Metchosin - About our Community

Metchosin, British Columbia

Metchosin is located on the southern coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, a quick twenty minute drive from the capital city Victoria. It has a population of just under 5,000 on approximately 30 square miles of rural farmland and second-growth forests, bordered by the Strait of Juan de Fuca on its southern side.

Metchosin is a rural community of wide open spaces, pastoral countryside and bountiful farmland and was first inhabited by Coast Salish peoples. Metchosin, or Smets-shosin as it is called in the Native Coast Salish language, was incorporated in 1984.

The heart of Metchosin is at the Village Centre, where Happy Valley Road and Metchosin Road intersect and a few stores, a restaurant and a school are located.

Metchosin is one of the West Shore municipalities of Langford, Colwood, View Royal and the Highlands, located to the west of Victoria. This region is known as the Western Communities, or West Shore, and stretches from Esquimalt Harbour to Rocky Point, along the shoreline of Juan de Fuca Strait.

The District of Metchosin is a nature lover's paradise with miles of pristine hiking trails, beautiful pebble beaches, and marsh-like areas for for bird watching. Native petroglyphs can be found in East Sooke Park and local marinas have docking sites for pleasure sailing and fishing boats. Also hike or bike the famous Galloping Goose Trail which starts in Victoria and continues through Colwood and Langford to Metchosin and on to Sooke and Leechtown. Witty's Lagoon is a much studied wetland area and a unique ecosystem that is a tourist draw in all seasons.

A number of artists, carvers, potters and other artisans reside in the area. There is a strong sense of community, in this small, rural village, serviced by small-business facilities.

Metchosin is home of Pearson College, one of the United World Colleges, and the Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts.