---
title: "Cowichan Valley: candidates, history and census, BC provincial 2026 | voche.me"
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last_updated: "2026-10-10T04:05:17.286Z"
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description: "4 candidates in Cowichan Valley for the BC provincial 2026 election. The history of the area, every result since 2009, past MLAs and the 2021 census profile."
"og:description": "4 candidates in Cowichan Valley for the BC provincial 2026 election. The history of the area, every result since 2009, past MLAs and the 2021 census profile."
"og:title": "Cowichan Valley: candidates, history and census, BC provincial 2026"
"twitter:description": "4 candidates in Cowichan Valley for the BC provincial 2026 election. The history of the area, every result since 2009, past MLAs and the 2021 census profile."
"twitter:title": "Cowichan Valley: candidates, history and census, BC provincial 2026"
---
**
MLA · BC PROVINCIAL 2026
# Cowichan Valley.
4 candidates, one seat.
This district elects one MLA. Voters mark one name on Saturday, October 24, 2026, and the candidate with the most votes wins the seat.
Cowichan Valley is a provincial electoral district on southern Vancouver Island, between the Strait of Georgia and Cowichan Lake. It takes in the City of Duncan, the Municipality of North Cowichan with Chemainus and Crofton, the Town of Lake Cowichan with Youbou and Honeymoon Bay, and Thetis, Penelakut and Valdes islands. The 2021 census counted 55,165 people in it, and the Electoral Boundaries Commission gives its area as 2,320 square kilometres.
## The candidates
In alphabetical order
[MLA · Cowichan Valley**Conservative Party of BC**Bert Chen
Researched by voche.meExplore the profile ](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/bert-chen) [MLA · Cowichan Valley**BC NDP**Debra Toporowski
Researched by voche.meExplore the profile ](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/debra-toporowski) [MLA · Cowichan Valley**Communist Party of BC**James Chumsa
Researched by voche.meExplore the profile ](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/james-chumsa) [MLA · Cowichan Valley**BC Green Party**Justin Douglas
Researched by voche.meExplore the profile ](https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/justin-douglas)
- People, 2021 census
- 55,165
- Area
- 2,320 km²
- Registered voters, 2024
- 45,901
- Turnout, 2024
- 63.52%
- Median age
- 50.4
- Median household income, 2020
- $74,500
THE DISTRICT
## Where Cowichan Valley is
2,320 km² · 55,165 people
Cowichan Valley lies on southern Vancouver Island. The Electoral Boundaries Commission's 2023 final report says the district includes Duncan, Lake Cowichan and North Cowichan, as well as Thetis, Penelakut and Valdez Islands (spelled Valdes Island by BC Geographical Names). Its northern boundary follows Cowichan Valley Regional District Electoral Area G, and its southern boundary follows Electoral Areas D, E and F. The eastern boundary extends to the Strait of Georgia, and the western boundary follows the Gordon River and forest service roads around Lake Cowichan. The report gives the district 55,158 people and an area of 2,320 square kilometres.
BC Geographical Names places Cowichan Lake west of Duncan, at the head of the Cowichan River. The Canadian Heritage Rivers System says the Cowichan River is 47 kilometres long and was designated in 2003. The Municipality of North Cowichan says it covers 195 square kilometres, with 40 kilometres of ocean shoreline on the east coast of Vancouver Island, and that the 2021 census counted 31,990 people there. Canada's Historic Places register puts Youbou on the north shore of Cowichan Lake, 38 kilometres west of Duncan at the end of Highway 18.
Elections BC's conversion table shows that the district has 86 voting areas: 64 from the earlier Cowichan Valley district, 22 from Nanaimo-North Cowichan and 2 from Mid Island-Pacific Rim. The commission proposed adding Chemainus and Cherry Creek to balance the district's population with its neighbours. It also added Thetis, Penelakut and Valdez Islands, after hearing that Thetis and Penelakut residents reach services through Chemainus and that Valdez has no public transportation links.
- Duncan
- North Cowichan
- Chemainus
- Crofton
- Maple Bay
- Quamichan
- Cherry Creek
- Lake Cowichan
- Youbou
- Honeymoon Bay
- Thetis Island
- Penelakut Island
- Valdes Island
- Cowichan Tribes
- Halalt First Nation
- Penelakut Tribe
- Ts'uubaa-asatx (Lake Cowichan First Nation)
Sources: [British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/BCEBC-Final-Report-April-3-2023.pdf), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/4083.html), [Canadian Heritage Rivers System (opens in a new tab)](https://chrs.ca/rivers/cowichan-river/), [Municipality of North Cowichan (opens in a new tab)](https://www.northcowichan.ca/node/121), [Canada's Historic Places (opens in a new tab)](https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=22917), [Elections BC (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/fb26db04-780c-4229-a147-da4fd5311d36)
HISTORY
## The history of the area
Checked Thursday, October 8, 2026
### Hul'q'umi'num-speaking peoples of the valley
Cowichan Tribes, which names itself Quw'utsun, describes its people as Hul'q'umi'num people, meaning people who speak the Hul'q'umi'num language. Its history page says archaeological evidence dates its existence back 4,500 years, and that its historical memory says it has been here since time immemorial. The Nation says its ancestors Syalutsa and Stutsun were the first to settle the region. It places its traditional lands around the Cowichan Lake and river drainage, the Koksilah River drainage, Cowichan Bay and Maple Bay, and says some estimated its population at 15,000. Its core traditional territory measures 376,308 hectares. It lists seven traditional villages, among them Quamichan (Kwa'mutsun), Comiaken (Qw'umiyiqun), Koksilah (Xwulqw'selu), Clemclemaluts (Lhumlhumuluts') and Khenipsen (Xinupsum).
