Courtenay-Comox

Courtenay-Comox was a newly configured riding for the 2017 election, drawn from parts of the former Comox Valley constituency. The redistribution removed the community of Cumberland from the riding. In the 2013 election under the old Comox Valley boundaries, BC Liberal Don McRae had been re-elected comfortably and went on to serve as Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation. McRae chose not to seek re-election in 2017, leaving an open seat in a riding that mixed the urban centres of Courtenay and Comox with the military community around CFB Comox and surrounding rural areas.

Candidates

Ronna-Rae Leonard (BC NDP) — Leonard was a former Courtenay city councillor who had served from 2005 to 2014. During her time in municipal politics, she organized the Comox Valley Cycling Task Force and the Housing Task Force, and chaired the Vancouver Island Regional Library Board. She had worked as an environmental consultant to local non-profit streamkeeper organizations and had run as the federal NDP candidate in Vancouver Island North in 2011.

Jim Benninger (BC Liberal Party) — Benninger was the former base commander of CFB Comox, whom the BC Liberals chose to replace the retiring McRae. His military background gave him strong name recognition in the riding's military community.

Ernie Sellentin (BC Green Party) — Sellentin was an environmental consultant and project coordinator with the Coastal Invasive Plant Committee. He owned and operated a company specializing in habitat restoration and invasive species consulting, and had previously worked in the Texada Island quarries and as a logger.

Conservative candidate Leah Catherine McCulloch also ran but received minimal support.

Local Issues

Health care was a central concern in the Comox Valley heading into the 2017 election. The new North Island Hospital Comox Valley Campus was under construction and would open in October 2017. While the new hospital was welcomed, residents worried about staffing levels, capacity for the growing population, and the adequacy of seniors' care in the region. Advocacy groups had been raising alarms about residential care shortages for elderly residents.

The riding's economy was shaped by the military presence at CFB Comox, tourism, agriculture, and a growing retirement community. Affordability was emerging as a significant issue as the Comox Valley attracted retirees and families from more expensive centres, driving up housing costs. The opioid crisis was also reaching smaller communities across Vancouver Island, and access to mental health and addiction services in the Valley was limited.

The geographic split within the riding created distinct voting blocs. Areas east of the Island Highway, particularly around the Crown Isle golf course, leaned heavily Liberal, while the urban core of Courtenay and working-class neighbourhoods favoured the NDP. The Green Party drew support from environmentally conscious voters concerned about development pressures on the Valley's agricultural land and natural areas.