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
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 ...
used in the
Canadian province
Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...
of
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, ...
. British Columbia's
Lieutenant Governor in Council
The King-in-Council or the Queen-in-Council, depending on the gender of the reigning monarch, is a constitutional term in a number of states. In a general sense, it would mean the monarch exercising executive authority, usually in the form of ap ...
may incorporate a community as a district municipality 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 ...
, under the recommendation of the Minister of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development, if the area is greater than 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.
British Columbia has 50 district municipalities
[ British Columbia's largest and smallest district municipalities are Saanich 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 109,752 and 245 respectively.[
Of British Columbia's 50 district municipalities, the first to incorporate as a district municipality was ]North Cowichan
North Cowichan (Canada 2021 Census population 31,990) is a district municipality established in 1873 on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. The municipality is part of the Cowichan Valley Regional District. North Cowichan is noted for ...
on June 18, 1873, while the most recent community to incorporate as a district municipality was the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality
The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (NRRM), formerly the Northern Rockies Regional District (NRRD), and before that the Fort Nelson–Liard Regional District, is a municipality in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. Although portrayed ...
(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 name, the NRRM is classified as a district municipality.[
]
List
''Notes:''
Former district municipalities
*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 ...
*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 ...
See also
*List of communities in British Columbia
Communities in the province of British Columbia, Canada can include incorporated municipalities, Indian reserves, unincorporated communities or localities. Unincorporated communities can be further classified as recreational or urban.
Indian ...
*List of municipalities in British Columbia
British Columbia 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 ho ...
**List of cities in British Columbia
A city is a classification of List of municipalities in British Columbia#Municipalities, municipalities used in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia. British Columbia's Lieutenant Governor in Council may ...
**List of towns in British Columbia
A town is a classification of municipalities used in the Canadian province of British Columbia. British Columbia's Lieutenant Governor in Council may incorporate a community as a town by letters patent, under the recommendation of the Minister of ...
**List of villages in British Columbia
A village is a classification of municipalities used in the Canadian province of British Columbia. British Columbia's Lieutenant Governor in Council may incorporate a community as a village by letters patent, under the recommendation of the Min ...
* List of regional districts in British Columbia
The Canadian province of British Columbia is divided into regional districts as a means to better enable municipalities and rural areas to work together at a regional level.
History
Regional districts came into being via an order of governmen ...
References
{{Subdivisions of British Columbia, city=yes, town=yes, village=yes, district=yes
*
district municipalities B