Other Nations name their own places in the district. Halalt First Nation says its people come from the village xeláltxw, which means marked houses or painted houses, once at the place where the Silver Bridge crosses the Cowichan River at the edge of Duncan. Its residents later moved to Willy Island, off the mouth of the Chemainus River, and in the 1920s to the Westholme reserve (Halalt No. 2). BC Geographical Names gives Kaatza, translated as the lake, as the Hul'q'umi'num name for Cowichan Lake. It also records Láyksen as the Hul'q'umi'num name for Valdes Island, the traditional homeland of the Lyackson First Nation.
Sources: [Cowichan Tribes (opens in a new tab)](https://cowichantribes.com/about-cowichan-tribes/history), [Cowichan Tribes (opens in a new tab)](https://cowichantribes.com/about-cowichan-tribes/history/pre-european-contact), [Cowichan Tribes (opens in a new tab)](https://cowichantribes.com/about-cowichan-tribes/land-base/reserves), [Cowichan Tribes (opens in a new tab)](https://cowichantribes.com/about-cowichan-tribes/land-base/traditional-territory), [Halalt First Nation (opens in a new tab)](https://halalt.org/), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/4083.html), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/23524.html)
### The Cowichan name and the settlers of 1862
BC Geographical Names records that Hudson's Bay Company officers named Cowichan Bay in or near 1850 after the Coast Salish Nation living there. The geographic board adopted the name Cowichan Harbour on 30 June 1908 and changed it to Cowichan Bay on 8 October 1924. The same office records that a settler named Thomas George Askew, who arrived in 1856, first applied the name Chemainus to the district, and that a post office opened at Chemainus on 1 July 1871.
The Cowichan Tribes history page says Governor James Douglas arrived in Cowichan lands with military forces in 1853 and 1856, and that in 1862 a group of settlers, which the Nation puts at 100, came to the valley with a gunboat. The Nation says smallpox, measles and other illnesses killed 90 per cent of Cowichan people, and that Douglas promised payment for the occupied land. In its words, "Governor Douglas' promise to us remains dishonoured to this day." BC Geographical Names records that William Chalmers Duncan reached Victoria in May 1862 and was one of the settlers Douglas brought to Cowichan Bay that August. His farm, Alderlea, later gave Duncan its name.
Sources: [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/40528.html), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/40495.html), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/38318.html), [Cowichan Tribes (opens in a new tab)](https://cowichantribes.com/about-cowichan-tribes/history/colonisation), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/15595.html)
### Municipality, railway and copper mines, 1873 to 1912
The Municipality of North Cowichan was incorporated on 18 June 1873 and is the fifth oldest municipality in British Columbia, according to the municipality. The Canadian Encyclopedia says a sawmill was built at Chemainus in 1862. BC Geographical Names records that the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway opened in August 1886 and that the level crossing near William Duncan's farm was named Duncan's Crossing. The railway opened Duncan's Station there the following year, and a post office named Duncan's Station opened on 1 October 1899.
The Encyclopedia of British Columbia says Mount Sicker was the site of three copper mines and two townsites between 1897 and 1907. Henry Croft built a smelter at Osborne Bay in 1902. BC Geographical Names records that the Crofton post office opened on 1 May 1902 and that Croft had laid out the townsite. The City of Duncan was incorporated on 4 March 1912, and Kenneth Duncan, the son of William Duncan, became its first mayor. North Cowichan's own history page says the urban part of the district separated that year to form the city.
Sources: [Municipality of North Cowichan (opens in a new tab)](https://www.northcowichan.ca/node/121), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/17071.html), [The Canadian Encyclopedia (opens in a new tab)](https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/north-cowichan), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/15595.html), [Encyclopedia of British Columbia (opens in a new tab)](https://www.knowbc.com/limited/Books/Encyclopedia-of-BC/S/Sicker-Mount), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/35135.html), [City of Duncan (opens in a new tab)](https://duncan.ca/?p=237)
### Sawmills, a pulp mill and a forest museum, 1913 to 1965
Canada's Historic Places register records that the Empire Lumber Company founded the Youbou Mill on the north shore of Cowichan Lake in 1913, and that the mill and its community employed many South Asian Canadian immigrants, more of them after 1947. The Province of British Columbia recognized the site as a heritage site on 7 February 2020. BC Geographical Names records that a post office opened at Lake Cowichan in 1890 under the name Sutton Green, became the Cowichan Lake post office in November of that year and took the name Lake Cowichan Post Office on 1 December 1922. The village of Lake Cowichan was incorporated on 19 August 1944.
A timeline in The Discourse records that the Crofton pulp mill opened in 1957 under BC Forest Products, which projected 300 employees and chose the site after a three-year survey of water supply from the Cowichan River. In 1963 the company announced an $18.5 million expansion. The BC Forest Discovery Centre says its founder, Gerry Wellburn, opened a museum to the public in Duncan on 24 May 1965. It drew 16,881 visitors that year, took the name British Columbia Forest Museum in 1976 and has had its present name since 1999.
Sources: [Canada's Historic Places (opens in a new tab)](https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=22917), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/7359.html), [The Discourse (opens in a new tab)](https://thediscourse.ca/cowichan-valley/a-timeline-of-the-crofton-mill), [BC Forest Discovery Centre (opens in a new tab)](https://bcforestdiscoverycentre.com/about/)
### Murals in Chemainus and mill closures, 1982 to 2026
The Chemainus Festival of Murals Society says five murals appeared on the walls of local businesses in the summer of 1982. It says the town's sawmill, its main employer, closed in 1983, that Chemainus won a New York downtown revitalization award within a year, and that the Festival of Murals Society was formed in 1987. The society says Mayor Graham Bruce and businessman Karl Schutz led the effort, and the town now has more than 70 murals and sculptures.
