Town of Comox Comox Valley Regional District, British Columbia

Town - A populated place with legally defined boundaries, incorporated as a town municipality under the provincial Municipal Act. E side of Vancouver Island just E of Courtenay, Comox Land District

Mapped Location

Town of Comox: The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.

 

Information

General information on Town of Comox

  • Feature Type: Incorporated

 

Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for Town of Comox

A brief list of names that this geographic feature has been named

Name Description
Town of Comox Official

 

Origin Notes and History of Town of Comox

References to Town of Comox that document the origin of its place name

Comox (Village) adopted 7 March 1924 on Ottawa file OBF 0671, as labelled on BC Lands 1892 map "Southern Districts of Vancouver Island", and on British Admiralty Chart A333, published in 1900 from 1898 surveys, and on BC map 2A, 1913. Incorporated as a Village Municipality 14 January 1946; re-incorporated as a Town Municipality 1 April 1967. Comox (Town) confirmed 15 January 1982 on 92F/10.

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office  |  Province of British Columbia

Comox Post Office was opened 1 July 1872. [see also the municipality's own website.]

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office  |  Province of British Columbia

"Comox is an abbreviation of the Yaculta (Euclataw) name for this area of Vancouver Island. The full name was Komuckway or Comuckthway, which means "plenty", "abundance" or "riches", the surrounding district having being noted among the [Indigenous peoples] for the abundance of berries and game. The name has been spelt variously and also gradually shortened: Komous, Comuck, Comax and finally Comox. The tribes residing here are the Puntledge and Sloslute, both of them nearly extinct. The first settlers arrived from Victoria in 1862, many of them being brought here by H.M. gunboat Grappler, detailed for that purpose by the commander in chief of the station at the request of Governor Douglas."

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
Walbran, John T; British Columbia Coast Names, 1592-1906: their origin and history; Ottawa, 1909 (republished for the Vancouver Public Library by J.J. Douglas Ltd, Vancouver, 1971)  |  Province of British Columbia

 

Comox Valley Regional District

Political Boundaries

Last updated: 2023-09-27