North Cowichan

North Cowichan (Canada 2016 Census population 29,676) is a District municipality established in 1873 located on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. The municipality is part of the Cowichan Valley Regional District. North Cowichan is noted for a landscape including forests, beaches, rivers and lakes. The municipality encompasses the communities of Crofton, Chemainus, Maple Bay and the 'south end' which is essentially a suburb of the City of Duncan.

North Cowichan
The Corporation of the District of North Cowichan[1]
Flag
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
No Steps Backwards
North Cowichan
Location of North Cowichan in British Columbia
Coordinates: 48°49′25″N 123°43′9″W
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
Regional DistrictCVRD
Incorporated1873
Government
  MayorAl Sebring
  Governing bodyNorth Cowichan Council
  MPsAlistair MacGregor
  MLAsSonia Furstenau and Doug Routley
Area
  Total195.54 km2 (75.50 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)
  Total29,676
  Density147.3/km2 (382/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−8 (PST)
  Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
Area code(s)+1-250
WebsiteMunicipality of North Cowichan

Geography

Located on the east coast of southern Vancouver Island, North Cowichan is centrally located immediately north of and adjacent to the city of Duncan and south of Ladysmith. Spanning 193.98 square kilometers, North Cowichan includes the communities of Chemainus, Crofton, Westholme, Maple Bay and the so-called "South End" which is functionally a suburb of Duncan.

Geology

The last glacial period, the Fraser Glaciation occurred between 29,000 and 15,000 years ago. The glaciers that formed carved out the Cowichan Valley and left behind glaciers up to 30 metres thick. These fertile lands and mild climate have led to a history rich in agriculture.[2]

Climate

Sheltered by the mountains of the central Island and the Olympic Peninsula, North Cowichan has a temperate, Mediterranean-like climate, with mild, damp winters with little snowfall and warm, dry summers. North Cowichan is classified as a warm-summer mediterranean climate Csb by the Köppen system.

Climate data for North Cowichan
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 13.5
(56.3)
18.5
(65.3)
23.5
(74.3)
28.5
(83.3)
32.0
(89.6)
34.0
(93.2)
36.0
(96.8)
34.5
(94.1)
35
(95)
27
(81)
18
(64)
15
(59)
36.0
(96.8)
Average high °C (°F) 6.6
(43.9)
8.6
(47.5)
11.3
(52.3)
14.9
(58.8)
18.5
(65.3)
21
(70)
24.5
(76.1)
24.3
(75.7)
22.5
(72.5)
15.1
(59.2)
9.6
(49.3)
6.1
(43.0)
15.3
(59.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 3.2
(37.8)
4.3
(39.7)
6.3
(43.3)
9.2
(48.6)
12.4
(54.3)
15.0
(59.0)
17.8
(64.0)
17.5
(63.5)
15.2
(59.4)
10.0
(50.0)
5.9
(42.6)
3.1
(37.6)
10.0
(50.0)
Average low °C (°F) −0.2
(31.6)
−0.1
(31.8)
1.3
(34.3)
3.5
(38.3)
6.3
(43.3)
9.0
(48.2)
11.0
(51.8)
10.7
(51.3)
7.9
(46.2)
4.9
(40.8)
2.2
(36.0)
0.2
(32.4)
4.7
(40.5)
Record low °C (°F) −14.0
(6.8)
−15.0
(5.0)
−10.0
(14.0)
−3.0
(26.6)
−1.5
(29.3)
2.5
(36.5)
5.0
(41.0)
5.0
(41.0)
0.0
(32.0)
−4.5
(23.9)
−10.5
(13.1)
−15.5
(4.1)
−15.5
(4.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 238.0
(9.37)
164.0
(6.46)
133.0
(5.24)
85.0
(3.35)
51.0
(2.01)
40.0
(1.57)
25.0
(0.98)
33.0
(1.30)
28.0
(1.10)
117.0
(4.61)
222.0
(8.74)
229.0
(9.02)
1,365
(53.75)
Source: The Weather Network[3]

Demographics

North Cowichan has a population of 27,557 people in 2006, which was an increase of 5.4% from the 2001 census count. The median family income in 2006 for North Cowichan was $62,125, which is below the British Columbia provincial average of $65,787.[4]

Canada 2006 CensusPopulation% of Total Population
Visible minority group
Source:[5]
Chinese1950.7%
South Asian1,0153.7%
Black450.2%
Filipino1250.5%
Latin American550.2%
Southeast Asian750.3%
Arab300.1%
West Asian00%
Korean700.3%
Japanese750.3%
Other visible minority00%
Mixed visible minority350.1%
Total visible minority population1,7306.3%
Aboriginal group
Source:[6]
First Nations1,8806.9%
Métis00%
Inuit00%
Total Aboriginal population1,8806.9%
White23,70586.8%
Total population27,315100%

Communities

  • Chemainus
  • Crofton
  • Maple Bay
  • South End

Transportation

North Cowichan is serviced by the Maple Bay Airport (YAQ), which offers services to Vancouver Downtown, Vancouver Airport, Ganges on Salt Spring Island and Bedwell Harbour on Pender Island. Service is provided by Saltspring Air and Harbour Air.

The British Columbia Highway 1 traverses the municipality as a four lane divided highway with signals at major intersections. British Columbia Highway 18 connects North Cowichan to Lake Cowichan. Bus service in the municipality is provided by the Cowichan Valley Regional District.

Economy

The original economic drivers steamed from the abundance of natural resources, including the fur trade, fishing, mining, and the forest industry. Today, the forest industry, retail, construction, manufacturing, and health care are large contributors to the local economy.

Education

North Cowichan lies within the School District 79 Cowichan Valley. There are many elementary schools, and two secondary schools.

North Cowichan is served by one public post secondary educational institution, Vancouver Island University.

Media outlets

North Cowichan is served by three newspapers – the Duncan Journal, the Cowichan Valley Citizen, and the Chemainus Valley Courier. North Cowichan is also serviced by 89.7 Juice FM, a member of Vista Radio.

Attractions

North Cowichan is home to the BC Forest Discovery Centre, the Pacific Northwest Raptors Bird of Prey and Raptor Visitor Center, and the world famous Chemainus Murals.

Arts

The Cowichan Theatre hosts many performers and shows during the year. The Chemainus Theatre Festival features classic and award winning comedies, musicals and dramas.

Recreation

North Cowichan is home to many recreation centres, including the Cowichan Aquatic Centre, Island Savings Centre, Fuller Lake Arena and the Cowichan Sportsplex. North Cowichan offers numerous parks and hiking trails.

Power supply

The Vancouver Island terminal of the HVDC Vancouver-Island is found here.

References

  1. "British Columbia Regional Districts, Municipalities, Corporate Name, Date of Incorporation and Postal Address" (XLS). British Columbia Ministry of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development. Archived from the original on July 13, 2014. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
  2. "Geological History of Vancouver Island". CVRD. CVRD.
  3. The Weather NetworkStatistics: Duncan, BC. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  4. "British Columbia  Community Fact" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-02-15. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
  5. "Community Profiles from the 2006 Census, Statistics Canada - Census Subdivision". 2.statcan.gc.ca. 2010-12-06. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
  6. "Aboriginal Peoples - Data table". 2.statcan.ca. 2010-10-06. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
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