North Cowichan is a District municipality

District municipality

A district municipality is a designation for a class of municipalities found in several locations, including Canada, Lithuania, and South Africa.-Usage in British Columbia:...

 on 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...

 in 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 is in the Cowichan Valley Regional District

Cowichan Valley Regional District, British Columbia

The Cowichan Valley Regional District is a regional district in the Canadian province of British Columbia is on the southern part of Vancouver Island, bordered by the Nanaimo and Alberni-Clayoquot Regional Districts to the north and northwest, and by the Capital Regional District to the south and...

. North Cowichan is marked by a beautiful landscape including gorgeous forests, beaches, rivers and lakes.

Geography

Located on the east coast of Vancouver Island, North Cowichan is centrally located between the cities of Victoria to the south, and Nanaimo to the north. Vancouver is located to the east, separated by the Strait of Georgia. Spanning 193.98 square kilometers North Cowichan includes the communities of Chemainus

Chemainus, British Columbia

Chemainus is a community on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.Founded as a logging town in 1858, the town is now famous for its 39 outdoor murals. This outdoor gallery has given birth to 300 businesses, including a theatre, antiques dealers, and eateries. The tourist...

, Crofton

Crofton, British Columbia

Crofton, British Columbia, Canada, is a small coastal town that is part of the District of North Cowichan on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The population is estimated at 2,500 people...

, Maple Bay

Maple Bay, British Columbia

Maple Bay is a picturesque seaside community located in the Cowichan Valley of southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. A narrow inlet and surrounded by smooth, pebbled beaches, Maple Bay is home to marine activity all year round....

 and South End.

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 glacier till up to 30 metres thick. These fertile lands and mild climate have led to a history rich in agriculture.

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 enjoys Canada’s warmest mean temperature.

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.

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

Harbour Air

Harbour Air is a scheduled service, tour and charter airline based in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. The airline specializes in routes between Vancouver, Nanaimo, Victoria, Sechelt, Comox and the Gulf Islands, primarily with de Havilland Canada floatplanes...

.

The British Columbia Highway 1 traverses the municipality. 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

School District 79 Cowichan Valley

School District 79, is located in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It consists of numerous elementary , middle , Secondary schools, and alternative schools for programs like adult education.The current Superintendent of SD 79 is Dan Boudreault.-History:The current...

. There are many elementary schools, two middle 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 Cowichan News Leader Pictorial, the Cowichan Valley Citizen, and the Chemainus Courier. North Cowichan is also serviced by CJSU-FM (SunFM), a member of Vista Radio.

Attractions

North Cowichan is home to the BC Forest Discovery Centre

BC Forest Discovery Centre

The BC Forest Discovery Centre, located in Duncan, chronicles the history of logging in British Columbia, Canada. Its mission is to be British Columbia's foremost interpreter and presenter of the forest community – past, present and future. It is a 100 acre site with 3 km of operational...

, 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 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.

	North: Cowichan Valley G, Kuper Island
West: Cowichan Valley E	North Cowichan North Cowichan completely surrounds Halalt	East: Squaw-hay-one, Tsussie 6, Capital F Capital F, British Columbia The Salt Spring Island Electoral Area of the Capital Regional District of the Canadian Province of British Columbia consists of unincorporated areas in the CRD located on Salt Spring Island...
	South: Duncan Duncan, British Columbia Duncan is a city on southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.-History:The community is named after William Chalmers Duncan . He arrived in Victoria in May 1862, then in August of that year he was one of the party of a hundred settlers which Governor Douglas took to Cowichan Bay... , Cowichan IR No. 1

Climate

External links

• The District of North Cowichan