Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia
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Shawnigan Lake (pop. approximately 4,040) is a village on British Columbia's Vancouver Island. The name Shawnigan is an adaptation of the Hunquminum name for the Shawnigan Lake, the lake the village is situated at, Shaanii'us
A popular recreation destination, its population typically doubles during the summer, as the lake and village are summer vacation spots for residents of Victoria, who commute between the city and Shawnigan Lake while staying in their summer cabins.
Several new residential developments have been built, both in the Shawnigan Lake area as well as in surrounding areas. The village of Shawnigan Lake itself contains two small general stores, three restaurants, several beaches and various small businesses including a barber, clothing store, video store, and a coffee shop. There is also a museum, run by the Shawnigan Lake Historical Society. Residents of Shawnigan Lake also have access to nearby communities such as Mill Bay and Langford and Duncan that offer more shopping, employment, and educational opportunities. With the exception of two private boarding schools, Shawnigan Lake School and Dwight International School (formerly Lakeside Preparatory Academy,on the site of Maxwell International School), and two small grad schools (one of which has been closed down as of mid-2006), all students from Shawnigan above grade six must travel by bus to either Duncan or Mill Bay.
Shawnigan Lake is located approximately 48 km (30 mi) north of Victoria, and borders the communities of Cobble Hill and Mill Bay. The main active railway on Vancouver Island, the E and N Railway (ex-CP Rail) serves the community with a twice daily (once northbound, and once southbound) passenger train service operated by Via Rail Canada. As of 2006 the Victoria – Courtenay train rarely stops in the village since service is of the flag stop type.[1]
The west end of Shawnigan Lake sits on an abandoned CN Rail line that was torn up in the 1980s. This line includes the historic Kinsol Trestle which stands as one of the world's largest wooden railway trestles, has been rehabilitated by the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD)along with the help of local residents, which included many fund raising efforts. It was opened to the public this summer (2011). The trestle will be a spectacular destination along the Trans-Canada Trail system, the provincial park (West Shawnigan Lake) adds a place to stop and picnic, or go for a swim on the route to and from the Trestle by car.
Originally a logging area, Shawnigan Lake's forestry industry closed in the mid twentieth century due to both the loss of the mill, which was destroyed by fire (for the third time) and the economy. Portions of the mill can still be seen in Shawnigan's Old Mill Park, a popular beach for swimming.
The village of Shawnigan Lake is located on the eastern shore of the lake and is a small shopping and service centre. The north end of the lake consists of a residential development (Shawnigan Beach Estates) as well as the area's only remaining elementary school, Discovery Elementary School. Elsie Miles Elementary, located within the village proper, was closed in mid-2006 due to age and declining enrollment. The north-west end of the village also includes many summer cabins and a large lakeside park. The south end of the lake is largely undeveloped, discounting the lakeshore itself, with scattered farmland and numerous hiking trails.
Shawnigan Lake has no significant parkland outside of the park noted above, a Provincial Park on the west side, and one small regional park in the village itself. Several beaches and small day-use areas are scattered around the lake, and a large island in the south end of the lake, dubbed 'Memory Island' in honor of two lake residents that were lost in World War II, is one such area.
Several water sports are popular during the summer on the lake. Wake boarding and wake skating have evolved into the most popular water sport with the majority of boats towing a wake board. There has been several complaints about the wakes from the wake boarding boats supposedly causing damage to the illegal man-made retaining walls along the shores. Wake boarding will continue to grow as a popular pastime for the water enthusiast.
[edit] Climate
| Climate data for Shawnigan Lake | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.5 (58.1) |
18.3 (64.9) |
22.2 (72.0) |
30 (86) |
33.9 (93.0) |
35.6 (96.1) |
37.2 (99.0) |
36.1 (97.0) |
33.5 (92.3) |
28.3 (82.9) |
20 (68) |
16 (61) |
37.2 (99.0) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 5.6 (42.1) |
7.4 (45.3) |
10 (50) |
13.2 (55.8) |
16.9 (62.4) |
19.6 (67.3) |
22.9 (73.2) |
23.1 (73.6) |
20.2 (68.4) |
14 (57) |
8.3 (46.9) |
5.6 (42.1) |
13.9 (57.0) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −0.3 (31.5) |
0.4 (32.7) |
1.4 (34.5) |
3.5 (38.3) |
6.8 (44.2) |
9.7 (49.5) |
11.7 (53.1) |
11.9 (53.4) |
9.2 (48.6) |
5.7 (42.3) |
2.4 (36.3) |
0.4 (32.7) |
5.2 (41.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −21.1 (−6.0) |
−16.7 (1.9) |
−11.7 (10.9) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
0 (32) |
3.9 (39.0) |
3.3 (37.9) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−15.6 (3.9) |
−15 (5) |
−21.1 (−6.0) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 198.3 (7.807) |
155.3 (6.114) |
120.2 (4.732) |
65.2 (2.567) |
48.7 (1.917) |
40.2 (1.583) |
24.7 (0.972) |
29.3 (1.154) |
37.6 (1.48) |
104.8 (4.126) |
214.6 (8.449) |
208.7 (8.217) |
1,247.6 (49.118) |
| Source: Environment Canada[2] | |||||||||||||
[edit] References
- ^ "Victoria-Courtenay train - Schedules". Via Rail. http://www.viarail.ca/en/trains/rockies-and-pacific/victoria-courtenay/schedules. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
- ^ Environment Canada—Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000, accessed 28 March 2010
[edit] External links
- BritishColumbia.com page (unofficial)
- Shxunutun's Tu Suleluxwtst: In the footsteps of our Ancestors -- Interim Strategic Land Plan for the Hul'quimi'num Core Traditional Territory, 2005
- Shawnigan Lake Business Association
- Shawnigan Lake Museum
- Shawnigan Residents Association
Coordinates: 48°39′13″N 123°37′23″W / 48.65361°N 123.62306°W
