Metchosin
District municipality in British Columbia, Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The District of Metchosin (/məˈtʃoʊzɪn/) is a municipality and community in Greater Victoria on the southern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is a coastal community adjacent to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Metchosin is part of the Western Communities and one of the 13 regional municipalities.
Metchosin | |
|---|---|
| District of Metchosin[1] | |
Metchosin town and fire hall | |
  Metchosin Location of Metchosin within the Capital Regional District | |
  Metchosin Location of Metchosin in British Columbia  Metchosin Metchosin (British Columbia) | |
| Coordinates: 48°22′55″N 123°32′16″W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional district | Capital |
| Founded | 1840 |
| Incorporated | 1984 |
| Government | |
| • Governing body | Metchosin Council |
| • Mayor | Marie-Térèse Little |
| Area | |
| • Land | 69.57 km2 (26.86 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 40 m (130 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 5,067 |
| • Density | 72.8/km2 (189/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Metchosinite |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| Highways |  Highway 14 |
| Website | www |
The origin of its name is a Straits Salish word, smets-shosin, meaning "place of stinking fish" or "place smelling of fish oil."[3]
History
Following the establishment of farms by the Puget Sound Agricultural Company in the Victoria area, independent settlers entered the Metchosin area. In 1851, Captain Cooper bought land on the shores of Witty’s Lagoon, that became the first farm in Metchosin, called Bilston Farm and farmed by Thomas Blinkhorn. Other settlers followed and cleared the arable land.[4]
In 1861, Race Rocks Lighthouse was built. In the early 1880s, two quarantine stations were built by the federal government, first on Albert Head in 1883 and then William Head, which inspected and controlled all people entering Canada for infectious diseases. Starting in 1924, Bentinck Island was used as a leper colony. As medical procedures progressed, the leper colony was closed in 1956, and in 1958, the quarantine station at William Head was converted into a minimum-security prison. The station at Albert Head became part of CFB Esquimalt.[4][5]
In 1984, the Municipality of the District of Metchosin was incorporated, mainly to protect its rural character from the encroaching suburban sprawl.[4]
Geography
Climate
Metchosin has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb) in parts caused by the rain shadow and to the east of the strait of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, but keeping some oceanic characteristics (Cfb).[6] Sligo, Ireland has very close temperatures with only a slightly warmer summer. The biggest difference is in the summer drying, common of the Pacific Northwest.[7]
| Climate data for Metchosin. elevation: 164 m or 538 ft, extremes 1911-1938 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.2 (54.0) |
15 (59) |
18.3 (64.9) |
23.9 (75.0) |
29.4 (84.9) |
32.2 (90.0) |
32.2 (90.0) |
31.1 (88.0) |
30 (86) |
24.4 (75.9) |
15.6 (60.1) |
14.4 (57.9) |
32.2 (90.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −13.9 (7.0) |
−12.2 (10.0) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
1.7 (35.1) |
3.9 (39.0) |
5.6 (42.1) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
−5 (23) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−12.2 (10.0) |
−13.9 (7.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 168.1 (6.62) |
107.5 (4.23) |
89.2 (3.51) |
59.8 (2.35) |
39.9 (1.57) |
28.0 (1.10) |
16.5 (0.65) |
24.8 (0.98) |
32.6 (1.28) |
112.8 (4.44) |
213.0 (8.39) |
146.8 (5.78) |
1,039 (40.9) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 159.5 (6.28) |
100.5 (3.96) |
85.8 (3.38) |
59.8 (2.35) |
39.9 (1.57) |
28.0 (1.10) |
16.5 (0.65) |
24.8 (0.98) |
32.6 (1.28) |
112.5 (4.43) |
207.8 (8.18) |
140.6 (5.54) |
1,008.3 (39.7) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 8.6 (3.4) |
7.0 (2.8) |
3.4 (1.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.1) |
5.2 (2.0) |
6.2 (2.4) |
30.7 (12) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 19.5 | 15.2 | 17.7 | 14.6 | 11.7 | 8.8 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 7.2 | 15.0 | 21.0 | 18.3 | 158.7 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 18.7 | 14.4 | 17.5 | 14.6 | 11.7 | 8.8 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 7.2 | 14.9 | 20.6 | 17.6 | 155.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 0.92 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.08 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 6.6 |
| Source: Environment Canada[8] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Metchosin had a population of 5,067 living in 1,856 of its 1,938 total private dwellings, a change of 7.6% from its 2016 population of 4,708. With a land area of 69.57 km2 (26.86 sq mi), it had a population density of 72.8/km2 (188.6/sq mi) in 2021.[2]
Historical census populations – Metchosin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: Statistics Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ethnicity
| Panethnic group |
2021[2] | 2016[9] | 2011[10] | 2006[11] | 2001[12] | 1996[13] | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |||
| European[a] | 4,300 | 91.3% | 4,245 | 93.92% | 4,155 | 92.54% | 4,360 | 92.96% | 4,255 | 92% | 4,155 | 93.27% | ||
| Indigenous | 225 | 4.78% | 135 | 2.99% | 210 | 4.68% | 115 | 2.45% | 180 | 3.89% | 40 | 0.9% | ||
| East Asian[b] | 85 | 1.8% | 95 | 2.1% | 70 | 1.56% | 45 | 0.96% | 25 | 0.54% | 75 | 1.68% | ||
| South Asian | 35 | 0.74% | 10 | 0.22% | 30 | 0.67% | 45 | 0.96% | 50 | 1.08% | 20 | 0.45% | ||
| African | 25 | 0.53% | 10 | 0.22% | 0 | 0% | 35 | 0.75% | 60 | 1.3% | 75 | 1.68% | ||
| Southeast Asian[c] | 20 | 0.42% | 20 | 0.44% | 0 | 0% | 20 | 0.43% | 20 | 0.43% | 60 | 1.35% | ||
| Middle Eastern[d] | 0 | 0% | 10 | 0.22% | 0 | 0% | 20 | 0.43% | 25 | 0.54% | 10 | 0.22% | ||
| Latin American | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 35 | 0.75% | 20 | 0.43% | 30 | 0.67% | ||
| Other/Multiracial[e] | 0 | 0% | 10 | 0.22% | 0 | 0% | 15 | 0.32% | 10 | 0.22% | 0 | 0% | ||
| Total responses | 4,710 | 92.95% | 4,520 | 96.01% | 4,490 | 93.48% | 4,690 | 97.81% | 4,625 | 95.22% | 4,455 | 94.61% | ||
| Total population | 5,067 | 100% | 4,708 | 100% | 4,803 | 100% | 4,795 | 100% | 4,857 | 100% | 4,709 | 100% | ||
| Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses | ||||||||||||||
Religion
According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Metchosin included:[2]
- Irreligion (3,120 persons or 66.2%)
- Christianity (1,480 persons or 31.4%)
- Buddhism (20 persons or 0.4%)
- Other (80 persons or 1.7%)
Parks
Notes
- Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
- Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
- Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
- Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
- Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.
