You may think that your house number is not important but you would be wrong to think this.
Civic addressing may seem, at first, to be a rather inconsequential and trivial thing but a closer inspection of its purposes reveal a different story.
Addressing is a quick and easy way to uniquely identify a property location. It is the primary source of locating and wayfinding for emergency and delivery personnel. Having a concise, sequential, established grid pattern to house numbering helps people readily find a home.
In any emergency situation (ambulance, fire, police) time is of the essence. Imagine your house burns down because the fire crew got confused trying to find your property and took a few wrong turns. Those few minutes spent in search of a property are precious moments in an emergency situation.
Many times, in remote, rural areas, and particularly in the island communities, house numbering has, historically, been a self assigned process. This creates a numbering system that is out of sync / non-sequential and, in turn, makes it difficult for people to easily navigate to a location.
Clear, visible, reflective signage (either roadside or on a dwelling) is critical to ensuring a quick, timely response from those seeking out a property.
A good, local resource for address signage is the Comox Valley Lions Club.
The SRD works in conjunction with NI911 to assign house numbering and liaises/shares this information with third party agencies.
If you’d like a civic address for your property or wish to inquire further, contact SRD GIS via email or at (250) 830-6721.
SRD GIS 