The district covered large portions of northern Vancouver Island and included part of the mainland north of the Sunshine Coast.
The Vancouver Island part of the Comox Strathcona Regional District stretches all the way across the island from east to west, and north to south between Sayward and the Denman and Hornby Islands on its east coast, and between Nootka Island and the Brooks Peninsula on its west coast, including most of Strathcona Provincial Park.
The mainland portion, which is only very lightly settled, begins in the southeast at Toba Inlet, and stretches northwest almost to the Knight Inlet and also encompasses the Discovery Islands.
In 2007, Ida Chong, BC Minister of Community Services, announced that it was to be split into two districts, one covering the Comox Valley (electoral areas A, B, C and K), the other covering the rest of the existing district.
[1] The announcement came as something of a surprise to the existing regional council, and was opposed by some, particularly those directors representing rural areas.