Participatory Planning and Assessments

The Comox Valley, located in the unceded territories of the K’ómoks First Nation, is a confluence of rivers and ocean and home to beautiful agricultural lands, rolling hills, picturesque mountains and the majestic Queneesh glacier. As sea level rises, development and activity concentrated along the estuary and shoreline faces growing and moving risks due to erosion and flood. Responding to impacts and adapting to changes will necessarily require joint decisions and action across the multiple local governments and K’ómoks First Nation, in collaboration with others.

Two previous phases of work have made available updated flood mapping along with a high-level adaptation strategy for the region as a whole. In this phase of work, HeronBridge is the lead on design and facilitation of a participatory process with governments, K’ómoks and community groups to develop a collaborative framework and go through a structured decision-making process to produce an adaptation strategy for a complex section of the shoreline.

Communities in BC face a rapidly evolving set of challenges relating to a changing climate. One season it’s wildfire and air quality, another it’s floods. 

In January 2024, BC experienced a sudden and severe extreme cold event. North Shore Emergency Management, on behalf of its partner municipalities, led the local response. Following best practice in emergency management, NSEM engaged HeronBridge to work closely with the organization and its partner municipalities to reflect together on this experience and generate insight and learning that can be applied moving forward.