Adistrict municipality is a classification of municipalities used in the Canadian provinceofBritish Columbia. British Columbia's Lieutenant Governor in Council may incorporate a community as a district municipality by letters patent, under the recommendation of the Minister of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development, if the area is greater than 800 ha (2,000 acres) and has a population density of less than 5 people per hectare, and at least 50% of the affected residents vote in favour of the proposed incorporation.[1]
British Columbia has 50 district municipalities,[2][3][4] with a cumulative population of 746,125 and an average population of 14,923 in the 2011 Census.[5] British Columbia's largest and smallest district municipalities are Saanich and Wells with populations of 109,752 and 245 respectively.[5]
Of British Columbia's 50 district municipalities, the first to incorporate as a district municipality was North Cowichan on June 18, 1873, while the most recent community to incorporate as a district municipality was the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (NRRM) on February 6, 2009.[2][3] Although portrayed as a regional municipality in its name, the NRRM is classified as a district municipality.[3]
District municipality |
Corporate name[2] |
Regional district[2] |
Incorporation date[2] |
Population (2011)[5] |
Population (2006)[5] |
Change (%)[5] |
Area (km²)[5] |
Population density[5] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
100 Mile House | 100 Mile House, District of | Cariboo | July 27, 1965 | 1,886 | 1,885 | 0.1 | 53.29 | 35.4 |
Barriere | Barriere, District of | Thompson-Nicola | December 4, 2007 | 1,773 | 1,432 | 23.8 | 10.77 | 164.7 |
Central Saanich | Central Saanich, The Corporation of the District of | Capital | December 12, 1950 | 15,936 | 15,745 | 1.2 | 41.33 | 385.6 |
Chetwynd | Chetwynd, District of | Peace River | September 25, 1962 | 2,635 | 2,633 | 0.1 | 63.04 | 41.8 |
Clearwater | Clearwater, District of | Thompson-Nicola | December 3, 2007 | 2,331 | 2,225 | 4.8 | 55.68 | 41.9 |
Coldstream | Coldstream, The Corporation of the District of | North Okanagan | December 21, 1906 | 10,314 | 9,471 | 8.9 | 66.28 | 155.6 |
Elkford | Elkford, District of | East Kootenay | July 16, 1971 | 2,523 | 2,463 | 2.4 | 108.42 | 23.3 |
Esquimalt | Esquimalt, Corporation of the Township of | Capital | September 1, 1912 | 16,209 | 16,840 | −3.7 | 7.08 | 2,290.1 |
Fort St. James | Fort St. James, District of | Bulkley-Nechako | December 19, 1952 | 1,691 | 1,350 | 25.3 | 23.47 | 72.0 |
Highlands | Highlands, District of | Capital | December 7, 1993 | 2,120 | 1,903 | 11.4 | 38.05 | 55.7 |
Hope | Hope, District of | Fraser Valley | April 6, 1929 | 5,969 | 6,185 | −3.5 | 41.14 | 145.1 |
Houston | Houston, District of | Bulkley-Nechako | March 4, 1957 | 3,147 | 3,163 | −0.5 | 72.94 | 43.1 |
Hudson's Hope | Hudson's Hope, District of | Peace River | November 16, 1965 | 970 | 1,012 | −4.2 | 827.36 | 1.2 |
Invermere | Invermere, District of | East Kootenay | May 22, 1951 | 2,955 | 3,002 | −1.6 | 10.73 | 275.3 |
Kent | Kent, The Corporation of the District of | Fraser Valley | January 1, 1895 | 5,664 | 4,738 | 19.5 | 168.39 | 33.6 |
Kitimat | Kitimat, District of | Kitimat-Stikine | March 31, 1953 | 8,335 | 8,987 | −7.3 | 240.01 | 34.7 |
Lake Country | Lake Country, District of | Central Okanagan | May 2, 1995 | 11,708 | 9,606 | 21.9 | 122.19 | 95.8 |
Langley | Langley, The Corporation of the Township of | Greater Vancouver | April 26, 1873 | 104,177 | 93,726 | 11.2 | 308.03 | 338.2 |
Lantzville | Lantzville, District of | Nanaimo | June 25, 2003 | 3,601 | 3,661 | −1.6 | 27.66 | 130.2 |
