Colwood

The small city of Colwood is located on Vancouver Island, southwest of the BC capital, Victoria. Colwood was incorporated in the year 1985, and now has a current population of around 15,000 people. The boundaries of Colwood City sit in the Victoria Census Metropolitan area or Capital Regional District. It is in a region called the Western Communities or the West Shore. In the Greater Victoria area, the city of Colwood is among the thirteen component municipalities.

The Hatley Castle is Colwood's best known landmark, together with the Fisgard Lighthouse. It is a Tudor Revival mansion and grounds that were originally constructed as a house for James Dunsmuir. He was Premier of British Columbia and later became Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. During the year 1940, the city of Colwood almost became the seat of the Commonwealth Crown. After the beginning of the second World War, the government planned to relocate King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, together with their children, Margaret and Queen Elizabeth to the castle for their protection. Eventually, they chose to stay within London and Windsor, close to the European front.

The estate was transferred to the Canadian Armed Forces. The place was then adapted for use as Royal Roads Military College, a naval training facility from 1941 until the middle of the 1990s. In the 90s, the military college was closed. The estate became the public Royal Roads University campus and this facility opened during 1995.

Surrounding the original residence is a featured Japanese garden and extensive formal gardens. These gardens and the Royal Roads University are further surrounded by an urban forest that features many of the elements found in all the biotic zones of Vancouver Island, except for coastal rain forest and alpine tundra. The campus area features a wildlife and bird sanctuary that borders on a saltwater lagoon. From the majority of locations of the grounds and the gardens, it is possible to gaze across the straits of Juan de Fuca towards the Olympic Mountains situated within the State of Washington.

Colwood was first established by the Hudson's Bay Company during the 1850s, as amongst 4 large farms to supply the increasing population of Fort Victoria. Colwood is now a thriving satellite city located within the largely residential section of the Western Communities. View Royal is the bordering town and the district of Metchosin is situated to the south and the district of Langford completes the border towards the west and the north.

Colwood is part of the West Shore municipalities, which likewise comprise Langford, Metcoshin, View Royal and the Highlands. All of these communities are situated west of Victoria. The West Shore area also called the Western Communities stretches along the shoreline of Juan de Fuca Strait, from Esquimalt Harbour to Rocky Point.

The community of Colwood has become among the fastest growing communities in the greater Victoria area, as the region offers a lot of recreational opportunities and numerous facilities.