PlaceDossier / BC places / Cowichan Valley
North Cowichan
A district municipality in the Cowichan Valley Regional District. 31,990 people lived here in 2021, up 7.7% from 2016, on 201 km² of land.
BC place · district municipality
How North Cowichan compares with BC's other towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people
Nothing here stands out for a town its size.
Typical for its size 11 bus routes, 37 licensed child care providers, 4 fire halls and a 24-hour emergency department.
Checked, nothing found No evacuation order or alert since April 2017.
How we compare
Each figure is set against BC's places of the same kind: cities of 50,000 or more, towns of 10,000 to 50,000, towns of 2,000 to 10,000, villages and towns under 2,000, or rural electoral areas. A figure stands out when it's among the top tenth of its kind at the end that matters to a buyer and clearly off the typical one, the middle place of that kind. Where fewer than 15 places of its kind have the figure, it's set against all BC places with it. A figure only counts when its source speaks for the place: a climate or air station within 15 km and 300 m of its ground, the place's own police service, at least 1,000 people for census figures and 25 homes for internet. A point that stands out has an ochre bar on its left, its section's stamp is filled ochre, and a dot in the bar at the top of the page marks that section; "Typical for its size" is a plain outline and "Nothing on record" a dotted one. In each strip a tick is one place, the tall tick the typical one, the dot this place, and the end that matters on the right. Facts that matter at any size (an evacuation order, emergency care far away, little mobile coverage) are said whatever the size, and mark a section as standing out only when they too are in the top tenth of its kind. A section is marked typical only where a figure in it is set against the typical one and none sits far from it (outside the middle half of its kind, or clearly off the typical one), and "nothing on record" only where it shows nothing.
Hazards
No evacuation order or alert since April 2017, and under 0.1% of its land burned by wildfire since 1996.
- Burned by wildfire since 1996
- under 0.1% typical town that size: 0%
- Years with a mapped wildfire since 1917
- 18, the latest 2018
- Evacuation events since April 2017
- none on the Province's record
- Poor-air days at the nearest air station
- 1 day a year (median), 5.4 km away typical town that size: 3
- Radon: homes tested at or above the guideline in its health region
- 0.9% in Central Vancouver Island (BC: 7.9%)
More on hazards
Its land, ranked in BC
| Here | Rank in BC | |
|---|---|---|
| In the farmland reserve (ALR) | 31% | 38th of 267 (tied) |
| Burned by wildfire since 1996 | under 0.1% | 174th of 215 (tied) |
| Years with a mapped wildfire since 1917 | 18 | most recent 2018 |
| Under mineral, placer or coal titles | 7.7% | 124th of 219 (tied) |
| Land area | 201 km² |
Shares of the land area, worked out from the Province's maps. Fire perimeters before the 1950s are less complete. A title or a past fire somewhere in the area says nothing about a given lot: a property report checks the parcel itself.
Large fires (1,000 ha or more) since 1990
No wildfire of 1,000 ha or more has burned in North Cowichan since 1990, in the BC Wildfire Service's perimeters.
Smaller mapped fires since 2016
Since 2016, the BC Wildfire Service mapped 2 smaller fires (under 1,000 ha) that reached North Cowichan, newest first. This season's are as mapped by November 9, 2026.
- 2026Unnamed fire V607672.2 ha in all · 76% of it here1.7 ha here
- 2018Unnamed fire V623255.6 ha in all5.6 ha here
Small fires that were never mapped as a perimeter aren't listed: the BC Wildfire Service maps an outline for only some of the fires it records. Past fire is history, not a forecast. The chance of fire on a lot today depends on what the record doesn't show: the forest and grass around it, the slope, what has been thinned or burned since, and how far it is from a fire hall. Every BC season and large fire since 1990.
Sources: BC Wildfire Fire Perimeters – Historical, BC Wildfire Service; BC Wildfire Fire Perimeters – Current, BC Wildfire Service; BC Wildfire Fire Incident Locations – Historical, BC Wildfire Service; BC Wildfire Fire Locations – Current, BC Wildfire Service (Open Government Licence – British Columbia), as published on November 10, 2026; 2021 census subdivision boundaries, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence). Outlines simplified and places measured by PlaceDossier.
How the land burned
On the Province's ecosystem map, all of North Cowichan's land is NDT2: forest where large fires replaced the stand about every 200 years on average, leaving wide even-aged stands with a few older trees that survived. Its main biogeoclimatic zones are Coastal Douglas-fir (81%) and Coastal Western Hemlock (19%). This is how the land burned before fires were put out, not its fire risk today. A report names the type over a lot. Every place's natural fire regime.
Source: BEC Map (biogeoclimatic zones and natural disturbance types), Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia), read 2026-10-12; areas worked out on the census boundaries.
