Malahat, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Malahat or The Malahat refers to a First Nations
people and the unincorporated locality, highway, and passenger train named after them on southern Vancouver Island
. "The Malahat", meaning primarily the highway but also the locality, is located on the western side of Saanich Inlet
on southern Vancouver Island
, British Columbia
, Canada
, and the Indian reserve
of the Malahat First Nation
is in the vicinity.
in the Cowichan Valley
, with municipal-type services delivered by the Cowichan Valley Regional District. The locality has no community nexus. Rather, there are a small number of scattered commercial establishments mainly catering to drivers travelling along Highway 1. A steep and rugged terrain has in the past precluded any significant residential development but new subdivisions are being built around the northern end of the area around the old Bamberton
cement works
and in the area adjoining Elkington Forest
. Most area residents live in isolated homes located off the highway. In this context "Malahat" primarily refers to the Canada Post delivery district.
— and to the region surrounding it. The Malahat begins in Goldstream Provincial Park
, just north of Langford
, and takes a famously winding and steep route over the 352 m (1,154.9 ft) Malahat Summit to end just south of Mill Bay
. The only major, paved route linking Greater Victoria to the rest of Vancouver Island, the Malahat was completed in 1911 as a single-lane gravel road, hugging the steep cliffs above Saanich Inlet. Even after becoming a major thoroughfare, its sharp and abrupt curves, and winding descent made the road notorious for traffic accidents. Many early automobiles succumbed to flat tires, broken axles and ruined engines. In recent decades, the highway has been greatly improved, widened, and straightened though concerns for traffic safety and highway closures persist. The route is also famous for its scenic vistas of the Saanich Peninsula
and Saltspring Island
, and a number of rest stops
have been developed to allow travellers to stop and enjoy the views. Off the highway, the Malahat area consists of rugged, steep slopes of largely second growth forest. Douglas-fir
, arbutus
, hemlock
, and western red cedar predominate.
and Courtenay
over the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway line.
is a Hulquminum
-speaking group of Coast Salish
who trace their origins to the area along the west coast of the Saanich Inlet. It is from them that the area and the highway derive their name.
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
people and the unincorporated locality, highway, and passenger train named after them on southern Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
. "The Malahat", meaning primarily the highway but also the locality, is located on the western side of Saanich Inlet
Saanich Inlet
Saanich Inlet is a body of salt water that lies between the Saanich Peninsula and the Malahat highlands of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Located just northwest of Victoria, the inlet is 24 km long , has a surface area of 65 km2 , and its maximum depth is 225 m . Great...
on southern Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and the Indian reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
of the Malahat First Nation
Malahat First Nation
The Malahat First Nation is a First Nations government located on southeastern Vancouver Island in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Their ancestral tongue is the Hulquminum language....
is in the vicinity.
Unincorporated district
Malahat is an unincorporated areaUnincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in the Cowichan Valley
Cowichan Valley
The Cowichan Valley is a region around the Cowichan River and Cowichan Lake on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. There is some debate as to the origin of the name Cowichan, which many believe to be an anglicized form of the First Nations tribal name Quw'utsun.Communities include...
, with municipal-type services delivered by the Cowichan Valley Regional District. The locality has no community nexus. Rather, there are a small number of scattered commercial establishments mainly catering to drivers travelling along Highway 1. A steep and rugged terrain has in the past precluded any significant residential development but new subdivisions are being built around the northern end of the area around the old Bamberton
Bamberton, British Columbia
Bamberton is located on the Saanich Inlet, just south of Mill Bay, 45 kilometers north of Victoria on Vancouver Island.Bamberton is named for H.K.G...
cement works
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
and in the area adjoining Elkington Forest
Elkington Forest
Elkington Forest is a privately managed forest located at the southern boundary of the Cowichan Valley Regional District on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Sustainable development is intended for this property.- External links :****]]...
. Most area residents live in isolated homes located off the highway. In this context "Malahat" primarily refers to the Canada Post delivery district.
