Colwood is a city located on Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...

 to the southwest of Victoria

Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...

, capital of British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. Colwood was incorporated in 1985 and has a population of approximately 15,000 people. Colwood lies within the boundaries of the Victoria Census Metropolitan area or Capital Regional District, in a region called the Western Communities

Western Communities

The Western Communities or WestShore is a term used to describe the suburban municipalities of Colwood, Langford, Metchosin and The Highlands. Greater Langford and unincorporated districts west of Esquimalt Harbour and Portage Inlet, and south of the Malahat in the Capital Regional District ,...

, or the West Shore. It is one of the 13 component municipalities of Greater Victoria.

Colwood's best known landmark is Hatley Castle

Hatley Park National Historic Site

Hatley Park National Historic Site is located in Colwood, British Columbia in Greater Victoria. It is the site of Hatley Castle, a Classified Federal Heritage Building. Since 1995, the mansion and estate have been used for the public Royal Roads University...

, a Tudor Revival mansion and grounds originally built as a residence for James Dunsmuir

James Dunsmuir

James Dunsmuir was a British Columbian industrialist and politician. Son of Robert Dunsmuir, he was heir to his family's coal fortune. The Dunsmuir family dominated the province's economy in the late nineteenth century and were a leading force in opposing organized labour...

, Premier

Premier of British Columbia

The Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...

 and later Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia

The Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia is the viceregal representative in British Columbia of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared with equally the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest...

 of British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. Colwood almost became the seat of the Commonwealth Crown in 1940, when, after the start of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, the government planned to relocate King George VI

George VI of the United Kingdom

George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...

, Queen Elizabeth

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon

Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...

, and their children, Princesses Elizabeth

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...

 and Margaret

Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon

Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....

, to the castle for protection. But they decided to stay in London and Windsor, near the European front. The government transferred the estate to the Canadian Armed Forces. It adapted the site for use as Royal Roads Military College

Royal Roads Military College

Royal Roads Military College was a Canadian military college located in Hatley Park, Colwood, British Columbia near Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The facility is currently being used as the campus for Royal Roads University, a public university that offers applied and professional academic...

, a naval training facility from 1941-mid-1990s. The military college was closed in the 1990s, and the estate is now the campus of the public Royal Roads University

Royal Roads University

Royal Roads University is a public university located in Colwood, Greater Victoria, British Columbia, that describes itself as "Canada's University for Working Professionals".-Overview:...

, which opened in 1995. The original residence is surrounded by extensive formal gardens, including a featured Japanese garden.

The city has many regional amenities, including the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre, Bear Mountain Arena

Bear Mountain Arena

Bear Mountain Arena is in Colwood, British Columbia, Canada. The arena was built in 2004, has 2781 seats and houses year round events for both hockey and lacrosse. With an additional floor capacity of 860 people this premier spectator facility can hold any type of event, from trade shows to major...

, and the library facilities for the Western Communities. As it lies geographically to the south of Victoria, Colwood is western Canada

Western Canada

Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...

's southernmost city.

Neighbourhoods of Colwood

• Belmont Park
• Colwood Corners
• Esquimalt Lagoon
• Hatley Park
  Hatley Park (Greater Victoria)
  Hatley Park is a neighbourhood in Colwood, British Columbia. Named after Hatley Park National Historic Site, it is the home of Royal Roads University...
  
  
• Royal Roads
• Triangle Mountain
• Royal Bay
• Latoria Walk

Demographics

Colwood had a population of 14,687 people in 2006, which was an increase of 6.9% from the 2001 census count. The median household income in 2005 for Colwood was $68,798, which is above the British Columbia provincial average of $52,709.

Education

Colwood is a part of the School District 62 Sooke

School District 62 Sooke

School District 62 Sooke is a school district in British Columbia, Canada. It includes the suburbs of Victoria known as the Western Communities as well as the mostly rural areas around the sea-side villages of Sooke and Port Renfrew...

.
There are five elementary schools: John Stubbs (in Belmont Park),Colwood, David Cameron, Sangster, and Wishart. There are two middle schools: Dunsmuir and John Stubbs Memorial.
There is also one private elementary and middle school called Light House Christian Academy.

External links

• City of Colwood