The Youbou Mill closed in 2001, according to Canada's Historic Places register. The Discourse reports that Domtar announced on 2 December 2025 that it would permanently close the Crofton mill, citing "poor pricing for pulp and a lack of access to affordable fiber in B.C." The mill employed 350 people. The article, dated 26 February 2026, says the mill closed in 2026 and that a small maintenance team stayed on past April 2026 for environmental compliance.
Sources: [Chemainus Festival of Murals Society (opens in a new tab)](https://muraltown.com/chemainus-murals-history/), [Canada's Historic Places (opens in a new tab)](https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=22917), [The Discourse (opens in a new tab)](https://thediscourse.ca/cowichan-valley/a-timeline-of-the-crofton-mill)
### Penelakut, Valdez and Thetis islands
BC Geographical Names records that the name of Kuper Island was changed to Penelakut Island on 29 June 2010, to reflect traditional usage proposed by the Penelakut Nation. The traditional Halkomelem name, Puneluxtth, refers to a village on the northeast side of the island, and the record says archaeological evidence shows people lived there for 4,500 to 9,000 years before Europeans arrived. The Penelakut Tribe describes itself as a Hul'qumi'num speaking community with 1,001 registered members, half of them on reserve and half off reserve. Its reserves include Penelakut Island, Tsussie, Tent Island and the northern tip of Galiano Island.
The Kuper Island Industrial School operated from 1890 to 1975, Al Jazeera reported. In July 2021 the Penelakut Tribe said in a statement that more than 160 undocumented and unmarked graves had been found at the site. BC Geographical Names records that Captain Richards of the Royal Navy named Valdes Island in 1859 after the Spanish naval officer Cayetano Valdes, who explored these waters in 1792. In 2023 the commission placed Thetis, Penelakut and Valdez Islands, as its report spells the last, in Cowichan Valley because of their links with Chemainus.
Sources: [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/61741.html), [Penelakut Tribe (opens in a new tab)](https://penelakut.ca/about/), [Al Jazeera (opens in a new tab)](https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2021/7/13/more-unmarked-residential-school-graves-discovered-in-canada), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/23524.html), [British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/BCEBC-Final-Report-April-3-2023.pdf)
### Treaty talks and the Cowichan title ruling, 2019 to 2026
The Province lists the Hul'q'umi'num Treaty Group as five Nations: Cowichan Tribes, Halalt First Nation, Lake Cowichan First Nation, Lyackson First Nation and Penelakut Tribe. The BC Treaty Commission records that the group signed the Transition to Stage 5 and Treaty Revitalization Agreement on 26 August 2019, and that the parties are in Stage 5 negotiations. The Province also lists an Incremental Treaty Agreement with the Ts'uubaa-asatx First Nation, as Lake Cowichan First Nation is also known, dated 2023.
On 7 August 2025 the Supreme Court of British Columbia gave its decision in Cowichan Tribes v. Canada. The plaintiffs were Cowichan Tribes, Stz'uminus First Nation, Penelakut Tribe and Halalt First Nation. The court declared Aboriginal title to part of the land claimed on Lulu Island in Richmond, the site of the Nation's village, and recognized a right to fish for food on the south arm of the Fraser River. In a statement dated 2 March 2026, the Province and five Cowichan chiefs said the Nation and the Province are negotiating, and that both sides are continuing their appeals to the British Columbia Court of Appeal.
Sources: [Government of British Columbia (opens in a new tab)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/consulting-with-first-nations/first-nations-negotiations/first-nations-a-z-listing/hul-qumi-num-treaty-group), [BC Treaty Commission (opens in a new tab)](https://bctreaty.ca/treaty_agreement/hulquminum-treaty-group-transition-stage-5-and-treaty-revitalization-agreement), [Government of British Columbia (opens in a new tab)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/consulting-with-first-nations/first-nations-negotiations/first-nations-a-z-listing/lake-cowichan-first-nation), [JFK Law Corporation (opens in a new tab)](https://jfklaw.ca/landmark-decision-in-cowichan-tribes-case/), [Government of British Columbia (opens in a new tab)](https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/releases/news_releases_2024-2028/2026IRR0002-000206.htm)
THE SEAT
## Who has held the seat
Legislative Assembly records, 39th Parliament onward
Elections BC's volume for 1871 to 1986 lists a two-member district named Cowichan at the first general election of 1871, where William Smithe won with 58 votes (29.59%) and John Paton Booth with 47 (23.98%). Henry Croft won Cowichan by acclamation in 1886 and with 146 votes (34.27%) in 1890, and BC Geographical Names records that he laid out the townsite of Crofton. The same volume prints Cowichan-Alberni, Cowichan-Newcastle and, from 1966, Cowichan-Malahat, where Barbara Brookman Wallace of the New Democratic Party is listed as the member for 1975, 1979 and 1983.
From 1991 the volumes print Cowichan-Ladysmith. Jan Pullinger of the New Democratic Party won it in 1991 with 11,038 votes (48.53%) and in 1996 with 12,249 votes (49.85%). Graham P. Bruce of the Liberal Party won in 2001 with 12,707 votes (52.21%). Doug Routley of the New Democratic Party won in 2005 with 14,014 votes (50.02%), ahead of Graham Bruce with 11,425 (40.78%). The volume for 2002 to 2013 records that the Electoral Districts Act (S.B.C. 2008, c.14) received Royal Assent on May 1, 2008, set 85 districts, and came into effect on April 14, 2009.
