North Cowichan | |||
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District municipality | |||
The Corporation of the District of North Cowichan | |||
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Motto: No Steps Backwards | |||
Location of North Cowichan in British Columbia | |||
Coordinates: 48°49′25″N 123°43′9″W / 48.82361°N 123.71917°WCoordinates: 48°49′25″N 123°43′9″W / 48.82361°N 123.71917°W | |||
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.