Capital Regional District Explained

Capital
Official Name:Capital Regional District
Nickname:CRD
Motto:Making a difference...together
Settlement Type:Regional district
Seal Type:Logo
Image Map1:CAN BC Capital Regional District locator.svg
Map Caption1:Location in British Columbia
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Canada
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:British Columbia
Seat Type:Administrative office location
Seat:Victoria
Government Footnotes:[1]
Governing Body:Board of directors
Leader Title:Chair
Leader Name:Colin Plant (Saanich)
Leader Title1:Vice chair
Leader Name1:Maja Tait (Sooke)
Leader Title2:Electoral areas
Established Title:Incorporated[2]
Established Date:1966
Area Footnotes:[3]
Area Total Km2:2340.49
Population As Of:2021
Population Total:415451
Population Density Km2:177.7
Timezone:PST
Utc Offset:-8
Timezone Dst:PDT
Utc Offset Dst:-7
Area Code:250 / 778 / 236 / 672

The Capital Regional District (CRD) is a local government administrative district encompassing the southern tip of Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The CRD is one of several regional districts in British Columbia and had an official population of 415,451 as of the Canada 2021 Census.[4]

The CRD encompasses the thirteen municipalities of Greater Victoria and three unincorporated areas: Juan de Fuca Electoral Area on Vancouver Island, Salt Spring Island Electoral Area, and Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area. The CRD also acts as the local government for most purposes in the Electoral Areas. CRD headquarters is in the City of Victoria, although there are many office and operational facilities throughout the region. The total land area is 2341.11km².

The CRD was formed in 1966 as a federation of seven municipalities and five electoral areas to provide coordination of regional issues and local government in rural areas in the Greater Victoria region.[5]

Demographics

As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Capital Regional District had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 2338.22km2, it had a population density of in 2021.[6]

Ethnicity

Panethnic
group! colspan="2"
2021[7] 2016[8] 2011[9] 2006[10] 2001[11]
European320,205304,005297,865294,380284,025
East Asian23,41521,20516,27016,01513,900
Indigenous20,19517,88014,78011,3659,100
South Asian13,82510,2807,6207,3005,805
Southeast Asian12,4908,7006,2604,4103,085
African5,1753,5352,9752,3802,235
Latin American4,0152,6751,8851,8901,190
Middle Eastern3,5352,5751,7251,095690
Other3,2252,0101,6751,230685
Total responses406,080372,875351,060340,055320,710
Total population415,451383,360359,991345,164325,754

Political divisions

The CRD comprises the 13 municipalities of Greater Victoria, three electoral areas and 10 Indigenous reserves. The reserves have a relatively small portion of the population with 5,244 participating in the 2016 census. Some reserves did not participate; those that did are included in the population figures of the municipality or electoral area encompassing them, however the CRD regional government and local governments have no jurisdiction over reserves. Saanich and Victoria together have over 50 percent of the region's population.

Division[12] Census Subdivision type[13] Population
(2021)[14]
Population
(2016)
Change
(2016-2021)
SaanichDistrict municipality117,735114,1483.1%
VictoriaCity91,86785,7927.1%
LangfordCity46,58435,34231.8%
Oak BayDistrict municipality17,99018,094-0.6%
EsquimaltTown17,53317,655-0.7%
ColwoodCity18,96116,85912.5%
Central SaanichDistrict municipality17,38516,8143.4%
SookeDistrict municipality15,08613,00116.0%
SidneyTown12,31811,6725.5%
North SaanichDistrict municipality12,23511,2498.8%
View RoyalTown11,57510,40811.2%
MetchosinDistrict municipality5,0674,7087.6%
HighlandsDistrict municipality2,4822,22511.6%
Salt Spring IslandRegional district electoral area11,63510,55710.2%
Juan de FucaRegional district electoral area5,5314,86013.8%
Southern Gulf IslandsRegional district electoral area6,1014,73228.9%
Total Capital Regional District[15] 415,451383,3608.4%

Electoral Areas

Salt Spring Island Electoral Area

The Salt Spring Island Electoral Area of the Capital Regional District (CRD) of British Columbia consists of unincorporated areas in the CRD located on Salt Spring Island. It is represented by one director on the CRD.

