North Cowichan 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.
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.
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.