Community Involvement

Many of Denman and Hornby’s services are provided through non-profit groups. These services range from home care assistance to education to recreation and more. Through the tireless efforts of many volunteers, these boards and committees are able to create a well-rounded and engaged community.

A significant factor of rural life, especially rural life in winter, is isolation. While there are intermittent social benefits and opportunities, a section of citizens may require more.

Over 50% of people 18 years and over living in the rural areas surrounding the Comox Valley state that they feel a “strong sense of community belonging.” ¹ 

While this is a positive statistic, it is important to remember that others may not subscribe to a similar sense of community well being. Certainly, one of the hoped-for benefits of rural community is the care that people feel for each other, and show in numerous ways including volunteering. Nevertheless, despite these beneficent efforts, there are still 8% of those 18 and over who “always feel lonely.” ² 

By identifying barriers to the services that are currently offered we can work towards ensuring that they are better positioned to enhance the lives of those in our community who currently feel fully or partially excluded.

Survey of Local Non-profit Boards

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Civic Engagement

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1. Comox Valley Rural Profile. (2023). BC Community Health Data. Retrieved from http://communityhealth.phsa.ca/CHSAHealthProfiles/CHSAHealthReport/Comox%20Valley%20Rural ↩︎
2. Province of British Columbia. 2020. Primary Care Networks – Applying a Rural Lens to Primary Care Network Development. January 17. P.10. ↩︎
3. Area A 2022 election turnout. (2023). Civic Info BC data department ↩︎