Lake Cowichan (Nitinaht: ʕaʔk̓ʷaq c̓uubaʕsaʔtx̣) (pop. 2,974) is a town located on the east end of Cowichan Lake and, by highway, is 27 kilometres (17 mi) west of Duncan, British Columbia. The town of Lake Cowichan was incorporated in 1944. The Cowichan River flows through the middle of the town.[2] Cowichan River is designated as a Heritage River.[3]
Lake Cowichan | |
|---|---|
| Town of Lake Cowichan[1] | |
  Location of Lake Cowichan in British Columbia  Lake Cowichan (British Columbia) | |
| Coordinates: 48°49′33″N 124°03′15″W / 48.82583°N 124.05417°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional District | Cowichan Valley |
| Incorporated | 1944 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Tim McGonigle |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.05 km2 (3.11 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 180 m (590 ft) |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 3,226 |
| • Density | 369.6/km2 (957/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time) |
| Postal code span | |
| Area code | +1-250 |
| Website | Town of Lake Cowichan |
Lake Cowichan is at the western end of the Trans Canada Trail, which, when completed, will be one of the longest trail networks in the world, almost 24,000 kilometres (15,000 mi) long.[4] Youbou, with a population of about 1,000 people; Mesachie Lake, with a population of about 800 people; and Honeymoon Bay with a population of about 600 people, are nearby communities.
Climate
Lake Cowichan is surrounded on all sides by the Pacific Northwest Temperate rainforest, containing the largest, tallest, and oldest trees in the world outside of California.
Lake Cowichan has an oceanic climate (Cfb) with warm summers and cool winters.
| Climate data for Lake Cowichan | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.5 (58.1) | 20.0 (68.0) | 22.0 (71.6) | 28.0 (82.4) | 35.0 (95.0) | 39.0 (102.2) | 40.0 (104.0) | 38.0 (100.4) | 39.0 (102.2) | 29.5 (85.1) | 19.4 (66.9) | 15.0 (59.0) | 40.0 (104.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 6.4 (43.5) | 7.8 (46.0) | 10.6 (51.1) | 13.5 (56.3) | 17.5 (63.5) | 20.6 (69.1) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.9 (76.8) | 21.8 (71.2) | 14.4 (57.9) | 8.4 (47.1) | 5.2 (41.4) | 14.6 (58.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.5 (38.3) | 4.0 (39.2) | 6.2 (43.2) | 8.6 (47.5) | 12.1 (53.8) | 15.0 (59.0) | 17.8 (64.0) | 18.1 (64.6) | 15.2 (59.4) | 9.8 (49.6) | 5.4 (41.7) | 2.5 (36.5) | 9.8 (49.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.5 (32.9) | 0.2 (32.4) | 1.8 (35.2) | 3.6 (38.5) | 6.6 (43.9) | 9.3 (48.7) | 11.2 (52.2) | 11.2 (52.2) | 8.5 (47.3) | 5.1 (41.2) | 2.4 (36.3) | −0.2 (31.6) | 5.3 (41.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −15.0 (5.0) | −16.0 (3.2) | −9.4 (15.1) | −7.0 (19.4) | −1.5 (29.3) | 1.1 (34.0) | 3.0 (37.4) | 2.8 (37.0) | −1.7 (28.9) | −7.0 (19.4) | −17.0 (1.4) | −16.0 (3.2) | −17.0 (1.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 347.0 (13.66) | 226.0 (8.90) | 216.2 (8.51) | 137.4 (5.41) | 85.4 (3.36) | 57.2 (2.25) | 34.7 (1.37) | 40.2 (1.58) | 51.7 (2.04) | 213.3 (8.40) | 343.2 (13.51) | 295.3 (11.63) | 2,047.5 (80.61) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 327.3 (12.89) | 206.2 (8.12) | 209.2 (8.24) | 135.9 (5.35) | 85.2 (3.35) | 57.2 (2.25) | 34.7 (1.37) | 40.2 (1.58) | 51.7 (2.04) | 212.5 (8.37) | 334.8 (13.18) | 280.9 (11.06) | 1,975.6 (77.78) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 19.8 (7.8) | 19.8 (7.8) | 7.0 (2.8) | 1.5 (0.6) | 0.3 (0.1) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.8 (0.3) | 8.4 (3.3) | 14.4 (5.7) | 72.0 (28.3) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 17.1 | 14.0 | 17.0 | 15.8 | 13.2 | 11.0 | 6.6 | 6.1 | 8.0 | 15.0 | 18.0 | 15.3 | 157.1 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 15.4 | 12.5 | 16.8 | 15.7 | 13.2 | 11.0 | 6.6 | 6.1 | 8.0 | 14.9 | 17.4 | 14.1 | 151.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 3.1 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.08 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.08 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 12.1 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 47.3 | 75.2 | 106.1 | 141.5 | 173.6 | 177.9 | 233.1 | 226.7 | 182.8 | 112.4 | 49.1 | 39.3 | 1,564.9 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 17.4 | 26.3 | 28.8 | 34.5 | 36.7 | 36.9 | 47.8 | 50.9 | 48.2 | 33.4 | 17.8 | 15.2 | 32.8 |