Evacuations since April 2017
None of the wildfire evacuation orders or alerts in the Province's record since April 2017 covered 5% or more of the land or homes in North Cowichan.
Listed when an order or alert area covered at least 5% of the land in North Cowichan, or lay mostly in North Cowichan and held at least 5% as many homes as the 2021 census counted there. An order means people were told to leave; an alert, to be ready to leave. Homes are the record's own counts, area by area, shown where the areas lie mostly in North Cowichan. The Province's record starts in April 2017: earlier evacuations aren't in it. A lot's report checks every order and alert over the lot itself, and any in effect now.
Sources: Historical Orders and Alerts, Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (Open Government Licence – British Columbia), as published on November 2, 2026; 2021 census subdivision boundaries and dwelling counts, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence). Each order and alert area placed in the municipalities and electoral areas it covers by us.
Evacuations for floods, landslides and other hazards since April 2017
None of the flood, landslide or other non-fire evacuation orders or alerts in the Province's record since April 2017 covered 5% or more of the land or homes in North Cowichan.
Sources: Historical Orders and Alerts, Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (Open Government Licence – British Columbia), as published on November 2, 2026; 2021 census subdivision boundaries and dwelling counts, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence). Each order and alert area placed in the municipalities and electoral areas it covers by us.
3 landslides are recorded inside North Cowichan in the Preliminary Canadian Landslide Database (version 14.0): 2 rock falls and 1 earth slide. The database lists slides known to have happened, mapped from inventories, satellite images and lidar. It isn't a hazard map, and some parts of BC are mapped in far more detail than others. Landslides near a given lot.
The Province maps about 4.9 km of dikes in North Cowichan, along Cowichan Bay, Cowichan River and Somenos Creek; the longest are Lakes-Beverly Street Dike, Cowichan River South Side Dike and the Blackley Farm dike. Under a kilometre is orphaned, with no local authority responsible. A dike lowers the chance of a flood behind it, not to nothing; a report names the dikes within 1 km of a lot and who maintains them. Dikes in BC, by place.
The Province lists 19 dams in North Cowichan, 3 of them classed High or above for the harm a failure would do downstream: Crofton Lake Dam (High), Crofton Lake Saddle Dam (High) and Fuller Lake East Dam (Control & Spillway (High). The class rates what a failure would do, not how likely one is; a report names the dams within 1 km of a lot. Dams in BC, by place.
2 Water Survey of Canada gauges in North Cowichan have 5 or more years of yearly peak flows: Chemainus River near Westholme peaked highest at 729 m³/s in 2020 (38 years on record) and Bings Creek near the Mouth peaked highest at 21.9 m³/s in 2020 (29 years on record). All set their record in the last 10 years. A gauge's record is the river where it stands, not a flood line; a report gives the nearest gauge on a river by the lot. River gauges in BC, by place.
Poor-air days: at the Crofton Elementary air monitoring station, 5.4 km from the place's middle, fine particles passed the level of BC's 24-hour objective (25 µg/m³) on a median of 1 day a year over the 5 years with a full record, 2020 to 2025; the most was 9 days in 2020, most of them in September. Most of these days fell from June to September, the wildfire season (our reading: mostly wildfire smoke). How smoky it gets across BC.
Radon
In the Central Vancouver Island health region, 1 of the 109 homes tested (0.9%) in Health Canada's 2009–2011 survey was at or above the 200 Bq/m³ guideline; across BC, 143 of 1,817 (7.9%).
The survey tested about a hundred volunteer homes per health region, with one long-term test each. That gives a rough regional picture: it isn't a map, and a region where few or none tested high can still have homes above the guideline. The only way to know is to test the home: radon and buying a home in BC.
Source: Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes (2009–2011), Health Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Health Service Delivery Area Boundaries, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).
Check one lot: has it burned? · is it on a floodplain map? · is it behind a dike? · is there a dam nearby? · landslides nearby? · contaminated sites nearby? · radon? · how much is too steep?
Source: Agricultural Land Reserve polygons, Agricultural Land Commission (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Fire perimeters – historical, BC Wildfire Service (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Mineral, placer and coal tenures, Mineral Titles Branch (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Preliminary Canadian Landslide Database, version 14.0 (May 2026), Brideau et al. (CC BY 4.0); 2021 census subdivision boundaries, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence); Municipalities – Legally Defined Administrative Areas of BC (names and status), Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).
Cost to own Typical for its size
Property tax: $6.08 a year for each $1,000 of assessed value, compared with $5.40 in a typical town that size. Homes: the typical home costs 7.6 years of a typical household's income, compared with 7.8 years in a typical town that size.
