Village of Cumberland
THE VILLAGE OF CUMBERLAND
The Village Cumberland, BC, located in the foothills of Strathcona Park, draws visitors to the community for its fascinating coal mining history, charming heritage buildings,and stunning outdoor recreation opportunities.
The historic buildings of Cumberland tell the story of a village with a rich and coloful past. Miners and their families, from as far away as China, Japan, Eastern Europe, and the United States found their way to the community. Merchants and tradesmen followed close behind, building a dynamic village. Cumberland’s events calendar still celebrates the contributions of those diverse, early settlers.
A QUAINT COMMUNITY
Cumberland today is a quaint village with a population of approximately 3.000 people. Located in the Comox Valley, on Vancouver Island, Cumberland’s backdrop is the Beaufort Mountain Range while Strathcona Provincial Park Comox Lake, Forbidden Plateau and the Comox Glacier all surround the community Cumberland, at one time, was once one of the largest communities on Vancouver Island From the late 1800's up until the mid-1960’s, Cumberland was an active mining community with immigrants arriving from as far away as Europe, China and Japan to work in the mining industry. During its peak years, Cumberland was also a major trading and commercial center.
Today, the village of Cumberland is an example of a community that is not only proud of its history but is also actively preserving its old historic buildings.. Many visitors have taken the opportunity, when visiting the community, to enjoy a self guided walking tour of the village’s historical sites. The buildings are now home to a variety of businesses such as antique shops, restaurants, convenience stores and eclectic gift shops.
THE COMOX VALLEY
Cumberland is one of the three communities that comprise the Comox Valley. The city of Courtenay and the Town of Comox are the other two major communities. The Comox Valley consists of three major cities. Courtenay, Comox, and the Village of Cumberland. There are also a number of outlying communities including Black Creek, Merville, Royston, Buckley Bay, Fanny Bay, Union Bay, Denman and Hornby Islands and Lazo With its proximity to major amenities, Cumberland is a community that is attracting both young families and retirees due for its small community lifestyle.
The Comox Valley is one of the most beautiful places on Vancouver Island. Its natural surroundings and diversity has resulted in a significant population increases in recent years. The Valley is best described as a postmodern society in which service jobs have exceeded 50% of the employment opportunities. The growth industries are tourism and construction, with the Canadian Forces in the form of CFB Comox having long provided significant economic stability since the decline of logging, mining, and fishing.
The wealth of today's Comox Valley lies in its combination of its natural beauty and rich cultural scene. Besides the many music and arts festivals, such as Island MusicFest, CYMC's Summer Festival of Music, and the Filberg Festival, the region has a legacy of dramatic and musical instruction in its schools and through the Comox Valley Youth Music Centre (CYMC), which draws students from around the world.
The community is also rich in its numerous volunteer and non-profit organizations devoted to cultural pursuits. The many small communities in the region also boast a wealth of education and skills, and a devotion to 'place' that gives each neighborhood an inviting texture and atmosphere.
A VERY ATTRACTIVE AREA TO LIVE AND VISIT
For these reasons, as well as relatively mild climate, the Comox Valley is very attractive to people looking for smaller town and rural alternatives to suburban homogenization and urban congestion. The Comox Valley, with an international airport and air service direct to Calgary and points south and east, as well as Edmonton, Albertans have in recent years become a major driver of the real estate and population boom.
The Comox Valley is also known as The Valley of Festivals. Events include (amongst others) the Art & Bloom Festival, Cumberland Empire Days, North Island Hot Jazz Festival, Comox Valley Shellfish Festival, About Town!, Marina Park Main Event, Vancouver Island MusicFest, Hornby Island Festival, Filberg Festival, Comox Nautical Days, Showcase Festival, and the Comox Valley Exhibition Fall Fair.
CUMBERLAND-A RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE
Cumberland has a strong cultural heritage, due to the many ethnic groups who worked and lived in the community for an extended period of time and who played such a crucial role in its development. Reminders of the town’s mining and cultural past are everywhere, from ethnic cemeteries and heritage buildings to museum exhibits and Miners’ Memorial Park.
CELEBRATION OF CUMBERLAND'S HERITAGE
The Taiwanese Lantern Festival and Cumberland Heritage Day in February, Cumberland’s week long Empire Day celebrations in May, and Miners Memorial Day are examples of impressive events that celebrate the rich heritage of the Village. The Cumberland Museum has an outstanding reputation for its collection of local history. The museum includes a walk-through replica of a coal mine, stories of mining baron Robert Dunsmuir labor leader/organizer Ginger Goodwin, a slide presentation of historic Chinatown, a computerized database of local family history, and guided tours of the village. Cumberland’s rich historic past and its ethnic and cultural heritage can all be viewed at this impressive community museum.
A RECREATIONAL PARADISE
Cumberland is a recreational paradise. Comox Lake, located on the western side of Cumberland, is a large, pristine lake that is ideal for swimming, fishing, and, camping and boating. Surrounded by mountains and fed by a glacier, Comox Lake has good freshwater fishing for trout and char year-round. The forest of Douglas Fir, hemlock and red cedar is a jewel for the community of Cumberland.. Naturalists visit for the tranquility, the songbirds, sword ferns, salal and Saskatoon berry bushes that line the trails through the forest.
Cumberland makes a wonderful base camp for outdoor adventures in Strathcona Provincial Park and around Comox Lake. Hikers, snow skiers, snow boarders and backpackers are also entertained throughout the year as the community is a short drive to this major ski hill and mountain parks year-round recreation in Strathcona Provincial Park. Winter provides extensive cross-country tracks for intermediate and experienced skiers. Summer brings great hiking and camping, and superb fly fishing for trout in the small alpine lakes during the spring and fall.
HIKING AND BIKING IN CUMBERLAND
Cumberland provides excellent opportunities for recreation with Cumberland being so close to Strathcona Park, a rugged mountain wilderness of over 250,000 hectares that dominates central Vancouver Island. Mountain peaks dominate the park, some eternally mantled with snow, while lakes and alpine tarns dot a landscape laced with rivers, creeks and streams. Created in 1911, Strathcona is the oldest provincial park in BC and the largest on Vancouver Island. Fabulous hiking trails include the Della Falls trail to the highest waterfall in Canada, and dozens of trails to the many pretty alpine lakes that dot the Forbidden Plateau area. Boston Ridge Trail is a good 13-km circle day hike up and over Boston Ridge and up to Mount Becher north of Comox Lake, and offers marvelous views.
PROXIMITY TO MT. WASHINGTON SKI RESORT
Cumberland is a good base for skiing at Mt. Washington Ski Resort. Mount Washington (elevation 5,216 feet/1590 m) has long been known for having good snow conditions from early in winter to well past Easter. The snow here is often deeper than anywhere else in British Columbia.This accounts, in part, for Mount Washington being the second-busiest winter recreation destination in British Columbia, behind Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort. Mount Washington also provides excellent hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding in summer, or one can simply make the 40-minute trip to Mount Washington to ride the chair lift and enjoy the wonderful views of the surrounding area.
Cumberland, is also wilderness retreat destination ideal for mountain bikers as there are miles of marked biking trails mapped out in the back-country forests for the extreme biker and for the beginner biker. Many local and national events are held in the area..
THE ARTS
Cumberland has a very vibrant and diverse fine and performing arts community. Its home to many talented musicians, singers, actors, artists as well as artisans, and painters. The fine and performing arts community in Cumberland plays a prominent role in the cultural heritage of the community as well as being an integral and prominent part of the life of the village.
