British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
is the
third-most populous province in Canada, with 5,000,879 residents as of 2021, and is the
second-largest in land area, at .
British Columbia's 161 municipalities cover only of the province's land mass yet are home to of its population. A
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
is a
local government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
incorporated by the province allowing a community to govern itself and to provide and regulate local services. These services typically include, but are not limited to, the provision of drinking water, sewers, roads, fire protection, street lights, garbage/recycling collection, land use planning, building inspection, and parks.
Within their limited jurisdictions, municipalities are
autonomous,
responsible and
accountable to their citizens and to the province. Their powers and responsibilities are regulated through the ''Local Government Act'', the Community Charter, and, in the case of
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, the
Vancouver Charter
The Vancouver Charter is a provincial statute that incorporates the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The legislation was passed in 1953 and supersedes the ''Vancouver Incorporation Act, 1921''. It grants the city different powers tha ...
. They have the power of a natural person, the power to expropriate, and the power to establish and enforce
bylaw
A by-law (bye-law, by(e)law, by(e) law), or as it is most commonly known in the United States bylaws, is a set of rules or law established by an organization or community so as to regulate itself, as allowed or provided for by some higher authorit ...
s. They are able to raise funds through
property tax
A property tax or millage rate is an ad valorem tax on the value of a property.In the OECD classification scheme, tax on property includes "taxes on immovable property or net wealth, taxes on the change of ownership of property through inheri ...
es and user fees, and borrow a limited amount through the Municipal Finance Authority of British Columbia to pay for capital costs.
Municipalities are governed by a mayor and council who are democratically elected every 4 years on the third Saturday in October. The
most recent election took place on October 20, 2018; the next election will take place on October 15, 2022. Each municipality is a member of a regional district to which their councils elect representatives. The board of directors of the regional district is used as a forum to discuss regional issues.
To become a municipality, a community, with the assistance of the provincial Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, defines its borders and holds a referendum on the issue. If successful the
Cabinet of British Columbia
The Executive Council of British Columbia (the Cabinet) is the Cabinet of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Almost always composed of members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, the Cabinet is similar in structure and role ...
issues a
letters patent
Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...
incorporating the community. Part 2 of the ''Local Government Act'' sets out a classification scheme that gives each new municipality a designation. If the population is fewer than 2,500 people the new municipality is designated a ''village'', if between 2,500 and 5,000 a ''town'', and if greater than 5,000 a ''city''. If the new municipality has an area greater than and an average population density of fewer than 5 persons per hectare then is it designated a ''district municipality''. The municipality must request change in designation but is not compelled to do so, despite population growth or loss –
Greenwood Green wood is unseasoned wood.
Greenwood or Green wood may also refer to:
People
* Greenwood (surname)
Settlements
Australia
* Greenwood, Queensland, a locality in the Toowoomba Region
* Greenwood, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth
C ...
has retained its city status, for example, rather than relinquishing it as other boomtowns of its era have done. There is no longer any legal difference between the designations.
Cities
A city is a classification of municipalities used in British Columbia.
British Columbia's lieutenant governor may incorporate a community as a city by
letters patent
Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...
, on the recommendation of the Minister of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development, if its population is greater than 5,000 and the outcome of a vote involving affected residents was that greater than 50 percent voted in favour of the proposed incorporation.
British Columbia has 52 cities,
had a cumulative population of 3,630,140 in the
2021 census. British Columbia's largest and smallest cities are Vancouver and
Greenwood Green wood is unseasoned wood.
Greenwood or Green wood may also refer to:
People
* Greenwood (surname)
Settlements
Australia
* Greenwood, Queensland, a locality in the Toowoomba Region
* Greenwood, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth
C ...
with populations of 662,248 and 702 respectively.
The fastest-growing city in British Columbia is
Langford, which grew 31.8 percent between 2016 and 2021, while the fastest-shrinking is
Merritt, which shrunk by 1.2 percent.
The largest city by land area is
Abbotsford, which spans , while the smallest is
Duncan
Duncan may refer to:
People
* Duncan (given name), various people
* Duncan (surname), various people
* Clan Duncan
* Justice Duncan (disambiguation)
Places
* Duncan Creek (disambiguation)
* Duncan River (disambiguation)
* Duncan Lake (d ...
, at .
The first community to incorporate as a city was
New Westminster on July 16, 1860,
while the most recent community to incorporate as a city was
Mission on March 29, 2021.
District municipalities
A
district municipality
A district municipality is a designation for a class of municipalities found in several locations, including Canada, Lithuania, and South Africa.