- Residential property tax rate, 2026
- $6.08 a year for each $1,000 of assessed value typical town that size: $5.40
- Typical home value against typical household income
- 7.6 years of income typical town that size: 7.8 years
- Median home value (owners' estimate, 2021)
- $600,000
- Median monthly rent (2021)
- $1,070
- Speculation and vacancy tax
- applies here: see More
More on cost to own
Property tax
The 2026 residential property tax rate in North Cowichan is $6.08 per $1,000 of assessed value, about the same as the middle of BC's 160 municipalities ($6.24): about $6,085 a year on a $1,000,000 home, before the home owner grant. Rank in BC: 85th of 160 (tied).
- Municipal $3.07
- Regional district $1.21
- Regional hospital district $0.39
- School (set by the Province) $1.38
- Other $0.04
- Middle of BC's municipalities $6.24
On $500,000: about $3,042 a year; on $1,000,000: about $6,085, at 2026 rates, before the home owner grant.
Your bill uses BC Assessment's value for the property, which can differ from its price, and may also include parcel taxes and utility fees (water, sewer, garbage) that aren't rates on value. The home owner grant takes up to $570 off the bill of a home its owner lives in ($770 in the Province's northern and rural area in 2026, and up to $845, or $1,045 there, for seniors, veterans and people with a disability), for homes assessed at $2,075,000 or less in 2026; above that it shrinks by $5 for each $1,000. From 2027 the northern and rural extra ends and the regular grant is $570 everywhere. The owner applies each year, and must pay at least $350 in tax ($100 for the higher grant) after it. Our summary of the Province's page, read 2026-10-04. Confirm with North Cowichan. How property tax works in BC.
Source: District of North Cowichan's 2026 tax rates bylaw, as compiled by the Province (Local Government Statistics Schedule 702, 2026) (the rates only: facts set in public bylaws, not open data); Home owner grant, Province of BC (summarised in our words, read 2026-10-04).
North Cowichan is in the Province's speculation and vacancy tax area. An owner of a home here declares each year by March 31 and owes the tax unless an exemption applies: the main ones are living in it as your principal residence, or renting it to a tenant who makes it their home for at least six months of the year. For 2026 it is 1% of the assessed value a year for Canadian citizens and permanent residents, 3% for foreign owners and untaxed worldwide earners (4% from 2027). Our summary of the Province's pages, read 2026-10-04. Where the tax applies, and who pays.
The typical home here is the median value owners gave the 2021 census, and the typical household's income is the median for 2020: a home that costs 7.6 years of income took that many years of a typical household's whole income. "Typical" for places its size is the middle of BC's towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people.
New homes permitted
In 2025, building permits in North Cowichan were issued for 527 new homes: at least 32 houses, at least 426 apartments.
- Houses
- Row houses
- Apartments
- Not broken down (months withheld)
| New homes | Houses | Row houses | Apartments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 372 | 109 | withheld | ≥ 166 |
| 2019 | 203 | ≥ 81 | ≥ 9 | ≥ 64 |
| 2020 | 220 | ≥ 75 | ≥ 14 | 91 |
| 2021 | 286 | ≥ 62 | withheld | ≥ 173 |
| 2022 | 433 | ≥ 31 | ≥ 45 | ≥ 325 |
| 2023 | 124 | ≥ 36 | ≥ 18 | ≥ 46 |
| 2024 | 386 | 57 | withheld | ≥ 302 |
| 2025 | 527 | ≥ 32 | withheld | ≥ 426 |
| 2026 (January to July) | 84 | ≥ 7 | withheld | ≥ 67 |
Homes in new residential building permits, counted when the permit is issued: some are never built, and some building needs no permit. Statistics Canada withholds a month's figure for confidentiality or quality, so a year with withheld months reads "at least" (≥ in the table); 2026 runs to July (*). Not every local government reports. For permits on one street, ask the local government.
Source: Building Permits (BPER), BC Stats, adapted from Statistics Canada's Building Permits survey (Open Government Licence – British Columbia), through July 2026.
Land for sale nearby
The 5 nearest listings on AcreScout within 25 km of the middle of the area, nearest first.
| Listing | Asking price | Size | Per acre | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7028 Westholme Rd WestholmeNorth Cowichan, listed 43 days ago | $1,995,000 | 30.5 acres | $65,410 an acre | 1 km |
| 7421 Westholme Rd WestholmeNorth Cowichan, listed 64 days ago | $849,000 | 1 acre | $849,000 an acre | 1.8 km |
| 7004 Mays RdDuncan, listed 11 days ago | $4,500,000 | 75 acres | $60,000 an acre | 2.2 km |
| Part Sec 1 Westholme Rd WestholmeNorth Cowichan, listed 167 days ago | $350,000 | 21 acres | $16,635 an acre | 2.7 km |
| 7000 Mays RdDuncan, listed 31 days ago | $2,699,900 | 2 acres | $1,349,950 an acre | 2.8 km |
Distances are straight lines to the listing's pin. Where AcreScout places a listing only roughly, no distance is given, only the place it's near. Per acre is left out under about an acre. Asking prices are what sellers ask, not what land sells for.
