North Cowichan

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North Cowichan
District municipality
The Corporation of the District of North Cowichan[1]
250px
Flag of North Cowichan
Flag
Coat of arms of North Cowichan
Coat of arms
Motto: No Steps Backwards
North Cowichan is located in British Columbia
North Cowichan
North Cowichan
Location of North Cowichan in British Columbia
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country Canada
Province British Columbia
Regional District CVRD
Incorporated 1873
Government
 • Mayor Jon Lefebure
 • Governing body North Cowichan Council
 • MPs Jean Crowder
 • MLAs Bill Routley
Area
 • Total 195.54 km2 (75.50 sq mi)
Population (2011)
 • Total 28,807
 • Density 147.3/km2 (382/sq mi)
Time zone PST (UTC−8)
 • Summer (DST) PDT (UTC−7)
Area code(s) +1-250
Website Municipality of North Cowichan

North Cowichan (Canada 2011 Census population 28,807) 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.

Geography

Located on the east coast of 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, Maple Bay 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.[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.

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.[3]

Canada 2006 Census Population  % of Total Population
Visible minority group
Source:[4]
Chinese 195 0.7%
South Asian 1,015 3.7%
Black 45 0.2%
Filipino 125 0.5%
Latin American 55 0.2%
Southeast Asian 75 0.3%
Arab 30 0.1%
West Asian 0 0%
Korean 70 0.3%
Japanese 75 0.3%
Other visible minority 0 0%
Mixed visible minority 35 0.1%
Total visible minority population 1,730 6.3%
Aboriginal group
Source:[5]
First Nations 1,880 6.9%
Métis 0 0%
Inuit 0 0%
Total Aboriginal population 1,880 6.9%
White 23,705 86.8%
Total population 27,315 100%

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. 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, 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 Duncan Journal (http://www.duncanjournal.ca), the Cowichan Valley Citizen, and the Chemainus Valley 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, 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.

Climate

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
(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)
15.25
(59.47)
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)
17.8
(64)
17.5
(63.5)
15.2
(59.4)
10.0
(50)
5.9
(42.6)
3.1
(37.6)
9.99
(49.98)
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)
0.2
(32.4)
4.73
(40.5)
Record low °C (°F) −14.0
(6.8)
−15.0
(5)
−10.0
(14)
−3.0
(26.6)
−1.5
(29.3)
2.5
(36.5)
5.0
(41)
5.0
(41)
0.0
(32)
−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
(6.457)
133.0
(5.236)
85.0
(3.346)
51.0
(2.008)
40.0
(1.575)
25.0
(0.984)
33.0
(1.299)
28.0
(1.102)
117.0
(4.606)
222.0
(8.74)
229.0
(9.016)
1,365
(53.739)
Source: The Weather Network[6]

References

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  6. The Weather NetworkStatistics: Duncan, BC. Retrieved 29 September 2011.

External links