by David Frisch | Oct 18, 2022 | News
Hello Comox Valley! Thank you for your support in this year’s city elections. It was a busy time engaging with people all over the valley and I’m very much looking forward to working for another four years towards building a strong and resilient community. I’d like to express my respect for all the candidates who put their names forward and took the time to run in these elections… it’s no small task. I’d also like to thank the people who supported me and worked for the benefit of my campaign and in the interest of bettering our community! My family, my friends, people who reached out to encourage me, people who took the time to talk to me and share their ideas, hopes, and perspectives; and thank you to everyone who took the time to support democracy by voting. This election was, in my view, largely about housing, homelessness, mental health, and drug addiction… which is to say it’s mainly about community building! How do we respond to the forces of the world around us - the world economy, senior government policies, evolving social structure, and the natural world to which we are intrinsically connected. I feel like the solutions all start with more public engagement. Tackling many of our challenges call for long term planning, bold initiatives, and change… which means we need your ongoing support and help as we work to adapt and thrive in these times. So, while much of my work will be to oversee the city running with day to day services, I foresee a lot of work with...
by David Frisch | Sep 21, 2022 | News
David Frisch was first elected in 2014 with the goal of curbing urban sprawl and promoting smart growth - a more efficient and environmentally sensitive way to develop the city. Since 2018 he’s been a champion for co-operative housing, a model that blends market and sub-market housing with safe tenure (no fear of eviction) and community governance. He hopes to continue the push for a regional housing function to build more affordable rentals with federal and provincial funding. His leadership on transportation has benefited people of all ages and abilities with safer and more comfortable walking and multi modal road design. Supporting children to travel to school on their own (new paths and narrower, lighted crosswalks) and connecting neighbourhoods with work and grocery centres is allowing people options for healthier and more affordable transportation like walking, cycling, and scootering. David also continues to move along initiatives that will strengthen both commerce and the community in downtown Courtenay, such as more space for people shopping, dining, and relaxing on 5th street. In response to the sad and real increase in drug addiction, mental illness and trauma, and related social issues, David has supported community outreach, like the warming centre, and chairs the Junction Community Advisory Committee. He believes that a real long term solution would see a multigenerational plan for federally and provincially funded community programs that starts at birth and support families with education and childcare needs, including mental health and wellness coaching. To support David’s campaign for re-election or learn more about his work on council he can be reached at frisch.david@gmail.com or...
by David Frisch | Sep 15, 2017 | Blog, News
We are all in agreement that housing prices, for first time home buyers and renters, are climbing at an unsustainable rate, but many believe it is caused by a shortage of supply. On a local scale this is true, but on the global scale the picture is often ignored because the answer isn’t to simply build more! In fact, there has been significant pressure on housing stock in primary markets such as Vancouver and Toronto from foreign investors looking for a safe haven for their capital. They don’t actually live there! This is especially true from Chinese investors who see our housing market as far safer than many assets in China. The result is insufficient housing supply to satisfy both domestic and foreign demand. The real problem, in these primary markets, is that while foreign investors can afford to speculate on investments in real estate, many average domestic buyers are getting priced out of the basic need for housing. In secondary and tertiary markets, such as the Comox Valley, there is in-flow of capital as property owners from those primary markets cash out and invest in our relatively inexpensive housing, essentially causing a similar pressure on supply. While this presents an opportunity to grow our economy, we must also deal with affordability issues for lower income families, youth and seniors, as well as manage the growth in an environmentally and socially responsible way. This requires planning. I believe there should be well though out policy to guide our growth to maximize our land and minimize inefficient sprawl. The term for planning for growth with consideration to environmental, social, and economic...
by David Frisch | Jun 15, 2016 | Blog, News
We love our downtown. Nobody seems to argue otherwise, so the real question is what do we love about our downtown and how can we nurture it? My answer is this: Downtown offers a unique experience that combines commercial businesses (like retail shops, offices, and restaurants), with public spaces, (like the museum, library, theatre and the river), to create places where social interactions naturally evolve and thus build a great sense of community. You might experience this when you go downtown to shop or eat, and end up having conversations with friends and family you hadn’t planned on having (or visa versa). This appreciation for unique social and natural experiences goes beyond simple consumption and means that our downtown has the potential to transform our valley into a more economically and environmentally sustainable city. Let me explain… A city is like a businesses in that it provides services like roadways, water, recreation, fire and police using its assets. The city has one major fixed asset… Land. When we develop the land we create a tax base to fund the services. What has become obvious is that a compact, walkable, downtown development creates a greater return to the city than building sprawl… Not just socially and environmentally, but economically. It’s obvious how minimizing sprawl can save our natural assets like trees and wetlands, but sometimes its harder to see the how it can save us tax dollars and increase the economic value of our community. In a 2002 study by Tischler & Associates, it is shown that commercial sprawl type developments generate a net annual deficit for a municipality while...
by David Frisch | Mar 18, 2016 | News
The City of Courtenay and K’ómoks First Nation have signed an historic servicing agreement. The agreement, for the provision of water and sanitary sewer services to K’ómoks First Nation IR No.2 property on Condensory Road - including the site of the Puntledge RV Campground - was signed at a special ceremony yesterday, Thursday March 17. The agreement will allow the K’ómoks First Nation to expand the campground and consider other economic development opportunities - http://www.courtenay.ca/EN/meta/news/news-archives/2016-archives/city-of-courtenay-and-k-moks-first-nation-sign-servicing-agreement.html Excerpt: A servicing agreement between the City of Courtenay and the K’ómoks First Nation for the provision of water and sanitary sewer services to K’ómoks First Nation IR No.2 property on Condensory Road ̶ including the site of the Puntledge RV Campground ̶ was signed at a special ceremony on March 17. The agreement will allow the K’ómoks First Nation to expand the campground and consider other economic development opportunities. The K’ómoks First Nation has also expressed interest in building a residential housing complex on the property. The signing ceremony was part of the Community 2 Community Forum hosted by the K’ómoks First Nation in their boardroom on Comox Road. Read the full press release on the City of Courtenay’s website >>...
