Description of Historic Place

The Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds are a substantial forty acre property consisting of both developed areas and nature park settings. The property is located off Headquarters Road and is bounded by the Tsolum River to the south of the property and Dove Creek Road to the West. The site features several open fields, forested areas with trails, access to the Tsolum River, an equestrian area and a curling rink.

Heritage Value

The Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds is significant for its historic, scientific, aesthetic and social value, particularly for its association with the Piercy family, its situation in an historic floodplain and riparian area, and its ongoing use as community agricultural fairgrounds.

The historic value of the Exhibition Grounds lies in its association with Piercy Family, a prominent pioneer family who initially established and operated a substantial 165 acre farming operation on the site until the land was purchased by the Canadian government in 1941. The property represents an important connection to the Comox Valley’s agricultural history.

The Exhibition Grounds site is important scientifically for its location in an historical floodplain and riparian area. The open spatial qualities of the Exhibition Grounds, coupled with the proximity of the Tsolum River which borders the property, highlight the legacy and importance of the area’s natural flood patterns. Recurrent flooding depositied the alluvial soil which provided the impetus for the agricultural settlement of the area when the first pioneers of the Comox Valley arrived in 1862. Bounded by the Tsolum River at the south end of the property, the site features a riparian area which consists of mature coniferous and deciduous trees and native vegetation. This area provides habitat for a variety of wildlife, including species of salmon, which have recently been re-introduced into the Tsolum River.

The aesthetic value of the Exhibition Grounds lies in its open spatial qualities and forested areas, which feature several mature species of deciduous and coniferous trees, and a series of trails which have views of the Tsolum River.

The social value of the Exhibition Grounds is reflected in the variety of annual events held on the grounds. One of these is the Comox Valley Fall Fair, which has been held for over a century and reflects the importance of agriculture to the social and economic development of the Comox Valley. Also of social significance are the equestrian centre and curling rink, which serve to demonstrate the recreational values held by the community.

Source: City of Courtenay Planning Department

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements which define the heritage character of the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds include its:

- elements that link the property to Comox Valley’s agricultural history, including property boundaries lined with mature deciduous trees, open spaces, and on-going use as a community fairgrounds
- situation of grounds in a historical floodplain and riparian area
- forested areas with trails
- proximity to the Tsolum River
- equestrian area and curling rink