The name Cowichan Valley appears in that volume from the 2009 election, won by Bill Routley of the BC NDP with 12,548 votes (48.40%) against 9,258 (35.71%) for Cathy Basskin of the BC Liberal Party. He won again in 2013 with 10,696 votes (40.14%). The earlier Nanaimo-North Cowichan, which supplies 22 of the present district's 86 voting areas, elected Doug Routley of the BC NDP in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2020. Sonia Furstenau of the BC Green Party won Cowichan Valley in 2017 with 11,449 votes (37.24%), ahead of Lori Lynn Iannidinardo of the BC NDP with 9,723 (31.63%). She won again in 2020 with 13,059 votes (44.21%), ahead of Rob Douglas of the BC NDP with 11,875 (40.20%).
In 2024 Debra Toporowski of the BC NDP won with 11,795 votes (40.51%), ahead of John Koury of the Conservative Party with 10,946 (37.59%). Turnout was 63.52% of 45,901 registered voters. The Legislative Assembly's member records list her as Qwulti'stunaat - Debra Toporowski in the 43rd Parliament. The commission's 2023 final report keeps the name Cowichan Valley, gives the district 55,158 people, 2.6 per cent from the average district, and adds Chemainus, Cherry Creek and Thetis, Penelakut and Valdez Islands.
Sources: [Elections BC (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1871-1986_ElectoralHistoryofBC.pdf), [Elections BC (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1987-2001-ElectionHistory.pdf), [Elections BC (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2002-2013-ElectionHistory.pdf), [Elections BC (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/44914a35-de9a-4830-ac48-870001ef8935), [Elections BC (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/statement-of-votes-2024-provincial-election.pdf), [Elections BC (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/fb26db04-780c-4229-a147-da4fd5311d36), [Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (opens in a new tab)](https://www.leg.bc.ca/members), [British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/BCEBC-Final-Report-April-3-2023.pdf), [BC Geographical Names Office (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/35135.html)
Members for Cowichan Valley
| Parliament | It sat | Member | Elected as | Party on the legislature’s record |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 43rd | 2025 to 2026 | Qwulti'stunaat - Debra Toporowski | | BC NDP |
| 42nd | 2020 to 2024 | Sonia Furstenau | BC Green Party | BC Green Party |
| 41st | 2017 to 2020 | Sonia Furstenau | BC Green Party | BC Green Party |
| 40th | 2013 to 2017 | Bill Routley | BC NDP | BC NDP |
| 39th | 2009 to 2013 | Bill Routley | BC NDP | BC NDP |
Members for Nanaimo-North Cowichan, which covered 22 of this district’s 86 voting areas before 2024
| Parliament | It sat | Member | Elected as | Party on the legislature’s record |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 42nd | 2020 to 2024 | Doug Routley | BC NDP | |
| 41st | 2017 to 2020 | Doug Routley | BC NDP | BC NDP |
| 40th | 2013 to 2017 | Doug Routley | BC NDP | BC NDP |
| 39th | 2009 to 2013 | Doug Routley | BC NDP | BC NDP |
“Elected as” is the affiliation Elections BC printed with the winning result. The last column is the party the legislature’s records give for that parliament, which differs when a member changed party while in office. A row with that column empty is a winner Elections BC prints whom the legislature’s records leave out. Source: [Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (opens in a new tab)](https://www.leg.bc.ca/members)
### Boundaries since 2024
Cowichan Valley has 86 voting areas. 64 of them overlap the district of the same name used from 2017 to 2024. Others overlap these districts from 2017 to 2024: Nanaimo-North Cowichan (22), Mid Island-Pacific Rim (2).
The commission that drew the boundaries counted 55,158 people in the district, 2.6% above the average for a district, over 2,320 km².
Sources: [British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission, Final report, April 3, 2023 (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/BCEBC-Final-Report-April-3-2023.pdf), [Elections BC, Voting area conversion table, 2017 to 2024 (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/fb26db04-780c-4229-a147-da4fd5311d36)
PAST RESULTS
## Every result since 2009
From Elections BC
**2024 Provincial General Election**Debra Toporowski, BC NDP, 40.51%
| Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Debra ToporowskiElected | BC NDP | 11,795 | 40.51% |
| John Koury | Conservative Party | 10,946 | 37.59% |
| Cammy Lockwood | BC Green Party | 5,773 | 19.83% |
| Eden Haythornthwaite | Independent | 341 | 1.17% |
| Jon Coleman | No affiliation | 263 | 0.90% |
29,118 valid votes · 39 rejected ballots · 45,901 registered voters · 63.52% voted
**2020 General Election**Sonia Furstenau, BC Green Party, 44.21%
| Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sonia FurstenauElected | BC Green Party | 13,059 | 44.21% |
| Rob Douglas | BC NDP | 11,875 | 40.20% |
| Tanya Kaul | BC Liberal Party | 4,606 | 15.59% |
29,540 valid votes · 150 rejected ballots