Listings: AcreScout, a Buretto site; active listings as of 2026-11-15. Asking prices set by the sellers; not a valuation.
Source: Census of Population 2021, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence).
What you can build
On a lot zoned only for houses, the zoning must allow at least 3 or 4 homes, and 6 near frequent buses (the provincial minimum).
- Homes allowed on a house lot (provincial minimum)
- at least 3 or 4 homes, 6 near frequent buses
- Short-term rentals
- The Province's principal residence requirement applies in North Cowichan (list in force from June 1, 2026): a short-term rental (under 90 days) is limited to the host's own home plus one secondary suite or garden suite on the same property.
- In the farmland reserve (ALR)
- 31% typical town that size: 9%
More on what you can build
North Cowichan had 31,990 people in the 2021 census, over 5,000, so on lots zoned only for houses or duplexes its bylaw must allow at least 3 homes (lots of 280 m² or less) or 4 (larger lots), and 6 on lots over 280 m² within 400 m of a bus stop with a bus at least every 15 minutes (7 am to 7 pm on weekdays, 10 am to 6 pm at weekends). Lots over 4,050 m², land in the Agricultural Land Reserve, and land not on the municipality's water or sewer, heritage-protected or certified hazard land are exempt. Where a regional growth strategy or the official community plan draws an urban containment boundary, this holds only inside it. How many homes you can build on a lot.
The Province's principal residence requirement applies in North Cowichan (list in force from June 1, 2026): a short-term rental (under 90 days) is limited to the host's own home plus one secondary suite or garden suite on the same property. Land assessed as a farm (class 9) is exempt. Local bylaws, including the zone's own rules, can be stricter. Hosts anywhere in BC register each unit with the provincial registry. Short-term rental rules in BC.
Reports for lots in North Cowichan name the lot's zone and say what it allows.
- Zoning Bylaw 1997, No. 2950Covers the Municipality of North Cowichan. 23 zones explained, from the bylaw as amended to September 14, 2026, checked November 14, 2026.
Source: Municipality of North Cowichan zoning map (Open Government Licence – Municipality of North Cowichan).
Confirm with North Cowichan's planning department before you buy or build.
Check one lot: look up its address for its zone and the share of the lot in each.
The federal boundaries put 5 reserves of 4 First Nations in or beside North Cowichan. On reserve land the First Nation decides land use, not the local zoning bylaw; a report says when a lot is on reserve land or within 500 m of it. Reserve land in BC, by place.
Check one lot: is it in the ALR? · is the soil good for farming? · is it in a community watershed?
Source: Agricultural Land Reserve polygons, Agricultural Land Commission (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); 2021 census subdivision boundaries, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence).
Living here
11 bus routes, 37 licensed child care providers, 4 fire halls and a 24-hour emergency department.
- Homes with 50/10 Mbps internet or faster
- 99.7% typical town that size: 100%
- Homes with LTE mobile coverage
- 100%
- Nearest emergency department open around the clock
- Duncan, 6.4 km in a straight line
- Fire halls
- 4 on the Province's list; the nearest 5.3 km from the middle of the area
- Buses
- 11 routes, every day
- Licensed child care
- 37 (15 group facilities, 22 family homes)
- Crime, weighted for how serious it is
- an index of 101 in 2025 typical town that size: 82
More on living here
Internet
99.7% of homes in North Cowichan have 50/10 Mbps or faster recorded, wired or fixed wireless, against 97.6% across BC. 0.2% have nothing at 25/5 Mbps or faster.
| Share of homes here | BC | |
|---|---|---|
| 50/10 Mbps or faster, wired or fixed wireless | 99.7% | 97.6% |
| 50/10 Mbps or faster over a wired line | 99.2% | 96.2% |
| 50/10 Mbps or faster over fixed wireless | 65% | 87% |
| Nothing at 25/5 Mbps or faster | 0.2% | 1.4% |
| LTE mobile coverage | over 99.9% | 99.1% |
| Homes counted (2021) | 14,266 | 2,170,255 |
| Rank in BC, homes without 50/10 Mbps | 187th of 248 (tied) | |
This is the service providers report to the federal government (ISED), counted over each area's homes in the 2021 census. It isn't a promise for any address: ask providers whether they serve it and what it costs to connect. Satellite service, which needs only a clear view of the sky, isn't counted. Data released May 2026. What internet can a given lot get?
