After decades of Monday Council meetings, starting in 2023 Courtenay Council is making a move – to Wednesdays.

The City says the shift in regular meeting days will reduce schedule impacts from statutory holidays and give the public more time to review meeting agendas and reports – an average of seven days, instead of the current five. Agendas will continue to be posted on the City website on the Thursday prior to a Council meeting.

Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells said the changes will make Council meetings more consistent.

With most statutory holidays falling on Mondays, Wells says moving Council meetings to Wednesdays makes a lot of sense.

The council also directed staff to make several amendments to the Council Procedure Bylaw, last updated about 9 years ago.

The bylaw updates will incorporate electronic participation options launched during the pandemic through new authority granted by the province; initially by Ministerial Order, and now formalized in the B.C. Community Charter.