**2017 General Election**Sonia Furstenau, BC Green Party, 37.24%
| Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sonia FurstenauElected | BC Green Party | 11,449 | 37.24% |
| Lori Lynn Iannidinardo | BC NDP | 9,723 | 31.63% |
| Steve Housser | BC Liberal Party | 8,502 | 27.66% |
| Ian Morrison | Independent | 502 | 1.63% |
| James Robert Anderson | Libertarian | 302 | 0.98% |
| Samuel Lockhart | Independent | 145 | 0.47% |
| Eden Haythornthwaite | Independent | 119 | 0.39% |
30,742 valid votes · 100 rejected ballots
**2013 General Election**Bill Routley, BC NDP, 40.14%
| Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bill RoutleyElected | BC NDP | 10,696 | 40.14% |
| Steve Housser | BC Liberal Party | 9,299 | 34.90% |
| Kerry Davis | BC Green Party | 5,102 | 19.15% |
| Damir Wallener | Conservative | 1,223 | 4.59% |
| Heather Alanna Campbell | Independent | 326 | 1.22% |
26,646 valid votes · 86 rejected ballots
**2009 General Election**Bill Routley, BC NDP, 48.40%
| Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bill RoutleyElected | BC NDP | 12,548 | 48.40% |
| Cathy Basskin | BC Liberal Party | 9,258 | 35.71% |
| Simon Lindley | BC Green Party | 3,058 | 11.79% |
| Stewart Jason Murray | Conservative | 924 | 3.56% |
| Michial Rupert Moore | BC Refed | 139 | 0.54% |
25,927 valid votes · 97 rejected ballots
### Nanaimo-North Cowichan, 2009 to 2020
**2020 General Election**Doug Routley, BC NDP, 49.48%
| Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Doug RoutleyElected | BC NDP | 12,787 | 49.48% |
| Chris Istace | BC Green Party | 7,700 | 29.80% |
| Duck (don) Paterson | BC Liberal Party | 5,354 | 20.72% |
25,841 valid votes · 269 rejected ballots
**2017 General Election**Doug Routley, BC NDP, 46.89%
| Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Doug RoutleyElected | BC NDP | 12,276 | 46.89% |
| Alana DeLong | BC Liberal Party | 7,379 | 28.18% |
| Lia Marie Constance Versaevel | BC Green Party | 6,252 | 23.88% |
| P. Anna Paddon | Independent | 274 | 1.05% |
26,181 valid votes · 198 rejected ballots
**2013 General Election**Doug Routley, BC NDP, 46.21%
| Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Doug RoutleyElected | BC NDP | 11,542 | 46.21% |
| Amanda Lee Jacobson | BC Liberal Party | 7,685 | 30.77% |
| Mayo McDonough | BC Green Party | 3,430 | 13.73% |
| John James Donald Sherry | Conservative | 1,603 | 6.42% |
| Murray McNab | Independent | 647 | 2.59% |
| P. Anna Paddon | Independent | 71 | 0.28% |
24,978 valid votes · 98 rejected ballots
**2009 General Election**Doug Routley, BC NDP, 54.33%
| Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Doug RoutleyElected | BC NDP | 12,888 | 54.33% |
| Rob Hutchins | BC Liberal Party | 8,426 | 35.52% |
| Ian Elliott Gartshore | BC Green Party | 2,135 | 9.00% |
| Ronald James Fuson | BC Refed | 271 | 1.14% |
23,720 valid votes · 142 rejected ballots
The boundaries changed before the 2009, 2017 and 2024 elections, so a result under the same name can cover a different area. Sources: [Elections BC, Provincial Voting Results (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/44914a35-de9a-4830-ac48-870001ef8935), [Statement of Votes, 2024 Provincial General Election (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/statement-of-votes-2024-provincial-election.pdf)
PEOPLE · 2021 CENSUS
## Who lives in Cowichan Valley
55,165 residents · British Columbia beside each figure
### Age
- Median age
- 50.4BC 42.8
- Under 1514.3%BC 14.3%
- 15 to 6458.1%BC 65.3%
- 65 and over27.5%BC 20.3%
- 85 and over3.0%BC 2.4%
### Households
- Households
- 23,340
- People per household
- 2.3BC 2.4
#### Who lives together
- Couples with children18.4%BC 22.7%
- Couples without children31.8%BC 26.4%
- One-parent families7.8%BC 7.6%
- Multigenerational households3.0%BC 3.7%
- People living alone29.3%BC 29.4%
#### Household size
- 1 person29.3%BC 29.4%
- 2 persons40.1%BC 35.3%
- 3 persons13.3%BC 14.5%
- 4 persons10.0%BC 12.6%
- 5 or more persons7.2%BC 8.2%
### Homes
- Median home value
- $600,000BC $785,000
- Median monthly rent and utilities
- $1,050BC $1,370
- Median monthly cost for owners
- $950BC $1,320
#### Own or rent
- Own their home75.3%BC 66.8%
- Rent their home23.1%BC 32.8%
- Home provided by a local government or First Nation1.6%BC 0.5%
#### Type of home
- Single-detached house67.2%BC 42.4%
- Semi-detached house5.2%BC 3.1%
- Row house5.6%BC 8.3%
- Apartment or flat in a duplex4.3%BC 12.2%
- Apartment in a building that has fewer than five storeys13.2%BC 20.4%
- Other single-attached house0.4%BC 0.2%
- Movable dwelling4.0%BC 2.5%
#### When the home was built
- 1960 or earlier17.4%BC 12.5%
- 1961 to 198028.6%BC 27.0%
- 1981 to 199012.5%BC 14.2%
- 1991 to 200017.8%BC 16.5%
- 2001 to 20054.9%BC 6.0%
- 2006 to 20106.9%BC 8.0%
- 2011 to 20155.3%BC 6.6%
- 2016 to 20216.6%BC 9.1%
### Housing costs
- Renters paying 30% or more of income on housing36.5%BC 37.8%
- Owners paying 30% or more of income on housing14.0%BC 19.3%
- Renters in core housing need23.8%BC 24.7%
- Owners in core housing need4.6%BC 8.0%
- Renters in subsidized housing11.5%BC 11.0%
- Owners with a mortgage52.8%BC 57.5%
### Income
Income is for the year 2020.