Source: National Broadband Data (May 2026) and Pseudo-Household Demographic Distribution (2021), Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); 2021 census subdivision boundaries, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence).
Nearest hospital
The nearest hospital on the Province's list (updated 2026-10-01) is Cowichan District Hospital, Duncan, about 6.4 km in a straight line from the middle of the area. Its emergency department's hours on HealthLink BC's list: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Roads are longer than these straight lines, and a small town's emergency department can close for a shift when it's short of staff: the health authority posts these as service changes. In an emergency, call 9-1-1. How far is the nearest hospital from a property?
Source: Hospitals in BC, HealthLinkBC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Emergency Rooms in BC, HealthLinkBC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).
Fire protection
Fire protection in North Cowichan is the municipality's to provide, through its own fire department or one it contracts: ask it which hall responds. The Province's list (updated 2026-09-11) has four fire halls in North Cowichan: North Cowichan Fire Department Station 1 Chemainus, North Cowichan Fire Department Station 2 Crofton, North Cowichan Fire Department Station 3 Maple Bay and North Cowichan Fire Department Station 4 South End. The nearest to the middle of the area is North Cowichan Fire Department Station 2 Crofton, about 5.3 km away in a straight line. Home insurers ask the road distance to the hall that responds, which can be far longer than the straight line. How far is the nearest fire hall, and what insurers ask
Source: First Responders (fire halls and ambulance stations), GeoBC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).
Transit
BC Transit runs 11 routes (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 34, 36 and 70) in North Cowichan, every day, from 237 stops. Read from the published schedules for one week (the week of October 19, 2026); service changes with the seasons. A report on a lot names its nearest stop and how often buses leave it.
Source: BC Transit schedules (GTFS), read 2026-10-12 (BC Transit Open Data Terms of Use); placed by us in the 2021 census boundary 2026-10-12. Bus and train service in every BC place.
Child care
The Province lists 15 licensed group child care facilities and 22 licensed family child care homes in North Cowichan. By the ages their operators list, 2 take children under 36 months, 4 take children 30 months to 5 years, 1 takes preschool children and 6 take school-age children; 7 list no ages. All 37 take part in the fee reduction (CCFRI). Family child care homes are counted but not named or mapped, since they are private homes. Many operators list no ages, and the list holds the licensed facilities the Province funds, so a licensed one without that funding isn't on it. A report on a lot names its nearest group facility and counts those within 1 and 2 km; ask each facility about spaces and its wait list.
Source: Child Care Map Data, Child Care Programs and Services (listed 2026-10-11) (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); placed by us in the 2021 census boundary 2026-10-11. Licensed child care in every BC place.
Crime
The North Cowichan RCMP (municipal) reported a crime severity index of 101 in 2025, above BC's 92; up 19% since 2015 (BC unchanged).
| Crime severity index, 2025 | 101 (BC 92) |
|---|---|
| Violent / non-violent index | 144 / 85 (BC 98 / 91) |
| Crime severity index, 2015 | 85 (BC 93) |
| Change since 2015 | Up 19% (BC unchanged) |
| Break and enter, per 100,000 people, 2025 | 330 (BC 281) |
| Theft of a vehicle, per 100,000 people, 2025 | 87 (BC 138) |
| Theft from a vehicle, per 100,000 people, 2025 | 180 (BC 441) |
| Violent crime, per 100,000 people, 2025 | 2,427 (BC 1,531) |
| All Criminal Code offences (not traffic), per 100,000 people, 2025 | 8,029 (BC 6,943) |
The crime severity index weighs each offence by how serious it is (one assault counts for more than several thefts), with Canada in 2006 set at 100. Rates are per 100,000 people living in the police service's area, so places with many visitors, commuters or seasonal homes read high, and in small places a few incidents swing the figures a lot. These are crimes reported to police, not all crime.
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0063-01, Crime severity index and weighted clearance rates, police services in British Columbia (Statistics Canada Open Licence); Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0184-01, Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia (Statistics Canada Open Licence).
Water
1,113 water-supply wells on record; half are deeper than 52 m, and the median tested yield is 19 L/min.
- Water-supply wells on record
- 1,113; half deeper than 52 m; median tested yield 19 L/min
- Rank in BC for well depth
- 85th of 245 (tied)
More on water
The Province's monitoring records hold groundwater samples from 30 wells in North Cowichan, 2000 to 2016, among them 4 of the Province's observation wells and 2 water systems' wells. The median passed Health Canada's limit for arsenic (2 wells), fluoride (2 wells) and manganese (5 wells). A report names the nearest sampled wells within 10 km of a lot. A neighbouring well isn't your water: test your own. What BC's well water tests for, by place.
Mapped aquifers
16 mapped aquifers lie in North Cowichan, most wells first.
