Electoral Area B, qathetBritish Columbia

The town, home to 1,714 people, lies in British Columbia. The population grew 8% between 2016 and 2021.

3 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain

Population

1,714

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

55%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Electoral Area B, qathet a good place to live?

Residents are healthier than most (A+). Prices are high against local incomes (D). It lags on walkability as well (C−). Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for safety, B− for jobs & income and C+ for hazard risk.

An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Electoral Area B, qathet has its subject grades alone.

Safety less sure: no police service names this town, so its crime figure is the nearest police detachment's, shared with a wider area. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestA⁺HealthWeakestDCost of living C⁻Walkability

How Electoral Area B, qathet grades

Each subject compares Electoral Area B, qathet with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.

How grading works

An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Electoral Area B, qathet has its subject grades alone.

HealthIn the top fifth of the towns comparedA⁺Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnDOpen →WalkabilityMost errands need a carC⁻Open →SchoolsBelow the middle of the towns comparedCOpen →Hazard riskNear typical for the towns comparedC⁺Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workB⁻Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Electoral Area B, qathet stand out

The 3 things Electoral Area B, qathet does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Health

Better than 99%

of Canadian towns on health

Its health grade: A+.

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

8 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $520,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

32% are 65 or over

Where the typical figure for Canadian towns is 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Electoral Area B, qathet.

HealthHealth A⁺

Electoral Area B, qathet scores better for health than almost every Canadian town

59%very good or excellent healthA⁺Health Grade

At 6.5%, the share of adults who smoke sits under the 8.9% for British Columbia. The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average just over one in ten adults, below British Columbia’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (17%) alike. Across the region, 59% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; British Columbia as a whole manages 50%. Women in the region live to 86.3 and men to 82.3, 84.3 years taken together (2022/2024). Nobody publishes health survey and life expectancy for Electoral Area B, qathet alone, so this card uses the figure for the North Shore/Coast Garibaldi Health Service Delivery Area.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Electoral Area B, qathet59%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Electoral Area B, qathet	British Columbia	Canada
Very good or excellent health	59%	50%	52%
Chronic conditions (average share)	12%	15%	17%
Life expectancy at birth	84.3	81.0	81.5
Smokers	6.5%	9%	12%

84.3

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

6.3 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

6.5%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

4.9 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageElectoral Area B, qathet’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey59% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care6.3 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 4.9 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 86.3, men 82.3 Conditions and habits12% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

HousingCost of living D

More households own their home in Electoral Area B, qathet than in British Columbia’s towns or across Canadian towns: 86%

$520,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

Shelter took 30% or more of income for 14% of households, below both British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). Rent took 22% of household income, lower than British Columbia’s towns (24%) yet higher than Canadian towns (20%). Electoral Area B, qathet shares its rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom numbers with the rest of the Powell River metro area.

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Electoral Area B, qathet$520,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Electoral Area B, qathet	British Columbia	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	14%	21%	18%
Households owning their home	86%	76%	74%
Rent as a share of income	22%	24%	20%

$1,182

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$492

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageElectoral Area B, qathet’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters86% own their home Cost of living8 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $520,000, against the median household income Renting$1,182 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020.

Climate

Winters are mild in Electoral Area B, qathet: January nights hold at 1.5°C, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

23.1°CJuly afternoons

Electoral Area B, qathet sees July afternoons of 23.1°C on average. The thermometer drops below freezing on 46 days a year, below British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159) alike. Gardeners get 218 frost-free days, from 1 April to 6 November. Most of the snow comes in December, about 17 cm.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter6.6°C

Spring13.2°C

Summer22.0°C

Autumn13.6°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Electoral Area B, qathet	British Columbia	Canada
Days with frost a year	46	60	159
January night low	1.5°C	0.5°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	23.1°C	23.1°C	25.5°C
Snowfall a year	51 cm	51 cm	141 cm

51 cm

of snow a year

days with frost a year

218

frost-free days, 1 Apr to 6 Nov

131

days with precipitation a year

Full pageElectoral Area B, qathet’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 23.1°C, January lows 1.5°C Rain and snow1,152 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow51 cm of snow a year Weather station31 km to the station · Comox

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Comox)

SchoolsSchools C

Around Electoral Area B, qathet, 2 schools of 12 teach in French

12schools within 3 kmCSchools Grade

Results are mixed: 2 of 9 schools above the middle in British Columbia, 3 below it. Its 3 km reach takes in 6 elementary schools, 1 secondary school, 2 schools for every grade and 3 alternative or adult schools, all of Electoral Area B, qathet’s schooling. Young children have 2.5 km to the nearest elementary school, above British Columbia’s towns (0.6 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km) alike.

