PlaceDossier / BC places / Strathcona

Strathcona, Electoral Area D (Oyster Bay - Buttle Lake)

An electoral area of the Strathcona Regional District. 4,153 people lived here in 2021, up 4.4% from 2016.

Land and hazards

HereRank in BC
In the farmland reserve (ALR)2.8%194th of 267
Burned by wildfire since 19962.0%104th of 215
Years with a mapped wildfire since 191925most recent 2025
Under mineral, placer or coal titles2.3%178th of 219
Land area1,691 km²

Shares of the land area, measured by us from the provincial 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.

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); 2021 census subdivision boundaries, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence).

Water wells

139 water-supply wells on record; half are deeper than 11 m, and the median tested yield is 38 L/min. Wells here rank 281st of 296 for depth.

Source: Groundwater wells (GWELLS), Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

Climate

HereRank in BC
January mean temperature2.1 °C
July mean temperature17.9 °C111th of 237
Yearly precipitation2,851 mm
Yearly snowfall105 cm93rd of 237

Normals for 1981-2010 at the Gold River Townsite station, about 28 km from the centre of the area. Elevation matters a lot in BC: a hillside lot can be much colder and snowier than the station.

Source: Climate normals 1981-2010, Environment and Climate Change Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada).

People and homes

HereBC
Population, 20214,1535,000,879
Change since 2016+4.4%+7.6%
Median age5242.8
Under 1513.8%14.3%
65 and over25.5%20.3%
Median household income (2020)$88,000$85,000
Homes owned by the people living in them88.7%66.8%
Single-detached houses85.2%42.4%
Movable dwellings (mobile homes and the like)10.8%2.5%
Built before 19616.7%12.5%
Needing major repairs4.9%5.8%
Median home value (owners' estimate)$600,000$785,000
Median monthly rent$1,350$1,370
Worked from home13.6%22.6%
Unemployment rate10.0%8.4%

Bars: the dark bar is this place, the gold mark is BC.

Source: Census of Population 2021, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence).

Who lives here

HereBC
Indigenous identity6.7%5.9%
Immigrants10.6%29.0%
Visible minority3.6%34.4%
No religion or a secular outlook69.2%52.1%

Bars: the dark bar is this place, the gold mark is BC.

Shown for context, like the other census figures. We don't rank or score places on these.

Source: Census of Population 2021, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence).

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.