Canada British Columbia
Under provincial law, municipalities in British Columbia are to be desig ...
is a classification of municipalities used in British Columbia. British Columbia's lieutenant governor 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 and has a population density of fewer than 5 people per hectare, and the outcome of a vote involving affected residents was that greater than 50 percent voted in favour of the proposed incorporation.
British Columbia has 49 district municipalities
that had a cumulative population of 669,454 in the 2021 Census.
British Columbia's largest and smallest district municipalities are
Langley Langley may refer to:
People
* Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name
* Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer
* Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perfor ...
and
Wells
Wells most commonly refers to:
* Wells, Somerset, a cathedral city in Somerset, England
* Well, an excavation or structure created in the ground
* Wells (name)
Wells may also refer to:
Places Canada
*Wells, British Columbia
England
* Wells ...
with populations of 132,603 and 218 respectively.
The fastest-growing district municipality in British Columbia is
Stewart, which grew 28.9 percent between 2016 and 2021, while the fastest-shrinking is the
Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, which declined by 18.8 percent.
Of British Columbia's current 49 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.
Although portrayed as a
regional municipality
A regional municipality (or region) is a type of Municipal government in Canada, Canadian municipal government similar to and at the same municipality, municipal local government, government level as a county, although the specific structure an ...
in its official name, the NRRM is actually classified as a district municipality.
Indian government districts
The lone ''Indian government district'' was granted by the federal ''Sechelt Indian Band Self-Government Act'' and provincial ''Sechelt Indian Government District Enabling Act'' to the
Sechelt Indian Government District
Sechelt Indian Government District is a municipality in the Sunshine Coast region of southwest British Columbia, Canada. It was incorporated on March 17, 1988. The district consists of 33 separate pieces of land, of which 32 are located within ...
which governs the
Sechelt Indian Band The Sechelt Indian Band, also known as the shishalh first nation, is a First Nations band government located in the southern Sunshine Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. They were an early signatory with the BC government on land claims, an ...
lands consisting of 33 former Indian reserves.
Island municipalities
If the community wishing to incorporate is located within a trust area under the
Island Trust Act, it must incorporate as an island municipality. A single ''island municipality'' designation has been granted to
Bowen Island.
Mountain resort municipalities
A ''mountain resort municipality'' designation is granted by the Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development through the Local Government Act if there exists alpine ski lift operations, year-round recreational facilities, and commercial overnight accommodations. British Columbia's lone mountain resort municipality is
Sun Peaks
Sun Peaks Resort is an alpine ski resort located in Sun Peaks, British Columbia, Canada, northeast of Kamloops.
The summit of the ski area is at an elevation of , with an vertical rise from the base of the peak. The resort has of skiable te ...
.
Resort municipalities
A single ''resort municipality'' designation has been granted to
Whistler by the Resort Municipality of Whistler Act.
Towns
A town is a classification of municipalities used in British Columbia. British Columbia's lieutenant governor may incorporate a community as a town by letters patent, under the recommendation of the Minister of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development, if its population is greater than 2,500 but not greater than 5,000 and the outcome of a vote involving affected residents was that greater than 50 percent voted in favour of the proposed incorporation.
British Columbia has 14 towns
that had a cumulative population of 95,922 in the
2021 census.
British Columbia's largest and smallest towns are
Comox and
Port McNeill
Port McNeill is a town in the North Island region of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada with a population of 2,356 (2021). Located on Vancouver Island's north-east shore on Queen Charlotte Strait, it was originally a base camp for logger ...
with populations of 14,806 and 2,356 respectively.
View Royal
View Royal is a town in Greater Victoria and a member municipality of the Capital Regional District of British Columbia, Canada. View Royal has a population of 10,858 residents. With over of parkland, View Royal includes Thetis, McKenzie, Pike a ...
and
Smithers
Smithers is a surname of English origin. It derives from the Middle English term "smyther", referring to a metalsmith, and is thus related to the common occupational surname Smith. The name Smither is related.
People
*Alan Smithers (born 1938), ...
are the fastest-growing and fastest-shrinking towns in the province, growing by 11.2 percent and shrinking by 0.4 percent respectively between 2016 and 2021.
Of British Columbia's current 14 towns, the first to incorporate as a town was
Ladysmith on June 3, 1904, while the most recent community to incorporate as a town was
View Royal
View Royal is a town in Greater Victoria and a member municipality of the Capital Regional District of British Columbia, Canada. View Royal has a population of 10,858 residents. With over of parkland, View Royal includes Thetis, McKenzie, Pike a ...
on December 5, 1988.
Villages
A village is a classification of municipalities used in British Columbia. British Columbia's lieutenant governor may incorporate a community as a village by letters patent, on the recommendation of the Minister of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development, if its population is not greater than 2,500 and the outcome of a vote involving affected residents was that greater than 50 percent voted in favour of the proposed incorporation.