School	Level	Students	System
Edgehill Elementary Fourth fifth in British ColumbiaNearest elementary school, 0.5 kmElementary	Elementary	–	English public
Powell River Christian School IndependentNearest secondary school, 1 kmAll grades	All grades	–	Independent
Cote-du-Soleil FrenchTeaches in FrenchAll grades	All grades	–	French public

See all 12 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public8

Independent2

French public2

Schools within 3 km	Electoral Area B, qathet	British Columbia	Canada
School boards	2	2	3
Nearest elementary school	2.5 km	0.6 km	0.5 km

2.5 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageElectoral Area B, qathet’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Language2 of 12 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia Every school12 schools within 3 km · 6 elementary schools, 1 secondary school, 2 schools for every grade and 3 alternative or adult schools Results2 of 9 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia The boards2 school boards · SD 47 qathet Questions“What schools are there in Electoral Area B, qathet?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

Who lives here

Older than 98% of Canadian towns: half of Electoral Area B, qathet is over 58

58median age

Just over one in ten residents came to Canada as immigrants, below British Columbia’s towns (12%) but above Canadian towns (6.4%). Visible minorities make up 1.5% of the population, below both British Columbia’s towns (8.6%) and Canadian towns (15%).

Electoral Area B, qathetBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

32%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree13%

Postsecondary qualification55%

Women and men · all residents

50.5% of Electoral Area B, qathet’s residents are women

Here the census found 825 men and 840 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.

Who lives in Electoral Area B, qathet
	Electoral Area B, qathet	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	11%	14%	16%
15 to 64	57%	64%	64%
65+	32%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	13%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	55%	56%	56%

Full pageElectoral Area B, qathet’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages58 median age · 32% are 65 or over Households760 households · 2.2 people per household Immigrants11% are immigrants · 2% belong to a visible minority English and French5% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; British Columbia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁺

Electoral Area B, qathet’s hazards at a glance: a low wildfire record and 2.5% of area homes over the radon guideline

Lowwildfire bandC⁺Hazard risk Grade

Earthquakes add more: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.22 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. The national flood inventory has no study for Electoral Area B, qathet.

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Electoral Area B, qathet2.5%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Electoral Area B, qathet	British Columbia	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.22	$0.36	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	2.5%	1.8%	6.6%

$0.22

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

Low

wildfire band

Full pageElectoral Area B, qathet’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon2.5% of tests above the guideline WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.22 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Radon tests: one figure for all of the North Shore/Coast Garibaldi health region

Weather

In Electoral Area B, qathet, November normally means 9°C afternoons and 3°C nights

9°Ca normal November afternoon

A normal November brings 189 mm of rain and snow. ECCC’s forecast for Powell River is on the Weather page, hour by hour.

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November9°C

December6°C

January6°C

February7°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	7°C	1°C	483 mm
Spring	13°C	5°C	212 mm
Summer	22°C	13°C	97 mm
Autumn	14°C	7°C	361 mm

3°C

a normal November night

189 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageElectoral Area B, qathet’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest February

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Comox); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Electoral Area B, qathet’s MP is Aaron Gunn (Conservative Party of Canada), for North Island—Powell River

Across British Columbia, 20 of the 43 MPs sit with the Liberal Party of Canada.

Full pageElectoral Area B, qathet’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itRegional District Electoral Area Provincial legislaturePowell River-Sunshine Coast

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A

Electoral Area B, qathet has no public library of its own; the nearest is Powell River Public Library, 4.1 km away

After it comes Powell River Public Library (Powell River), 5 km away.

Full pageElectoral Area B, qathet’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Work & commuteJobs & income B⁻

Trips to work from Electoral Area B, qathet are shorter than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 16 min on average

4%walk, cycle or take transit

The car carried 92% of commuters at the census.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van92%

Walk4%

Census 2021	Electoral Area B, qathet	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	16 min	26 min	26 min
Car or van	92%	87%	89%

$66,000

median household income, 2020

15%

worked from home, May 2021

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageElectoral Area B, qathet’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment5.4% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work4% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to380 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Powell River

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.

