1. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Comox Valley Hospital site preparation
Q. How long will the site preparation work take?
A. Site work is expected to begin in February, with completion slated for late June 2013.
Q. What is being done to ensure the safety of Queneesh School students and staff, neighbors and
the rest of the public during site preparation work?
A. The project team is working closely with School District 71 and Queneesh Elementary administration
and parents to address all concerns. We want to be good neighbors. Meetings have taken place with
school district representatives and school officials, as well as with the Parent Advisory Council (PAC). We
are creating a School Advisory Committee including representatives from all of these groups. This
committee will be working with VIHA to address any school concerns and establish an Emergency
Management Plan.
Q. How will the site be fenced?
A. An 8-ft-tall construction fence will replace the current 4-ft fence between the hospital and school
properties. Inserts in the fence will lessen the sound and distraction of the site work. The playing fields will
not be fenced off until March 2014, when the entire site will be surrounded by an 8-ft-tall fence for the
start of hospital construction. A more permanent fence will be installed along the school property line
sometime after March 2016. In addition, a 7.5-metre-wide landscaped buffer will separate the school and
hospital properties by 2016.
Q. What will you do about dust from the site preparation work?
A. Dust-control practices will be in effect to keep dust to a minimum. Also, SD71 officials say the
Queneesh School's air filtration can remove any background dust that might infiltrate the school.
Q. What will be done about noise from the site preparation work?
A. Every effort will be made to keep noise and disruption to a minimum during site preparation work, but
there will be some noise. We regret any inconvenience this may cause. It will be temporary.
We are working on controls to minimize the noise impacts. Noise reducing measures have been
discussed with the City of Courtenay and will be a part of the final design. Site work will comply with City
of Courtenay bylaws.
Q. What about the loss of trees on the site?
A. Efforts will be made to retain as many trees as possible, however, many of them will have to be cleared
to accommodate construction of the new hospital and on-site infrastructure. Although trees will be left
wherever possible, we must ensure site safety by reducing the risk of blow down. An arborist has been
retained to recommend the best approach.
The reduction in the number of trees on the site is temporary. The site will be landscaped with more than
1,000 trees after construction including Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, Sitka Spruce, Western
Hemlock, Dogwood and other species. During construction, if any trees are required to be removed they
will be replaced by a ratio of 2:1 in the interface zone, which is the landscaped border between the North
Island College, the Queneesh School and the hospital site.

2. Q. What studies have been done on the site?
A. Site studies include an Environmental Site Assessment; an Archeological Report; a Geotechnical
Report; a drainage review, a tree survey, Flora and Fauna report, Traffic Impact Assessment Study, and a
site servicing report.
Q. How will pedestrian flows through the area be affected?
A. While construction will cause disruption to some pedestrian routes, the North Island Hospitals Project
team is committed to working with the school, the college and the city to maintain proper pedestrian flows
through the area.
The existing walkway between the school and hospital properties will remain open in its current form until
March 2014. In addition, a new walkway will be created around the hospital site to Lerwick and Ryan
roads. A locking gate will be installed so community can access both walkways.
Walkway and pedestrian routes on hospital grounds will be built to ensure accessibility for:
Individuals with mobility challenges and the visually impaired
Baby strollers
Q. How will parking in the area be affected during site preparation work?
A. We will do our best to minimize the impact. This construction phase is temporary. Construction workers
and suppliers will not be allowed to park on any portion of the North Island College lands, or on any
streets within one kilometre of the hospital site.
Q. How will the site preparation work impact traffic?
A. The contractor will be required to provide a traffic management plan. The site preparation contract
stresses the proximity of the site to the school, daycare, Aquatic Centre, etc. The contractor will hire
trained traffic control workers who will follow the approved traffic management plan.
Q. What approval processes has the City of Courtenay required?
A. The project requires an Environmental Development Permit and a Tree Cutting Permit from the City.
These have been combined and were expected to receive city approval this week.
Q. What about the loss of our playing fields?
A. The City of Courtenay acquired the fields from the School District in 2000. This occurred as part of the
rezoning of School District lands at the corner of Lerwick and Mission roads from Public Assembly to Light
Industrial zoning, which increased the value of the land to the School District.
The North Island Hospitals Project will avoid impacting the fields as long as possible, into 2014, to allow
sports groups more time to use them and to find alternate fields.
Q. Why is the new Comox Valley Hospital being built on this site?
A. VIHA investigated some 20 sites around the Comox Valley and chose this site in consultation with local
and regional governments, and with North Island College for the following reasons:
It’s near the centre of the population base;
It’s located on high volume arterial roads to maximize access and fit within current and projected
road capacity in the Comox Valley;
It has an excellent geotechnical base with no seismic risks;
The site is close to the future fire hall, and well serviced by utilities, thereby reducing costs;
Strategic partnerships with North Island College are possible.
For more information contact:
Jay Fiddler
Planning Consultant
North Island Hospitals Project
Phone: 250-661-4577
Email: jay.fiddler@viha.ca