The Regional District of Mount Waddington (RDMW) is a regional district in British Columbia. It takes in the lower Central Coast region centred on the Queen Charlotte Strait coast of northern Vancouver Island and the adjoining parts of mainland British Columbia.[3] It has a total land area of 20,288.4 km2 (7,833.4 sq mi) and a 2016 census population of 11,035 persons, most of which is in towns on Vancouver Island and adjoining islands. The administrative centre is in the town of Port McNeill. Other municipalities include the district municipality of Port Hardy, the village of Port Alice, and the village of Alert Bay.

Mount Waddington
Regional District of Mount Waddington
Mount Waddington
Mount Waddington
A map of British Columbia depicting its 29 regional districts and equivalent municipalities. One is highlighted in red.
Location in British Columbia
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
Administrative office locationPort McNeill
Government
 • TypeRegional district
 • BodyBoard of directors
 • ChairAndrew Hory (B)
 • Vice chairGaby Wickstrom (Port McNeill)
 • Electoral areas
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
Area
 • Land20,244.27 km2 (7,816.36 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)[2]
 • Total
11,035
 • Density0.545/km2 (1.41/sq mi)
Websitewww.rdmw.bc.ca Edit this at Wikidata

Demographics

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As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Regional District of Mount Waddington had a population of 10,839 living in 4,876 of its 5,743 total private dwellings, a change of -1.8% from its 2016 population of 11,035. With a land area of 20,186.47 km2 (7,794.04 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.5/km2 (1.4/sq mi) in 2021.[4]

Panethnic groups in the Mount Waddington Regional District (1996−2021)
Panethnic
group
2021[5] 2016[6] 2011[7] 2006[8] 2001[9] 1996[10]
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
European[a] 7,075 66.06% 7,070 65.04% 7,935 69.79% 8,530 73.41% 10,245 78.3% 11,545 79.13%
Indigenous 3,135 29.27% 3,340 30.73% 3,045 26.78% 2,730 23.49% 2,570 19.64% 2,460 16.86%
Southeast Asian[b] 150 1.4% 125 1.15% 130 1.14% 60 0.52% 50 0.38% 155 1.06%
East Asian[c] 145 1.35% 150 1.38% 55 0.48% 150 1.29% 120 0.92% 235 1.61%
South Asian 70 0.65% 25 0.23% 60 0.53% 40 0.34% 30 0.23% 40 0.27%
Middle Eastern[d] 20 0.19% 10 0.09% 0 0% 25 0.22% 0 0% 0 0%
Latin American 55 0.51% 55 0.51% 65 0.57% 30 0.26% 15 0.11% 40 0.27%
African 40 0.37% 80 0.74% 25 0.22% 30 0.26% 30 0.23% 70 0.48%
Other[e] 15 0.14% 15 0.14% 45 0.4% 20 0.17% 50 0.38% 35 0.24%
Total responses 10,710 98.81% 10,870 98.5% 11,370 98.82% 11,620 99.73% 13,085 99.8% 14,590 99.92%
Total population 10,839 100% 11,035 100% 11,506 100% 11,651 100% 13,111 100% 14,601 100%
  • Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses.

Municipalities

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Geography

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The region is named for Mount Waddington, which lies on its northeastern boundary and is the highest peak entirely within British Columbia (Fairweather Mountain, on the Alaska boundary, is the highest). Also within the regional district is Mount Silverthrone, the highest volcano in Canada, located in the remote Ha-Iltzuk Icefield. The eastern land boundary of the regional district is largely the divide of the Coast Mountains, inland from which is the Chilcotin District, which is part of the Cariboo Regional District. The northern land boundary with the Central Coast Regional District follows a watershed boundary, separating streams that flow into Queen Charlotte Sound north of Cape Caution from those that flow into the Sound to the south or that flow into Queen Charlotte Strait.

The RDMW is relatively underpopulated in comparison to other regional districts, due largely to the fact that most of its land area is rugged mountainscape or remote islands. Within its boundaries are the traditional territories of the Kwakwaka'wakw, who form a significant minority in the region and are the majority in many smaller communities. Band governments and reserve lands are not part of the governance system of the regional district, which is formed of the mayors of the towns and representatives from its electoral areas (though First Nations people living inside municipalities are eligible voters). Sointula, on Malcolm Island, is a historic Finnish Canadian settlement which began life as a cooperative; a similar Danish experiment at Cape Scott was a failure, although the Danish name Holberg remains in the area. Logging and fishing and associated transport and other services, in addition to tourism, are the mainstays of the economic life of the communities of the regional district.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
  2. ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
  3. ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
  4. ^ Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
  5. ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.

References

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Specific
  1. ^ "Contact Us - Directors". Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census divisions, 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (British Columbia)". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  3. ^ "Regional District of Mount Waddington". BC Geographical Names.
  4. ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and census divisions". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  5. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (October 26, 2022). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  6. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (October 27, 2021). "Census Profile, 2016 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  7. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (November 27, 2015). "NHS Profile". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  8. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (August 20, 2019). "2006 Community Profiles". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  9. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (July 2, 2019). "2001 Community Profiles". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  10. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (June 4, 2019). "Electronic Area Profiles Profile of Census Divisions and Subdivisions, 1996 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
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