| Source: Environment Canada[5][6](sunshine) | |||||||||||||
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Lake Cowichan had a population of 3,325 living in 1,491 of its 1,586 total private dwellings, a change of 3.1% from its 2016 population of 3,226. With a land area of 8.24 km2 (3.18 sq mi), it had a population density of 403.5/km2 (1,045.1/sq mi) in 2021.[7]
Ethnicity
Lake Cowichan is one of several towns in the Cowichan Valley with significant South Asian Canadian (primarily Sikh-Canadian) community history for over 130 years, gaining notoriety in the forestry industry at local sawmills from the early 20th century until the 1980s.[8]
| Panethnic group | 2021[9] | 2016[10] | 2011[11] | 2006[12] | 2001[13] | 1996[14] | 1991[15][16] | 1986[17][18][19]: 101 | 1981[20][21] | 1971[22][23] | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | ||
| European[a] | 2,775 | 83.71% | 2,785 | 86.49% | 2,610 | 88.32% | 2,555 | 86.9% | 2,550 | 90.11% | 2,700 | 94.57% | 1,960 | 87.5% | 1,860 | 85.13% | 2,000 | 82.14% | 1,910 | 79.09% | |
| Indigenous | 415 | 12.52% | 310 | 9.63% | 205 | 6.94% | 230 | 7.82% | 115 | 4.06% | 85 | 2.98% | 120 | 5.36% | 130 | 5.95% | 60 | 2.46% | 25 | 1.04% | |
| South Asian | 55 | 1.66% | 80 | 2.48% | 90 | 3.05% | 85 | 2.89% | 120 | 4.24% | 15 | 0.53% | 105 | 4.69% | 160 | 7.32% | 310 | 12.73% | 330 | 13.46% | |
| African | 30 | 0.9% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 0.34% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 15 | 0.67% | 10 | 0.46% | — | — | 5 | 0.21% | |
| East Asian[b] | 15 | 0.45% | 10 | 0.31% | 15 | 0.51% | 55 | 1.87% | 10 | 0.35% | 50 | 1.75% | 30 | 1.34% | 15 | 0.69% | 65 | 2.67% | 110 | 4.55% | |
| Latin American | 15 | 0.45% | 10 | 0.31% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 0.35% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | — | — | |
| Southeast Asian[c] | 0 | 0% | 20 | 0.62% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 0.35% | 10 | 0.35% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 0.46% | — | — | — | — | |
| Middle Eastern[d] | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 0.45% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 5 | 0.21% | |
| Other/ multiracial[e] | 0 | 0% | 10 | 0.31% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 15 | 0.53% | 0 | 0% | — | — | — | — | — | — | 30 | 1.24% | |
| Total responses | 3,315 | 99.7% | 3,220 | 99.81% | 2,955 | 99.36% | 2,940 | 99.73% | 2,830 | 100.11% | 2,855 | 99.96% | 2,240 | 99.96% | 2,185 | 100.69% | 2,435 | 101.84% | 2,415 | 102.16% | |
| Total population | 3,325 | 100% | 3,226 | 100% | 2,974 | 100% | 2,948 | 100% | 2,827 | 100% | 2,856 | 100% | 2,241 | 100% | 2,170 | 100% | 2,391 | 100% | 2,364 | 100% | |
| Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses | |||||||||||||||||||||
Religion
According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Lake Cowichan included:[9]
- Irreligion (2,290 persons or 69.1%)
- Christianity (965 persons or 29.1%)
- Sikhism (25 persons or 0.8%)
- Judaism (10 persons or 0.3%)
- Other (25 persons or 0.8%)
Politics
In provincial politics, Lake Cowichan is part of the riding of Cowichan Valley. Its Member of the Legislative Assembly is Sonia Furstenau of the Green Party. She has served in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia since 2017. In federal politics, Lake Cowichan is part of the riding of Cowichan—Malahat—Langford. Its Member of Parliament is Alistair MacGregor of the New Democratic Party. He has served in the House of Commons of Canada since 2015.
Notable residents
See also Category:People from Duncan, British Columbia
- Brad Palmer, former NHL player
- Brian Lundberg, former NHL player
- Steve Lingren, former AHL, ECHL hockey player
- Dan Boeckner, singer, songwriter
- Fritz Perls, co-founder of Gestalt therapy
- William Carpentier, flight surgeon for Apollo 11