Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia
| Shawnigan Lake | |
|---|---|
 Shawnigan Lake
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| Coordinates: 48°39′13″N 123°37′23″W / 48.65361°N 123.62306°WCoordinates: 48°39′13″N 123°37′23″W / 48.65361°N 123.62306°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
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| Province |
 British Columbia
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| Government | |
| • Area Director | Sonia Furstenau |
| Population | |
| • Total | 8,000 |
Shawnigan Lake (pop. approximately 8000) is a village on British Columbia's Vancouver Island. The name Shawnigan is an adaptation of the Hunquminum name for the Shawnigan Lake, the lake the village is situated at, Shaanii'us. It is part of Electoral Area B in the Cowichan Valley Regional District.
A popular recreation destination, its population typically doubles during the summer, as the lake and village are summer vacation spots for residents of Victoria, who commute between the city and Shawnigan Lake while staying in their summer cabins.
In 1883 construction of a railway line between Esquimalt and Nanaimo began. Prior to that, Shawnigan Lake was largely wilderness and the only supplies were delivered by a weekly steamship to Cowichan Bay. In 1886 John A. Macdonald traveled to Shawnigan to personally hammer in the last spike at Cliffside. With the new influx of supplies and visitors Shawnigan Lake quickly grew. A mill was started in 1890 by a former E and N railway employee. By 1900 the other main industry was tourism, with two hotels being built in Shawnigan for the visitors who would take the train up from Victoria. Shawnigan Lake's forestry industry closed in the mid twentieth century due to both the loss of the mill, which was destroyed by fire (for the third time) and the economy. Portions of the mill can still be seen in Shawnigan's Old Mill Park. The main railway, no longer active as of 2011[update], served the community twice daily (once northbound, and once southbound) a passenger only train service operated by Via Rail Canada.
Shawnigan Lake is located approximately 48 km (30 mi) north of Victoria, and borders the communities of Cobble Hill and Mill Bay. Several new residential developments have been built, both in the Shawnigan Lake area as well as in surrounding areas. The village of Shawnigan Lake, located on the eastern shore, contains two small general stores, three restaurants, several beaches and various small businesses including a barber, gas station,pharmacy and two coffee shops. There is also a museum, run by the Shawnigan Lake Historical Society. The north-west end of the village also includes many summer cabins and a large lakeside park. The south end of the lake is largely undeveloped, discounting the lakeshore itself, with scattered farmland and numerous hiking trails.
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