- Median household income
- $74,500BC $85,000
- After tax
- $68,000BC $76,000
- Median income per person
- $38,000BC $40,800
#### Living on a low income (after-tax measure)
- All ages11.9%BC 10.8%
- Under 1815.8%BC 11.3%
- 18 to 6410.6%BC 9.7%
- 65 and over12.0%BC 13.8%
### Languages
#### First language learned
- English91.1%BC 67.1%
- French1.1%BC 1.2%
- German0.9%BC 1.0%
- Punjabi (Panjabi)0.8%BC 4.9%
- Dutch0.7%BC 0.4%
- Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino)0.4%BC 1.7%
- Spanish0.3%BC 1.2%
- Mandarin0.3%BC 4.1%
- Arabic0.2%BC 0.5%
- Yue (Cantonese)0.2%BC 3.9%
#### Spoken most often at home
- English97.0%BC 78.5%
- Punjabi (Panjabi)0.4%BC 3.8%
- Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino)0.3%BC 0.9%
- Mandarin0.1%BC 3.3%
- Yue (Cantonese)0.1%BC 2.8%
- French0.1%BC 0.3%
- Arabic0.1%BC 0.3%
- Nepali0.1%BC 0.0%
#### English and French
- English only94.1%BC 90.1%
- English and French5.6%BC 6.6%
- Neither English nor French0.3%BC 3.3%
### Immigration
- Born outside Canada (immigrants)
- 11.9%BC 29.0%
- Non-permanent residents
- 0.5%BC 3.5%
#### Where immigrants were born
- United Kingdom32.7%BC 8.2%
- United States of America11.6%BC 4.2%
- Germany6.9%BC 2.2%
- Philippines6.3%BC 9.2%
- India5.7%BC 13.8%
- Netherlands4.9%BC 1.1%
- South Africa, Republic of2.3%BC 1.1%
- China2.2%BC 15.3%
- Oceania and other places of birth2.2%BC 2.3%
- Korea, South1.1%BC 3.3%
#### When immigrants arrived
- Arrived before 198051.5%BC 19.7%
- 1980 to 199012.0%BC 11.5%
- 1991 to 20008.7%BC 21.0%
- 2001 to 201012.1%BC 22.2%
- 2011 to 202115.9%BC 25.6%
#### Generations in Canada
- First generation13.7%BC 33.7%
- Second generation18.2%BC 21.7%
- Third generation or more68.1%BC 44.5%
### Identity and origins
- Indigenous identity
- 14.4%BC 5.9%
- Visible minority
- 6.5%BC 34.4%
#### Visible minority groups
- South Asian2.0%BC 9.6%
- Filipino1.0%BC 3.5%
- Chinese1.0%BC 11.2%
- Black0.8%BC 1.3%
- Japanese0.3%BC 0.9%
- Latin American0.3%BC 1.3%
- Multiple visible minorities0.3%BC 1.2%
- Southeast Asian0.3%BC 1.5%
- Korean0.2%BC 1.5%
- Arab0.1%BC 0.6%
- Visible minority (other)0.1%BC 0.4%
- West Asian0.1%BC 1.4%
#### Ethnic or cultural origins reported most often
- English33.3%BC 20.7%
- Scottish23.9%BC 15.8%
- Irish17.3%BC 12.8%
- Canadian12.5%BC 9.3%
- German12.1%BC 11.0%
- French8.4%BC 6.4%
- First Nations (North American Indian)5.9%BC 2.1%
- British Isles5.5%BC 3.9%
- Dutch5.3%BC 3.9%
- Ukrainian4.1%BC 4.3%
### Religion
- No religion60.7%BC 52.1%
- Christian33.9%BC 34.3%
- Traditional Indigenous spirituality1.7%BC 0.2%
- Other religions1.5%BC 1.0%
- Sikh0.9%BC 5.9%
- Buddhist0.3%BC 1.7%
- Hindu0.3%BC 1.7%
- Muslim0.3%BC 2.6%
- Jewish0.2%BC 0.5%
### Education
Highest level completed, ages 25 to 64.
- No certificate, diploma or degree13.0%BC 8.0%
- High school diploma31.1%BC 25.8%
- College, trades or other certificate below a bachelor’s degree37.4%BC 31.2%
- Bachelor’s degree or higher18.6%BC 35.0%
### Work
- In the labour force
- 54.9%BC 63.3%
- Employed
- 50.7%BC 57.9%
- Unemployment rate at the census
- 7.7%BC 8.4%
#### Industries with the most workers
- Health care and social assistance13.7%BC 12.3%
- Retail trade13.3%BC 11.6%
- Construction11.0%BC 9.0%
- Accommodation and food services7.6%BC 7.0%
- Educational services7.4%BC 7.4%
- Manufacturing7.1%BC 5.9%
- Public administration6.6%BC 5.5%
- Professional, scientific and technical services5.7%BC 9.2%
#### Kinds of work
- Sales and service occupations26.9%BC 25.6%
- Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations20.8%BC 18.0%
- Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services12.9%BC 11.9%
- Business, finance and administration occupations12.8%BC 17.1%
- Health occupations8.0%BC 7.7%
- Natural and applied sciences and related occupations5.6%BC 8.0%
- Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations5.1%BC 2.8%
- Occupations in manufacturing and utilities4.1%BC 3.4%
- Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport2.9%BC 4.2%
- Legislative and senior management occupations0.9%BC 1.2%
### Getting to work
#### Where people worked
- Worked at home15.9%BC 22.6%
- Worked outside Canada0.2%BC 0.4%
- No fixed workplace address17.5%BC 15.3%
- Worked at a usual workplace66.5%BC 61.6%
#### How commuters travelled
- Car, truck or van89.5%BC 79.9%
- Public transit1.0%BC 9.3%
- On foot6.1%BC 6.5%
- Bicycle1.0%BC 2.0%
- Other method2.3%BC 2.3%
#### Length of the trip
- Less than 15 minutes42.6%BC 31.8%
- 15 to 29 minutes31.9%BC 34.0%
- 30 to 44 minutes11.7%BC 19.7%
- 45 to 59 minutes6.0%BC 7.3%
- 60 minutes and over7.9%BC 7.2%
### Moving
Where residents lived five years before the census.
