Thriving Together, Comox Valley鈥檚 Poverty Reduction Table is a new informational display based on a Data Walk to inform community members about the reality of living in poverty in the Comox Valley.
The new initiative is a partnership between The Comox Valley Community Health Network (CVCHN) and the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD).
In this interactive and engaging walk, data specific to the Comox Valley is displayed on posters that share information on access to affordable childcare, risk of being unhoused, living wage, food insecurity and more. Each poster has options for ways that participants can share their reactions and thoughts about the data.
The Data Walk provides an opportunity for participants to reflect on questions such as how many households live under the poverty line? Do families have access to affordable childcare? How many people are unhoused or at risk of being unhoused?
The Comox Valley Poverty Data Walk aims to inform, create conversation and encourage community members to explore ways of reducing and eliminating poverty in the region.
"Experiencing the data walk is just a moment in our lives; for those facing these challenges, it is real for them every moment of every day. We need people to take this seriously and make a commitment to being part of the solution. Viewing this data is eye-opening. This is about our neighbours, friends, family, and community. We are all in this together.鈥� - Nick Chowdhury, founding member of the Comox Valley Community Health Network鈥�
From August through October, the Comox Valley Poverty Data Walk will be available for community members to experience in-person at various indoor and outdoor locations, including select municipal parks and trails and community events such as the Comox Valley Farmers鈥� Market, the Black Creek Fall Fair, as well as locations around Denman and Hornby Islands.
The first outdoor locations for the Data Walk will be at the Civic Park in Comox (Aug. 2 to 8) and the Idiens Trail (Aug. 3 to 8) in Courtenay. Viewers are encouraged to bring a phone to scan the QR code on the posters and share reactions and thoughts about the data.
鈥淢ost people don鈥檛 realize the extent of poverty that exists in their own community. Poverty is often hidden and seeing the data for the community in this way helps to generate discussion and empower members of the community to create and take part in strategies to address the root causes.鈥� - Lisa Kilpatrick, CVRD Community Development and Resilience Manager鈥�
The Data Walk can also be experienced virtually at . This site also provides a complete list of Data Walk locations and a section to provide feedback and submit ideas of ways to help reduce poverty in the region.
Community members can also call or stop by the Comox Valley Regional District at 770 Harmston Ave., Courtenay (250-334-6000) to find out more about Data Walk locations and provide feedback.
鈥═hriving Together, Comox Valley鈥檚 Poverty Reduction Table, is a community-based collective impact group made up of community members and representatives from local organizations, businesses and government, all with a shared vision of Comox Valley as a healthy, thriving, resilient community where the root causes of poverty are eliminated.
This group is led by the CVCHN in partnership with the CVRD and focuses on collaborative action initiatives that address the root causes of poverty in the Comox Valley, including implementation of the Comox Valley Poverty Reduction Assessment and Strategy. To find out more about CVCHN, Thriving Together, or how you can be involved with poverty reduction initiatives in the Comox Valley, visit or email CVThrivingTogether@gmail.com.