Lillooet | Lillooet, District of | Squamish-Lillooet | December 31, 1946 | 2,321[6] | 2,324 | −0.1 | 27.51 | 84.4 |
Logan Lake | Logan Lake, District of | Thompson-Nicola | November 10, 1970 | 2,073 | 2,162 | −4.1 | 325.33 | 6.4 |
Mackenzie | Mackenzie, District of | Fraser-Fort George | May 19, 1966 | 3,507 | 4,539 | −22.7 | 155.41 | 22.6 |
Metchosin | Metchosin, District of | Capital | December 3, 1984 | 4,803 | 4,795 | 0.2 | 71.09 | 67.6 |
New Hazelton | New Hazelton, District of | Kitimat-Stikine | December 15, 1980 | 666 | 627 | 6.2 | 24.36 | 27.3 |
North Cowichan | North Cowichan, The Corporation of the District of | Cowichan Valley | June 18, 1873 | 28,807 | 27,557 | 4.5 | 195.54 | 147.3 |
North Saanich | North Saanich, District of | Capital | August 19, 1965 | 11,089 | 10,823 | 2.5 | 37.25 | 297.7 |
North Vancouver | North Vancouver, The Corporation of the District of | Greater Vancouver | May 13, 1907 | 84,412 | 82,562 | 2.2 | 160.76 | 525.1 |
Northern Rockies[3] | Northern Rockies Regional Municipality | Northern Rockies | February 6, 2009 | 5,290[6] | 5,702 | −7.2 | 85,014.52 | 0.1 |
Oak Bay | Oak Bay, The Corporation of the District of | Capital | July 2, 1906 | 18,015 | 17,908 | 0.6 | 10.53 | 1,710.3 |
Peachland | Peachland, The Corporation of the District of | Central Okanagan | January 1, 1909 | 5,200 | 4,883 | 6.5 | 15.75 | 330.2 |
Port Edward | Port Edward, District of | Skeena-Queen Charlotte | June 29, 1966 | 544 | 577 | −5.7 | 168.01 | 3.2 |
Port Hardy | Port Hardy, District of | Mount Waddington | May 5, 1966 | 4,008 | 3,822 | 4.9 | 38.73 | 103.5 |
Saanich | Saanich, The Corporation of the District of | Capital | March 1, 1906 | 109,752 | 108,265 | 1.4 | 103.78 | 1,057.6 |
Sechelt | Sechelt, District of | Sunshine Coast | February 15, 1956 | 9,291 | 8,454 | 9.9 | 39.01 | 238.2 |
Sicamous | Sicamous, District of | Columbia Shuswap | December 4, 1989 | 2,441 | 2,676 | −8.8 | 12.71 | 192.0 |
Sooke | Sooke, District of | Capital | December 7, 1999 | 11,435 | 9,699 | 17.9 | 56.72 | 201.6 |
Spallumcheen | Spallumcheen, The Corporation of the Township of | North Okanagan | July 21, 1892 | 5,055 | 4,960 | 1.9 | 255.77 | 19.8 |
Sparwood | Sparwood, District of | East Kootenay | October 6, 1964 | 3,667 | 3,618 | 1.4 | 191.01 | 19.2 |
Squamish | Squamish, District of | Squamish-Lillooet | May 18, 1948 | 17,158 | 14,949 | 14.8 | 104.88 | 163.6 |
Stewart | Stewart, District of | Kitimat-Stikine | May 16, 1930 | 494 | 496 | −0.4 | 552.08 | 0.9 |
Summerland | Summerland, The Corporation of the District of | Okanagan-Similkameen | December 21, 1906 | 11,280 | 10,828 | 4.2 | 74.06 | 152.3 |
Taylor | Taylor, District of | Peace River | August 23, 1958 | 1,373 | 1,384 | −0.8 | 17.09 | 80.4 |
Tofino | Tofino, District of | Alberni-Clayoquot | February 5, 1932 | 1,876 | 1,655 | 13.4 | 10.53 | 178.2 |
Tumbler Ridge[a] | Tumbler Ridge, District of | Peace River | April 9, 1981 | 2,710 | 2,454 | 10.4 | 1,558.97 | 1.7 |
Ucluelet | Ucluelet, District of | Alberni-Clayoquot | February 26, 1952 | 1,627 | 1,487 | 9.4 | 6.81 | 238.9 |
Vanderhoof | Vanderhoof, District of | Bulkley-Nechako | January 22, 1926 | 4,480 | 4,064 | 10.2 | 54.83 | 81.7 |
Wells[b] | Wells, District of | Cariboo | June 29, 1998 | 245 | 236 | 3.8 | 158.28 | 1.5 |
West Vancouver | West Vancouver, The Corporation of the District of | Greater Vancouver | March 15, 1912 | 42,694 | 42,131 | 1.3 | 87.26 | 489.3 |
Total district municipalities |
— | — | — | 777,017 | 743,030 | 4.6 | 92,425.88 | 8.4 |
Notes:
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The class of the municipality is a district municipality.