Highway and region
The Malahat is the term commonly applied to the Malahat Drive (or, as it is more frequently known locally, "The Malahat Highway") — a 25 km (15.5 mi) portion of Highway 1 running along the west side of Saanich InletSaanich Inlet
Saanich Inlet is a body of salt water that lies between the Saanich Peninsula and the Malahat highlands of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Located just northwest of Victoria, the inlet is 24 km long , has a surface area of 65 km2 , and its maximum depth is 225 m . Great...
— and to the region surrounding it. The Malahat begins in Goldstream Provincial Park
Goldstream Provincial Park
Goldstream Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is known for the annual fall salmon runs in the Goldstream River, and the large numbers of bald eagles that congregate to feed at that time. The total size of the park is 3.79 square kilometres. It is located in the...
, just north of Langford
Langford, British Columbia
Langford is a city of 22,459 residents on southern Vancouver Island, within the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is considered one of Greater Victoria's Western Communities...
, and takes a famously winding and steep route over the 352 m (1,154.9 ft) Malahat Summit to end just south of Mill Bay
Mill Bay, British Columbia
Mill Bay is a commuter town of about 3,200 people located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada about north of Victoria, the capital.Mill Bay was founded in the 1860s with lumber and milling as its primary industries, done at the mill on the bay...
. The only major, paved route linking Greater Victoria to the rest of Vancouver Island, the Malahat was completed in 1911 as a single-lane gravel road, hugging the steep cliffs above Saanich Inlet. Even after becoming a major thoroughfare, its sharp and abrupt curves, and winding descent made the road notorious for traffic accidents. Many early automobiles succumbed to flat tires, broken axles and ruined engines. In recent decades, the highway has been greatly improved, widened, and straightened though concerns for traffic safety and highway closures persist. The route is also famous for its scenic vistas of the Saanich Peninsula
Saanich Peninsula
The Saanich Peninsula is located north of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is bounded by the Saanich Inlet on the west, and various straits of the Gulf of Georgia on the east, chiefly Haro Strait The exact southern boundary of what is referred to as the "Saanich Peninsula" is somewhat fluid...
and Saltspring Island
Saltspring Island
Saltspring Island is one of the Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia between mainland British Columbia, Canada and Vancouver Island. It is the largest, the most populous, and the most frequently visited of the Gulf Islands...
, and a number of rest stops
Rest area
A rest area, travel plaza, rest stop, or service area is a public facility, located next to a large thoroughfare such as a highway, expressway, or freeway at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting on to secondary roads...
have been developed to allow travellers to stop and enjoy the views. Off the highway, the Malahat area consists of rugged, steep slopes of largely second growth forest. Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...
, arbutus
Arbutus
Arbutus is a genus of at least 14 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, native to warm temperate regions of the Mediterranean, western Europe, and North America.-Description:...
, hemlock
Tsuga
Tsuga is a genus of conifers in the family Pinaceae. The common name hemlock is derived from a perceived similarity in the smell of its crushed foliage to that of the unrelated plant poison hemlock....
, and western red cedar predominate.
Train
Via Rail Canada runs the daily Victoria – Courtenay train between VictoriaVictoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
and Courtenay
Courtenay, British Columbia
Courtenay is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is the largest city in the area commonly known as the Comox Valley, and it is the seat of the Comox Valley Regional District which replaced the Comox-Strathcona Regional District...
over the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway line.
First Nations people
The Malahat First NationMalahat First Nation
The Malahat First Nation is a First Nations government located on southeastern Vancouver Island in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Their ancestral tongue is the Hulquminum language....
is a Hulquminum
Halkomelem language
Halkomelem is a language of the First Nations peoples of southeastern Vancouver Island from the west shore of Saanich Inlet northward beyond Nanoose Bay, and of the mainland around the Fraser River Delta upriver to Harrison Lake and the lower...
-speaking group of Coast Salish
Coast Salish
Coast Salish languages are a subgroup of the Salishan language family. These languages are spoken by First Nations or Native American peoples inhabiting the territory that is now the southwest coast of British Columbia around the Strait of Georgia and Washington state around Puget Sound...
who trace their origins to the area along the west coast of the Saanich Inlet. It is from them that the area and the highway derive their name.