- 1Aquifer 186: Lower Cowichan River Aunconfined sand and gravel (medium stream system)207 wells · high productivity
- 2Aquifer 175: North Duncanfractured sedimentary rock183 wells · low productivity
- 3Aquifer 180: Sahtlamconfined sand and gravel (glacial)111 wells · moderate productivity
- 4Aquifer 182: Paldi - Sahtlamfractured sedimentary rock84 wells · moderate productivity
- 5Aquifer 172: Chemainus and Croftonunconfined sand and gravel (medium stream system)57 wells · high productivity
- 6Aquifer 173: Maple Mountain, Crofton - Maple Bayfractured crystalline bedrock53 wells · low productivity
- 7Aquifer 177: East Duncan - Maple Bayfractured sedimentary rock43 wells · low productivity
- 8Aquifer 176: East Duncan - Maple Bayfractured sedimentary rock42 wells · low productivity
- 9Aquifer 183: West Duncanconfined sand and gravel (glacial)37 wells · moderate productivity
- 10Aquifer 170: Panorama Ridge, Chemainusfractured crystalline bedrock36 wells · moderate productivity
And 6 more
- 11Aquifer 171: Mount Sicker, Crofton - Chemainusfractured sedimentary rock32 wells · low productivity
- 12Aquifer 181: West Duncanfractured sedimentary rock30 wells · low productivity
- 13Aquifer 169: Saltair, South Ladysmithconfined sand and gravel (glacial)21 wells · moderate productivity
- 14Aquifer 188: Lower Cowichan River Cconfined sand and gravel (glacial)16 wells · high productivity
- 15Aquifer 174: North Duncanconfined sand and gravel (glacial)8 wells · moderate productivity
- 16Aquifer 184: West Duncanunconfined sand and gravel (late glacial outwash)4 wells · low productivity
An aquifer is listed for each place that holds at least a twentieth of it, so a sliver of one at the edge can be left out. Wells and productivity are for the whole aquifer, which can reach well beyond North Cowichan. The province maps aquifers mostly in settled valleys, so a lot outside every outline can still have groundwater. Every mapped aquifer in BC · sampled lakes.
Sampled lakes
4 sampled lakes lie in North Cowichan, largest first.
- 1Quamichan Lake3 km²clarity 0.9 m (2015–2025)
- 2Somenos Lake96.8 hatoo few readings to judge
- 3Fuller Lake23.8 hatoo few readings to judge
- 4Chemainus Lake5.2 hatoo few readings to judge
A lake is listed for each place that holds at least a twentieth of it or 100 ha of it. Clarity is the median summer Secchi depth; the nutrient class is our reading of Carlson's index from phosphorus or chlorophyll, not a provincial rating. Either is given only for a lake with at least 10 summer readings from open water, spread over at least 3 different years, since 2012. Most lakes have never been sampled, so a lake missing here may simply have no record. Every sampled lake in BC.
Source: Groundwater wells (GWELLS), Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Ground Water Aquifers, Water Protection and Sustainability Branch, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); BC Environmental Monitoring Data System (EnMoDS) results, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); 2021 census subdivision boundaries, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence).
Climate and sun Typical for its size
January averages 3.6 °C and July 17.9 °C, with 72 cm of snow a year, at the Duncan Kelvin Creek station, 12 km from the middle of the area (1981-2010 normals).
- January mean temperature
- 3.6 °C* typical town that size: 3.0 °C
- July mean temperature
- 17.9 °C*
- Yearly precipitation
- 1,361 mm*
- Yearly snowfall
- 72 cm* typical town that size: 63 cm
- Days a year over 30 °C
- 7.9 days* typical town that size: 5
Winter sun
About 7 h 40 min of possible direct sun on December 21 at the middle of the area, against 8 h on open ground; a lot on a slope or bench can differ by hours: open any lot's report for its own.
On March 21, 10 h 50 min against 12 h; on June 21, 14 h against 16 h. Our estimate from the terrain around the point, ground at about 85 m, seen from head height: trees, buildings and cloud aren't counted. On BC's least winter sun ranking (December sun as a share of open ground) it is 242nd of 310 (tied). How winter sun is read.
