The Koksilah River () is a river on
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...
,
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, ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, flowing northeast to enter
Cowichan Bay
Cowichan Bay () is a bay and community located on the east coast of southern Vancouver Island near Duncan, in British Columbia. The mouth of the Cowichan River is near Cowichan Bay. Mount Tzouhalem and its hiking trails and ecological reserve sta ...
just southeast of the City of
Duncan. Part of the river is protected as
Koksilah River Provincial Park
Koksilah River Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada.
Location
Koksilah River Park is located 4 km west of Shawnigan Lake on southern Vancouver Island.
Activities
The park offers hiking, fishing, swimming, picnick ...
. It is the namesake of the community of
Koksilah, which is just southeast of Duncan.
Kinsol Trestle
The Kinsol Trestle, also known as the Koksilah River Trestle, is a wooden Rail transport, railway Trestle bridge, trestle located on Vancouver Island, north of Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia, Shawnigan Lake, in British Columbia, Canada. It ...
is built across the river.
Name origin
The name is derived from that of the ''Hwulqwselu'' people, one of the groups today represented by the
Cowichan Tribes
Cowichan Tribes ( hur, Quw’utsun) is the band government of the Cowichan, a group of Coast Salish peoples who live in the Cowichan Valley region on Vancouver Island. With over 3,800 registered members, it is the single largest First Nations ban ...
band government. Translated from ''xwilkw' sale'', a
Hunquminum
Halkomelem (; in the Upriver dialect, in the Island dialect, and in the Downriver dialect) is a language of various First Nations peoples of the British Columbia Coast. It is spoken in what is now British Columbia, ranging from southeastern ...
word translating as "place having snags", it is a reference to a
corral
A pen is an enclosure for holding livestock. It may also perhaps be used as a term for an enclosure for other animals such as pets that are unwanted inside the house. The term describes types of enclosures that may confine one or many animal ...
. A settler in the 1880s, Jonathan Elliott of Devonshire, had married the chief's daughter. As per native custom, others settled near him, prompted him to build a corral to keep them off. Remains of the corral remained and became the name of the community and people. Another version of the meaning, by a
Tzouhalem band member given in 1959, is "poling up the river".
BC Names entry "Koksilah River"
/ref>
See also
*List of rivers of British Columbia
The following is a partial list of rivers of British Columbia, organized by watershed. Some large creeks are included either because of size or historical importance
(See Alphabetical List of British Columbia rivers ). Also included are lakes th ...
References
Rivers of Vancouver Island
Cowichan Valley
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