A Historic Municipality in BC Receives Dedicated Mailing Address

February 21, 2025 TruthUSA

Residents in B.C.’s fifth oldest municipality will soon have a unique mailing address recognized by Canada Post.

In 1873, the Municipality of North Cowichan became the fifth municipality incorporated in the province. However, in 1912, the city of Duncan became its own recognized municipality directly to the south. Since then, mail through Canada Post has been labeled with Duncan as its address.

That is set to change on March 17, according to North Cowichan officials.

The municipality announces that addresses within its jurisdiction previously labeled as Duncan will now be recognized as North Cowichan.

After trying for some time to have its municipality recognized in the postal service, North Cowichan recently received approval from Canada Post for this change.

“This change is an important step in strengthening North Cowichan’s identity and ensuring our community is recognized appropriately,” Mayor Rob Douglas said.

“For many years, residents and businesses – as well as many past Councils — have expressed a desire to have their mailing address reflect where they truly live, and we’re pleased that Canada Post has now made this possible.”

Mayor Douglas encouraged North Cowichan residents to be patient during this transition.

The change aims to clear up confusion among residents and businesses, particularly for those unsure of their municipality, according to the municipality, as it stated.

This change is expected to streamline service requests, voting in local elections, business licensing, and community engagement on municipal matters, the municipality added.

Only addresses currently using Duncan as their mailing address will be affected by the change, specified the municipality.

Addresses in North Cowichan using Crofton or Chemainus will remain unchanged and residents of those areas will continue using those community names in their mailing address.

Residents and businesses in the area are not required to take any action for the change to come into effect, although they are advised to update their addresses if necessary.

The municipality initiated this change as part of its 150th anniversary celebration in 2023.

North Cowichan was incorporated as the fifth municipality in the province on June 18, 1873, following the City of New Westminster (1860), the City of Victoria (1862), and the City of Chilliwack and the Township of Langley (both incorporated on April 26, 1873).

Encompassing 195 square kilometers, North Cowichan includes approximately 30 kilometers of oceanfront land along the east side of Vancouver Island.

The municipality’s population was 31,990 in 2021.

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