# Cariboo Regional District

The Cariboo Regional District spans the Cities and Districts of Quesnel, Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, and Wells in the Central Interior of British Columbia.

## Geography

The Cariboo Regional District (CRD) in the Central Interior of BC encompasses 80,252 square kilometers of land. The Cariboo and Coastal mountain ranges hug the CRD on its west and east side boundaries. The region straddles Highway 97 from 70 Mile House in the south to 5 km south of Hixon in the north. It belongs to the PDT/PST time zones.

### Incorporated municipalities

* District Municipality of 100 Mile House
* City of Quesnel
* District Municipality of Wells
* City of Williams Lake

### Communities

* Alexandria
* Australian
* Kersley
* Red Bluff
* Rich Bar

### Other communities

* Alexis Creek
* Anahim Lake
* Horsefly
* Lac La Hache
* Likely
* Lone Butte
* McLeese Lake
* Nazko
* Nimpo Lake
* Riske Creek
* Tatla Lake
* Forest Grove
* 150 Mile House

## Features and Amenities

The Cariboo Regional District provides region-wide library services, recreational facilities, and local fire protection.

## Demographics

As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Cariboo Regional District had a population of 62,931 living in 27,614 of its 32,395 total private dwellings, a change of 1.5% from its 2016 population of 61,988. With a land area of 80,373.79 km$^2$ (31,032.49 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.8/km$^2$ (2.0/sq mi) in 2021.
Panethnic groups in the Cariboo Regional District (1991–2021) :
| Panethnic group | 2021 | 2021 | 2016 | 2016 | 2011 | 2011 | 2006 | 2006 | 2001 | 2001 | 1996 | 1996 | 1991 | 1991 |
| Panethnic group | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| European | 48,375 | 77.8% | 48,120 | 78.89% | 48,945 | 79.24% | 50,355 | 81.49% | 54,390 | 83.41% | 56,920 | 85.95% | 49,860 | 81.98% |
| Indigenous | 11,160 | 17.95% | 10,465 | 17.16% | 10,775 | 17.45% | 9,090 | 14.71% | 7,865 | 12.06% | 5,895 | 8.9% | 7,860 | 12.92% |
| South Asian | 890 | 1.43% | 1,045 | 1.71% | 940 | 1.52% | 1,395 | 2.26% | 1,870 | 2.87% | 2,375 | 3.59% | 2,335 | 3.84% |
| Southeast Asian | 625 | 1.01% | 380 | 0.62% | 170 | 0.28% | 235 | 0.38% | 190 | 0.29% | 175 | 0.26% | 65 | 0.11% |
| East Asian | 495 | 0.8% | 560 | 0.92% | 740 | 1.2% | 495 | 0.8% | 540 | 0.83% | 545 | 0.82% | 405 | 0.67% |
| African | 210 | 0.34% | 165 | 0.27% | 75 | 0.12% | 110 | 0.18% | 200 | 0.31% | 220 | 0.33% | 225 | 0.37% |
| Latin American | 160 | 0.26% | 80 | 0.13% | 60 | 0.1% | 25 | 0.04% | 100 | 0.15% | 45 | 0.07% | 45 | 0.07% |
| Middle Eastern | 50 | 0.08% | 20 | 0.03% | 0 | 0% | 35 | 0.06% | 10 | 0.02% | 0 | 0% | 25 | 0.04% |
| Other | 210 | 0.34% | 170 | 0.28% | 30 | 0.05% | 45 | 0.07% | 40 | 0.06% | 35 | 0.05% | — | — |
| Total responses | 62,180 | 98.81% | 61,000 | 98.41% | 61,765 | 99% | 61,790 | 99.36% | 65,210 | 99.32% | 66,225 | 99.62% | 60,820 | 99.61% |
| Total population | 62,931 | 100% | 61,988 | 100% | 62,392 | 100% | 62,190 | 100% | 65,659 | 100% | 66,475 | 100% | 61,059 | 100% |
| Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses. |||||||||||||||
Religious groups in the Cariboo Regional District (1981−2021) :
| Religious group | 2021 | 2021 | 2011 | 2011 | 2001 | 2001 | 1991 | 1991 | 1981 | 1981 |
| Religious group | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| Irreligious | 39,080 | 62.85% | 31,915 | 51.67% | 26,020 | 39.9% | 20,700 | 34.03% | 13,150 | 22.25% |
| Christian | 20,930 | 33.66% | 27,935 | 45.23% | 36,895 | 56.58% | 37,340 | 61.39% | 43,225 | 73.15% |
| Sikh | 645 | 1.04% | 745 | 1.21% | 1,560 | 2.39% | 2,155 | 3.54% | 2,435 | 4.12% |
| Indigenous spirituality | 480 | 0.77% | 460 | 0.74% | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hindu | 135 | 0.22% | 60 | 0.1% | 110 | 0.17% | 145 | 0.24% | 165 | 0.28% |
| Buddhist | 125 | 0.2% | 100 | 0.16% | 135 | 0.21% | 25 | 0.04% | 30 | 0.05% |
| Muslim | 65 | 0.1% | 15 | 0.02% | 65 | 0.1% | 15 | 0.02% | 20 | 0.03% |
| Jewish | 40 | 0.06% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 0.02% | 35 | 0.06% | 15 | 0.03% |
| Other | 680 | 1.09% | 525 | 0.85% | 420 | 0.64% | 405 | 0.67% | 55 | 0.09% |
| Total responses | 62,180 | 98.81% | 61,765 | 99% | 65,205 | 99.31% | 60,820 | 99.61% | 59,090 | 99.73% |
| Total population | 62,931 | 100% | 62,392 | 100% | 65,659 | 100% | 61,059 | 100% | 59,252 | 100% |

## Rural Representative Elections
### Electoral directors

Twelve electoral area directors and four municipal directors govern the affairs of the Cariboo Regional District. The electoral area directors are elected by area voters, and municipal directors are appointed by their municipal council. All directors serve for a four-year term.

### Electoral areas

Regional District Electoral Areas are A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K and L.
Electoral areas have no administrative or governmental significance; they are used only to elect rural representatives to regional district boards.

## Literature

The Cariboo District and 100 Mile House are featured prominently in Al Purdy's poem "The Cariboo Horses" to examine the tradition of equinity against human civilization.