North Cowichan: Highway 1 about 5 km north of Duncan at Herd Road/Cowichan Valley Highway, looking north

North Cowichan is known across British Columbia for Chemainus, where dozens of large outdoor murals turn building walls into an open-air account of local life. The municipality occupies a varied stretch of southeastern Vancouver Island, from the Cowichan River and its estuary near Cowichan Bay to wooded slopes around Mount Tzouhalem and the shoreline facing the Salish Sea. Chemainus developed as a mill town, and its mural program, launched in the 1980s, remains its best-known cultural signature. Crofton and Maple Bay add working waterfronts and marinas to an area shaped by forestry, farming, and coastal travel. Continue with other webcams from the area to see how this part of Vancouver Island connects regionally.

British Columbia has served as Canada’s Pacific frontier since joining Confederation in 1871. This vast western province extends from the Pacific coast across the Coast Mountains and interior plateaus to the Canadian Rockies; these coordinates lie in its sparsely settled northern interior. The Fraser, British Columbia’s longest river, drains a large part of the province before reaching the Strait of Georgia. First Nations have shaped these lands for millennia, and their living cultures remain integral to communities throughout the province. Victoria, on Vancouver Island, is the provincial capital, while Vancouver is its largest city and a major Pacific port. Forestry, mining, fisheries and outdoor travel all reflect a terrain where waterways and mountain corridors matter. View additional webcams nearby to better understand how British Columbia’s northern interior relates to its Pacific coast and mountain ranges.

Canada has served as a frontier between French and British colonial powers since the 17th century. The world’s second-largest country extends from Atlantic shores to the Pacific and Arctic coasts, with the Canadian Shield, the Rocky Mountains, the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River shaping its vast geography. First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples are central to Canada’s identity, while Ottawa’s Parliament Hill represents its federal political life. French remains the official language of Quebec, adding a distinct dimension to the country’s public culture. See how Canada connects across North America by browsing webcams in neighbouring regions.