relationships. This forum represents one of the ways the CVRD and K’ómoks are working together to ensure the continuation of a cooperative and collaborative government-to-government relationship that supports partnerships now and, in the future.
- Meeting Agenda and Bios
- Press Release
Photo caption: CVRD Directors and K’ómoks Chief and Council from left to right: Back Row – CVRD Alternate Director Mannos Theos, Chair Bob Wells, Director David Frisch, K’ómoks Councillor Katherine Frank, Director Arzeena Hamir, K’ómoks Councillor Richard Hardy, Directors Daniel Arbour, Jesse Ketler and Doug Hillian; Middle Row – Directors Melanie McCollum, Wendy Morin and Alternate Director Gwyn Sproule, K’ómoks Chief Nicole Rempel and Councillor Barb Mitchell, Directors Edwin Grieve and Maureen Swift; Front – Director Will Cole-Hamilton
On June 14, 2010 the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD), the City of Courtenay, the Town of Comox, the Village of Cumberland and the K'ómoks First Nation (K’ómoks) signed a historic protocol agreement that lays out a shared understanding of key interests, and establishes a positive government-to-government relationship in the Comox Valley.

In 2008, the CVRD Board established a select committee to develop a Comox Valley local government and K’ómoks protocol. Initial principles were identified and a series of reconciliation and recognition workshops were hosted by the K'ómoks First Nation, which elected and non-elected officials from the Comox Valley attended. Since July 2009, staff from K'ómoks First Nation and the Comox Valley local governments met numerous times and developed a shared understanding of key interests and worked through a number of draft documents.

The final protocol agreement captures the agreed-upon issues and interests:

K’ómoks Protocol Agreement

The agreement is meant to serve as a beginning for more productive and detailed conversations regarding the following topics:
- Culture and heritage protection
- Environmental protection
- Intergovernmental coordination: improving communications with a focus on roles, responsibilities and aspirations
- Joint economic development
- Land use planning and management: including but not limited to regional growth strategies, official community plans, treaty land issues, resource management plans, provincial planning processes, park management, and other land use plans and regulations
- Property taxation issues
- Shared / reciprocal services
- K'ómoks / local government governance relations
- Emergency preparedness
- Consultation and accommodation
- Other key interests as agreed to by the parties
The protocol agreement has allowed for more detailed discussions regarding matters that are specific to individual parties to begin. The protocol agreement is seen as a high-level commitment to work together and share information amongst the parties. As some of the topics are addressed, action plans to find solutions to the issues will be developed, with input from political representatives, administration and technical experts.

Helpful Links:
- Ceremonial Speech
- Photo Album