Outdoors

Walk from Electoral Area B, qathet: 17 mapped routes

5.2%of the land within 10 km protected

Some protected land is inside the town: just over a fifth of its area. No national park lies within 100 km. Within 5 km are 12 beaches; Mahoods Beach is the nearest. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 5.2% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Electoral Area B, qathet5.2%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Electoral Area B, qathet	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	5.2%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	4	14	4

At the edge

to Inland Lake Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageElectoral Area B, qathet’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Footpaths & routes17 named routes · Sunshine Coast Trail Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas5 protected areas within 10 km · Inland Lake Park National & provincial parksAt the edge to a provincial park · Inland Lake Park

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

SafetySafety B⁻

Electoral Area B, qathet is graded a B− for safety

65Crime Severity Index

No police detachment reports under Electoral Area B, qathet’s name, so these are the nearest detachment’s figures, not the town’s own

Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 65 over 2023–25, lower than British Columbia’s towns (83) and near Canadian towns (67). Violent crime in the area its police cover: 14.6 per 1,000 people a year. The force’s area logs 24.6 thefts, break-ins and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202371

202476

202548

2023–2025	Electoral Area B, qathet	British Columbia	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	24.6	31	31.2
Violent Crime Severity Index	97	76	86
Crime Severity Index	65	83	67
Violent crime	14.6	12.5	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

34%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageElectoral Area B, qathet’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety65 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Electoral Area B, qathet’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Electoral Area B, qathet safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Data for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 covers the Powell River detachment area

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Electoral Area B, qathet

15pages on Electoral Area B, qathet

The big questions

SafetyB⁻Crime Severity Index 65 Housing & costDHomes 8 × income Property pricesSchoolsC12 schools within 3 km HealthA⁺Life expectancy 84.3 in its region Work & commuteB⁻48% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors5.2% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 23°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 58 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Qathet Museum and Archives Society and 3 more in and around Electoral Area B, qathet

Sights in Electoral Area B, qathet and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.

All attractions →

MuseumMuseumQathet Museum and Archives Society1.9 km outside town, to the north MuseumMuseumForestry Building1.9 km outside town, to the north MuseumMuseumTownsite Heritage Society2.2 km outside town, to the north MuseumMuseumPowell River Historical Museum & Archives Association1.7 km outside town, to the north

Famous people from around Electoral Area B, qathet

No notable person born in Electoral Area B, qathet is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.

How we find them →

Connie Polman-TuinCanadian heptathlete · born in Powell River · born 1963

Brad BombardirCanadian ice hockey player · born in Powell River · born 1972

Don ThompsonCanadian musician · born in Powell River · born 1940

Drew FergusonCanadian soccer player-coach · born in Powell River · born 1957

Kyla BremnerAustralian wrestler · born in Powell River · born 1977

Katrine ConroyCanadian politician · born in Powell River

Photo credits

Don Thompson: Courtesy the Fraser MacPherson estate c/o Guy MacPherson, CC BY 2.0 · Katrine Conroy: BC NDP, CC BY 2.0

About Electoral Area B, qathet

Town in British Columbia

Electoral Area B, qathet is a municipality in British Columbia, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 1,714 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Powell River
Metro area: Powell River
Census subdivision: 5927012

Electoral Area B, qathet’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

Powell RiverElectoral Area C, qathetElectoral Area D, qathetElectoral Area B, qathet

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Electoral Area B, qathet	1,714	—	—	D	B⁻	A⁺
Powell River	14,947	4.7	C	D	C⁻	A⁺
Electoral Area C, qathet	2,409	8.9	—	D	B⁻	A⁺
Electoral Area D, qathet	1,221	15	—	D	B⁻	A⁺

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Electoral Area B, qathet

Who are the people of Electoral Area B, qathet?

2% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 6% have an Indigenous identity and 11% are immigrants.

Is Electoral Area B, qathet a young town or an old one?

At 58, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns.

What kind of homes are in Electoral Area B, qathet?

80% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.2 people; 31% are one person living alone.

Has Electoral Area B, qathet grown?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 1,541 to 1,664 residents (up 8%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 1,714.

Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2023–25 (35-10-0026, 35-10-0183 to 35-10-0190) · CMHC rents as published by Statistics Canada (34-10-0133) · grades by TownRatings. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.

Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).