The Cowichan Valley Regional District is one of 27 regional districts in British Columbia. It is comprised of nine electoral areas and four municipalities in the southern part of Vancouver Island. With a population of over 80,000 residents it covers a land area of 3,473.12 km².

A common question residents have is what services do the various levels of government provide. The Federal Government oversees areas of law and standards that generally affect the whole country - transportation safety, food safety, national defense, and banking. The Provincial Government oversees areas common to the province - health care, hunting and fishing, provincial court and energy production. The local level is governed by Regional and Municipal Governments.

Regional Governments provide services to both electoral areas and municipalities in the region. This includes solid waste management, emergency planning, economic development and regional parks. Services are also provided exclusively at an electoral level - land use planning, bylaw enforcement, fire protection as well as water and waste water systems.

To learn more about our services and service relationships between regional governments and other government partners review the PDF.