British Columbia has 42 villages
that had a cumulative population of 48,511 in the
2021 census.
British Columbia's largest and smallest villages are
Cumberland
Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...
and
Zeballos with populations of 4,447 and 126 respectively.
Radium Hot Springs and
Silverton are the fastest-growing and fastest-shrinking villages in the province, growing by 72.6 percent and shrinking by 23.6 percent respectively between 2016 and 2021.
Of British Columbia's current 42 villages, the first to incorporate as a village was
Kaslo on August 14, 1893, while the most recent community to incorporate as a village was
Queen Charlotte on December 5, 2005.
List of municipalities
Former municipalities
Communities in British Columbia that once held their own municipal status include
Aennofield,
Alberni,
Brocklehurst,
Chapman Camp,
Columbia,
Cranberry Lake
Cranberry Lake is a lake on the East branch of the Oswegatchie River in the Adirondack Park in New York in the United States. It is the third largest lake in the Adirondack Park (after Lake George and the Great Sacandaga Lake). About 75 percent ...
,
Dewdney,
Dufferin,
Fort Nelson Fort Nelson may refer to:
Canada
*Fort Nelson, British Columbia, a town
*Fort Nelson River, British Columbia
* Fort Nelson (Manitoba) (1670–1713), an early fur trading post at the mouth of the Nelson River and the first headquarters of the Hudson ...
,
Fraser Mills
Fraser Mills was a municipality in British Columbia on the north bank of the Fraser River, incorporated in 1913, but since amalgamated with the City of Coquitlam.
History
Located on the northern shore of the Fraser River, the area was originally ...
,
Glenmore,
Guisachan
Glen Affric ( gd, Gleann Afraig) is a glen south-west of the village of Cannich in the Highland region of Scotland, some west of Loch Ness. The River Affric runs along its length, passing through Loch Affric and Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin. A mino ...
,
Kinnaird
Kinnaird is originally a Scottish Gaelic topographical term, ''ceann ard'', meaning "high headland".
Kinnaird may refer to:
Places Canada
* Kinnaird, British Columbia, a neighbourhood in Castlegar, British Columbia
Scotland
* Kinnaird, Angus, v ...
,
Marysville,
Matsqui Matsqui is a former district municipality in British Columbia, Canada. It was incorporated in 1892 and merged with the district municipality of Abbotsford in 1995 to create the new City of Abbotsford. Matsqui used to be the western part of what is ...
,
Mission City,
Natal,
Nicomen Island,
North Kamloops
North Kamloops is a neighbourhood and former town located in the City of Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. It is located immediately to the northwest of Downtown Kamloops across the confluence of the North and South Thompson Rivers. In 2016, N ...
,
Phoenix,
Point Grey
Point Grey ( Squamish: Elḵsn) is a headland marking the southern entrance to English Bay and Burrard Inlet. The headland is the site of Wreck Beach, Tower Beach, Point Grey Beach and most notably, since 1925, on its top is the Point Grey Campu ...
,
Sandon,
South Fort George
South Fort George is a suburb of Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
Before the arrival of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in 1914, the Prince George area was known as Fort George and was a Lheidli T'enneh village and Hudson's Bay Company sto ...
,
South Vancouver,
Sumas
Sumas () is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It had a population of 1,307 as of the 2010 census. Sumas is located adjacent to the Canada–U.S. border and borders the city of Abbotsford, British Columbia. The Sumas-Huntingd ...
,
Tadanac,
Valleyview and
Westview.
The majority of these former municipalities ceased to exist as a result of amalgamation with or annexation by another municipality.
Others, such as Phoenix and Sandon,
were dissolved from their municipal status as a result of population decline, while Dewdney dissolved due to financial reasons.
The
Jumbo Glacier Mountain Resort Municipality was dissolved in 2021.
See also
*
List of designated places in British Columbia
A designated place is a type of geographic unit used by Statistics Canada to disseminate census data. It is usually "a small community that does not meet the criteria used to define incorporated municipalities or Statistics Canada population ce ...
*
List of Haida villages
This is a ''list of '' Haida villages, located in Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands) and Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. The following list includes material from John R. Swanton's ''The Indian Tribes of North America'', publ. 19 ...
*
List of population centres in British Columbia
A population centre, in Canadian census data, is a populated place, or a cluster of interrelated populated places, which meets the demographic characteristics of an urban area, having a population of at least 1,000 people and a population density ...
Notes
References
External links
Local Government Department HistoryManaging Changes to Local Government Structure in British Columbia: A Review and Program GuideMinistry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development
{{Featured list
Municipalities B
*