More on climate and sun
| 1981-2010 normals | Rank in BC | |
|---|---|---|
| January mean temperature | 3.6 °C* | Not ranked* |
| July mean temperature | 17.9 °C* | Not ranked* |
| Yearly precipitation | 1,361 mm* | |
| Yearly snowfall | 72 cm* | Not ranked* |
| Days a year over 30 °C | 7.9 days; under half a day over 35 °C* | Not ranked* |
| Wettest day in the station's record to 2010 | 88.6 mm of rain and melted snow, October 16, 2003 | |
| Most snow in a day in the station's record to 2010 | 43 cm, December 28, 1996 | |
| Deepest snow on the ground in the station's record to 2010 | 60 cm, December 29, 1996 | |
| Heating degree days, below 18 °C | 2,957 a year* | |
| Growing degree days, above 5 °C | 2,084 a year; 948 above 10 °C* |
Normals for 1981-2010 at the Duncan Kelvin Creek station, about 12 km from the middle of the area; ECCC has no fuller 1991-2020 set for it. Its normals don't include the frost-free period or days with snow on the ground, so those are left out. * Based on at least 15 of the 30 years, short of the World Meteorological Organization's standard: treat as a rougher guide. The records are single days measured at the station: the most rain, snow and wind it saw in its record up to 2010 (ECCC's 1981-2010 sets give records over the station's whole history, so some dates are older than 1981). Each is one event, not what to expect in a year, and the lot can get more or less than the station. Elevation matters a lot in BC: a hillside lot can be much colder and snowier than the station.
Plant hardiness zone: most homes here are in zone 8b (56%); 44% are in 9a, on Natural Resources Canada's 2025 map. Higher numbers are milder winters. What the zones mean.
Solar panels: a south-facing panel tilted at the latitude would make about 970 kWh a year for each kW of panels at the middle of the area, about 33 of it in December (estimated from Natural Resources Canada's 1998-2022 sunshine map). An open sky is assumed: the hills, trees and buildings around a lot cut it, and a report sets the lot's own skyline beside it. What solar panels would make in BC.
By the 2050s (2041-2070) at the place's middle, climate models project about 5 more days over 30 °C a year, a longest frost-free run about 60 days longer and about 8 percentage points less of winter's precipitation falling as snow, each against the same models' 1971-2000 (model projections under SSP2-4.5, a middle path for emissions). The models work on a grid of about 9 by 6 km, which averages valley floors with the slopes around them, so their own figures can sit well off a station's normals and aren't comparable with them. Their own figures there: about 7 days over 30 °C a year in 2041-2070 (range 5 to 17 across the models), against about 2 days in 1971-2000; a longest frost-free run of about 280 days (range 255 to 325), against about 220; and about 4% of winter's precipitation falling as snow (range 2% to 6%), against about 12%. The ranges run from the 10th to the 90th percentile of the models' 2041-2070 figures. The 2050s across BC.
Light at night within 1 km of the middle of the area: faint, as around Wells or Lytton (our reading), and darker than about 87% of BC's homes (2024 satellite record). A lot away from the centre can be much darker. How dark are BC's nights?
Lightning: around the middle of the area, a cloud-to-ground flash within 10 km on about 2 days a year and 0.01 flashes per km² a year, less than at 3 in 4 BC homes (the Canadian Lightning Detection Network, 1998-2025 average, on a grid of about 11 by 7 km).
Source: Canadian Climate Normals 1991-2020 and 1981-2010, Environment and Climate Change Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Plant hardiness zones of Canada (2025 map), Natural Resources Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Medium Resolution Digital Elevation Model (MRDEM-30), Natural Resources Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Solar position: General Solar Position Calculations (NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory; Spencer, 1971) (Public domain); Daily average solar irradiance on tilted surfaces for all of Canada (1998-2022), Natural Resources Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Photovoltaic Potential and Solar Resource Maps of Canada (performance ratio), Natural Resources Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Statistically downscaled climate indices from CMIP6 global climate models (CanDCS-M6), Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium, via the Canadian Centre for Climate Services (Open Government Licence – Canada); Air Quality and Climate Monitoring: Verified Hourly Air Quality and Meteorological Data (fine particulate matter, PM2.5), BC Ministry of Environment and Parks (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); VIIRS Nighttime Lights, 2024 annual composite, Earth Observation Group, Payne Institute for Public Policy, Colorado School of Mines (Elvidge et al. 2021, Remote Sensing 13(5):922), via Hengl, OpenGeoHub, Zenodo doi 10.5281/zenodo.7750174 (CC BY 4.0); Canadian Lightning Detection Network cloud-to-ground flashes (CanCPLDv1), Environment and Climate Change Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada).
Land use around
1 major project in assessment or approved in or near North Cowichan on the Environmental Assessment Office's register; 7.7% of its land is under mineral, placer or coal titles.
- Major projects in assessment or approved, in or within 5 km
- 1: Chemainus Wells Project
- Under mineral, placer or coal titles
- 7.7%
- Who holds them
- Largest company holder: Sasquatch Resources Corp. (1.6% of the land under title); private individuals hold titles over 98% of it, on the Province's record as of October 29, 2026.