- Lived at the same address59.4%BC 56.2%
- Moved within the same municipality10.5%BC 16.1%
- Moved from elsewhere in BC23.4%BC 17.0%
- Moved from another province4.9%BC 4.6%
- Moved from another country1.8%BC 6.1%
Counts in the census are rounded to the nearest 5, and shares are worked out from those counts. Source: [BC Stats, from Statistics Canada tabulations, 2021 Census Profile for BC Provincial Electoral Districts (2023 Redistribution) (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/census-profiles-for-bc-provincial-electoral-districts)
QUESTIONS
## Questions about Cowichan Valley
10 answers
### Where is Cowichan Valley?
Cowichan Valley is a provincial electoral district on southern Vancouver Island. The Electoral Boundaries Commission's 2023 final report says it includes Duncan, Lake Cowichan and North Cowichan, as well as Thetis, Penelakut and Valdez Islands. The commission gives the district 55,158 people and an area of 2,320 square kilometres. Its eastern boundary extends to the Strait of Georgia, and its western boundary follows the Gordon River and forest service roads around Lake Cowichan.
### Which communities are in Cowichan Valley?
Cowichan Valley includes the City of Duncan, the Town of Lake Cowichan and the Municipality of North Cowichan, which holds Chemainus, Crofton and Maple Bay. Elections BC's 2024 results list 14 voting places in the district, among them halls at Youbou, Honeymoon Bay and Thetis Island, the Cowichan Tribes Dining Hall, the Halalt First Nation Gym and the Penelakut Band Office. The commission added Cherry Creek to the district in 2023.
### Who is the MLA for Cowichan Valley?
The Legislative Assembly's records list Qwulti'stunaat - Debra Toporowski of the BC NDP as the member for Cowichan Valley in the 43rd Parliament. She won the seat in the 2024 provincial general election with 11,795 votes (40.51%). John Koury of the Conservative Party received 10,946 votes (37.59%), and Cammy Lockwood of the BC Green Party received 5,773 (19.83%).
### Who held the Cowichan Valley seat before Debra Toporowski?
Sonia Furstenau of the BC Green Party held Cowichan Valley in the 41st and 42nd Parliaments, from 2017 to 2024, according to the Legislative Assembly's records. She won in 2017 with 11,449 votes (37.24%) and in 2020 with 13,059 votes (44.21%). Before her, Bill Routley of the BC NDP held the seat in the 39th and 40th Parliaments, from 2009 to 2017.
### How did Cowichan Valley vote in 2024?
In 2024 Debra Toporowski of the BC NDP won Cowichan Valley with 11,795 votes (40.51%). John Koury of the Conservative Party received 10,946 (37.59%) and Cammy Lockwood of the BC Green Party 5,773 (19.83%). Eden Haythornthwaite, an independent, received 341 votes (1.17%), and Jon Coleman, with no affiliation, received 263 (0.90%). Turnout was 63.52% of 45,901 registered voters.
### How did the boundaries of Cowichan Valley change in 2023?
In 2023 the Electoral Boundaries Commission kept the name Cowichan Valley and added Chemainus and Cherry Creek to balance its population with its neighbours. It also added Thetis, Penelakut and Valdez Islands because of their transport links with Chemainus. Elections BC's conversion table shows 86 voting areas in the district: 64 from the earlier Cowichan Valley, 22 from Nanaimo-North Cowichan and 2 from Mid Island-Pacific Rim.
### Whose territory is Cowichan Valley on?
Cowichan Valley lies on the traditional territories of several First Nations. The Municipality of North Cowichan says it sits on the territories of the Quw'utsun First Nation, which it describes as including Cowichan Tribes, Halalt First Nation, Lyackson First Nation, Penelakut Tribe and Stz'uminus First Nation, and on the territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. Cowichan Tribes gives its core traditional territory as 376,308 hectares.
### Who lives in Cowichan Valley?
The 2021 census counted 55,165 people in Cowichan Valley. The median age was 50.4 years against 42.8 for British Columbia. Indigenous identity was reported by 14.4 per cent of residents, which is 7,775 people, and 11.9 per cent were immigrants against 29 per cent in the province. Among residents, 2,095 were born in the United Kingdom.
### When did Duncan become a city?
Duncan, in the Cowichan Valley district, was incorporated as a city on 4 March 1912, according to BC Geographical Names. It takes its name from William Chalmers Duncan, whose farm, Alderlea, stood there in the 1860s. The Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway opened in August 1886 and opened a station at Duncan's Crossing the following year. Kenneth Duncan, the son of William Duncan, became the city's first mayor.
### What happened to the Crofton mill in the Cowichan Valley district?
Domtar announced on 2 December 2025 that it would permanently close the Crofton mill, which sits in the Crofton community of the Municipality of North Cowichan, in the Cowichan Valley district. A timeline in The Discourse, dated 26 February 2026, says the mill opened in 1957 under BC Forest Products and employed 350 people at the time of the announcement.
