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.
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 .
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.
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 , it had a population density of in 2021.
Ethnicity
The Capital Regional District (CRD) in British Columbia has a mostly European population , but it includes a diverse and growing mix of other ethnic groups. As of the 2021 Census, the approximate ethnic breakdown is as follows:
- European: 78.85%
- East Asian: 5.77%
- Indigenous (First Nations): 4.97%
- South Asian: 3.40%
- Southeast Asian: 3.08%
- African: 1.27%
- Latin American: 0.99%
- Middle Eastern: 0.87%
- Other: 0.79%
Results can sum to more than 100% because people may report multiple ethnic origins.
The visible minority population in the CRD, especially in Greater Victoria, is lower than the provincial average. In 2021, about 16.7% of Greater Victoria residents identified as visible minorities, compared to 34.4% in all of British Columbia. The largest visible minority groups in the region are Chinese (4.5%), South Asian (3.5%), and Filipino(2.2%).
{| class="wikitable collapsible sortable"
|+ Panethnic groups in the Capital Regional District (2001−2021)
! rowspan="2" |Panethnic<br>group
! colspan="2" |2021
! colspan="2" |2016
! colspan="2" |2011
! colspan="2" |2006
! colspan="2" |2001
|-
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
|-
| European
| 320,205
|
| 304,005
|
| 297,865
|
| 294,380
|
| 284,025
|
|-
| East Asian
| 23,415
|
| 21,205
|
| 16,270
|
| 16,015
|
| 13,900
|
|-
| Indigenous
| 20,195
|
| 17,880
|
| 14,780
|
| 11,365
|
| 9,100
|
|-
| South Asian
| 13,825
|
| 10,280
|
| 7,620
|
| 7,300
|
| 5,805
|
|-
| Southeast Asian
| 12,490
|
| 8,700
|
| 6,260
|
| 4,410
|
| 3,085
|
|-
| African
| 5,175
|
| 3,535
|
| 2,975
|
| 2,380
|
| 2,235
|
|-
| Latin American
| 4,015
|
| 2,675
|
| 1,885
|
| 1,890
|
| 1,190
|
|-
| Middle Eastern
| 3,535
|
| 2,575
|
| 1,725
|
| 1,095
|
| 690
|
|-
| Other
| 3,225
|
| 2,010
|
| 1,675
|
| 1,230
|
| 685
|
|-
! Total responses
! 406,080
!
! 372,875
!
! 351,060
!
! 340,055
!
! 320,710
!
|-
! Total population
! 415,451
!
! 383,360
!
! 359,991
!
! 345,164
!
! 325,754
!
|}
- Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses.
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.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right;"
|-
! style="width: 25%; text-align: center;" | Division
! style="width: 30%; text-align: center;" | Census Subdivision type
! style="text-align: right;" | Population <br>(2021)
! style="text-align: right;" | Population <br>(2016)
! style="text-align: right;" | Change <br>(2016-2021)
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | Saanich
| style="text-align: center;" | District municipality
|117,735
|114,148
|3.1%
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | Victoria
| style="text-align: center;" | City
|91,867
|85,792
|7.1%
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | Langford
| style="text-align: center;" | City
|46,584
|35,342
|31.8%
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | Oak Bay
| style="text-align: center;" | District municipality
|17,990
|18,094
| -0.6%
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | Esquimalt
| style="text-align: center;" | Town
|17,533
|17,655
| -0.7%
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | Colwood
| style="text-align: center;" | City
|18,961
|16,859
|12.5%
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | Central Saanich
| style="text-align: center;" | District municipality
|17,385
|16,814
|3.4%
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | Sooke
| style="text-align: center;" | District municipality
|15,086
|13,001
|16.0%
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | Sidney
| style="text-align: center;" | Town
|12,318
|11,672
|5.5%
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | North Saanich
| style="text-align: center;" | District municipality
|12,235
|11,249
|8.8%
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | View Royal
| style="text-align: center;" | Town
|11,575
|10,408
|11.2%
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | Metchosin
| style="text-align: center;" | District municipality
|5,067
|4,708
|7.6%
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | Highlands
| style="text-align: center;" | District municipality
|2,482
|2,225
|11.6%
|-
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | Salt Spring Island
| style="text-align: center;" | Regional district electoral area
|11,635
|10,557
|10.2%
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | Juan de Fuca
| style="text-align: center;" | Regional district electoral area
|5,531
|4,860
|13.8%
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | Southern Gulf Islands
| style="text-align: center;" | Regional district electoral area
|6,101
|4,732
|28.9%
|- class="sortbottom"
!colspan=2| Total Capital Regional District
! style="text-align: right;" | 415,451
! style="text-align: right;" | 383,360
! style="text-align: right;" | 8.4%
|}
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:
- Ganges
- Fulford Harbour
- Vesuvius Bay
- Long Harbour
- Beaver Point
- Musgrave Landing
According to the Canada 2021 Census:
- Population: 11,635
- % Change (2016-2021): 28.9
- Area (km².): 182.23
- Density (persons per km².): 63.8
Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area
thumb|Southern Gulf Islands (British Columbia) in the [[Strait of Georgia]]
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:
- Bedwell Harbour (South Pender Island)
- Montague Harbour (Galiano Island)
- Otter Bay (North Pender Island)
- Saturna (Saturna Island)
- Sturdies Bay (Galiano Island)
- Village Bay (Mayne Island)
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 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 km<sup>2</sup> (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.
Gallery
See also
- Metro Vancouver Regional District
- Greater Victoria
- Gulf Islands
Notes
References
;Specific
;General
- Community Profile: Capital H (Part 1), Regional District Electoral Area, British Columbia; Statistics Canada
- Community Profile: Capital H (Part 2), Regional District Electoral Area, British Columbia; Statistics Canada
- Interactive map of the Capital Regional District; British Columbia Statistics