Metchosin, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
The District of Metchosin is a small, coastal community (just over 5000 people) in the metro Greater Victoria region of 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...
. It is part of the Western Communities
Western Communities
The Western Communities or WestShore is a term used to describe the suburban municipalities of Colwood, Langford, Metchosin and The Highlands. Greater Langford and unincorporated districts west of Esquimalt Harbour and Portage Inlet, and south of the Malahat in the Capital Regional District ,...
and one of the 13 regional municipalities. Many Metchosinites are small farmers (vegetables, orchards, poultry, sheep, some pigs and cattle). Most are retired or work outside the community. There are also many home based businesses (everything from massage and dentistry to international consulting). "Dogless in Metchosin" by Tom Henry is a first-hand account of life there; as the title indicates, dogs are popular pets and people without at least one stand out. Located on the edge of a rapidly growing urban area, Metchosin is subject to a variety of pressures. While the municipality has maintained its slow population growth, traffic has exploded due to growth in the larger region.
Metchosinites, especially the younger ones, are traditionally friendly rivals of neighbouring communities Sooke
Sooke, British Columbia
Sooke is a district municipality situated on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Canada. About a 45 minute drive from the city of Victoria , Sooke is considered the westernmost of the Greater Victoria region's "Western Communities." It is situated to the north and west of the Sooke...
, East Sooke
East Sooke, British Columbia
East Sooke is an unincorporated community situated south and east of Sooke, British Columbia, Canada. It consists of over 500 houses on the south side of the Sooke Basin. East Sooke borders on East Sooke Regional Park, an area of , with views south to Olympic National Park in the United...
, 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 Colwood
Colwood, British Columbia
Colwood is a city located on Vancouver Island to the southwest of Victoria, capital of British Columbia. Colwood was incorporated in 1985 and has a population of approximately 15,000 people. Colwood lies within the boundaries of the Victoria Census Metropolitan area or Capital Regional District,...
. A 1995 move to merge Metchosin and East Sooke, which has a similar rural-utopian character, failed; some East Sookese adopted the slogan "East Sooke Forever, Metchosin Never!" as they saw the proposition not as a merge but as an assimilation into larger Metchosin. Since then, several pieces of E.Sooke have been assimilated into its urban neighbour, Sooke. Remaining rural residents are seeking to join Metchosin, and a new set of studies and consultations started in 2007 and is ongoing.
Metchosin is known for its many regional nature/recreational parks, such as Devonian, Witty's Lagoon, Albert Head, and Matheson Lake. Their well-maintained trails and scenic vistas are popular with tourists and locals. While these outdoor attractions do not offer souvenirs, Victoria itself has most of the region's money-spending opportunities (e.g. souvenir shops and museums). As many Metchosinites work in Victoria, the tourists do indirectly benefit Metchosin's economy.
The name Metchosin is the anglicised version of the native "Smets-Schosen", which means "place of stinking fish". Local legend maintains that many years prior to the Europeans' arrival, an orca beached and died, and that everywhere that could smell it rotting became part of Metchosin. The town's museum, which was once its one-room school before an increasing population necessitated a larger building, claims to have vertebrae from the animal on display. Metchosin's community symbol is, perhaps unsurprisingly, an orca.
As a result of the municipal elections (November 15, 2008), Metchosin's Council-elect is John Ranns (Mayor), Larry Tremblay (Councillor), Bob Gramigna (Councillor), Jo Mitchell (Councillor), and Moralea Milne (Councillor).
Neighbourhoods of Metchosin
- Happy ValleyHappy Valley, British ColumbiaHappy Valley is an unincorporated settlement in the Western Communities area of Greater Victoria on southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Happy Valley, which is located south of Glen Lake and west of Triangular Hill, had its own post office from 1896 to 1922.-History:The...
- Matheson Lake
- Rocky Point (includes the southernmost point in western Canada)
- William Head
- Nield Road
- Albert HeadAlbert Head, MetchosinAlbert Head is a neighbourhood in Metchosin, British Columbia, Canada, part of the Western Communities area of Greater Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is located on, and named after, the headland of Albert Head. CFB Esquimalt operates the Albert Head Air Cadet Summer Training Centre in the...
- Wildwood Creek Estates
- Pears road subdivision
Physiography
Much of Metchosin is hilly, with shallow, stony soils over basaltBasalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
bedrock. Lower-lying areas, as in Happy Valley, have deep deposits of clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
, silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
and sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
. Alluvial loam
Loam
Loam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration . Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silty soils, and are easier to till than clay soils...
s occur along some of the streams.
Mount Matheson rises above Matheson Lake in the southwest part of Metchosin.
Other facts
Metchosin is home to Lester B. Pearson CollegeLester B. Pearson College
Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific is one of thirteen United World Colleges around the world. It is named after the late Canadian Prime Minister Lester Bowles Pearson, winner of the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize and originator of the United Nations Peace Keeping program...
, one of the thirteen United World Colleges
United World Colleges
UWC is an education movement comprising thirteen international schools and colleges, national committees in over 130 countries and a series of short educational programmes. The UWC movement aims to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future...
around the world. Pearson College is named after former Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson
Lester B. Pearson
Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian professor, historian, civil servant, statesman, diplomat, and politician, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...
, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
and architect of the United Nations Peace Keeping program.
Metchosin is also home to the Albert Head Air Cadet Summer Training Centre at CFB Esquimalt
CFB Esquimalt
Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt is Canada's Pacific Coast naval base and home port to Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific Headquarters....
, the main training centre for Royal Canadian Air Cadets
Royal Canadian Air Cadets
Royal Canadian Air Cadets is a Canadian national youth program for persons aged 12 to 18. It is administered by the Canadian Forces and funded through the Department of National Defence with additional support from the civilian Air Cadet League of Canada...
in British Columbia.
The community newspaper, Metchosin Muse, is published monthly.
Events
- Fired Up pottery exhibition (May)
- Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts (July)
- Sheep Dog Trials (July)
- Bit Me Fishing Derby (August)
- Stinking Fish Studio Tour (July-August)
- Metchosin Day country fair (September)
- Metchosin Pony club AGM
- Metchosin 4-H club public speaking night
- Santa on firetruck for kids day
- Blue Moon Christmas - locals perform festive songs and stories
- "The annual Broom cleanup"
- Halloween at the firehall
Parks
- Albert Head Lagoon Regional Park
- Blinkhorn Nature Park
- Buckbrush Swamp
- Devonian Regional Park
- Matheson Lake Regional Park
- Witty's Lagoon Regional Park