Explore The Comox Valley Collective Magazines

The Comox Valley Collective is our inaugural magazine and is created and published by ROAM Media Inc. Launched in the winter of 2014, it is a quarterly publication focused on the Comox Valley region that releases on every solstice and equinox (mid March, June, September, and December).

INFLUENZA’S DEADLY TRAIL

INFLUENZA’S DEADLY TRAIL

At the close of World War I, the so-called Spanish flu claimed lives all over the world, even in the Comox Valley.

Words by

Dawn Copeman

Photo courtesy of

The Cumberland Firehall

THE BEAUTY OF THE BURN

THE BEAUTY OF THE BURN

Buddhist wisdom tells us that pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. Try telling your body that.

Words & Photo by

Sarah Seads

THE SUSPENSE WON’T KILL US

THE SUSPENSE WON’T KILL US

COVID-19 has changed global tourism forever. Here on the island, local operators and residents need to imagine a new future for the industry.

Words by

Andrew Findlay

Photo by

Kat Craats

ALL FIRED UP

ALL FIRED UP

Award-winning potter Gordon Hutchens may be in his seventies, but he’s still got plenty of clay to shape, students to teach, and ideas to pursue.

Words & Photo by

Trish Weatherall

FEATURED ARTIST: RICHARD MRAVIK

FEATURED ARTIST: RICHARD MRAVIK

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: GLYNNIS GREY

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: GLYNNIS GREY

COURTENAY AFTER COVID

COURTENAY AFTER COVID

Twenty years after the pandemic, a local historian looks back.

Words by

Ryan Stuart

Photo by

Jenn Dykstra

DRAWN TO THE FLAMES

DRAWN TO THE FLAMES

Because our personal relationship with fire is a cautious one, we love the excitement of fire shows.

Words by

Lisa Hamilton

Photo by

Ali Marie Parker

VERACITY OF THE VESPIDS

VERACITY OF THE VESPIDS

Wasps are a family of insects truly to be loathed. Or are they?

Words by

Neil Borecky

Photo by

Curtis Parker

PUTTING THE SUN TO WORK

PUTTING THE SUN TO WORK

Vancouver Island’s first Passive House Plus is healthful, comfortable, beautiful—and costs nothing to heat.

Words by

John Gower

Photos by

Luke Phillips

COVID DISCOVERIES

COVID DISCOVERIES

COVID MOMENTS

COVID MOMENTS

Reflections on going with the flow with a young family in this unusual time

Words by

Christa Petch

COMOX VALLEY SCHOOLS AND CORONAVIRUS

COMOX VALLEY SCHOOLS AND CORONAVIRUS

Pivoting with compassion

COLLABORATING AGAINST COVID-19

COLLABORATING AGAINST COVID-19

THE EGG EQUATION

THE EGG EQUATION

Not all eggs are created equal—here’s some straight-up clucking about which ones are best.

Words by

Bevin Clempson

Photo by

Jennifer Brazil

EASY, BREEZY E-BIKES

EASY, BREEZY E-BIKES

Rad new rides give biking a boost.

Words & photo by

Dave Prothero

LITTLE VALLEY: SAM GOLDBY

LITTLE VALLEY: SAM GOLDBY

Our young residents reflect on the home they’re growing up in.

Words by

Sam Goldby

FED UP NO MORE

FED UP NO MORE

Edible Island and the evolution of alternative eating in the Comox Valley.

Words by

Mike Redican

Photos courtesy of

Susan Holvenstot

FEATURED ARTIST: JO PAYNE

FEATURED ARTIST: JO PAYNE

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: MATT NEWFIELD

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: MATT NEWFIELD

AIMING FOR ZERO

AIMING FOR ZERO

From circular to linear and back again: the human economy on a finite planet.

Words by

Tanis Gower

Photos by

Femke Overmaat

THE CURVE OF TIME

THE CURVE OF TIME

The classic story of a BC family’s sailing adventures still thrills modern readers.

Words by

Nora Bingham

Cover painting by

Harry Heine

TURNING DOWN THE TEMPERATURE

TURNING DOWN THE TEMPERATURE

Cumberland 2040: How Cumberland reached carbon negative

Words by

Ryan Stuart

Photo by

Jenn Dykstra

THIS PLACE IS FOR THE BIRDS

THIS PLACE IS FOR THE BIRDS

From fresh waters to the salty sea—the K’ómoks Important Bird Area.

Words & photo by

Sophie Vigneau

THE ART OF THE ARCHTOP

THE ART OF THE ARCHTOP

At the pinnacle of guitar making, you might just find Comox Valley luthier Wyatt Wilkie.

Words by

Jen Groundwater

Photos by

Sara Kempner

HOME IN THE HILLS

HOME IN THE HILLS

It took a community to build Vancouver Island’s backcountry hut.

Words by

Ryan Stuart

Photos by

Alex Mackay

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL LAND

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL LAND

The history and community behind Courtenay’s beloved Airpark.

Words by

Andrew Findlay

Photos by

Jenn Dykstra

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