SOURCES
## Where this page comes from
Figures read Thursday, October 8, 2026
1. [2021 Census Profile for BC Provincial Electoral Districts (2023 Redistribution) (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/census-profiles-for-bc-provincial-electoral-districts)BC Stats, from Statistics Canada tabulations · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
2. [Provincial Voting Results (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/44914a35-de9a-4830-ac48-870001ef8935)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
3. [Statement of Votes, 2024 Provincial General Election (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/statement-of-votes-2024-provincial-election.pdf)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
4. [Voting area conversion table, 2017 to 2024 (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/fb26db04-780c-4229-a147-da4fd5311d36)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
5. [Final report, April 3, 2023 (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/BCEBC-Final-Report-April-3-2023.pdf)British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
6. [Members of the Legislative Assembly, 35th to 43rd Parliament (opens in a new tab)](https://www.leg.bc.ca/members)Legislative Assembly of British Columbia · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
7. [Final report, April 3, 2023 (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/BCEBC-Final-Report-April-3-2023.pdf)British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
8. [Electoral History of British Columbia, 1871 to 1986 (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1871-1986_ElectoralHistoryofBC.pdf)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
9. [Electoral History of British Columbia, Supplement, 1987 to 2001 (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1987-2001-ElectionHistory.pdf)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
10. [Electoral History of British Columbia, Supplement, 2002 to 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2002-2013-ElectionHistory.pdf)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
11. [Provincial Voting Results (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/44914a35-de9a-4830-ac48-870001ef8935)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
12. [Statement of Votes, 2024 Provincial General Election (opens in a new tab)](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/statement-of-votes-2024-provincial-election.pdf)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
13. [Voting area conversion table, 2017 to 2024 (opens in a new tab)](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/fb26db04-780c-4229-a147-da4fd5311d36)Elections BC · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
14. [Members of the Legislative Assembly, 35th to 43rd Parliament (opens in a new tab)](https://www.leg.bc.ca/members)Legislative Assembly of British Columbia · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
15. [Cowichan Tribes, History (opens in a new tab)](https://cowichantribes.com/about-cowichan-tribes/history)Cowichan Tribes · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
16. [Cowichan Tribes, Pre-European Contact (opens in a new tab)](https://cowichantribes.com/about-cowichan-tribes/history/pre-european-contact)Cowichan Tribes · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
17. [Cowichan Tribes, Colonisation (opens in a new tab)](https://cowichantribes.com/about-cowichan-tribes/history/colonisation)Cowichan Tribes · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
18. [Cowichan Tribes, Reserves (opens in a new tab)](https://cowichantribes.com/about-cowichan-tribes/land-base/reserves)Cowichan Tribes · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
19. [Cowichan Tribes, Traditional Territory (opens in a new tab)](https://cowichantribes.com/about-cowichan-tribes/land-base/traditional-territory)Cowichan Tribes · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
20. [Halalt First Nation home page (opens in a new tab)](https://halalt.org/)Halalt First Nation · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
21. [About Penelakut Tribe (opens in a new tab)](https://penelakut.ca/about/)Penelakut Tribe · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
22. [Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group (opens in a new tab)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/consulting-with-first-nations/first-nations-negotiations/first-nations-a-z-listing/hul-qumi-num-treaty-group)Government of British Columbia · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
23. [Lake Cowichan First Nation (Ts'uubaa-asatx) (opens in a new tab)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/consulting-with-first-nations/first-nations-negotiations/first-nations-a-z-listing/lake-cowichan-first-nation)Government of British Columbia · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
24. [Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group Transition to Stage 5 and Treaty Revitalization Agreement (opens in a new tab)](https://bctreaty.ca/treaty_agreement/hulquminum-treaty-group-transition-stage-5-and-treaty-revitalization-agreement)BC Treaty Commission · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
25. [Statement by the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation and Cowichan (Quw'utsun) Nation chiefs, March 2, 2026 (opens in a new tab)](https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/releases/news_releases_2024-2028/2026IRR0002-000206.htm)Government of British Columbia · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
26. [Landmark Decision in Cowichan Tribes Case (opens in a new tab)](https://jfklaw.ca/landmark-decision-in-cowichan-tribes-case/)JFK Law Corporation · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
27. [Cowichan Bay (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/40528.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
28. [Cowichan Lake (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/4083.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
29. [Duncan, city (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/15595.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
30. [North Cowichan, district municipality (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/17071.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
31. [Chemainus, community (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/38318.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
32. [Chemainus River (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/40495.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
33. [Crofton, community (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/35135.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
34. [Lake Cowichan, town (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/7359.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
35. [Penelakut Island (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/61741.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
36. [Valdes Island (opens in a new tab)](https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/23524.html)BC Geographical Names Office · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
37. [Cowichan River (opens in a new tab)](https://chrs.ca/rivers/cowichan-river/)Canadian Heritage Rivers System · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
38. [Youbou Mill (opens in a new tab)](https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=22917)Canada's Historic Places · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
39. [About North Cowichan (opens in a new tab)](https://www.northcowichan.ca/node/121)Municipality of North Cowichan · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
40. [History and Heritage (opens in a new tab)](https://duncan.ca/?p=237)City of Duncan · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
41. [BC Forest Discovery Centre, About (opens in a new tab)](https://bcforestdiscoverycentre.com/about/)BC Forest Discovery Centre · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
42. [The Story of Chemainus and its Murals (opens in a new tab)](https://muraltown.com/chemainus-murals-history/)Chemainus Festival of Murals Society · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
43. [North Cowichan (opens in a new tab)](https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/north-cowichan)The Canadian Encyclopedia · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
44. [Sicker, Mount (opens in a new tab)](https://www.knowbc.com/limited/Books/Encyclopedia-of-BC/S/Sicker-Mount)Encyclopedia of British Columbia · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
45. [A timeline of the Crofton mill, by Eric Richards, 26 February 2026 (opens in a new tab)](https://thediscourse.ca/cowichan-valley/a-timeline-of-the-crofton-mill)The Discourse · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
46. [More unmarked residential school graves discovered in Canada, 13 July 2021 (opens in a new tab)](https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2021/7/13/more-unmarked-residential-school-graves-discovered-in-canada)Al Jazeera · read Thursday, October 8, 2026
## Official information
From Elections BC
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