The major localities encompassed by the electoral area are:

According to the Canada 2021 Census:

Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area

The Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area of the Capital Regional District (CRD) of British Columbia consists of unincorporated districts in the CRD located on Galiano, Saturna, Mayne, and North and South Pender Islands, as well as many smaller islands located in the Gulf of Georgia north and east of Victoria. It is previously known as the Outer Gulf Islands Electoral Area. Its population of 6,101 is represented by one director on the CRD.

The major localities encompassed by the electoral area are:

Juan de Fuca Electoral Area

The Juan de Fuca Electoral Area is an Electoral Area of the CRD.It consists of the District's unincorporated land on Vancouver Island, including the neighbourhood of Willis Point (Greater Victoria) on the Saanich Inlet, Malahat, on the western shore of Saanich Inlet, and the Western Communities localities of East Sooke, Jordan River, Otter Point, Shirley, Port Renfrew, inclusive of the First Nations reserves of Gordon River 2 and Pacheena 1, which are within its territory. Its population of 5,531 is represented by a single director of the CRD. The total land area is 1,502.24 km2 (580.0 sq mi). Population figures do not included residents of Indian Reserves, whether band members or non-indigenous persons.

Administrative role

The board of directors are either directly elected officials or are appointed from within the region's elected municipal councils.[5]

The CRD's responsibilities include recycling, operating the regional landfill, building and operating sewage treatment plants, a sewer source control program, regional water supply, funding for non-profit arts groups, regional planning, funding health facilities, and overseeing thirty regional parks, trails, and regional park reserves encompassing over 100 km2. The CRD is the sole shareholder of the Capital Region Housing Corporation, which owns and operates over 1200 rental housing units. In certain areas, the CRD can pass bylaws that are binding on a portion of the geographical area or the entire geographical area. These include a "clean air bylaw" smoking ban in all public places and patios in restaurants/pubs.

The CRD assumes responsibilities ordinarily undertaken by municipalities in unincorporated areas of the CRD. These responsibilities include animal control, building inspection, fire protection, and bylaw enforcement. Some of the region's municipalities avail themselves of some of these services in a contractual arrangement with the CRD.

Capital Regional Hospital District

The CRHD's primary responsibility is to provide the region's share of capital funding for the region's health facilities and equipment. The region's health care delivery is the responsibility of the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA). The CRHD shares the same Board of Directors with the CRD.[16]

See also

References

Specific
General

Notes and References

  1. Web site: CRD Board of Directors. 2019-07-09.
  2. Web site: What is CRD . . Capital Regional District . September 4, 2013 . March 23, 2017 .
  3. Web site: Census Profile, 2021 Census . . February 9, 2022 . 2021 Census . Statistics Canada . February 10, 2022 .
  4. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=capital&DGUIDlist=2021A000011124,2021A00035917&GENDERlist=1&STATISTIClist=1&HEADERlist=0Community Profile: Capital Regional District, British Columbia; Statistics Canada
  5. http://www.crd.bc.ca/about/index.htm CRD webpage
  6. Web site: Population and dwelling counts: Canada and census divisions . . February 9, 2022 . April 3, 2022.
  7. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2022-10-26 . Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population . 2023-01-14 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
  8. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2021-10-27 . Census Profile, 2016 Census . 2023-01-14 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
  9. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2015-11-27 . NHS Profile . 2023-01-14 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
  10. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2019-08-20 . 2006 Community Profiles . 2023-01-14 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
  11. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2019-07-02 . 2001 Community Profiles . 2023-01-14 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
  12. Web site: About the Region . September 4, 2013 . Capital Regional District . August 10, 2018.
  13. Web site: Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (British Columbia) . . February 8, 2018 . August 10, 2018.
  14. Web site: Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities) (British Columbia) . . February 9, 2022 . February 10, 2022.
  15. Web site: Capital, Regional district [Census division], British Columbia and Juan de Fuca (Part 1), Regional district electoral area [Census subdivision], British Columbia ]. . February 9, 2022 . February 10, 2022.
  16. Web site: 2013-10-07 . Capital Regional Hospital District . 2023-07-18 . www.crd.bc.ca . en.