North Island College and 19 Wing Comox have announced a new temporary housing partnership that will provide accommodation for Canadian Armed Forces members training in the Comox Valley.

Under the arrangement, up to 60 beds will be made available to military members at NIC’s new student housing complex in Courtenay.

The partnership is intended as an interim solution while 19 Wing advances longer-term housing options and is expected to be in place until Summer 2027, with the potential for renewal as needs change.

As part of the agreement, participating members will also be enrolled as NIC students. In addition to their training at 19 Wing Comox, they will complete Journeying to Reconciliation, a new digital course developed in partnership with the K’ómoks First Nation.

The course includes modules focused on Indigenous language, culture, history, colonization and contemporary context.

For decades, the college has supported serving members and veterans through specialized admission advising, recognition of prior learning where appropriate, and participation in the Canadian Military, Veteran and Family Connected Campus Consortium.

NIC also delivers Canadian Armed Forces-approved education programs, including the Non-Commissioned Member Subsidized Training and Education Plan, supporting members as they develop skills for demanding roles.

Officials say the housing collaboration represents a new chapter in that relationship, while addressing immediate accommodation pressures and reinforcing NIC’s role as an educational partner for military members.

19 Wing Comox is expected to grow by more than 600 regular force members over the next decade and will see more than $1.5 billion in announced infrastructure projects, with several hundred million more in requirements currently in early planning stages.

The complex includes several linked buildings offering a mix of single occupancy, shared, and family housing units.

Developed in collaboration with the K’ómoks First Nation, NIC’s Indigenous Education Council, and the K’ómoks Cultural Committee, the complex incorporates Indigenous design elements and culturally supportive spaces.

To learn more, visit North Island College.