More on land use around
Major projects in North Cowichan
The Environmental Assessment Office's register places 1 major project in assessment or approved in North Cowichan or within 5 km of it: Chemainus Wells Project (groundwater extraction, certificate issued Mar 9, 2009, operating).
| Project | Decision | Phase | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemainus Wells ProjectGroundwater Extraction | Certificate Issued, Mar 9, 2009 | Post Decision – Operation | In North Cowichan |
Not assessed or closed: 1 project found to need no assessment, withdrawn, terminated, refused, expired or not reviewable
- NorskeCanada's Crofton De-Inking Plant (forest products industry, reviewed Aug 15, 2003: no assessment needed; in North Cowichan)
Major projects are those large enough to need a provincial environmental assessment: mines, power plants, pipelines, transmission lines, highways, ports and resorts. The register places each at one point; a mine, pipeline or line can reach well past it, so check the project's own page for its maps. A property report lists those within 10 km of a lot; every project in BC by place.
Source: Environmental Assessment Office project points (EPIC), Province of BC, as of 2026-11-02 (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); 2021 census subdivision boundaries, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence).
The BC Energy Regulator maps about 39 km of active oil and gas pipeline in North Cowichan, permitted to FortisBC Energy Inc. Under a kilometre is abandoned or deactivated, often still in the ground. A report lists any pipeline within 200 m of a lot, and flags one within 30 m, where digging needs the permit holder's agreement. Pipelines in BC, by place.
The Province lists 32 active waste discharge authorizations in North Cowichan; the commonest kinds: sawmill or other primary wood processing (8), sewage treatment or discharge site (5) and fuel storage or distribution site (4). Of these, 11 may discharge to air, 10 effluent to water or land and 4 refuse to land. A report lists any within 2 km of a lot, and flags one whose point is on it. Permitted discharges in BC, by place.
The Province maps one open gravel pit or quarry in North Cowichan: Porter's Rock Quarry; and one open mineral exploration permit area. A report lists the permits within 2 km of a lot, names an open pit or quarry within 500 m and flags one whose permit area takes in the lot. Gravel pits and mine permits in BC, by place.
On ParcelMap BC, the land in North Cowichan is 56% private, 7% Crown land with a parcel drawn (3% with no title), 30% the local government's; no parcel is mapped over 6%, likely streets and lanes, water and untitled Crown land. A report says who owns the land along a lot's line. Crown land next to a property, and every place's land by owner.
North Cowichan lies in wildlife management units 1-5 (65%), 1-4 (35%): the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis sets seasons and closed areas by unit. Inside the municipality, its own bylaw can also ban firing a gun. Hunting and shooting on your own property.
BC Parks maps 2 parks and protected areas (Eves Park, a provincial park; and Mount Tzuhalem Ecological Reserve) reaching into North Cowichan, over less than 1% of its land. A report names the nearest park and recreation site within 25 km of a lot. Parks and recreation sites in BC, by place.
Check one lot: is there a mineral claim? · power lines nearby? · pipelines nearby? · a gravel pit nearby? · a landfill or plant nearby? · logging planned nearby? · cattle on open range? · is there a trapline? · can I hunt on it? · a park nearby? · Crown land next door?
Source: Mineral, placer and coal tenures, Mineral Titles Branch (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); 2021 census subdivision boundaries, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence); Municipalities – Legally Defined Administrative Areas of BC (names and status), Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).
People
31,990 people in 2021, up 7.7% from 2016; the median age is 51.2.
| Here | BC | |
|---|---|---|
| Population, 2021 | 31,990 | 5,000,879 |
| Change since 2016 | +7.7% | +7.6% |
| Median age | 51.2 | 42.8 |
| Under 15 | 13.9% | 14.3% |
| 65 and over | 28.7% | 20.3% |
| Median household income (2020) | $78,500 | $85,000 |
| Homes owned by the people living in them | 76.9% | 66.8% |
| Single-detached houses | 62.5% | 42.4% |
| Movable dwellings (mobile homes and the like) | 4.4% | 2.5% |
| Built before 1961 | 14.8% | 12.5% |
| Needing major repairs | 5.7% | 5.8% |
| Median home value (owners' estimate) | $600,000 | $785,000 |
| Median monthly rent | $1,070 | $1,370 |
| Worked from home | 15.7% | 22.6% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.1% | 8.4% |
Bars: the dark bar is this place, the red mark is BC.
Who lives here
| Here | BC | |
|---|---|---|
| Indigenous identity | 9.1% | 5.9% |
| Immigrants | 14.2% | 29.0% |
| Visible minority | 8.6% | 34.4% |
| No religion or a secular outlook | 57.9% | 52.1% |
Census figures, shown for context like the others. We don't rank or score places on these.
More on people
Census figures are from 2021; the next census results start in 2027. Area boundaries are Statistics Canada's census subdivisions, which follow municipal and electoral area lines.
Source: Census of Population 2021, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence).